This is arguably the greatest weekend of conference championship games in the history of college football:
ACC: #1 vs. #7
AAC: #15 vs. #20
Big 12: #3 vs. #11
B1G: #4 vs. #8
Pac-12: #10 vs. #12
SEC: #2 vs. #6
Let's get some predictions!
ACC: Clemson (-9) vs. Miami
Miami has to be ready for a bounce back game. It was predictable that they would lose at Pitt given the previous three high emotion home games. Clemson isn't as good on offense as the last two seasons with Watson at QB, but the defense arguably is even better.
Not confident enough to pick Miami to win, but am to say they will cover.
AAC: Memphis vs. UCF (-7)
The two highest scoring teams in FBS meet for possible NY6 Bowl berth. Not really fair to allow true home games for a conference championship, but that's what Memphis faces in Orlando. Two of the hottest young head coaches around square off when Scott Frost's Knights take on Mike Norvell's Tigers. Both teams are explosive on offense, and just good enough on defense to be 23-1 combined.
UCF wins but Memphis covers in a game with an O/U that opened at 85! I'm taking the over still.
Big 12: Oklahoma (-7) vs. TCU
A neutral site should theoretically make this game closer than the 18 point spread OU won by in Norman. Would like to think Gary Patterson can conjure some defensive magic to make this interesting, but I'm not seeing it. TCU simply doesn't have the QB needed to really compete with what OU has in Mayfield. The delta between the two is just too great.
OU wins and covers easily.
B1G: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State (-6.5)
Have to think part of why OSU is favored is just the sheer fact Wisconsin is undefeated and going through 13 games unblemished is near impossible. Reconciling the PSU victory with the blowout Iowa loss makes you wonder about Ohio State, when Iowa had less than 100 yards of offense against Wisconsin. But I see Wisconsin as a one dimensional running team and OSU with the DL to stop that dimension. Ohio State is a much more potent passing team, so they can go to that if there is a stalemate in the run game, which should be expected given they are essentially equal in rush differential. Remember when Ohio State beat Wisconsin 59-0 in this game a coupe years ago?
Ohio State wins and covers.
Pac-12: Stanford vs. USC (-4)
Last week at this time, this game looked like a real stinker in the making. Then Stanford played arguably its most complete game of the season against the Notre Dame team that rolled USC in South Bend. KJ Costello solidifying the QB position, plus Stanford's +1.62 to +.51 rushing differential advantage and +14 turnover margin sets this up to be a close game. Everyone is picking USC in part because USC dominated in first meeting. But that was a USC home game and Stanford wants redemption for its worst performance of the season.
Stanford covers and maybe even wins outright.
SEC: Auburn (-2.5) vs. Georgia
Yes, Auburn beat two #1 teams in three weeks, and Georgia was one of those teams that took a beating, but those games were both at home. Auburn in fact lost at Clemson and LSU itself, so I'm not going to claim Auburn is now some juggernaut, because the schedule was favorable. It is going to be really tough for Auburn to climb down from the emotional Alabama win high, and get to the same level of intensity Georgia will be bringing to atone for its face plant at Auburn a few weeks ago.
Auburn's DL is really impressive, but Georgia covers and wins outright.
ACC: #1 vs. #7
AAC: #15 vs. #20
Big 12: #3 vs. #11
B1G: #4 vs. #8
Pac-12: #10 vs. #12
SEC: #2 vs. #6
Let's get some predictions!
ACC: Clemson (-9) vs. Miami
Miami has to be ready for a bounce back game. It was predictable that they would lose at Pitt given the previous three high emotion home games. Clemson isn't as good on offense as the last two seasons with Watson at QB, but the defense arguably is even better.
Not confident enough to pick Miami to win, but am to say they will cover.
AAC: Memphis vs. UCF (-7)
The two highest scoring teams in FBS meet for possible NY6 Bowl berth. Not really fair to allow true home games for a conference championship, but that's what Memphis faces in Orlando. Two of the hottest young head coaches around square off when Scott Frost's Knights take on Mike Norvell's Tigers. Both teams are explosive on offense, and just good enough on defense to be 23-1 combined.
UCF wins but Memphis covers in a game with an O/U that opened at 85! I'm taking the over still.
Big 12: Oklahoma (-7) vs. TCU
A neutral site should theoretically make this game closer than the 18 point spread OU won by in Norman. Would like to think Gary Patterson can conjure some defensive magic to make this interesting, but I'm not seeing it. TCU simply doesn't have the QB needed to really compete with what OU has in Mayfield. The delta between the two is just too great.
OU wins and covers easily.
B1G: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State (-6.5)
Have to think part of why OSU is favored is just the sheer fact Wisconsin is undefeated and going through 13 games unblemished is near impossible. Reconciling the PSU victory with the blowout Iowa loss makes you wonder about Ohio State, when Iowa had less than 100 yards of offense against Wisconsin. But I see Wisconsin as a one dimensional running team and OSU with the DL to stop that dimension. Ohio State is a much more potent passing team, so they can go to that if there is a stalemate in the run game, which should be expected given they are essentially equal in rush differential. Remember when Ohio State beat Wisconsin 59-0 in this game a coupe years ago?
Ohio State wins and covers.
Pac-12: Stanford vs. USC (-4)
Last week at this time, this game looked like a real stinker in the making. Then Stanford played arguably its most complete game of the season against the Notre Dame team that rolled USC in South Bend. KJ Costello solidifying the QB position, plus Stanford's +1.62 to +.51 rushing differential advantage and +14 turnover margin sets this up to be a close game. Everyone is picking USC in part because USC dominated in first meeting. But that was a USC home game and Stanford wants redemption for its worst performance of the season.
Stanford covers and maybe even wins outright.
SEC: Auburn (-2.5) vs. Georgia
Yes, Auburn beat two #1 teams in three weeks, and Georgia was one of those teams that took a beating, but those games were both at home. Auburn in fact lost at Clemson and LSU itself, so I'm not going to claim Auburn is now some juggernaut, because the schedule was favorable. It is going to be really tough for Auburn to climb down from the emotional Alabama win high, and get to the same level of intensity Georgia will be bringing to atone for its face plant at Auburn a few weeks ago.
Auburn's DL is really impressive, but Georgia covers and wins outright.
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