Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and ran for score late in the fourth quarter as No. 7 Cincinnati capitalized on its big opportunity and beat No. 9 Notre Dame 24-13 in a game the Bearcats hope can be the centerpiece of College Football Playoff resume.

Chris Tyree returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and Drew Pyne threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Jack Coan as No. 12 Notre Dame beat No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field.

New quarterbacks are leading last year's College Football Playoff teams.

As the NFL celebrated the conclusion of an in-person draft on the shores of Lake Erie that went swimmingly one year after a virtual event caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, one main fact emerged.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (12) is sacked by Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young (47) in the second half of the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – Ian Book had Notre Dame moving with a chance to get within a touchdown of No. A few plays later, the Irish quarterback was out of the game after 310-pound defensive tackle Christian Barmore fell on top of Book on a 14-yard sack. On the next Irish possession, Book ended up in the medical tent after Barmore's sack, replaced by freshman Drew Pyne. Notre Dame beat the Tigers 47-40 in November while Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sidelined because of a positive COVID-19 test.

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – A truly untraditional Rose Bowl setting, a very common result for Alabama in the College Football Playoff. 4 Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal Rose Bowl played inside about 1,400 miles from Pasadena, California. “I don't think there’s anything quite like the Rose Bowl, the tradition, the setting, the mountains. 3 Ohio State, which beat Clemson 49-28 in the other CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. PERFECT AT COWS HOMEAlabama is 5-0 at AT&T Stadium, with a pair of convincing CFP semifinal wins there.

(AP Photo/Brian Blanco, File)Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Jones and Smith are the eighth set of teammates to be finalists together since the tradition started in 1982. Smith is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991. Jones or Smith would become Alabama's third Heisman winner, but first that is not a running back. Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth, followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (12) looks for a receiver during the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against Notre Dame, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State topped the final Associated Press college football poll of the regular season Sunday with No. 4 Notre Dame comfortably ahead of No. Before the College Football Playoff selection committee revealed its selections for the final, AP Top 25 voters released their final rankings. The only team to fall out of the rankings this week was Buffalo, which lost the Mid-American Conference title game. ___Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

2 Notre Dame 34-10 on Saturday to win its sixth straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Clemson allowed Notre Dame to pile up 518 yards in the previous meeting, but limited the Fighting Irish (10-1) to 263 yards Saturday and sacked quarterback Ian Book six times. The momentum changed late in the first quarter when Notre Dame kicker Jonathan Doerer, who had converted an ACC title-game record 51-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, clanked a 21-yard attempt off the right upright. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish could get nothing going in the passing game. Notre Dame: Notre Dame hopes to edge No.

It was Book’s 30th victory as a starter, the most ever for a Notre Dame quarterback. “It’s a dream come true to be able to attend Notre Dame and have a good career,” Book said. Notre Dame started its run thanks to a roughing the passer by Syracuse that Book later turned into a 28-yard TD run. Book finished with 348 total yards, becoming only the second Irish player to move past 10,000 yards (10,008) in total offense. Notre Dame: The Irish have an extra week to rest up for Clemson after the conference adjusted the schedules earlier this week, canceling their last game.

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – Notre Dame has a history of following big wins with letdowns against rival Boston College. I’m fortunate to be at Notre Dame that long. 1 Clemson, Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 ACC) racked up a season-high 561 total yards against BC. The last time Notre Dame beat a top-ranked team was 1993, and then following week the Fighting Irish were upset by BC on a last-second field goal. It was recovered by Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes on the Eagles 49 with 2:05 left in the quarter.

4 Notre Dame shut down top-ranked Clemson with a couple of sacks to seal a 47-40 win Saturday night. 1 for the first time since taking down Florida State in 1993 at Notre Dame Stadium. Uiagalelei, starting in place of Trevor Lawrence for a second week, passed for 439 yards, the most ever by a Notre Dame opponent. Notre Dame: Avery Davis came to South Bend as a quarterback and has been moved to running back, receiver and defensive back. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish are at Boston College, which might bring back some bad memories for Notre Dame fans.

Notre Dame wide receiver Ben Skowronek (11) celebrates as he goes in the end zone past Pittsburgh defensive back A.J. 3 Notre Dame (5-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had no such issues while handling the Panthers (3-4, 2-4) their fourth consecutive loss. The Fighting Irish effectively ended any hope Pitt — which has developed a reputation in recent years of being the occasional giant killer — might have had late in the second quarter. Three Pitt plays went nowhere and Irish sophomore defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey raced in untouched to block Kirk Christodoulou’s punt. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi called Notre Dame “as good a team we saw on the football field in six years.”“I thought we'd stack up better," Narduzzi said.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)SOUTH BEND, IN Ian Book delivered the type of clutch, game-winning drive that can make Notre Dame fans forgive the quarterbacks' mistakes. After getting blown out at Michigan last week, Notre Dame faced some harsh criticism. After two incomplete passes, Notre Dame caught Virginia Tech in a blitz and Book ran away from it and darted into the end zone. "Just a lot of grit and perseverance," Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet said. "It's a tough locker room in there," Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said.

Ian Book #12 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on late in the game against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. LINE: Notre Dame -35"It was a sloppy win, I think, for us," Notre Dame's junior safety Alohi Gilman, who led the team with 10 tackles against Louisville, told reporters. The Irish have won 11 straight games at home, the third-longest streak since Notre Dame Stadium opened in 1930. Notre Dame running backs have gone 571 carries without a fumble, which is the longest active streak among FBS teams. PREDICTION: Notre Dame 48, New Mexico 13More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

ET, ESPN"This is a great opportunity for our guys to get out and showcase what they've been working hard to do," Satterfield told reporters. "There are times when he looks unbelievable, like really, really good," Satterfield told reporters of Pass. Sophomore Hassan Hall (303 rushing yards) returns in the running game and junior Dez Fitzpatrick (31 catches, 422 yards) is the top receiver back. Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet (15 catches,162 yards in 2018) is out indefinitely with a fractured clavicle. PREDICTION: Notre Dame 31, Louisville 14More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.