AI GENERATED
## Top 10 games
- No. 1 Ohio State 27, No. 15 Michigan 9 – Ohio State's defense controlled the rivalry, holding Michigan without an offensive touchdown and forcing multiple key stops to clinch a Big Ten title game spot. QB Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes' receivers hit enough explosive plays to pull away in the second half.
- No. 2 Indiana 56, Purdue 3 (Friday) – Indiana closed a perfect regular season behind a dominant ground game, with RB Kaelon Black scoring twice and backs Roman Hemby and Fernando Mendoza also adding rushing TDs in a blowout over their rival.
- No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 23 Georgia Tech 9 (Friday) – Georgia survived a physical defensive battle, leaning on its front seven and a late red-zone stand to edge a Georgia Tech team that hung around into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs' run game and short passing attack did just enough to preserve playoff hopes.
- No. 5 Texas Tech 49, West Virginia 0 – Texas Tech pitched a shutout on the road, with QB Caleb Douglas throwing multiple touchdown passes and hitting a highlight-reel scoring strike in a game that was never in doubt.
- No. 6 Oregon 26, Washington 14 – Oregon's Malik (QB) and Dante (WR) connected for a clutch fourth‑quarter touchdown to seal it, capping a balanced offensive effort and a defensive performance that limited Washington after halftime. [2][5]
- No. 7 Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19 (Friday) – Ole Miss controlled the Egg Bowl behind a sharp passing game and timely defensive stops, extending the lead in the second half and keeping its New Year's Six/CFP hopes alive.
- No. 8 Oklahoma 17, LSU 13 – Oklahoma escaped after a tense finish, with QB John Mateer hitting Deion Burks for a long second‑half touchdown and the Sooners' defense coming up with multiple late interceptions, including Peyton Bowen's end‑zone pick to seal it.
- No. 9 Notre Dame easily defeats Stanford – This was a late kickoff; Notre Dame leaned on QB Charlie Mirer, who threw a short touchdown in the red zone, and a stingy defense that limited explosive plays to close out the regular season.
- No. 10 Alabama 27, Auburn 20 – In the Iron Bowl, Alabama converted a gutsy late fourth‑down call that led directly to the go‑ahead touchdown, with QB Ty Simpson and WR Isaiah Horton connecting twice for scores as the Tide booked a spot opposite Georgia in the SEC title game.
## Ranked-on-ranked and rivalry wins
- No. 12 Miami 38, No. 22 Pitt 7 – Miami dominated both lines of scrimmage and hit several deep shots to cruise over Pitt, keeping the Hurricanes in strong bowl position behind a clean day from their starting QB and a fast, turnover‑creating defense.
- No. 14 Vanderbilt 45, No. 19 Tennessee 24 – Diego Pavia and the Commodores' offense lit up Tennessee, with Pavia accounting for multiple touchdowns as Vandy piled on points and stayed firmly in the playoff conversation.
- No. 16 Texas 27, No. 3 Texas A&M 17 (Friday) – Texas flipped the script in the rivalry by bottling up A&M's running game and hitting timely passes on third down, with the Longhorns' quarterback leading long, clock‑draining drives to close it out.
- No. 17 USC 29, UCLA 10 – USC shook off a slow offensive start as QB Jayden Maiava threw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns, while the Trojans' defense tightened up and held UCLA to a single touchdown.
- No. 18 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7 – Virginia's defense smothered its in‑state rival, allowing just one score and repeatedly winning on third down, while the Cavaliers' offense capitalized on short fields to put the game away. [2]
- No. 25 Arizona 23, No. 20 Arizona State 7 (Friday) – Arizona's defense carried the day in the Territorial Cup, holding ASU in check and turning an early lead into a comfortable rivalry win that kept the Wildcats in the final Top 25.
## Other Top 25 outcomes
- No. 11 BYU 41, UCF 21 – BYU finished a strong season with a multi‑score win as its passing game repeatedly attacked downfield and the Cougars' defense forced UCF into chase mode after halftime.
- No. 18/22 Missouri 31, Arkansas 17 – Missouri's offense found rhythm in the second half, leaning on a productive ground game and red‑zone execution to put away an Arkansas team that struggled to finish drives.
- No. 24 Tulane 27, Charlotte 0 – Tulane's defense pitched a shutout, while QB Jake Retzlaff threw for just under 300 yards and RB Jordan McClure paced the ground attack; WR A. Brown‑Stephens neared the 100‑yard mark as the Green Wave cruised.
- California 38, No. 21 SMU 35 – In one of the wildest finishes among ranked teams, Cal rallied behind its offense in the second half to upset SMU, scoring late and getting a defensive stand to finish the three‑point win.
## Notable non–Top 25 rivalry highlight
- Florida 40, Florida State 21 – In a game with major narrative weight even though Florida is unranked, RB Jadan Baugh exploded for 266 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the second‑highest single‑game rushing total in Gators history, as Florida denied FSU bowl eligibility. QB Thomas Castellanos accounted for all three Seminole touchdowns but also had a pick and a lost fumble.