College Football: Most conference title games are all set
Ohio State players Caden Curry, left Sonny Styles and receiver Brennen Schramm celebrate the Buckeyes' win over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday. (AP photo)
The final day of the regular season is full of crucial games that will set the conference championship matchups and influence the rankings that will determine the postseason.
Among the Power Four, only the Big 12 entered the weekend with its championship game set. Texas Tech and BYU are preparing for a rematch.
Ohio State solidified a perfect 12-0 season and spot in the Big Ten championship with a win over Michigan on Saturday. The Buckeyes will meet Indiana in the title game.
The playoff picture and title games for the ACC and SEC are still taking shape along with several other Bowl Subdivision leagues.
ACC
In a crowded race, the most simple road to the ACC championship game belonged to No. 17 Virginia,which best Va. Tech and will now face 7-5 Duke. That’s because and No. 25 SMU lost to California. So it will be Duke-VirginiaIf Virginia in the conference championship next Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
No. 24 Pitt could have gotten in with a win against Miami and a loss by either Virginia or SMU, but the Panthers’ 38-7 loss to Miami hurt their chances. If Virginia or SMU loses, it could come down to a tiebreaker in the ACC between two-loss teams.
CFP: The ACC playoff picture is complicated with five teams in the College Football Playoff Top 25 ahead of Tuesday’s rankings from the selection committee. But Miami is the only one inside the top 12, and it is on the bubble when it comes to an at-large bid. A win against Pitt helps, but the Hurricanes still need some help.
Big 12
No. 7 Texas Tech will play No. 11 BYU next Saturday in Arlington, Texas, for the conference championship. It’s a rematch after the Red Raiders beat the Cougars 29-7 on Nov. 8.
CFP: The Big 12 is hoping to be a two-bid league with its title game participants and No. 14 Utah (No. 13 CFP) on the doorstep if there is any turmoil.
Big Ten
No. 1 Ohio State checked a major box for its season when it knocked off No. 15 Michigan with a 27-9 victory. The Buckeyes punched their ticket to the Big Ten title game and an anticipated matchup with No. 2 Indiana next Saturday in Indianapolis.
Indiana is going for its first conference crown since 1967. It heads to the title game with the nation’s second-best scoring offense and scoring defense and a Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
CFP: Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon appear to be locks for the playoff, with the Buckeyes looking to win back-to-back national championships. Oregon finished the regular season with an 11-1 record after defeating Washington on Saturday.
SEC
No. 4 Georgia solidified its spot in the SEC championship with a win against Georgia Tech on Friday and will face Alabama,which edged Auburn 27-20 in the Iron Bowl. If Alabama had lost No. 6 Ole Miss would have advanced instead. Now it appears Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will leave for LSU.
Georgia has won eight in a row since its only loss of the season, to Alabama, on Sept. 27.
CFP: Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Alabama were all ranked in the CFP top 10 going into Saturday’s games. The Sooners narrowly avoided an upset loss to LSU on Saturday, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
American Athletic
No. 21 North Texas is in the AAC title game on Friday. No. 22 Tulane will join the Mean Green with a win over Charlotte. If Tulane loses, Navy gets in.
Conference USA
Jacksonville State beat Western Kentucky on Saturday to clinch a spot in the Conference USA title game as well as hosting rights. Jacksonville State will take on Kennesaw State, which beat Liberty to make its first Conference USA championship game.
Mid-American
Western Michigan and Miami (Ohio) will meet in the MAC title game next Saturday in Detroit. The RedHawks clinched their third straight conference championship appearance with a 45-24 win against Ball State on Saturday.
Mountain West
There will be either a three-way or four-way tie for first — depending on how UNLV does Saturday at Nevada — and the deadlock will be broken by computer metrics. San Diego State, Boise State and New Mexico all have 6-2 conference records. The title game is Friday at the home of the higher seed.
Sun Belt
No. 20 James Madison will host Troy on Friday in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. Troy clinched its spot in the championship game after a 28-18 win against Southern Miss on Saturday.


