It’s championship weekend and this week’s slate of games will decide which four teams will be represented in the College Football Playoff.
The Pac-12 features the only game with two teams still in the running for a possible final four spot, but the conference championships of the ACC, SEC and Big-10 will all be decided. A showdown between top-10 opponents also beckons in the Big 12.
Here are the top-five games to watch (predicted winners in bold):
1) No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 7 Arizona (Friday, FOX, 6 p.m.): The Ducks are 14-2 going back into last year, but both of those losses have come at the hands of the Wildcats. Arizona has solved the riddle of how to beat Oregon by limiting the big plays and using a spread, ball control offense the last two times the teams met. However, the Ducks have vastly improved since the last meeting on Oct. 2, with its stabilizing offensive line. Arizona’s Scooby Wright III might be the best defensive player in the nation, but he’ll be facing one of the best offensive players in the nation in Marcus Mariota.
2) No. 16 Missouri vs. No. 1 Alabama (CBS, 1 p.m.): Alabama is the clear favorite to win the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide offense put up 55 points in last week’s Iron Bowl victory over Auburn. Combine that offense, led by wide receiver Amari Cooper, with the Crimson Tide’s typically stout defense and it’s clear that the team overmatches Missouri in virtually every form.
3) No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Wisconsin (FOX, 5:17 p.m.): The Buckeyes are looking to third string quarterback Cardale Jones to lead Ohio State against Wisconsin. Jones is best known for his infamous tweet in 2012 when he said, “Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS.” But head coach Urban Meyer said the Buckeyes have all the faith in Jones. On the other sideline, the nation’s leading rusher, Melvin Gordon, will be the X-factor for Wisconsin.
4) No. 11 Georgia Tech vs. No. 4 Florida State (ABC, 5 p.m.): Florida State keeps on struggling, but the team keeps winning. Sooner or later, the bad starts and deep holes the Seminoles get themselves into are going to catch up to them. Georgia Tech is built to keep leads if it can. If Jamies Winston gets off to another slow start, look for the Yellow Jackets offense to keep the ball and lead all the way till the end. But, while in the midst of winning 28 straight games, is anyone really willing to bet against the Seminoles?
5) No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 9 Kansas State (ESPN, 4:45 p.m.): The Bears can make a huge statement by beating Kansas State. But they may be missing their star quarterback Bryce Petty, who suffered a concussion last weekend. A win this weekend would be Baylor’s third against a ranked team this season, including a win over TCU, currently ranked No. 3.
Projected Final Four: No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide / No. 2 Oregon Ducks / No. 3 Florida State Seminoles / No. 4 Baylor Bears
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka
