Trent Richardson and No. 2 Alabama cruised to a 42-14 victory at Auburn, avenging last year’s painful collapse to Cam Newton and the Tigers.

The Crimson Tide led 24-7 at half for the second straight season. This time, though, instead of letting the Tigers rally, Alabama pulled away in the second half.

The Tide goes to the clubhouse in position to reach the BCS championship game, and hoping no other team jumps over it in the BCS standings.

No. 17 Michigan broke a seven-game losing streak against Ohio State with a 40-34 victory in Ann Arbor.

Led by Denard Robinson, the Wolverines finished 10-2 and are a strong contender to go to the BCS for the first time since the 2006 season.

In Auburn, Alabama, Trent Richardson rushed for a career-high 203 yards and AJ McCarron threw three first-half touchdown passes to lift Alabama.

The Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) now must wait and see if its resume is good enough to secure a shot at a second national title in three years. No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 1 LSU have big games remaining.

Richardson ran 27 times and caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in his final chance to impress Heisman Trophy voters. He had runs of 35 and 57 yards to set up second-half scores.

The Tide didn’t put Auburn (7-5, 4-4) away until Dee Milliner’s 35-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter. Alabama entered the quarter with a 309-44 advantage in total yards but also gave up touchdowns on a fumble recovery and a kick return.

In Boise, Idaho, Kellen Moore tossed three touchdown passes, including a 46-yarder on the final play of the first half, to lead Boise State.

After getting off to a sluggish start, Moore and the Broncos (10-1, 5-1) rattled off 36 straight points to put the game away and secure a second-place finish in their first year as a member of the Mountain West Conference.

Moore was 24 of 36 for 279 yards and he threw touchdown passes of 17 and 10 yards in the second half.

Wyoming (7-4, 4-2) scored first when linebacker Luke Anderson picked off Moore’s pass early in the first quarter and ran 29 yards for a touchdown.  

In Eugene, Oregon, LaMichael James ran for 142 yards before leaving with what appeared to be a left elbow injury, and Oregon clinched the Pac-12 North and a spot in the conference’s first championship game.

The Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) will host UCLA on Friday night with a chance to win their third straight conference title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

The Beavers (3-9, 3-6) aren’t going to a bowl game for the second straight season.

James, who went into the 115th Civil War as the nation’s top rusher with an average of 142.78 yards per game, was hurt midway through the third when he was hit by Oregon State linebacker Tony Wilson.

In Los Angeles, Matt Barkley passed for 423 yards and six touchdowns in his possible Coliseum farewell, Robert Woods set the conference’s single-season receptions record while catching 12 passes for 113 yards and two TDs, and No. 10 Southern California finished its resurgent season with a demolition of Pac-12 title game-bound UCLA.

Marqise Lee had 13 catches for 224 yards and two TDs during a showcase of offensive brilliance by the Trojans (10-2, 7-2), who are banned from postseason play under heavy NCAA sanctions. USC still went out in style, jumping to a 29-point halftime lead before posting its largest victory in the city championship game since 1930, the rivalry’s second year.

USC won seven of its final eight games capped by this utter obliteration of the crosstown Bruins (6-6, 5-4), who will represent the division at Oregon next week despite finishing two games behind USC in the South standings.

In Evanston,  Illinois,  Keshawn Martin returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown just before halftime and Kirk Cousins threw two TD passes to B.J. Cunningham as No. 11 Michigan State warmed up for next week’s Big Ten championship game.

The Spartans had already wrapped up the Legends Division title and a berth in the league championship game next week. Now they have the best record in the division, as well, and 10 victories overall (10-2, 7-1).

Cousins threw a 33-yarder to Cunningham in the third quarter and hit him again on a juggling 29-yard TD pass with 5:17 left to complete a 93-yard drive. It was the 62nd career touchdown pass for Cousins, breaking the school record held by Jeff Smoker (61).