Conference Championship Week

10) MAC CHAMPIONSHIP – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ESPN]

TOLEDO (7-5) VS. OHIO (9-3)

Ohio is 0-4 in MAC Championship games and their last two was eluded from them in one-score situations. Toledo makes their seventh appearance and won the last two they appeared in (2004, 2017). Ohio won seven straight games this season to be here while Toledo survived a 2-5 run in their last seven games to appear at Ford Field. They both suffered quarterback injuries, but Toledo hopes to have Dequan Finn back in time. Either way, Ohio’s riding high behind their defense and should grind out Toledo for their first conference title in program history.

MY PICK: OHIO

9) C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP – 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET [CBS SPORTS NETWORK ON FRIDAY]

NORTH TEXAS (7-5) AT UTSA (10-2)

North Texas overcame a 1-3 non-conference performance to surge into one of the better conference teams, led by quarterback Austin Aune. They won five of their last seven and outplayed Western Kentucky in the standings to qualify. UTSA felt like a strong team from the beginning, but why aren’t they in the Top 25? Anyway, UTSA won nine-straight and overcame a few obstacles to rematch with North Texas in an all-Texas battle in a fitting environment in UTSA’s stadium. Expect the Roadrunners to win their second straight conference championship in a thriller.

MY PICK: UTSA

8) SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP – 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [ESPN]

COASTAL CAROLINA (9-2) VS. TROY (10-2)

The Sun Belt championship features teams not named Louisiana or Appalachian State. However, one team is surging while the other is declining. Coastal Carolina felt in control despite some bumps, but a season-ending injury to quarterback Grayson McCall could affect this team negatively. Troy, however, won nine-straight games and their experienced players and defense played a pivotal role in Troy’s success. It’s surprising, but not surprising that Troy is favored in this matchup. Since Coastal doesn’t have McCall, the men of Troy should triumph in their first title appearance.

MY PICK: TROY

7) MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP – 1PM PT/4PM ET [FOX]

FRESNO STATE (8-4) AT BOISE STATE (9-3)

Fresno and Boise meet in the Mountain West Championship for the fourth time in conference history. Every meeting (including this one) took place in Boise, Idaho. Honestly, it’s a fresh need because the last three conference championships from 2019 to 2021 were uninteresting to watch. Boise State has a better defense while Fresno State has a slightly better offense. After quarterback Jake Haener went down against USC, it looked bleak before getting out of that 4-game skid to win seven-straight. Haener returned in time to help continue that streak. Boise State looked good despite some quarterback issues. Hank Bachmeier lost his job and transferred, but it didn’t affect this offense as Taylen Green continued their run with six wins in their last seven and maintained a flawless conference record in the regular season. Fresno State has Jake Haener back for this matchup, so Fresno State should avenge their loss from their previous matchup back in October.

MY PICK: FRESNO STATE

6) BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP – 5PM PT/8PM ET [FOX]

#2 MICHIGAN (12-0) VS. PURDUE (8-4)

First off, my condolences go out to Aidan O’Connell after his brother passed away a few days ago. He still plans to start this weekend, though. With O’Connell as the starter, the Boilermakers have been a major problem to nearly any team that crossed paths with them. Them being a hard out for most of the season proved they belong in the conference championship for the first time in program history. Michigan returns for their second straight appearance and looks about as good as last year’s. The only difference is that their offense is much better with JJ McCarthy as the starting quarterback. However, they must do without leading back Blake Corum, which should be no problem since they have Donovan Edwards putting in work. Michigan should win their second Big Ten title. Even if they don’t, they secured their spot in the playoffs for the second straight season under Jim Harbaugh.

MY PICK: MICHIGAN

5) SEC CHAMPIONSHIP – 1PM PT/4PM ET [CBS]

#1 GEORGIA (12-0) VS. #14 LSU (9-3)

Georgia has done more than enough to qualify for the College Football Playoff, even if they lose. They had some hiccups along the way, but this team is formidable against any opponent they face. Quarterback Stetson Bennett went from a storybook ending in 2021 to being the guy in 2022. He’s blessed with weapons like Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, and Kenny McIntosh. Despite losing the majority of their defensive players to the draft, this defense is stacked and have dawgs across the board to keep this team running for years. LSU managed to win the SEC West, which is more than an accomplishment in Brian Kelly’s first year. However, it’s still disappointing to not only lose to Texas A&M, but also lose a shot at a playoff spot. Quarterback Jayden Daniels should play despite having an ankle injury, and he’s a very important piece to this offense and they’ll need plenty of him to challenge Georgia’s defense. LSU’s defense should compete against Georgia’s offense, but it might be short-lived eventually unless they successfully pressure Stetson consistently. LSU will compete, but Georgia has proven to be too good to let the Tigers defeat them.

