Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) runs the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State halfback Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 149 yards and tied a Fiesta Bowl record with four touchdowns in his final college game in the No. 7 Buckeyes’ 44-28 victory over the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at University of Phoenix Stadium on Friday.
Elliott, a junior, scored on 2-, ,1- and 1-yard runs in the first half, and his 47-yard dash on a counter play gave the Buckeyes (12-1) a 35-21 lead with 6:37 left in the third quarter. Coach Urban Meyer said Thursday that Elliott has declared for the NFL Draft.
The Buckeyes looked very much like a team that could repeat as the national champion but for a 17-14 walkoff loss to Michigan State on Nov. 21 that snapped their 10-game winning streak and kept them out of the Final Four.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett passed for 211 yards and a touchdown, with an interception, and rushed for 96 yards as Ohio State opened a 28-7 lead in the second quarter, the largest deficit Notre Dame faced this season.
Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception, and rushed for another score as Notre Dame (10-3) suffered its second straight loss. The Irish’s only other losses were to Clemson and Stanford, both by two points.
No. 23 Tennessee 45, No. 13 Northwestern 6
TAMPA, Fla. — The Volunteers turned to sophomore running back Jalen Hurd to seal an easy victory over the Wildcats in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
Tennessee (9-4) used a stout defense and their powerful rushing attack, which was second-best in the Southeastern Conference, to close out the season with a sixth straight victory in front of a crowd of 53,202 fans, most of them wearing Volunteers colors.
Northwestern had its winning streak snapped at five game to finish 10-3, which ties the school record for most wins in a season.
Hurd, voted the Outback Bowl MVP, had a big second half on his way to 130 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown.
No. 14 Michigan 41, No. 19 Florida 7
ORLANDO, Fla. — Jake Rudock threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns and the Wolverines’ defense dominated throughout in the rout of the Gators in the Citrus Bowl.
Michigan (10-3) completed its one-season turnaround under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh.The Wolverines wiped out the stinging memory of the 42-13 loss to Ohio State in the 2015 regular-season finale. More importantly, the program distanced itself from three seasons (2012-2014) in which former coach Brady Hoke went 20-18.
Running back De’Veon Smith had 111 yards on 25 carries for Michigan.
The Gators (10-4) head back into the repair shop to fix some problems that many of their followers thought were solved in coach Jim McElwain’s first season. Florida was routed for the third straight time and all phases of the game contributed.
