Championship Week Primer: CFP spots, bowl slots are at stake

Conference champions will be crowned, bowl selection pecking orders will be locked in and more clarity will emerge about which teams will and won’t be among the four picked for the College Football Playoff.

It’s Championship Week, and while the matchups for the conference title games Friday and Saturday include many of the usual suspects, there are some joining the party for the first time — or the first time in a while.

Start with Michigan, which had zero appearances in the previous 11 Big Ten championship games. The Wolverines are in after knocking off Ohio State to win the East Division. Their opponent, Iowa, is in for the second time and the first since 2015.

Oklahoma State clinched its first appearance in the Big 12 championship game a week before its breakthrough win over six-time defending league champion Oklahoma.

Wake Forest is back in the Atlantic Coast Conference game for the first time since 2006.

In the Group of Five, UTSA will make its debut in the Conference USA game, Kent State is back in the Mid-American Conference game for the first time since 2012 and Utah State is in the Mountain West game for the first time since 2013.

A rundown of the games, with AP ranking:

PAC-12 No. 10 Oregon (10-2, 7-2) vs. No. 14 Utah (9-3, 8-1), Friday, 8 p.m. (ABC) Where:

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

Last meeting: Utah won 38-7 on Nov. 20.

Stakes: Winner to Rose Bowl.

Notable: Oregon is first team to make title game three straight times and will be appearing for fifth time. Ducks are 4-0 in the game, including a 37-15 win over Utah in 2019.

BIG 12 No. 9 Baylor (10-2, 7-2) vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1), Saturday, noon (ABC) Where:

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.

Last meeting: Oklahoma State won 24-14 on Oct. 2.

Stakes: Oklahoma State to CFP or Sugar Bowl if it wins; Baylor to Sugar Bowl if it wins.

Notable: Cowboys held Baylor to season lows of 107 rushing yards and 280 total yards in their previous meeting.

SEC

No. 4 Alabama (11-1, 7-1) vs. No. 1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0), Saturday, 4 p.m. (CBS)

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.

Last meeting: Alabama won 41-24 on Oct. 17, 2020.

Stakes: Winner to CFP, and loser could be in line for CFP spot depending on score margin and results of other conference championship games.

ACC No. 18 Wake Forest (10-2, 7-1) vs. No. 17 Pittsburgh (10-2, 7-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. (ABC) Where:

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Last meeting: Pittsburgh won 34-13 on Nov. 17, 2018.

Stakes: Winner to Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl.

BIG TEN No. 15 Iowa (10-2, 7-2) vs. No. 2 Michigan (11-1, 8-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. EST (FOX) Where:

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

Last meeting: Michigan won 10-3 on Oct. 5, 2019.

Stakes: Michigan to CFP if it wins; Iowa in line for Rose Bowl bid if it wins.

AAC No. 16 Houston (11-1, 8-0) vs. No. 3 Cincinnati (12-0, 8-0), Saturday, 4 p.m. (ABC) Where:

Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati.

Last meeting: Cincinnati won 38-10 on Nov. 7, 2020.

Stakes: Cincinnati is in line for CFP spot if it wins; Houston will go to bowl win or lose.

CONFERENCE USA

Western Kentucky (8-4, 7-1) vs. UTSA (11-1, 7-1), Friday, 7 p.m. (CBSSN)

Where: Alamodome, San Antonio.

Stakes: Both teams will go to a bowl.

MAC

Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-2) vs. Kent State (7-5, 6-2), Saturday, noon (ESPN)

Where: Ford Field, Detroit.

Stakes: Both teams will go to a bowl.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Utah State (9-3, 6-2) vs. No. 19 San Diego State (11-1, 7-1), Saturday, 3 p.m. (FOX)

Where: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.

Stakes: Winner goes to Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.

SUN BELT

Appalachian State (10-2, 7-1) vs. No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette (11-1, 8-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Where: Cajun Field, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Stakes: Both teams will go to bowls.