Predicting conference championship games, CFP field

How things have changed with championship week up next.

Ohio State’s dominant 62-39 win over rival Michigan on Nov. 24 has put the Buckeyes on the playoff bubble with Oklahoma, but don’t look past the SEC championship game.

Georgia can turned things upside down with a win over No. 1-ranked Alabama Dec. 1. If that happens, Georgia — as the SEC champion — and 12-0 Notre Dame are all but in the College Football Playoff.

Clemson (12-0) looks like a safe bet also with 7-5 Pittsburgh up next in the ACC championship game.

The big discussion, regardless of the outcome of the SEC championship game, will likely be the outcomes of the Big Ten and Big 12 championship games.

It’s a rematch between Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12, while the Buckeyes take on 8-4 Northwestern in the Big Ten.

How it all plays out could depend on style points. The Buckeyes are the college football darlings after its rout of Michigan and its No. 1-ranked defense. Another big performance by OSU vs. the Wildcats could help sway the CFP committee. The Sooners would be buoyed by a win over the Longhorns, who are expected to be ranked higher than Northwestern in this week’s CFP rankings, released on Nov. 27.

It will all be played out Dec. 1. Predictions for the conference championship games, and how the CFP field might look on Dec. 2:

Nov. 30

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP >> Buffalo vs. Northern Illinois, 7 (ESPN2)

It was a down year overall in the MAC, but 10-2 Buffalo was easily the best team in the league. Northern Illinois enters the game on a twogame losing streak.

• The pick: Buffalo, 34-17 Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles against Texas during the first half at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 6.

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP >> Utah vs. Washington, 8 (WJW)

Washington State was the headline team in the Pac-12 all season, but the Huskies ended that with an Apple Cup win in the snow to clinch their spot in the championship game alongside Utah. The Utes lost to Washington, 21-7, earlier in the season, but have been resilient. Utah started 2-2, and in its regular-season finale trailed rival BYU, 200, before rallying for a 3527 win. Washington has the edge at quarterback with the experienced Jake Browning.

• The pick: Washington, 24-17

Dec. 1

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP >> Oklahoma vs. Texas, noon (WEWS)

The Longhorns are 9-3 so if they sweep the series against the Sooners – Texas won the regular-season matchup, 48-45 — the Big 12 is out of the CFP discussion. If Oklahoma (11-1) wins it will be because of an offense that’s averaging 50.3 points and 583.8 yards. Don’t expect much defense in this one, and if you can predict which team has the ball last, that team might be the winner in this one.

• The pick: Oklahoma, 48-45

SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP >> Appalachian State vs. La.Lafayette, noon (ESPN)

This is another rematch of a regular-season contest won by Appalachian State,

27-17. That win gives App State the right to host the Sun Belt title game.

• The pick: Appalachian State, 31-16

AAC CHAMPIONSHIP >> Memphis vs. UCF, 3:30 (WEWS)

The 11-0 Knights suffered a major blow when QB McKenzie Milton went down with a knee injury in their last game. Darriel Mack Jr. will have to answer the call for UCF. The Tigers are 8-4, but have won four straight.

• The pick: Memphis, 28-24

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP >> Alabama vs. Georgia, 4 (WOIO)

The Bulldogs’ best shot for an upset is controlling the clock and grinding out first downs with running backs D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield, the son of former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield. That’s because no defense has slowed down the Crimson Tide on offense and QB Tua Tagovailoa.

• The pick: Alabama, 42-31

MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP >> Boise State vs. Fresno State, 7:45 (ESPN)

Quarterback play will be big in this one. Fresno’s Marcus McMaryion has had a nice season with 3,283 yards and 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Boise’s Brett Rypien has 3,580 yards and 29 TDs.

• The pick: Fresno State, 23-17

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP >> Clemson vs. Pittsburgh, 8 (WEWS)

It’s been a bad year for ACC football, save the Tigers. It was even worse in the ACC Coastal, where Pitt won the division with a 6-2 mark but was 7-5 overall. This will be blowout city.

• The pick: Clemson, 45-10

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP >> Northwestern vs. Ohio State, 8 (WJW)

The Wildcats lost to Akron in their second game of the season, but also took Michigan (20-17) and Notre Dame (31-21) to the limit in close losses. This has the makings of a classic letdown game for the Buckeyes — at least for a while. Expect Northwestern to hang around before OSU pulls away in the second half.

• The pick: Ohio State, 45-21

Bowl predictions

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF >> Cotton: (1) Alabama vs. (4) Ohio State; Orange: (2) Clemson vs. (3) Notre Dame

NEW YEAR’S SIX >> Peach: Penn State vs. Florida; Fiesta: Fresno State vs. Washington State; Rose: Michigan vs. Washington; Sugar: Georgia vs. Oklahoma

Top 10

1. Alabama 12-0 (1): Beat Auburn, 52-21

2. Notre Dame 12-0 (2): Won at USC, 24-17

3. Clemson 12-0 (3): Beat South Carolina, 56-35

4. Georgia 11-1 (5): Beat Georgia Tech, 45-21

5. Ohio State 11-1 (9): Beat Michigan, 62-39

6. Oklahoma 11-1 (7): Won at West Virginia, 59-56

7. UCF 11-0 (6): Won at South Florida, 38-10

8. Michigan 10-2 (4): Lost at Ohio State, 62-39

9. Washington 9-3 (NR): Won at Washington State, 28-15

10. Penn State 9-3 (NR): Beat Maryland, 38-3

Watch list: Texas, Washington State, Florida, LSU, Northwestern

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