ARLINGTON, Texas — Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns and No. 2 Oklahoma staked claim to a playoff spot with a 41-17 victory against No. 10 TCU in the return of the Big 12 championship game Saturday.
With their record 11th Big 12 title, the Sooners (12-1) are a lock to be in the College Football Playoff for the second time in three seasons. They are the only Big 12 team to make the four-team playoff format that started in 2014.
Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead, including Caleb Kelly’s 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown after running back Kyle Hicks’ turnover on the first offensive play by TCU (10-3).
Kenny Hill threw two TD passes to get the Horned Frogs within 24-17 at halftime, but Oklahoma scored twice on its first three offensive plays after the break.
SOUTHEASTERN: Shaking off a blowout loss to Auburn just three weeks ago, Jake Fromm threw two touchdown passes and No. 6 Georgia (12-1) made its bid for a spot in the College Football Playoff with a 28-7 victory over the No. 4 Tigers (10-3) at Atlanta.
Auburn was the hottest team in the country, rolling into Atlanta after wins over Georgia and then-No. 1 Alabama in its last three games. But the Tigers were stymied by two crucial turnovers, a blocked field goal and a Georgia team eager to make up for its embarrassing 40-17 defeat to Auburn.
CONFERENCE USA: Lane Kiffin’s first season at Florida Atlantic brought the school’s first championship as the Owls (10-3) defeated North Texas (9-4) 41-17 at Boca Raton, Florida.
Devin Singletary had 26 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns for the Owls, who extended their unbeaten streak to nine games.
MOUNTAIN WEST: Brett Rypien threw for 246 yards and led a fourth-quarter comeback to help Boise State beat No. 25 Fresno State 17-14 in Boise, Idaho.
Boise State (10-3), which lost 28-17 to the Bulldogs a week ago in Fresno in the regular-season finale, won its second conference title in four years.
Fresno State (9-4), which was 1-10 a year ago, hasn’t won in Boise since 1984.
MID-AMERICAN: Logan Woodside threw four touchdown passes, and Terry Swanson rushed for 180 yards and two scores as Toledo (11-2) defeated Akron (7-6) 45-28 at Detroit.
Receivers Diontae Johnson (118 yards) and Jon’Vea Johnson (103) combined for 221 yards and three touchdowns for Toledo, which won its third conference championship game and first since 2004.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC: Central Florida (12-0), ranked 12th, defeated No. 16 Memphis (10-2) 62-55 in double overtime at Orlando, Florida, for its third league title in the past five years.
The top two scoring teams in the country combined for 117 points and 1,479 yards. It was 48-48 at the end of regulation.
n Scott Frost, who quarterbacked Nebraska to a share of the national championship 20 years ago, is returning to the Cornhuskers as coach after orchestrating a two-year turnaround at Central Florida.
FRIDAY’S GAME
PAC-12: Sam Darnold threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and engineered a back-breaking 99-yard drive in the fourth quarter as Southern California (11-2) beat Stanford (9-4) 31-28 at Santa Clara, California.
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