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ATLANTA — Alabama showed off all its weapons in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Now, the Crimson Tide can expect a return trip to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff.
The nation’s No. 1 team scored off a blocked punt and an interception return Saturday before wearing down No. 15 Florida in the second half with a dominant running game. The result was a 54-16 rout that positioned Alabama to go for its second straight national title and its fifth crown in the last nine years under coach Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide (13-0, No. 1 CFP) bolted to a 16-9 lead in the first quarter, despite being held to minus-7 yards and no first downs. They scored one touchdown off a blocked punt, another off an interception return. A field goal was set up by another pick — one of three thrown by Florida quarterback Austin Appleby in the first half.
The Tide led 33-16 at halftime — the most points ever scored in the first two quarters of an SEC title game — and iced the victory with scoring drives of 98 and 91 yards, sparked by a goal-line stand that finished off the last gasp by the Gators (8-4, No. 15 CFP)
A 24-point underdog, Florida had a few shining moments against the nation’s only unbeaten Power Five team. The Gators marched the length of the field on the opening possession, the first touchdown given up by the Tide in more than 17 quarters. They had another long TD drive near the end of the first half to give themselves a glimmer of hope.
No. 7 Oklahoma 38,
No. 11 Oklahoma State 20
NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns in a matchup that decided the Big 12 title and likely guaranteed the Sooners a trip to the Sugar Bowl.
Mayfield performed well throughout, despite finishing the game without top receiver Dede Westbrook. Westbrook caught four passes for 111 yards before being knocked out of the game on a crushing hit by safety Jordan Sterns.
Samaje Perine rambled for 239 yards on a career-high 37 carries and Joe Mixon caught a touchdown pass and busted a 79-yard touchdown run for the Sooners (10-2, 9-0 Big 12, No. 9 College Football Playoff).
Mason Rudolph completed 11 of 25 passes for 186 yards for Oklahoma State (9-3, 7-2, No. 10 CFP). His top target for the season, James Washington, caught two passes for 50 yards on eight targets.
No. 14 West Virginia 24,
Baylor 21
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Skyler Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and West Virginia held on in the Big 12 regular-season finale for both teams.
Justin Crawford rushed for 209 yards to help the Mountaineers (10-2, 7-2) to their first 10-win regular-season since 2007. They came from 11 points down in the first half to hand Baylor (6-6, 3-6) its sixth straight loss after a 6-0 start.
Baylor held the momentum for nearly three quarters in the final regular-season game for acting coach Jim Grobe, but that changed on two plays.
Howard, having one of his worst games of the season, threw to Gary Jennings over the middle and he turned it into a 58-yard scoring play. After Baylor got the ball back, Marvin Gross stripped quarterback Zach Smith, and Darrien Howard recovered for West Virginia. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Baylor gave the Mountaineers the ball at the Bears 6, and Howard scored on a 1-yard sneak on fourth down for a 24-14 lead.