MY PICK: GEORGIA

4) ACC CHAMPIONSHIP – 5PM PT/8PM ET [ABC]

#9 CLEMSON (10-2) VS. #23 UNC (9-3)

Clemson and North Carolina had disappointing runs in November and their playoff opportunities vanished. Not a way to finish off the regular season, but it doesn’t mean the matchup won’t be good. If anything, Mack Brown and company are looking for a big win against Clemson to cap off their ACC campaign. Despite slip-ups and failures, the Tarheels are competitive offensively and aren’t afraid to challenge anyone. Clemson went from being elite overall and elite defensively, to being inconsistent everywhere. This wasn’t a great season for a team that was supposed to bounce back. Maybe the staff turnover was the cause, or it could be something far more concerning. Don’t count them out because UNC’s defense is not so great, which should make Clemson look good. As much as I want to believe Clemson should make up for their blunder against South Carolina, I think their season ends in back-to-back losses to the Carolinas.

MY PICK: UNC

3) AAC CHAMPIONSHIP – 1PM PT/4PM ET [ABC]

#22 UCF (9-3) AT #18 TULANE (10-2)

UCF makes their third appearance and return for the first time since 2018 and will also be their first road game in an AAC title game. Tulane makes their first conference championship appearance and are looking for a title since their SEC days way back in the 1930s and 1940s. They are also looking for their 10th title in their fifth conference in program history. I can go on and on but let’s focus on the matchups. Gus Malzahn guided UCF to the top two and a lot came down to teamwork in critical moments. It started out with their defense making an impact before the offense stepped up and vice versa. Tulane looked like the best team in the conference this season after upsetting Kansas State, and defeating Houston, ECU, SMU, and Cincinnati. Defense receives majority of the credit, but the offense played their best football in coach Willie Fritz’s seven-year stint.

UCF is 2-0 all-time in the AAC title game. They also won on the road against Tulane three weeks ago. The Green Wave learned from it and should respond well this weekend. This should be another offensive battle, but Tulane plays more motivated and best the Knights for their first AAC title and hopefully qualify for a home state game in the Sugar Bowl for the New Year’s Six Bowl.

MY PICK: TULANE

2) BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ABC]

#3 TCU (12-0) VS. #10 KANSAS STATE (9-3)

TCU found ways to win in eight of their 12 games this season. Some said it was luck, others said it was skill for playing for all four quarters. But, in the words of Lee Corso, “it’s probably destiny”. A win is a win no matter what, and they deserve it thanks to Max Duggan and company. Sonny Dykes was familiar with TCU long enough to put the pieces together to play one heck of a performance to potentially appear in their first College Football Playoff. Kansas State took advantage of drastic changes in the Big 12, and at first, looked lethal with quarterback Adrian Martinez running the show. But once TCU knocked him out, it looked like their run ended but Will Howard kept Kansas State’s hopes alive. Not only that, running back Deuce Vaughn is the second coming of Darren Sproles and made plays in several ways that makes defenses uncomfortable. They will make any team’s life a nightmare when the offense is on point.

Unlike other conference title games, this is one of the most anticipated games that may (or may not) have playoff implications for TCU. Most believe they are in despite a loss. It doesn’t mean Kansas State won’t try to win the conference title game anyway. TCU looks like the best team in the Big 12 and college football, but Kansas State looks like the best-balanced team in the Big 12 and more and should pester the Horned Frogs. TCU should find their way to victory to cement their spot in the playoffs.

MY PICK: TCU

1) PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP – 5PM PT/8PM ET [FOX ON FRIDAY]

#4 USC (11-1) VS. #11 UTAH (9-3)

USC and Utah clash for a winner-take-all Pac-12 championship matchup. This is the most anticipated conference title game in probably weeks. USC shook off their upset over Utah to continue their playoff chase in Lincoln Riley’s first stint. Him and his abundance of transfers, led by Caleb Williams, have revived the Trojan program and faithful in one season and are literally tearing down the conference in one foul swoop. The offense’s lethality makes up for the defense’s par and subpar performance. But when they game is on the line, the Trojan defense comes through. Utah was formidable throughout most of their schedule. The offense looks better this year in the past few seasons under coach Kyle Whittingham. Quarterback Cam Rising was the answer since transferring from Texas last season. Utah overcame questionable losses to make their way to the conference championship. If their defense can wake up at the right moment, this could help Utah in this matchup and the postseason.

Since Utah appeared in the Pac-12 back in 2011, they have been a pain in USC’s side for a long while. Seven matchups were decided by 10 points or less and Utah won five of their last nine matchups since 2014. If the last meeting back in mid-October was exciting to watch, this should be great as well. However, Utah’s defense was exposed for most of the season and Cam Rising was finally human when Oregon put the clamps on him in that loss. Even though, USC was met with some competition after the Utah game, they found ways to win by Caleb Williams, his lethal receivers, and the defense’s resiliency in key moments. USC will avoid another two-point conversion situation and make their way to their first College Football Playoff, thanks to…former OKLAHOMA coach Lincoln Riley and former OKLAHOMA quarterback Caleb Williams.