NEW ORLEANS: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow ended his college football career in fitting style, putting in a record-breaking performance as the Gators beat Cincinnati 51-24 in the Sugar Bowl on Friday.
Tebow, who will enter the 2010 NFL draft, threw for a career-high 482 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 51 yards and another score to take out the award for Most Outstanding Player of the game. He leaves Florida with a pair of national championships and a Heisman Trophy.
Cincinnati came into the game unbeaten, but looked lost after losing coach Brian Kelly to Notre Dame.
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced his resignation last Saturday, three weeks after being rushed to the hospital because of chest pain. He changed his mind the following day, and instead said he would take an indefinite leave of absence.
Florida State 33, West Virginia 21: In Jacksonville, Florida, Bobby Bowden capped his coaching career with one final win as Florida State rallied past West Virginia.
Jermaine Thomas ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns, and MVP E.J. Manuel threw for 189 yards and ran for another score.
The Seminoles overcame a 14-3 deficit in the first half, giving Bowden his 33rd straight winning season at the school. Noel Devine ran for 168 yards and a touchdown for West Virginia.
The 80-year-old Bowden finished with a 389-129-4 record, putting him second on the list of most wins in college football, behind Joe Paterno, who earned his 394th victory in the Capital One Bowl on Friday.
Ohio State 26, Oregon 17: In Pasadena, California, Terrelle Pryor passed for a season-high 266 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio State defeated Oregon.
Pryor ran for 72 yards and threw a 17-yard scoring pass to DeVier Posey with 7:02 to play.
Posey had eight catches for 101 yards, and Brandon Saine caught an early TD pass for the Buckeyes.
Oregon had trouble getting its no-huddle offense in rhythm. Jeremiah Masoli passed for just 81 yards and LaMichael James rushed for 70, and the Ducks needed a series of big plays and kick returns by Kenjon Barner to keep the 96th Rose Bowl close.
Penn State 19, LSU 17: In Orlando, Florida, Collin Wagner kicked a 21-yard field goal with 57 seconds left, and Penn State staved off a last-ditch drive by LSU on a muddy field.
Penn State led by 13 points in the second half. But Stevan Ridley’s 1-yard touchdown run put LSU ahead 17-16 with 12:49 left.
Quarterback Daryll Clark led the Nittany Lions on a 12-play drive, converting twice on third down, to set up Wagner’s fourth field goal of the game.
LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson hit Rueben Randle for a 25-yard gain on the game’s last play to the Penn State 35 but he fumbled as time expired.
Auburn 38, Northwestern 35, OT: In Tampa, Florida, Auburn stopped Northwestern’s final trick play of the game and the Tigers held on to win in overtime.
Wes Byrum kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime, and the Tigers overcame several mistakes that gave the Wildcats chances for their first bowl victory in 61 years.
On the last play, Northwestern sent kicker Steve Flaherty onto the field to try to force a second overtime. But the Wildcats faked the field goal, and receiver Zeke Markshausen took a handoff between the legs from holder Dan Persa and circled to the right, where he was brought down in a tackle at the two-yard line.
