MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Joe Jackson rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas State defeated Colorado 24-14 and earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season on a cold and blustery day. The game-time temperature was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 24. Quarterback Avery Johnson was 10-of-17 for 115 yards in difficult conditions for Kansas State. Kaidon Salter was 14-of-25 for 172 yards for Colorado, who got two rushing touchdowns from Micah Welch.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to help No. 11 BYU beat UCF 41-21. LJ Martin added 95 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for the Cougars (11-1, 8-1 Big 12, No. 11 CFP), who clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game next Saturday. Parker Kingston added 181 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Tayven Jackson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns to lead UCF. The Knights (5-7, 2-7 Big 12) did not qualify for a bowl game for a second straight season after giving up 31 unanswered points to the Cougars.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Seventh-ranked Texas Tech finished the regular season with a 49-0 win at West Virginia. Behren Morton threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, while linebacker Jacob Rodriguez scored his second offensive TD in as many games. The Red Raiders will play No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 championship game next Saturday in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech had already clinched a spot in the title game when Arizona State lost to Arizona on Friday night. But the Red Raiders had plenty of motivation, needing a win over the Mountaineers to continue their trajectory toward at least hosting a first-round home game in the College Football Playoff.
UNDATED (AP) — The final regular season week of college football has set the stage for conference championships. Virginia clinched a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Virginia Tech. SMU's loss to Cal opened the door for Duke, who will face Virginia in Charlotte. Alabama secured its place in the SEC championship by defeating Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide will meet Georgia in Atlanta. Ohio State maintained a perfect 12-0 season with a win over Michigan and will face Indiana in the Big Ten championship. Texas Tech and BYU will meet again in the Big 12 title game.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Ty Simpson and Isaiah Horton connected three times for touchdowns, including on a fourth-down play in the waning minutes, and No. 10 Alabama escaped Auburn with a 27-20 victory in the rivalry known as the Iron Bowl on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide advanced to face fourth-ranked Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game next week in Atlanta. It’s a rematch from the regular season, which Alabama (10-2, 7-1) won 24-21 on the road. Ashton Daniels led Auburn (5-7, 1-7) with 259 yards passing and 108 yards rushing. Daniels had the Tigers on the move late, but star receiver Cam Coleman fumbled with 33 seconds left.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, including a 35-yarder to Jeremiah Smith on a fourth down in the second quarter, and No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 15 Michigan 27-9 in a dominant performance. The defending national champion Buckeyes likely earned a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. They can keep their top seed with a win against No. 2 Indiana in the conference championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis. Ohio State coach Ryan Day should sleep well, a year after losing The Game when his team was favored by about three touchdowns.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — John Mateer threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna with 4:16 left to overcome three interceptions, and No. 8 Oklahoma beat LSU 17-13 on Saturday night to likely wrap up a College Football Playoff spot. The Sooners (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 8 CFP) are in position to host a first-round game after winning four straight. Mateer was 23 of 38 for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and Sategna caught nine passes for 121 yards. Oklahoma held the Tigers (7-5, 3-5) to 198 total yards and came up with a late stop to hold on. LSU played through rumors about its coaching situation. Brian Kelly was fired earlier and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has been rumored to be his replacement.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carson Beck passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns as No. 13 Miami beat No. 24 Pittsburgh 38-7. The win kept Miami's slim hopes for a spot in the ACC title game alive at least for a few hours. More pressing for the Hurricanes is whether they did enough to impress the voters for the College Football Playoff. Miami finished the regular season 10-2 and won its last four games by an average of 26 points. Pitt fell to 8-4 and saw its own chances of reaching the ACC championship disappear while being overwhelmed by the deeper and more talented Hurricanes.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The temporary Olympic Village in Cortina d'Ampezzo that will house up to 1,400 athletes and other team members during the Milan Cortina Games consists of nearly 400 rented mobile homes arranged in close proximity to one another on a humid valley floor. The Village is a 10-minute drive or a 1-hour walk north of downtown Cortina in an unpopulated area. In other words it’s in the middle of nature. Government commissioner Fabio Saldini says “You have the opportunity to hear the sound of the mountains" and “isolate yourself if you wish” or “go out for a pleasant workout.”
MILAN (AP) — There is no backup plan if the main ice hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Winter Games is not ready on time. Construction is behind schedule and going right down to the wire. A test event at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena had to be moved, and new ones won’t be until January 9-11. Andrea Francisi the Chief Games Operations Officer for Milan Cortina told The Associated Press on Saturday there is no plan B. However, he is confident “for the moment” the venue will be ready in time. The first Olympics game at the main hockey arena is the women’s preliminary round competition on February 5, one day before the opening ceremony.
SATURDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (1)Ohio St. 27 (15)Michigan 9
Final (12)Vanderbilt 45 (18)Tennessee 24
Final (13)Miami 38 (24)Pittsburgh 7
Final (7)Texas Tech 49 West Virginia 0
Final (11)BYU 41 UCF 21
Final (5)Oregon 26 Washington 14
Final (8)Oklahoma 17 LSU 13
Final (20)James Madison 59 Coastal Carolina 10
Final (17)Virginia 27 Virginia Tech 7
Final (22)Tulane 27 Charlotte 0
Final (19)Southern Cal 29 UCLA 10
Final (10)Alabama 27 Auburn 20
Final California 38 (25)SMU 35
Final (9)Notre Dame 49 Stanford 20
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2)Arizona 98 Norfolk State 61
Final (25)Indiana 100 Bethune-Cookman 56
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Minnesota 119 Boston 115
Final OT Charlotte 118 Toronto 111
Final Indiana 103 Chicago 101
Final Milwaukee 116 Brooklyn 99
Final Detroit 138 Miami 135
Final Golden State 104 New Orleans 96
Final Denver 130 Phoenix 112
Final Dallas 114 L.A. Clippers 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 4 N-Y Rangers 1
Final Colorado 7 Montreal 2
Final Edmonton 4 Seattle 0
Final Toronto 7 Pittsburgh 2
Final Philadelphia 5 New Jersey 3
Final SO Boston 3 Detroit 2
Final Winnipeg 5 Nashville 2
Final St. Louis 1 Utah 0
Final SO Buffalo 3 Minnesota 2
Final Vegas 4 San Jose 3
Final OT Los Angeles 2 Vancouver 1