ROSE BOWL
STANFORD 45, IOWA 16
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Stanford barely missed out on the College Football Playoff, and Christian McCaffrey almost won the Heisman Trophy.
McCaffrey and the mighty Cardinal didn't miss a thing in their Rose Bowl romp over Iowa.
McCaffrey caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on the opening snap and returned a punt 66 yards for another score while setting the Rose Bowl record with 368 all-purpose yards, propelling No. 5 Stanford to a 45-16 victory over the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes on Friday.
Kevin Hogan passed for 223 yards and three TDs in his final game for the Cardinal (12-2), who won the Rose Bowl for the second time in three trips over the past four years.
McCaffrey was sublime in his debut at the Granddaddy of Them All, breaking the all-purpose yards record set by Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis in 2012.
McCaffrey finished second behind Alabama's Derrick Henry in the Heisman voting, but the speedy sophomore left no doubt about his brilliance with one of the most dynamic performances in the 102-game history of the Rose Bowl. He had 172 yards rushing, 105 yards receiving and 91 on kick returns, putting an appropriate cap on the season in which he set the NCAA record for all-purpose yards. McCaffrey also became the first player ever to rack up more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in a Rose Bowl.
Stanford and Iowa finished in the final two spots outside the College Football Playoff field, but the Cardinal showed they belong among the best with their 12th win in their final 13 games.
With a powerful offensive line and a sturdy defense, they also ruined the first trip to Pasadena in 25 years for the Hawkeyes (12-2), who followed up their 12-0 regular season with two postseason losses.
FIESTA BOWL
OHIO STATE 44, NOTRE DAME 28
OHIO STATE 44, NOTRE DAME 28
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Ezekiel Elliott ran for 149 yards and matched a Fiesta Bowl record with four touchdowns, sparking No. 7 Ohio State's prolific offense in a 44-28 victory over Notre Dame on Friday.
The Buckeyes (12-1) were left out of the College Football Playoff thanks to an inopportune loss. They may leave the desert wondering what could have been after blowing past another playoff contender.
Ohio State rolled past the Fighting Irish (10-3), quick-hitting its way to one scoring drive after another and 496 total yards.
Elliott was Ohio State's drive capper in the first half, scoring on three short runs. He turned into the show stopper in the second, leaving Notre Dame defenders flailing as he raced for a 47-yard score.
The Fighting Irish had some good offensive moments behind DeShone Kizer, but couldn't keep up with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State star defensive end Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting in the first quarter.
SUGAR BOWL
MISSISSIPPI 48, OKLAHOMA STATE 20
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Chad Kelly threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns -- three to Laquon Treadwell -- and Mississippi beat Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.
Ole Miss (10-3) jumped out to a 34-6 lead by halftime, cruising up and down the field against an overwhelmed Oklahoma State defense. The onslaught was punctuated late in the second quarter when left tackle Laremy Tunsil had a 2-yard touchdown run on a trick play after a lateral from Kelly.
Oklahoma State (10-3) lost its final three games after 10 straight wins. The Cowboys fell into a 41-6 hole midway through the third quarter and never mounted a legitimate challenge.
Kelly's four touchdown passes and Treadwell's three touchdown catches tied Sugar Bowl records. Kelly completed 21 of 33 passes and ran for 73 yards on 10 carries.
Mason Rudolph was 18 of 31 for 179 yards for Oklahoma State. Ole Miss outgained Oklahoma State 554-366 in total yards.
OUTBACK BOWL
TENNESSEE 45, NORTHWESTERN 6
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Joshua Dobbs threw for 166 yards and ran for two touchdowns, helping Tennessee cap its best season in eight years with a victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.
Dobbs scored on runs 14 and 18 yards, and Jalen Hurd ran for 130 yards and one touchdown for the Volunteers (9-4). They finished with at least nine wins for the first time since 2007.
Northwestern (10-3) failed in a bid to finish with a school-record 11 victories.
Dobbs completed 14 of 25 passes. The dual-threat quarterback ran 12 times for 48 yards, including a highlight-reel burst around right end in which he dove for his second TD after picking up a bobbled snap and tight-roping his way up the sideline to make it 31-6 early in the fourth quarter.
