Conference title games serve as last mile on road to the CFP

Hundreds of thousands of fans in stadiums around the country will watch college football’s conference championship games this weekend, as will tens of millions of television viewers. But the most important audience might be 13 people gathered around TVs at a hotel in Grapevine, Texas.

The members of the College Football Playoff selection committee will assess what happens in the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 title games before setting the playoff field Sunday with their final rankings, which will be released during a “Selection Day” show on ESPN, starting at noon.

The top four teams will reach the playoff, with the Nos. 1 and 4 seeds meeting in one semifinal and the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the other. One semifinal will be played in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, the other in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. Here’s a look at how each of the conference title games could affect the playoff:

SEC

If LSU wins: It would be in the playoff as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, and Georgia almost certainly would drop out of the top four. That would open a playoff spot for either the Pac-12 or Big 12 champion. If Georgia wins: The Bulldogs would be in the playoff, and LSU would still be expected to make it, too, on the basis of its schedule strength.

ACC

If Clemson wins: It would be in the playoff for the fifth consecutive season. If Virginia wins: That would be a major shocker — Clemson is favored by 28 points — but if it happens the Tigers would have to sweat out the committee’s decision because of concerns about their weak schedule.

Big Ten

If Ohio State wins: The Buckeyes would be in the playoff as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The committee would have a close call between Ohio State and LSU for the top seed if both win. If Wisconsin wins: Ohio State would still make the playoff, albeit as a lower seed, because of its strong schedule and dominant regular season. Wisconsin isn’t in playoff contention.

Pac-12

If Utah wins: The Utes would be in position to move into the top four, provided LSU beats Georgia to knock out the Bulldogs. Unless, that is, the committee decides to vault Oklahoma or Baylor ahead of Utah. If Oregon wins: The Pac-12 would be shut out of the playoff.

Big 12

If Oklahoma wins: The Sooners could make the playoff, depending on what happens elsewhere. Oklahoma needs LSU to beat Georgia and Oregon to beat Utah. A Clemson loss also could help the Sooners. If LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma and Utah all win, the committee would face a tough choice between Oklahoma and Utah for the final playoff spot. If Baylor wins: The Bears have a viable path to the playoff — if Oregon beats Utah and LSU beats Georgia.

GETTY IMAGES Utah puts their cards on the table sooner than most, as they face Oregon tonight in the Pac-12 Championship game. That means the Utes likely will have the most agonizing wait, and the committee could decide to elevate Oklahoma or Baylor into the CFP after their Saturday matchup.