No. 4 Alabama beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC championship game

ATLANTA (AP) – Bryce Young threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as fourth-ranked Alabama rolled over No. 1 Georgia 41-24 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday, a result that likely sends both powerhouse programs to the four-team College Football Playoff. Young set SEC championship records with 421 yards passing and 461 yards total offense. Georgia (12-1, No. 1 CFP) cruised through the regular season, barely challenged and a unanimous choice as the nation’s No. 1 team for the past two months. The Bulldogs boasted a fearsome defensive unit that had allowed only 6.9 points a game. Young made them look like a scout team, surely bolstering his Heisman Trophy chances as well as moving on to an even bigger game on the final day of 2021. The playoff field will be announced Sunday, with the semifinals set for the Orange and Cotton bowls on Dec. 31. Alabama (12-1, No. 3 CFP) had six offensive scoring drives – five covering at least 75 yards, the other 62 – and finished with a staggering 536 yards against a team that was giving up just under 231 per game. The Tide’s defense wasn’t too shabby, either, essentially sealing the victory with Jordan Battle’s 42-yard interception return to the end zone with about 12 minutes remaining. Georgia’s Stetson Bennett threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had two crucial picks. Freshman Brock Bowers made 10 catches for 139 yards. NO. 3 CINCINNATI 35, NO. 16 HOUSTON 20 CINCINNATI (AP) – Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes as Cincinnati broke open a close game in the third quarter and rolled past Houston in the American Athletic Conference championship game. The Bearcats who are ranked No. 4 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, are in position to become the first non-Power 5 team to qualify. The final rankings will be announced Sunday. Ridder completed 11 of 17 passes for 190 yards for Cincinnati (12-0), which extended the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 27, and scored three touchdowns in fewer than eight minutes to finish off its second straight AAC crown. Cougars junior QB Clayton Tune passed for 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception as Houston (11-2) lost for the first time since dropping its season-opener to Texas Tech on Sept. 4. NO. 9 BAYLOR 21, NO. 5 OKLAHOMA STATE 16 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Dezmon Jackson came up inches short on a desperate, fourth-down dive with 24 seconds remaining and Oklahoma State fell to Baylor in the Big 12 championship game and knocked the Cowboys out of contention for a playoff spot. Blake Shapen threw three TDs while completing his first 17 passes as Baylor (11-2, College Football Playoff No. 9) took a 21-3 lead. The Cowboys (11-2, CFP No. 5) rallied back, then went 89 yards on 17 plays on their final drive. But their Big 12 and national championship hopes wound up just shy. Sanders threw four interceptions, one by Jairon McVea, and the Cowboys were without leading rusher Jaylen Warren because of his lingering ankle and shoulder issues. UTAH STATE 46, NO. 19 SAN DIEGO STATE 13 CARSON, Calif. (AP) – Brandon Bowling caught two touchdown passes from Logan Bonner during the decisive third quarter, and Utah State won its first Mountain West Conference title. Bonner passed for 318 yards and four TDs, while fellow Arkansas State transfer Bowling had eight catches for a career-high 154 yards. The Aggies (10-3) punctuated their inspiring turnaround under first-year coach Blake Anderson by blowing out the short-handed Aztecs (11-2) for their first win over an AP Top 25 opponent since 2015. Utah State earned a berth in the inaugural LA Bowl on Dec. 18 at SoFi Stadium. The Aggies are likely to face Oregon State.