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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The matchup is set for a tantalizing College Football Playoff national championship game. On one side is defending national champion Clemson and its 29-game winning streak. On the other is unbeaten and No. 1 LSU and its Heisman Trophy winner. But first, there is a 15-day break in the playoffs. LSU and Clemson will play the final game of the 2019 college football season on Jan. 13 in New Orleans after winning semifinals Saturday night. Television viewership was strong for the semifinals. ESPN says Ohio State-Clemson drew more viewers than any semifinal not played on New Year's Day in the six-year history of the playoff. ESPN will try to keep the college football conversation going with lower-level bowl games scheduled for Jan. 2, 3, 4 and 6.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — LSU got the drama out of the way early while Clemson needed almost all 60 minutes in a white-knuckle contest. The result was the same. The two teams of Tigers won Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals and will meet in New Orleans for the title on Jan. 13. LSU is moving on after a brilliant 63-28 win over Oklahoma. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 493 yards and seven touchdowns. Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23 after a late rally and then an interception with 37 seconds left. Clemson will be playing for its third title in four seasons.
MIAMI (AP) — Virginia's trip to the Orange Bowl shows how far the program has come, and Monday night's game against Florida will offer a gauge of where the Cavaliers might be headed. Football at Virginia still doesn't match the popularity of a basketball team that won the national championship in April. But coach Bronco Mendenhall has revived a program that went 2-10 in his first season in 2016. This year the Cavaliers ended a streak of 15 consecutive losses to rival Virginia Tech and earned their third consecutive bowl berth. The Gators, however, are 14 1/2-point favorites.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Danjel Purifoy had 17 points and nine rebounds and No. 8 Auburn beat Lipscomb 86-59 on Sunday to improve to 12-0. The Tigers remained one of two undefeated teams nationally after Liberty’s loss to LSU, joining No. 15 San Diego State. Auburn got off to a slow start against Lipscomb, a team coming off a 23-point loss at Vermont, but dominated late. Jamal Johnson matched his season high with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Christian Okoro also scored 14 points.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Mason Jones had 21, including a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions late, and Arkansas erased an 11-point, second-half deficit for a 71-64 win at Indiana.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jaden Shackelford scored 28 points and Alabama beat Richmond 90-78. Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty Jr. each added 17 points for the Crimson Tide and Herbert Jones had his first career double-double. After making only 26% of their 3-pointers in the first half, the Crimson Tide made 4 of 5 from behind the arc to start the second half with makes from four different players to stretch their lead to 57-47. Shackelford scored nine points in an 10-2 spurt that gave Alabama a 16-point lead, its biggest of the game, when he hit a 3-pointer with 10:31 to play.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Auburn has followed up a banner season by picking up right where it left off. The same can’t be said for the rest of the Southeastern Conference. Auburn (12-0) carries an unbeaten record into conference play despite losing first-round draft pick Chuma Okeke and the backcourt duo of Bryce Brown and Jared Harper from a team that reached the Final Four last year. Many of Auburn’s conference rivals aren’t performing as well as expected. No. 8 Auburn and No. 19 Kentucky (9-3) are the only SEC teams in the Top 25.
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Devontae Shuler and KJ Buffen scored 20 points apiece and led a decisive second half rally to lift Mississippi to an 80-63 win over Tennessee Tech. Shuler finished 8 of 12 from the field and added five rebounds and five assists while Khadim Sy added 11 points. Ole Miss (9-3) shot 18 of 26 (69%) from the field in the second half and out rebounded the Golden Eagles 37-30, including a game-high 10 rebounds by Blake Hinson. Buffen had 16 second-half points to highlight a decisive 23-6 run as Ole Miss built an insurmountable 67-47 lead with 6:38 left.
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