Conference USA Championship
NMSU vs #24 Liberty
7:00PM Kickoff on CBSSN (12/1)
Current Records:
NMSU: 10-3 (7-1 CUSA)
Liberty: 12-0 (8-0 CUSA)

Starting off Championship week with a real doozy of a game, like most of the championship games this is a rematch from earlier in the season, but this is also the first conference championship appearance for both of these teams and to make it even better it’s their first season in CUSA. The first go around Liberty got the better of NMSU (33-17), but that was Week 3, since that lost NMSU has gone 9-1 with the 1 loss being by 3 Pts to Hawaii, the also have the most impressive Group of 5 win in the country: a 21 Pt win over Auburn at Auburn. Liberty is 12-0 on the season, currently ranked #24 and hoping to win and Tulane to lose to grab the Group of 5 NY6 bowl spot, but Liberty has the weakest strength of schedule in all of college football (133/133), and beating the same team twice is incredibly hard to do (this will be brought up multiple times in this article). New Mexico State is the hot team coming into this game, Liberty at the time of writing this is an 11 Pt. favorite, but I am going with the Aggies to knock off one of the last unbeaten teams.

Pac-12 Championship

5 Oregon vs #3 Washington

8:00PM Kickoff on ABC (12/1)
Current Records:
Oregon: 11-1 (8-1 Pac-12)
Washington: 12-0 (9-0 Pac-12)

Not only is this another rematch happening in the title game, but it is the last Pac-12 Championship Game as we know it (funny how its between two future Big Ten teams), the winning WB most likely will win the Heisman Trophy, and the winner of this game is almost for certain going to the CFP. Oregon lost the last go around against Washington (36-33 Washington), since then whoever the have dominated every team the yahveh played, winning by at least 10 Pts in every single game, all while Bo Nix made his case for the Heisman. On the flip side Washington since their win over Oregon really has been holding on for dear life to the unbeaten streak, close games to Arizona State (15-7), Utah (35-28), Oregon State (22-20), and last weekend in the Apple Cup they needed a game winning field goal to stay unbeaten against Washington State (24-21). Michael Penix Jr., like Bo Nix also has been making his case for the Heisman, with plenty of Heisman worthy performances (win over USC), but the team as a whole seems to have lost that dominating spark since that win over Oregon. Like I said earlier, it is hard to beat the same team twice, Oregon is on a roll and are playing like the best team in the country, I am taking the Ducks in the swan song of the Pac-12.

Big 12 Championship

18 Oklahoma State vs #7 Texas

12:00PM Kickoff on ABC (12/2)
Current Records:
OKST: 9-3 (7-2 Big 12)
Texas: 11-1 (8-1 Big 12)

Finally Not a rematch of a previous week, Oklahoma State is looking to send Texas off the SEC on a loss and knock them out of the CFP conversation once and for all. Texas on the other hand needs to win and hope Florida State loses to Louisville for a real shot at the CFP (or Georgia loses to Alabama). Oklahoma State has had one of the weirdest seasons to date, getting absolutely boat raced at home to South Alabama (33-7), and getting the beat down from first year Big 12 team UCF (45-3), this is a OKST team that really could have been 10-2 or 11-1 on the season if they weren’t so all over the play and if Ollie Gordon III was the starting RB since the first game. Texas finally is back and I can comfortably say that without jinxing them, beating Bama soundly in Tuscaloosa really solidified that next step, yes they lost Red River to OU this season but it was by one score in what was instantly a classic. I like Texas to win this game big, making a statement for the CFP committee if Florida State were to fall (or Georgia).

MAC Championship
Miami (OH) vs Toledo
12:00PM Kickoff on ESPN (12/2)
Current Records:
Miami: 10-2 (7-1 MAC)
Toledo: 11-1 (8-0 MAC)

Oh boy another rematch! Miami lost to Toledo a few weeks ago (Toledo won 21-17), I wrote about that matchup for that week and said this is probably going to be a preview for the MAC Championship game, I was write but along the way Miami starting QB Brett Gabbert went down with a season ending injury. They have managed without him however, winning 4 straight since that loss (almost loss to Ball State last week though 17-15). Toledo is one of few 1 loss teams in the country, their lone loss came in week 1 to Illinois who one on a game winning field goal. They have since won 11 straight games, currently on the cusp of being ranked (they really should be ranked), and are a win and Tulane loss, and Liberty loss away from the coveted Group of 5 NY6 Bowl spot. Toledo is not going to fall to the “hard to beat the same team twice” curse, the Rockets win this game and win back to back MAC Championship titles.

Mountain West Championship
Boise State vs UNLV
3:00PM Kickoff on FOX (12/2)
Current Records:
Boise State: 7-5 (6-2 MW)
UNLV: 9-3 (6-2 MW)

Boise State is having weird season, despite being 7-5 and firing their head coach they are playing for the Mountain West Championship. 4 of their 5 losses were by 7 Pts or less, while the other loss is to #3 Washington (best 5 loss team in the country?). UNLV is having their best season in 20+ years all in head coach Barry Odom’s first season. I will keep this write up a little shorter. I think UNLV takes this game, their “GO GO GO” offense will put points on the board fast and Boise is in a transition period with out a head coach (Kellen Moore incoming??). Boise is the favorite but I’m rolling with the Rebels.

