We’re almost officially done with the college football regular season - Army and Navy still play each other other next week, which will probably get thrown into the bowl thread - but championship week appears to give up to three teams a chance to claim their spot in the Expanded College Football Playoff, one of which could knock Alabama out. But probably not. Nine conference champions will claim their crown, which means four of them will get the reward of playing a bowl game in Dallas or some shit, and getting part of their winter break tied up unless they declare for the draft. At any rate, it’s basically the final weekend of wall-to-wall meaningful college football games, even without the full schedule. We could also have up to 4 conferences that crown a debutante program as their champion.
Three championship games will be played on Friday, the first of which decides Conference USA. 8-4 (6-2) Western Kentucky will head to 8-4 (7-1) Jacksonville State - coached by Rich Rodriguez in his third season. These two teams last played on…Saturday, up at WKU, which won 19-17. Kickoff is 7:30 on CBSSN. JVST -4.5
At 8pm, it’s the American Athletic Conference that will decide their champion, and it will even air on ABC, which is a nice bonus. Tulane and #24 Army already knew last week that they’d be playing each other. However, a Tulane loss to Memphis on Thanksgiving not just ended their hopes of sneaking into the Expanded College Football Playoff, but coupled with an Army win vs. UTSA, Tulane now must make the trip north to West Point. Although, they are favored by 5.
The most consequential of the Friday championships, will end up being a Fox College Football Friday 8pm start on the Smurf turf of #10 Boise State. They will host #20 UNLV, with a spot in the Expanded College Football Playoff at stake. Boise won an earlier matchup at Allegiant Stadium in October, and they went undefeated through their conference schedule. A Boise win will earn them a bye, whereas UNLV would not. Boise State -4.
On to Saturday, and down at AT&T Stadium at noon on ABC, the Big 12 will be decided, and as things stand, the 12 seed in the bracket. The wild array of tie breaker scenarios ended with the most simplest matchup, #16 Iowa State and #15 Arizona State. But it was a wild season for the conference. Sun Devil fans are demanding that running back Cam Skattebo get Heisman recognition. Good luck. ASU -2
Also at noon on ESPN, it will be conference championship MACtion, decided at Ford Field in Detroit. The MAC must get a great deal for that. Both teams were 7-1 in conference play. It will be Ohio vs. Miami of Ohio. At least they’re 3 hours apart. M-OH -1.5
At 4pm on ABC, we will get a high stakes rematch in the SEC Championship Game. The reward #2 Texas for putting belts to asses of the Aggies, is a trip to Atlanta to avenge their only loss this season, a home loss to #5 Georgia. The Dawgs appear to not have their spot in the Expanded College Football Playoff at stake, but a win will earn them the #2 seed, and likely the #2 ranking as well. This is the only game in the late afternoon, Texas -2.5
In prime time, for the true sickos, 9-3 Marshall heads down south to run with the 10-2 Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana to decide the Sun Belt. Both teams won their divisions at 7-1. Divisions are OK. UL -4. 7:30 on ESPN.
CBS has drawn the Big Ten Championship Game, to air at 8pm. We nearly had a Game of the Century, if one could exist, but Ohio State losing means that not only not get a rematch, but we have to settle for #1 Oregon - the only undefeated team in FBS - and #3 Penn State. James Franklin and the Faculty stand to benefit the most from the events of these final two weeks, they go from looking at a 7 seed to perhaps being #1, which sounds insane, but so goes this sport. Oregon is favored by 3.5.
The biggest pressure point will be the ACC Championship Game, which looks like they will only be assured one spot in the Expanded College Football Playoff since the committee dropped the anchor on Miami. They’ll throw another one around the neck of #8 SMU, and cost the ACC their bye. They will have to beat #17 Clemson. SMU went undefeated in their first year in the ACC (11-1 overall), which seems like it’s speaking less of the ACC than it does speak well of SMU. Some of their wins don’t look as good as they did when the games were played (such as giving Pitt their first loss and having them not win again). They will get their first advantageous TV slot of the year. Clemson is 9-3 (7-1) with two losses coming to rival SEC schools Georgia and South Carolina, who I guess they’re itching to join with. SMU -2.5.
GDT: 12/4 Let the floggings continue until morale improves...
