College Football: Rivalry Week Recap
As the college football season approaches conference championship weekend, playoff bracket predictions are heating up. With the first ever 12 team playoff bracket right around the corner, there is still speculation on who will solidify their spot.
Rivalry week in college football never disappoints, and has once again provided us with some fireworks that will reshape the layout of the playoff bracket. Number 2 ranked Ohio State suffered yet another loss to Michigan, removing them from the BIG10 championship next week. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is now 1-4 against the Wolverines, putting him on the hot seat for his job after losing to their unranked rival in the final week of the regular season. The Buckeyes are now at the hands of the committee, projected to be at least a 7 seed in the tournament forcing them to play in the first week of the playoffs instead of competing in the BIG10 championship for a bye.
Texas defeated Texas A&M 17-7 in their first matchup since 2011, punching their ticket to the SEC championship to face the Georgia Bulldogs. The Lone Star Showdown is a rivalry renewed and had even bigger implications for both teams in its first year back with the winner advancing to the SEC championship game. This game was a must win for the Aggies, as their only hope for making the playoffs was to secure their spot by winning the SEC. In the Longhorns first year in the SEC, they have successfully removed A&M from playoff contention and put the rest of the conference on notice that they are here to stay.
One of the most surprising stories of the year is Arizona State securing their spot in the BIG12 championship which could lead to a playoff position. At the start of the year Arizona State was projected to finish last in their conference, they are now 10-2 and one of the hottest teams in college football. If the Sun Devils are able to beat Iowa State in the BIG12 championship, they would secure their bid for the playoffs likely as the 12th seed.
Household names in the SEC like Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Ole Miss have each had their own unique struggles this year making their case for the playoffs shaky. Since the top 4 conference champions automatically make the playoffs, the CFP committee has some very tough decisions to make. With teams like Notre Dame, Indiana, and Georgia having amazing seasons, the window gets smaller to sneak in all the SEC teams. Ole Miss and South Carolina will likely be the first teams out, while Alabama and Tennessee make the playoffs as projected 9 and 11 seeds. With a 9-3 record, Alabama is lucky to even be in contention for the playoffs. With major losses of #6 ranked Miami and #12 ranked Clemson in the final week, I believe the committee will favor Alabama to fill in one of the last playoff spots over Ole Miss and South Carolina, who are also 9-3. The Crimson Tide have not looked the same in their first year without Nick Saban, but the legacy he left will likely favor them over other competitors to clinch the playoffs.
Notre Dame has been dominating the college football scene ever since their only loss of the year coming in just the second week to unranked Northern Illinois. After beating their rival USC in the final week, they have solidified their spot in the playoffs as the 5th seed in the tournament and are one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Since Notre Dame is an independent college not belonging to a conference, the 5th seed is the highest rank possible for them which means they are ineligible for a bye week. Oregon is the clear favorite to win the National Championship this year, having an undefeated season and claiming the #1 seed in the playoffs.
The conference championships starting on December 6th will give us a clearer map of what the exact bracket will look like in the first ever 12 team college football playoffs. The top 4 highest ranked conference champions will automatically make the playoffs as 1-4 seeds and earn a bye week along with the title of conference champion. The stakes are high, and the playoffs start next week.
Conference Championship Schedule
Friday
Mountain West Championship- Boise State vs. UNLV, 8pm (ET), Fox
AAC Championship- Army vs. Tulane, 8pm (ET), ABC
Saturday
Big 12 Championship- Arizona State vs. Iowa State, 12pm (ET), ABC
SEC Championship- Texas vs. Georgia, 4:30 pm (ET), ABC
BIG 10 Championship- Oregon vs. Penn State, 8pm (ET), CBS
ACC Championship- Clemson vs. SMU, 8pm (ET), ABC
Projected Playoff Seeding
Oregon
Texas
SMU
Boise State
Notre Dame
Penn State
Georgia
Ohio State
Tennessee
Indiana
Alabama
Arizona State
