LEONARD TAYLOR

Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes as No. 3 Cincinnati broke open a close game in the third quarter and rolled past No. 16 Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

Cincinnati held on to the No. 2 ranking by just four points over No. 3 Alabama in The Associated Press college football poll, and Oregon passed Ohio State to move up to No. 5.

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.

Cincinnati tight end Leonard Taylor (11) is stopped by Central Florida defensive back Richie Grant (27) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

August was always going to be a big month in the world of recruiting when it was announced a few prospects from Miami Palmetto were going to make their commitments. It started not so well when DL Leonard Taylor committed to Miami last week, but then the Gators rebounded the best way possible by gaining commitments from five-star cornerback Jason Marshall and four-star safety Corey Collier. Join David Waters for his reaction to these big commitments for the Gators and why they mean so much for Florida’s 2021 recruiting class. LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownFollow David Waters on Twitter @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Google Play | Stitcher