College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in conference championship week.
Due to the results of week 14, the winner of the MWC Championship Game will assuredly make the CFP as the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. UNLV and Boise State will play in a rematch, but this time the Broncos will host. The last time these two teams met, Boise State won 29-24 in a thriller.
UNLV will have to do their best to limit Ashton Jeanty, which is something most teams have struggled with all season long. Their go-go offense can create some problems with how they align in different formations and create matchups. They’re the underdogs, but could pull off the upset on Friday night to shake things up for the CFP.
Clemson lost three games this season. Two of them were out of conference, while they lost to Louisville in a conference game. Even though they lost last week to South Carolina, Miami lost to Syracuse to give the Hurricanes two conference losses, punching Clemson’s ticket to the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers have no shot at an at-large bid to the CFP, but a win in the ACC Championship gets them in anyways.
SMU, newcomers to the conference, will be matching up with Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. The Mustangs have one loss on the season, which was to BYU. They have been fueled by the good play of quarterback Kevin Jennings, who has great dual-threat abilities. The Mustangs will be a bubble team if they lose the conference championship game, so they will want to take things out of the committee’s hands by winning the ACC Championship Game.
The Big 12 had some wild tiebreaker scenarios in week 14, but now Arizona State and Iowa State will meet in the conference championship. Those were the two highest-ranked Big 12 teams by the CFP Committee before the week started. Both teams have two losses overall and in the conference.
With how the committee has ranked teams, only one Big 12 team will be in the CFP. The Sun Devils have had a great season, even dealing with injuries to quarterback Sam Leavitt to get to this point. Iowa State looked on a good path to an at-large bid to he CFP, but lost two of their last five. They seemed to get things back on track at the end of the year.
Both teams playing in the SEC Championship are likely in the CFP, so they are just playing for seeding. That doesn’t mean it won’t have high-level football being played. Texas and Georgia played earlier this season with the Bulldogs getting the win on the road.
Texas defeated Texas A&M on the road last week to clinch their spot in the SEC Championship Game. Their offense has had some inconsistencies and injuries along the way. To win this game, they’ll need to play well on that side of the ball specifically. Georgia has also had some issues on the offensive side of the ball. When they play up to their potential, they can beat anyone, but there have been games this year that show the Bulldogs aren’t quite of the same quality as past years.
Just like the SEC, both teams in the Big Ten Championship Game are likely in the CFP. Oregon took care of business all season long and are likely going to be the no. 1 seed with a win and the no. 5 seed with a loss. They are the only remaining undefeated team in the FBS.
Penn State has had their struggles in big games over the years, but this game gives James Franklin a chance at a conference championship and a notable win. While the Nittany Lions are in the CFP, a win gives them a bye, while a loss may see them have to travel for a first-round matchup, making the game a little more important for them.
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