College football week 14 is in the books. After every week fans can take away things from what happened on the field. Here are 5 things learned from conference championship week.
Related: 5 Things Learned From Conference Championship Week
On Friday night, Boise State hosted UNLV in the MWC Championship Game. The winner of the game, whether it was Boise State or UNLV, would likely lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff. Boise State took an early lead and were able to hang on for the 21-7 victory.
With the win, Boise will be in the CFP and now have to wonder where they will rank. The Broncos have been slotted in as the fourth seed by the CFP Committee. That could change if the Big 12 Champion jumps them. If that happens, they will likely play on the road in the first round, rather than getting a bye.
Arizona State and Iowa State played in Dallas for the Big 12 Championship Game. The Sun Devils won the game pretty easily, 45-19. With the win, they will be headed to the College Football Playoff. They completed one of the best turnarounds in the sport, as they were picked to finish last in the conference, but finished as champions.
Their best player, running back Cam Skattebo, deserves his fair share of credit for helping the turnaround. He had 170 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the Big 12 Championship. This season, Skattebo has registered 1,568 rushing yards, 506 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. While winning the Heisman Trophy might be a stretch, Skattebo’s help in the turnaround has earned him the right to go to New York as a Heisman Finalist.
Georgia was likely in the CFP the way things sat after the rankings on Tuesday. During the SEC Championship against Texas, starting quarterback Carson Beck went down with an injury right before the half. Gunner Stockton entered the game in the second half, leaving some doubts.
With the CFP committee leaving Florida State out of the playoff last year because of an injured quarterback, there was a little doubt about their status. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Stockton was able to lead them to an overtime win over Texas, locking up an automatic bid to the CFP. They will likely have the second seed in the CFP.
After Ohio State lost to Michigan in week 13, Penn State was a qualifier for the Big Ten Championship Game. They lost their only big game of te season, which was to the Buckeyes. In the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon, they had a chance to pull off their biggest win in years.
While Penn State played well, they ended up losing a close one 45-37. They were trailing and made a comeback late in the game, but Drew Allar threw an interception on a potential game-tying drive. The Nittany Lions are in the CFP, but James Franklin still has a long way to go in proving that he can win big games.
Despite having a 9-3 record, Clemson made the ACC Championship Game. Two of their losses were in the non-conference schedule, which aided them in making the conference championship game. With a win, they would steal a bid from either SMU or an at-large team.
Clemson went up early then staved off an SMU comeback attempt. With the score tied at 31, Clemson kicked a field goal to win the game. The win puts Clemson in the CFP. Now the last spot in the CFP will come down to either SMU or Alabama.
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