- College football is in its championship week. For some teams like Ohio State it’s a way to get the post season started the right way. And for some like Kennesaw State it could be a ticket for a big payday and a potential play off spot. This championship week is very chaotic and is the definition of college football. This is the current situation for each conference championship this week.
MAC Conference: Miami (Ohio) [7-5] vs Western Michigan [8-4]
79 years strong the MAC (a.k.a Mid American Conference) holds their 29th conference championship game. Neither of these teams really hold a place for a playoff spot with a win but it is a game worthwhile as Western Michigan challenges for their first MAC Championship since Corey Davis’ team in 2016 and Miami Ohio try to bounce back after their 38-3 loss in last year’s conference title game to rivals Ohio University. The game is scheduled at Ford Field for the 21st year.
Conference USA: Jacksonville State [8-4] vs Kennesaw State [9-3]
Kennesaw State is just 2 years removed from FCS yet already has a chance at the playoffs. Kennesaw State need a win and a loss from James Madison, BYU, Virginia and UNLV. A stretch, nonetheless. Hope however, they are full of it. Kennesaw State meet defending champions Jacksonville State who have home field advantage for the second straight year.
Sun Belt: #25 James Madison [11-1] vs Troy [8-4]
James Madison walk into this game ranked 25th in the country by the playoff committee, the first time in program history. However they still sit on the outside looking in as potential conference champs, North Texas (ranked #24), Tulane (ranked #20) and Virginia (Ranked #17) all sit ahead. The only real chance for a spot in the post season is for Virginia to lose, as one of North Texas or Tulane are guaranteed to win. They meet Troy in the conference title who are back in the conference title for the first time after their repeat titles in 2022 and 2023. This although seems lopsided should be highly anticipated for a good game.
Mountain West: UNLV [10-2] vs Boise State [8-4]
For the third consecutive year the rebels of UNLV meet the Broncos of Boise State. This year takes a bit of a step down from the previous two years as neither team is ranked going into this matchup. For Boise State it’s a matter of taking home their three-peat. While UNLV tries to secure their first Mountain West conference title in program history, and potentially a playoff spot although it is a stretch.
American: #24 North Texas [11-1] vs #20 Tulane [10-2]
This even in a lower prestige conference is probably the second biggest game out there. On one hand, you have Tulane. They are becoming a powerhouse in this conference as they enter their fourth consecutive conference title game. A win and they certainly put themselves in a perfect position for playoff football the first time in program history. For a conference of this prestige them being where they are now would be a perfect chance to claim the title. However you have North Texas to match up with. This is no ordinary team, their quarterback is a walk on player who never started a varsity game for his high school. Yet this offense averages the highest number of points per game (46.8) as well as clocking in the highest scoring touchdown offense (75). This is their first conference championship in program history, and a win would also give them their first playoff appearance in program history. This is definitely a game to watch.
ACC: #17 Virginia [10-2] vs Duke [7-5]
This is also a massive game for such a low stage. Supposed to be part of the “power four” the ACC finds themselves in a pickle. Duke come into the game with the worst record of all teams participating in championship week. They definitely don’t have a chance at the playoffs. Virginia however does. A win and their in. But with a Duke win this could eliminate all ACC teams from the playoffs, which is a high possibility as Duke has been competitive with all teams from this conference while Virginia has managed to seemingly only scrape past some of the lower teams. This is a good game to be informed about as it has some of the highest stakes out there.
Big 12: #5 Texas Tech [11-1] vs #11 BYU [11-1]
This, although posed as a tough, top 15 battle, may not be the case. Last time these two played, Texas Tech dominated. A final score of 29-7 put Texas Tech on the map and they held their case to stay a top 5 team in the country. Be ready to expect the worst as Texas Tech aims at securing their first conference title in program history in utter dominance.
SEC: #9 Alabama [10-2] vs #3 Georgia [11-1]
Late drama in the season including a Texas win over #3 at the time Texas A&M saw both Georgia and Alabama get into the conference title for a fifth time in nine years. These two programs have dominated the SEC stage. Alabama has something to play for, as a loss would surely eliminate them from playoff contention. Georgia, although aiming to win, have room to use with a loss. When these two met earlier this year Alabama was victorious in a 24-21 win.
Big 10: #1 Ohio State [12-0] vs #2 Indiana [12-0]
The biggest game of them all. Number one Ohio State goes to Indianapolis to take on number two Indiana in probably the most anticipated conference championship in Big 10 history. Indiana are one of the highest flying offenses ranking top 3 in ppg and top 2 in offensive touchdowns. But Ohio State boasts the best defense in the country with notable players all over like linebacker Arvell Reese and safety Caleb Downs. But the battle begins and endś on the opposite side of the ball for both teams. How can Ohio State’s offense break through the Hoosier defense? This is surely to be one of the games of the season if not the decade, and is definitely worth turning on for a watch.
