Welcome to the conference championship weekend where things are a mess.
With the college football playoff field set to open to the public on Sunday, all that remains is to determine the winner of each conference across the country.and No. 3 TCU lost 31-28 in overtime to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game No. 4 USC loses to Utah in Pac-12 Championshipthe debate is about to intensify.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan look like locks to make a four-team field, but did TCU and USC play to get out of it? Is it fair that No. 6 and No. 6 in Alabama went ahead of them even though they didn’t play this week? Those are the questions the committee will have to answer on Sunday.
In the meantime, here’s the breakdown of the remaining conference title games for today.
(Note: odds from all time ET, BetMGM)
SEC: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 14 LSU
Time: 4pm | TV: CBS | Line: Georgia -17.5 | Total 51.5
Whatever happens on Saturday, the Bulldogs seem to be locked into the College Football Playoffs. The conference title is his 14th in school history and first since 2017, after losing the title to Alabama a year ago. LSU is out of the playoff results with his three losses, but they need a win to go to the Sugar Bowl. Otherwise, the citrus bowl may be calling. The last time LSU won his SEC was in 2019, en route to a national title.
Big Ten: Purdue vs. No. 2 Michigan
Time: 8pm | TV: Fox | Line: UM -17 | Total: 51.5
The Wolverines are looking for their second straight Big 10 title. What’s more, the win qualifies Michigan for the College Football Playoffs. It’s hard to see Michigan knocked off the field even with a loss, but the seed is certainly at stake for the Wolverines. The Boilermakers have never reached a Big Ten championship game before and have a chance to clinch a conference title for the first time since 2000. A win earns Purdue a trip to the Rose Bowl.
ACC: No. 23 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Clemson
Time: 8pm | TV: ABC | Line: Clemson -7.5 | Total: 63.5
Neither team in this game has a realistic shot at the playoffs, but Clemson is in its eighth ACC title game in 17 years. After winning his sixth straight ACC title between 2015 and 2020, that streak ended last year. On the other hand, this is his second UNC appearance in the ACC title game. North Carolina has not won a conference championship since his 1980 and has not had a double-digit winning season since 2015.
