INDIANAPOLIS — L.J. Scott kept lunging forward, stretching the ball over the goal line for a touchdown with 27 seconds left Saturday night, and No. 5 Michigan State all but locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff, edging No. 4 Iowa 16-13 in the Big Ten championship game.

Connor Cook led the Spartans (12-1) on a 22-play drive that set up Scott’s 1-yard run. A half-dozen Iowa defenders tried to stop Scott but he wouldn’t be denied.

ArDarius Stewart of Alabama hauls in a touchdown pass Saturday while being defended by Vernon Hargreaves III of Florida during the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship game at Atlanta. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 29-15 victory. Photos by The Associated Press

Alabama Coach Nick Saban calls to his team during the second half of the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide will be one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff. The Associated Press

George Kittle of Iowa is unable to catch a pass in the end zone Saturday night as Montae Nicholson, left, and Riley Bullough of Michigan State defend in the second quarter of Michigan State’s 13-10 victory in the Big Ten championship game at Indianapolis. Thomas J. Russo/USA Today

Iowa (12-1) lost for the first time this season – and just barely.

Five times in the final two minutes, the Spartans snapped the ball from the Iowa 5 or closer. Finally, after getting bottled up by three defenders on third-and-goal from the 1, Scott broke free long enough to get the ball over the line for Michigan State’s only TD.

The 82-yard march wiped out Iowa’s 13-9 lead, which it got on an 85-yard pass from C.J. Beathard to Tevaun Smith.

(1) CLEMSON 45, (8) NORTH CAROLINA 37: Deshaun Watson threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two scores as Clemson (13-0) captured the ACC championship by holding off North Carolina (11-2) at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Watson’s 420 total yards and five total touchdowns set ACC championship game records and assures the Tigers a spot in the College Football Playoff.

North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer hauled in his second TD catch of the game with 1:13 left.

(2) ALABAMA 29, (18) FLORIDA 15: Derrick Henry rushed for 189 bruising yards and Alabama (12-1) wore down Florida (10-3) with a dominating defensive performance in the Southeastern Conference championship game at Atlanta.

The Crimson Tide held the Gators to 3 yards of offense in the second and third quarters, assuring themselves of a spot in the semifinals at the Cotton or Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Florida, an 18-point underdog, briefly grabbed a 7-2 lead on Antonio Callaway’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Alabama dominated from there.

(7) STANFORD 41, (24) SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 22: Christian McCaffrey ran for 207 yards and a score, threw a touchdown pass, caught another and broke Barry Sanders’ single-season all-purpose yards record to make his Heisman Trophy case and lead Stanford (11-2) to the Pac-12 championship with a win over Southern California (8-5) at Santa Clara, California.

Kevin Hogan caught the TD pass from McCaffrey, threw one and ran for a third, and Solomon Thomas scored on a 34-yard fumble return for the Cardinal. Stanford will play in the Rose Bowl as Pac-12 champion.

TEXAS 23, (12) BAYLOR 17: Tyrone Swoopes threw for 151 yards with a touchdown and ran for a score in his first start since the opener, and Texas (4-7, 4-5 Big 12) held on at Waco, Texas, for a victory that knocked Baylor (9-3, 6-3) out of Sugar Bowl contention.

What was a picture-perfect day in their stadium on the banks of the Brazos was marred for the Bears with their third loss in four games and an early bench-clearing scuffle with Texas.

Baylor was in line to be the Big 12’s representative in the Sugar Bowl, with the expectation that league champ Oklahoma (11-1) will get into the College Football Playoff.

(17) HOUSTON 24, (20) TEMPLE 13: Greg Ward Jr. ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Houston (12-1) beat visiting Temple (10-3) in the inaugural American Athletic Conference championship game.

Houston earned a trip to the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl.

COLGATE 44, JAMES MADISON 38: Jake Melville threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, leading Colgate (9-4) over James Madison (9-3) in the second round of the FCS playoffs at Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Colgate, which has won seven straight, will play Sam Houston State next.

RICHMOND 48, WILLIAM & MARY 13: Jacobi Green ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns to lead Richmond (9-3) over visiting William & Mary (9-4) in an FCS second-round playoff game.

Richmond now plays second- seeded Illinois State in the quarterfinals.

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