After a chaotic and unpredictable season both on and off the field, we've (somehow) made it to championship weekend. Several games have already been cancelled as of this post, but hopefully we'll be able to see some good matchups this Saturday.
Power 5 Championships:
SEC
#1 Alabama vs #7 Florida
Saturday Dec 18, 8:00 PM ET, CBS
This game lost a bit of luster after Florida's loss to reeling LSU in the fog last weekend. Kyle Trask is a great quarterback, but Alabama has too much talent for Florida to overcome. Expect the Tide to win big in a high scoring matchup.
The Pick: Alabama -17
ACC
#3 Clemson vs #2 Notre Dame
Saturday Dec 18, 4:00 PM, ABC
Notre Dame won the first iteration of this game in overtime- against a Clemson team that was missing Trevor Lawrence and several key defensive players. While Notre are certainly has the talent to keep it close early, expect a more well-rounded Clemson team to pull away in the second half.
The pick: Clemson -10.5
Big 12
#10 Oklahoma @ #6 Iowa State
Saturday Dec 18, 12:00 PM, ABC
The conference that sabotaged its own Playoff chances early on gets to crown a champion this weekend with a spot in a NY6 bowl on the line. While Iowa St has played well this year and should keep it close, I expect Oklahoma's offense to keep the pressure on and pull out a victory.
The Pick: Oklahoma -5.5
Big Ten
#4 Ohio State vs #14 Northwestern
Saturday Dec 18, 12:00 PM, FOX
The Big Ten East and West winners clash in Lucas Oil Stadium, one being an old stalwart and the other a pesky upstart. Northwestern has thrived on strong defensive performances all year, but that won't be enough against an offense like Ohio State. OSU has been playing with a chip on its shoulder, and that makes them even more dangerous.
The pick: Ohio State -20.5
Pac-12
Oregon vs #13 USC
Friday Dec 17, 8:00 PM ET, FOX
After surviving a close matchup with UCLA, the Trojans face the Oregon Ducks after a last-minute cancellation from the Washington Huskies. Oregon started the season with high expectations but has grossly underperformed; expect USC to roll here.
The pick: USC -3
Group of Five Championships
AAC
#23 Tulsa @ #9 Cincinnati
Saturday Dec 18, 8:00 PM ET, ABC
The Pick: Cincinnati -14
Sun Belt
#19 Louisiana-Lafayette @ #12 Costal Carolina
Saturday Dec 18, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN
The Pick: Costal Carolina -3.5
C-USA
UAB @ Marshall
Friday Dec 17, 7:00 PM ET, CBSSN
The Pick: Marshall -5.5
MAC
Ball State vs Buffalo
Friday Dec 17, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN
The Pick: Ball State +12.5 - (Buffalo wins outright)
Mountain West
Boise State @ #24 San Jose State
Saturday Dec 18, 4:15 PM ET, FOX
The Pick: Boise St -6.5
Best of the Rest:
* Picks ATS
Air Force @ Army (+2.5)
Ole Miss (-2.5) @ LSU
Minnesota (+12) @ Wisconsin
Illinois @ Penn State (-15)
Final Playoff Prediction;
1. Alabama (SEC Champion)
2. Clemson (ACC Champion)
3. Notre Dame (ACC Runner-Up)
4. Ohio State (Big Ten Champion)
Playoff Selection Show: Sunday 12:00PM ET, ESPN
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