clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

College football viewing guide: Championship week

B5Q breaks down the championship match ups taking place this weekend.

Wisconsin v Ohio State Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

After all of the dust settled from rivalry weekend, only a select few teams now play on for the right to claim a conference championship. Ten games will take place between Friday and Saturday to finish off the regular season portion of the college football calendar.

The slate of conference title games will have a heavy hand in determining the College Football Playoff seeding, as well as NY6 bowl bids.

B5Q breaks down on the major games to watch this weekend, and when they will happen.

Friday, Dec. 6

Pac-12 Football Championship Game

No. 5 Utah (11-1) vs. No. 13 Oregon (10-2) —> 7 p.m. CST on ABC

Taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, this neutral site matchup packs some serious punch for Friday night lights. While the Oregon Ducks no longer have a chance to make the playoff, they are still vying for a Rose Bowl berth. The Utah Utes on the other hand are still in the thick of things to make the playoffs if they can win. These two squads are the most balanced of the entire conference, each sporting solid defenses and good quarterback play. The Pac-12 has been left out of the playoffs for the past two season, can Utah change that Friday night?

Saturday, Dec. 7

Big 12 Football Championship Game

No. 7 Baylor (11-1) vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (11-1) —> 11 a.m. CST on ABC

Kicking off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Big 12 Championship pairs two teams aiming to claim their stake in the playoff discussions. In a rematch of a game from only a few weeks ago, the Baylor Bears are looking for revenge on a neutral field. Baylor jumped out to a commanding lead at home, but the Oklahoma Sooners, and quarterback Jalen Hurts fought back for a big win on the road. Both teams still have a chance to make the playoff if dominoes fall in their favor, so make no mistake, this is a must win for both teams to keep those hopes alive.

Sun Belt Football Conference Championship Game

Louisiana (10-2) at No. 21 Appalachian State —> 11 a.m. CST on ESPN

While this game will likely be overshadowed by the Big 12 game happening at the same time, both teams have had tremendous seasons. The most intriguing thing to watch in this game will be if the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns can get something going offensively on App State. In the regular season when these two teams met in early October, the Ragin’ Cajuns were held to only seven points. The Appalachian State Mountaineers have been consistently at the top all of the conference all season long, but head coaches Eliah Drinkwitz and Billy Napier are each going to be hot commodities on the coaching carousel this off-season, whose resume gets a big stronger?

MAC Football Championship Game

Miami of Ohio (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-4) —> 11 a.m. CST on ESPN

On the heels of a 1-11 season, head coach Jim McElwain has the Central Michigan Chippewas in the conference title game. Taking place at Ford Field in Detroit, this neutral site game will be on the lower-end of intrigue compared to some others, but it could help Wisconsin’s bowl resume. The Miami of Ohio Redhawks stumble into the game after losing last week, and while neither team has been overly impressive this season, winning a conference championship would be big for each program moving forward.

Conference USA Football Championship Game

UAB (9-3) at FAU (9-3) —> 12:30 p.m. CST on CBSSN

The FAU Owls will welcome in the UAB Blazers in the Conference USA finale. Both teams have good defenses, while FAU also has a highly potent offense. FAU Sophomore Chris Robison has thrown for over 3,000 yards and has the Owls as a 7.5 point favorite. This game will start up while the morning games are closing up, so it will likely be overshadowed all day long.

American Athletic Conference Championship Game

No. 20 Cincinnati (10-2) at No. 17 Memphis (11-1) —> 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC

The Memphis Tigers just beat the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road last weekend to force a rematch in the conference title game. Both teams have played very well all season long, and are led by the two hottest mid-major names in the coaching market in Luke Fickell (Cincinnati) and Mike Norvell (Memphis). Memphis has a chance to make a New Year's Six bowl game with a win, and they will be hungry at home. I doubt that this matchup changed much from a week ago, so can Cincinnati flip the script in round two?

SEC Championship Game

No. 4 Georgia (11-1) vs. No. 2 LSU (12-0) —> 3 p.m. CST on CBS

Similar to the Big 12 matchup, both the LSU Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs have a chance to make the College Football Playoff still. With both teams currently in the top four, they each control their own destiny. LSU has potentially the best offense in the entire country, while Georgia has a stout defense, but has sputtered offensively at times. Taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, both teams should have large fanbase in attendance. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is the presumed Heisman Trophy frontrunner, does he cement his standing or does Georgia’s talent shine?

Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game

Hawaii (9-4) at No. 19 Boise State (11-1) —> 3 p.m. CST on ESPN

The Boise State Broncos are a heavy 13.5 point favorite over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Both teams are nearly identical in terms of offensive production with over 440 yards per game, but Boise State boasts the better defense on paper. They had a shootout back in October that the Broncos ultimately won by 22 points. Once again, this will likely be in the background with the SEC Championship Game happening simultaneously.

ACC Championship Game

No. 23 Virginia (9-3) vs. No. 3 Clemson (12-0) —> 6:30 p.m. CST on ABC

After taking home the Commonwealth Cup from rival Virginia Tech, the Virginia Cavaliers took control of the ACC Coastal division. Representing the ACC Atlantic, the undefeated Clemson Tigers have been one of the best teams in the country. Led by Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and multiple top-level receivers, the defending champion Tigers have some serious star-power. Taking place at a neutral site in Charlotte, North Carolina, Clemson is rightfully a heavy favorite in this game.

Big Ten Football Championship Game

No. 1 Ohio State (12-0) vs. No. 8 Wisconsin (10-2) —> 7 p.m. CST on FOX

The Ohio State Buckeyes were clearly the better team in the first go-round of this matchup, winning 38-7 in Columbus. Now on a neutral site in Indianapolis, these two teams meet again with a chance to claim the Big Ten title. The Wisconsin Badgers have improved dramatically on offense since late October, while Ohio State has continued to hum right along. A lot is on the line in this game, and it will play a pivotal role in bowl representation for the conference. Jonathan Taylor was only able to muster 52 yards rushing in the first meeting, while Chase Young had a monster game with four sacks. Wisconsin will need to shift both of those statistics in a major way to have a chance to upset the Buckeyes in round two.