Kansas State wins Big 12 title
Collin Klein threw a touchdown pass and ran for two scores and No. 7 Kansas State beat No. 23 Texas 42-24 on Saturday night in Manhattan,, Kan., for its third conference title in 117 years and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
The Wildcats had never played for a conference championship in their last game at home, and had never had a player end the regular season in such close contention for the Heisman Trophy as Klein.
Neither of his main competitors, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel nor Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, played this weekend. So Klein, a multitalented senior, had the stage all to himself, one last chance to burnish his credentials for what would be Kansas State’s first Heisman.
In front of their sixth sellout in seven home games, the Wildcats (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) tied their team record for victories in a season and matched Oklahoma’s Big 12 record.
(12) Oklahoma 24, TCU 17: Landry Jones threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, Damien Williams ran untouched 66 yards for a score and the 12th-ranked Sooners held on to beat the Horned Frogs 24-17 at Fort Worth, Texas, and clinch at least a share of the Big 12 title. Oklahoma (10-2, 8-1 Big 12) won their eighth consecutive Big 12 game since a late-September loss to Kansas State. Oklahoma, whose only other loss was to No. 1 Notre Dame, is in good shape for the final at-large BCS berth. TCU (7-5, 4-5) lost all four of its Big 12 games at home despite winning four on the road.
(13) Florida St. 21, Ga. Tech 15: James Wilder Jr. ran two touchdowns as the No. 13 Seminoles held off the Yellow Jackets in Charlotte, N.C., to capture their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 2005 and earn a trip to the Orange Bowl. The heavily favored Seminoles (11-2) built a 21-6 lead at the half and held on to win, helping to erase some of the sting from last week’s 37-26 loss to their bitter rival, No. 4 Florida. Despite its record, Georgia Tech (6-7) is bowl eligible after receiving a waiver from the NCAA on Thursday.
(16) Ore. St. 77, Nicholls St. 3: Storm Woods ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter and No. 16 Oregon State put up its highest point total ever, routing Nicholls State 77-3 in Corvallis, Ore. Oregon State (9-3) started playing its substitutes against the lower-division Colonels in taking a 35-0 halftime lead. Markus Wheaton caught 12 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown and sat out the second half. The Beavers had a complete turnaround from their 3-9 finish last year. Oregon State is possibly headed to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27, and representatives from that bowl and the Alamo Bowl were in attendance. The team will learn its destination today.
Baylor 41, (24) Oklahoma St. 34: Lache Seastrunk rushed for 178 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Nick Florence passed for 296 yards as the Bears beat the No. 24 Cowboys 41-34 in Waco, Texas. Baylor (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) has won at least seven games in three straight seasons – the first time the Bears have done that since 1949-51. J.W. Walsh rushed for two touchdowns for Oklahoma State (7-5, 5-4).
Cincinnati 34, Connecticut 17: Brendon Kay threw two touchdown passes to Travis Kelce, and caught one from the big tight end on a trick play as the Bearcats beat the Huskies in East Hartford, Conn. The win gives Cincinnati (9-3, 5-2 Big East) a share of the Big East championship. Kelce caught five balls for 69 yards and the two scores. Kay completed 19 of his 29 passes for 245 yards and the two scores.
Tulsa 33, UCF 27 (OT): Alex Singleton ran for 100 yards and plunged over the top for a 1-yard score in overtime to lift the Golden Hurrican to a 33-27 victory over the Knights in Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa won the C-USA championship for the first time since 2005 and is off to the Liberty Bowl. Singleton came up with just the second 100-yard game of his career, breaking the school record for touchdowns in the process with 40 – with 39 of them coming on the ground.