STARS
—C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, threw for 432 yards and six TDs as No. 5 Ohio State blew out No. 7 Michigan State 56-7
—Bryce Young, Alabama, passed for a school-record 559 yards and five TDs, and the No. 2 Crimson Tide clinched a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game with a 42-35 victory over No. 21 Arkansas.
—Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, passed for 349 yards and four TDs and rushed for two more scores in a 62-33 victory over rival Southern California.
—Kevin Daniels, Northern Arizona, ran for 280 yards and five TDs to help the Lumberjacks beat Cal Poly 45-21.
—Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky, passed for 470 yards and six TDs in a 52-17 victory over Florida Atlantic.
—Braelon Allen, Wisconsin, rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns – including a tiebreaking 53-yarder with 3:50 remaining – to help the No. 19 Badgers outlast Nebraska 35-28.
—Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M, threw for 450 yards and six TDs in a 52-24 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
—Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati, threw three TD passes, ran for another score and even caught a TD pass to help the No. 3 Bearcats roll past SMU 48-14.
—Drae McCray, Austin Peay, caught seven passes for 237 yards and four TDs in a 48-20 victory over Tennessee Tech.
—Cole Johnson, James Madison, threw for 363 yards and matched his school-record of six TD passes in a 56-10 win over Towson.
—Rasheen Ali, Marshall, rushed for 203 yards and three TDs to help the Thundering Herd beat Charlotte 49-28.
—Will Levis, Kentucky, threw for 419 yards and four TDs as the Wildcats cruised past New Mexico State 56-16.
—Kobe Pace, Clemson, ran for a career-high 191 yards and two TDs as the Tigers won their 13th straight over No. 13 Wake Forest, 48-27.
—Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State, ran for 185 yards and three TDs in a 35-18 victory over Southern Illinois.
—Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina, threw for 319 yards and tied a school record with five TD passes in a 35-21 win over Texas State.
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BUCKEYES CRUSH SPARTANS
C.J. Stroud lit up No. 7 Michigan State early and gave his coach the rare luxury of being able to let his mind wander to next week’s showdown with Michigan.
Stroud tied a school record with six touchdown passes — all in the first half — as No. 5 Ohio State bolted out to a 49-point halftime lead on the way to a startling 56-7 rout that eliminated the Spartans from the Big Ten East race.
Next up, the annual rivalry game against No. 8 Michigan that carries even greater meaning this year — the winner will claim the division, advance to the conference championship game on Dec. 4 and stay alive for the College Football Playoff.
Stroud, who threw his first collegiate football pass less than three months ago, was 32 for 35 for 432 yards against the Spartans’ sketchy pass defense. The redshirt freshman completed a school-record 17 straight passes and positioned himself as a possible Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the championship stretch of the season.
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DONE DUCKS
Oregon’s College Football Playoffs are done, thanks to the Utah Utes.
Britain Covey returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, giving Utah 14 points in 27 seconds and a 28-0 lead, and the No. 24 Utes ended No. 4 Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes with a 38-7 victory.
Tavion Thomas ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns to help the Utes wrap up a share of the Pac-12 South title and a spot in the conference championship game. Utah has won four in a row and all but knocked Oregon out of the CFP.
Thomas has run for a Utah-record 17 touchdowns this season, beating the previous mark of 15 shared by Zack Moss and John White IV.
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NUMBERS
3_Interceptions returned for touchdowns by Weber State in a 48-17 win over Northern Colorado.
15_Straight wins by top-ranked Alabama over No. 21 Arkansas.
17_Straight completions by Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud against Michigan State to set a school record.
24_Years since Indiana State won at Illinois State before a 15-10 win.
25_Years Sacramento State had been in the Big Sky before winning its first conference title this season.
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VICTORY BELL BRUINS
Dorian Thompson-Robinson romped through the Coliseum end zone during the second quarter and looked up to see a young fan in Southern California gear holding out a UCLA hat and a pen.
On a day when the Bruins quarterback seized just about every opportunity, he celebrated his touchdown with an impromptu autograph.
Now that’s a signature win for the fourth-year quarterback and his Bruins, who are emphatically on top again in Los Angeles’ crosstown showdown.
Thompson-Robinson passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for two more scores, and UCLA reclaimed the Victory Bell with a 62-33 victory over USC.
Kazmeir Allen made two TD catches and returned a kickoff 100 yards for another score in the highest-scoring performance ever by the Bruins in 91 editions of the city rivalry game.
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