SEC Championship

1 Georgia vs #8 Alabama

4:00PM Kickoff on CBS (12/2)
Current Records:
Georgia: 12-0 (8-0 SEC)
Alabama: 11-1 (8-0 SEC)

Oh boy, this game has the chance to cause maximum chaos for the CFP, if Alabama wins it would end Georgia’s winning streak but it could also end the SEC’s playoff appearance streak (with a Texas win too). Georgia is Georgia, I don’t feel like I need to expand upon that, Kirby keeps feeding the dawgs bulletin board material and they keep on winning. Alabama since losing to Texas a home, has turned a new leaf in all three phase of the game. If their was a “most improved player” award QB Jalen Milroe would 100% get it, he went from “lame duck” QB to getting Heisman votes over the course of the season. Georgia wins this game they are in the CFP, but if Alabama some how pulls off the upset all hell breaks loose. If Texas and FSU win along with Alabama, Texas would get in wince they have the head to head, and FSU would get in since they would be a 13-0 conference champ. But back to the game at hand, I am 50/50 on this, Bama is a really hot team right now, but Georgia has been so consistent all year long (especially against their ranked opponents). I am going with the Dawgs but it is real close, I think whoever wins this game does so by a field goal or less.

AAC Championship
SMU vs #22 Tulane
4:00PM Kickoff on ABC (12/2)
Current Records:
SMU: 10-2 (8-0 AAC)
Tulane: 11-1 (8-0 AAC)

This is the most important game for the Group of 5 all weekend, if Tulane wins they get the Group of 5 NY6 bowl spot, if SMU pulls of the upset it falls to Liberty or Toledo. Tulane (like Toledo) is one of the few 1 loss teams in the country, their loss came from Ole Miss in week 2 (37-20), they were down their star QB Michael Pratt in the game I think had he played they could have won. Though Pratt has since come back from his injury the Green Wave has looked very shaky, 4 wins by 7 Pts or less some of those wins to sub .500 teams (ECU, Tulsa). The Pony Express keeps chugging along though for SMU, with one of the more dynamic pass heavy offenses in the country they have rebounded big since their last lost early in the season to TCU (31-17), the have scored 30 Pts or more in all of their wins since. Like Georgia vs Alabama, this is another game I’m a m 50/50 on, but my gut says SMU wins in a shootout upset, the Mustang’s send the Green Wave home and out of the NY6.

Sun Belt Championship
App State vs Troy
4:00PM Kickoff on ESPN (12/2)
Current Records:
App State: 8-4 (6-2 SBC)
Troy: 10-2 (7-1 SBC)

This is the “forgotten championship game” in my opinion, starting at the same time as Georgia vs Alabama and SMU vs Tulane. Troy has quietly had one of the better seasons for a Group 5 school, 10-2, with losses to the ranked #15 Kansas State, and James Madison a team that should be playing in this game were it not for dumb NCAA rules. App State takes the place of JMU in this game, it is a little poetic that App State takes their place since they handed JMU their first and only loss on the season so far. Troy is a 6 Pt favorite at the time of writing this, I am going to go with Troy too, I will say this game has the chance to be closer than that. App State may not have earned the right to play in this game but they are still a very solid team.

Big Ten Championship

2 Michigan vs #16 Iowa

8:00PM Kickoff on FOX (12/2)
Current Records:
Michigan: 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten)
Iowa: 10-2 (7-2 Big Ten)

Iowa has the chance to do the funniest this in all of college football. I’m joking, even if Iowa somehow pulls of the upset of the season and takes down the Wolverines, Michigan would still make the CFP they are a lock. Iowa has such a great defense and special teams, they are just absolutely bogged down by such a historically bad offense, it is such a bad offense even nepotism couldn’t save OC Brian Ferentz from being fired by his dad. We all know the time of team Michigan is, they have he best win in college football (30-24 over OSU) and the have it without Jim Harbaugh, who returns to the sidelines on Saturday. I will get right to the point here, Michigan wins big, the Hawkeye offense can’t keep up at all against the Wolverines.

ACC Championship

14 Louisville vs #4 Florida State

8:00PM Kickoff on ABC (12/2)
Current Records:
Louisville: 10-2 (7-1 ACC)
FSU: 12-0 (8-0 ACC)

The CFP fates of Texas and Alabama rest on this game. FSU wins they are in and Texas and Alabama go play in the NY6 bowl games, Louisville gets the upset even more chaos ensues. Louisville is having just about has good of a season with a first year head coach, Jeff Brohm leading his alma mater to a ACC title game in year 1 (being taken to the woodshed by a terrible Pitt team 38-21, and losing last week to rival Kentucky 38-31 sting) but they have the chance to knock one of the last unbeaten teams off. FSU is down Heisman hopefully QB Jordan Travis for the rest of the season. They had a very slow start to Florida last weekend, Florida had 12-0 lead, but the Seminoles would go on to win 25-15. This game for me hinges on which version of Louisville shows up, do we get the 33-20 win over Notre Dame team? Or do we get the 38-21 embarrassed by Pitt team (the Notre Dame win and Pitt loss were in back to back weeks). For the sake of the last season with a 4 team playoff format and maximum chaos, I am going to pick Louisville for the upset, I think the loss of Jordan Travis is going to be a little bit too much for FSU.