– The Associated Press
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The ball seldom hit the ground, regardless of which Alabama quarterback was throwing the passes.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide’s defense also held its third straight opponent out of the end zone.
A.J. McCarron completed 15 of 16 passes for 166 yards and four TDs in the first half and Alabama was brutally efficient in rolling to a 45-3 victory over Georgia State on Saturday.
The Tide (5-0) jumped ahead 38-0 by halftime in what might have turned into a name-your-score game against the Panthers (0-5), a first-year Football Bowl Subdivision team.
(2) OREGON 57, COLORADO 16: Marcus Mariota threw five touchdown passes and ran for two scores as Oregon brushed off some early trickery to rout the Buffaloes at Boulder, Colo.
The Ducks’ sophomore connected for two TDs each with Josh Huff and Bralon Addison, and played only 2½ quarters.
Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) has scored at least 55 points in all of its games under first-year coach Mark Helfric.
(3) CLEMSON 49, SYRACUSE 14: Tajh Boyd kept his Heisman Trophy aspirations intact, throwing for 455 yards and five touchdowns in three quarters of work at Syracuse, N.Y..
(4) OHIO STATE 40, (16) NORTHWESTERN 30: Carlos Hyde ran for a career-high 168 yards and three touchdowns, and the Buckeyes rallied to beat Northwestern at Evanston, Ill., extending the nation’s longest win streak to 18 games. The Buckeyes (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are undefeated since Urban Meyer became coach last year.
(6) GEORGIA 34, TENNESSEE 31: Marshall Morgan kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime after Georgia scored a tying touchdown with five seconds left in regulation as the Bulldogs overcame numerous injuries at Knoxville, Tenn.
Georgia (4-1, 3-0 SEC) forced overtime on Aaron Murray’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Rantavious Wooten to make it 31-all.
Murray went 19 of 35 for 196 yards and three touchdowns and became the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in career yards passing.
(7) LOUISVILLE 30, TEMPLE 7: Teddy Bridgewater threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns to keep the Cardinals (5-0, 1-0) undefeated with a win at Philadelphia.
(8) FLORIDA STATE 63, (25) MARYLAND 0: Florida State stayed undefeated in Atlantic Coast Conference play with a surprising rout at Tallahassee, Fla., as the Seminoles (5-0, 3-0) rode the arm of quarterback Jameis Winston.
Winston completed 23-of-32 passes for 393 yards and five touchdowns. He’s now thrown for 1,441 yards, 17 touchdowns with two interceptions.
(10) LSU 59, MISSISSIPPI STATE 26: Zach Mettenberger threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, and Odell Beckham Jr. had 179 yards receiving and two touchdowns at Starkville, Miss.
(11) OKLAHOMA 20, TCU 17: Brennan Clay broke a 76-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) held off TCU at Norman, Okla.
(13) SOUTH CAROLINA 35, KENTUCKY 28: Connor Shaw passed for a touchdown and ran for another as South Carolina (4-1, 2-1 SEC), playing without injured defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, held off a Kentucky comeback at Columnia, S.C.
(14) MIAMI 45, GEORGIA TECH 30: Stephen Morris threw for three touchdowns, Duke Johnson rushed for 184 yards and the Hurricanes remained unbeaten after shaking off a problematic opening quarter at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Phillip Dorsett, Clive Walford and Allen Hurns caught scoring passes for Miami (5-0, 1-0 ACC), as the ‘Canes scored 21 points in the final 7:15.
(18) FLORIDA 30, ARKANSAS 10: Solomon Patton turned two short receptions into touchdowns at Gainesville, Fla.
(19) MICHIGAN 42, MINNESOTA 13: Devin Gardner threw a 24-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to Devin Funchess late in the first half as the Wolverines (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) pulled away at Ann Arbor, Mich.
(20) TEXAS TECH 54, KANSAS 16: Freshman sensation Baker Mayfield passed for 368 yards but was helped off the field with an apparent leg injury in the third quarter of Texas Tech’s win at Lawrence, Kan.
After falling behind early 10-0, the unbeaten Red Raiders reeled off 54 straight points to improve to 5-0 (2-0 Big 12).
(21) OKLAHOMA STATE 33, KANSAS STATE 29: J.W. Walsh found Charlie Moore for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:16 left in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12 Conference) rally for a win at Stillwater, Okla.
NOTRE DAME 37, (22) ARIZONA STATE 34: Tommy Rees threw for 279 yards and three TDs at Arlington, Texas.
Kyle Brindza kicked three second-half field goals — the go-ahead kick from 25 yards with 3:03 remaining, and also tied a Notre Dame record with a 53-yarder.
(23) FRESNO STATE 61, IDAHO 14: Derek Carr threw five touchdown passes as visiting Fresno State scored at least 40 points for the fifth time this season. Davante Adams caught three touchdown passes for Fresno State (5-0), which is off to its best start since 2001.
AUBURN 30, (24) MISSISSIPPI 22: Nick Marshall ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns, Robenson Therezie scored on a 78-yard interception return and Auburn held off Mississippi at home — its first win over a Top 25 team in two years.
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