TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Bryce Young passed for 302 yards and No. 3 Alabama’s defense came up with enough big plays for a 20-14 victory over heavy underdog LSU Saturday night.The Crimson Tide preserved their national championship hopes in a game that was as tight as some meetings when both were nursing such ambitions. The injury-depleted Tigers and lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron didn’t act like 29.5-point underdogs.It wasn’t over until the final play, a Hail Mary that fell incomplete in the end zone. The Tigers came up empty in three fourth-quarter trips into Alabama territory.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Hendon Hooker threw a career-high four touchdown passes, including a 6-yard insurance score to Cedric Tillman early in the fourth quarter, and Tennessee held off No. 18 Kentucky 45-42 to halt a two-game losing streak. The Volunteers emerged from a bye to strike quickly in a back-and-forth game between border rivals that totaled 1,073 yards combined. Hooker’s final TD to Tillman with 11:40 remaining proved to be the biggest as Kentucky got within a field goal on Will Levis’ 24-yard touchdown to Izayah Cummings. The Wildcats got one last chance after Chase McGrath’s missed field goal but turned the ball over on downs. 

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Micheal Clemons scored the game’s only touchdown on a 24-yard fumble return early in the fourth quarter, and No. 13 Texas A&M beat No. 12 Auburn 20-3. Clemons’ scoop-and-score came after defensive tackle Jayden Peevy poked the ball away from scrambling Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. The 6-foot-5 Clemons picked up the ball and sprinted to the end zone. Zach Calzada finished 15 of 29 for 192 yards for Texas A&M, shaking off an apparent injury to his non-throwing shoulder in the third quarter. The Aggies survived a defensive battle between the two highest-ranked two-loss teams in the country. Auburn had its four-game winning streak in College Station snapped.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to former starter JT Daniels, leading No. 1 Georgia to a 43-6 win over Missouri. The game opened new questions for Georgia at quarterback while affirming the Bulldogs’ season-long defensive dominance. It was Georgia’s seventh game of the season allowing no more than 10 points. Missouri’s Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher, was held to 41 yards rushing. Georgia remained undefeated at 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs were impressive in scoring 40 unanswered points after Missouri’s early 3-0 lead. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jason Brown threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns in his FBS starting debut and South Carolina’s defense shut down Florida’s potent attack to hand the Gators their first three-game losing three since 2017 in a 40-17 rout Saturday night. Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White each rushed for over 100 yards and receiver Josh Vann had seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown for South Carolina. Gamecocks kicker Parker White had a career-best four field goals. South Carolina became the first team this season to outgain Florida 459 yards to 340. The Gators were held to 82 yards rushing.

UNDATED (AP) — When the first College Football Playoff rankings come out, it is tempting to play What If? What if this team wins out? What if that team remains unbeaten? What would the CFP field look like then? It’s a fun game, but usually the teams that most surprisingly reach November in playoff contention don’t stay that way. If you spent any time this week wondering: What if No. 5 Michigan State (CFP No. 3) or No. 10 Wake Forest (CFP No. 9) finished undefeated, well, that’s not a thing anymore. When it comes to the CFP What If game, the question shouldn’t be what happens if all these teams win out? It should be what if all these teams lose down the stretch?

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