After 14 weeks of the regular season, the conference championships were played this week. Some of these games will help us determine which teams will get the automatic bye in the CFP, while others will decide which teams will make the playoff overall.
Let’s look back at some of the Conference Championships played this week,
Big Ten:#2 Indiana vs #1 Ohio State
The Big Ten Championship game this season featured the two best teams in college football. The number one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes faced the number two-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, the latter of whom made their first-ever appearance in this game. Both came into this battle undefeated and with a secure spot in the playoffs. But who would win the conference and get the first-round bye?
The Hoosiers had the first possession of the game but were unable to do anything notable with it. However, they were not without the ball for long. On the Buckeyes’ first drive, quarterback Julian Sayin threw an interception that was returned by the Indiana defense to the edge of the red zone. This gave them a good opportunity to take the lead, which they did. Fernando Mendoza led his offense down to the 11-yard line, but no further. This set up Nico Radicic with a 29-yard field goal attempt, which was successful.
Indiana was next to make a mistake when Mendoza’s pass was intercepted on the edge of the red zone. This mistake would be costly, as Sayin found Carnell Tate for a nine-yard touchdown pass a few plays later to give Ohio State the lead.
The Hoosiers tried to restore their lead on their next drive when Radicic was faced with a 39-yard field goal attempt. However, this kick was not successful. The Buckeyes would widen their lead immediately after, thanks to a 30-yard field goal from Jayden Fielding. Radicic would find the uprights on the next drive from 32 yards out to keep Indiana in touching distance.
At halftime, the Buckeyes had a 10-6 lead over the Hoosiers.
Indiana regained the lead early in the second half. Mendoza and company made their way down to the Buckeyes’ 17-yard line, where the quarterback found Elijah Sarratt for the touchdown pass to give them a three-point lead.
The Buckeyes spent most of the fourth quarter slowly making their way down the field with the hope of finding the endzone to keep their undefeated season alive. This drive stalled at the Hoosiers’ nine-yard line, forcing Fielding to kick a crucial field goal from 27 yards out. His kick missed, keeping the Hoosiers in the lead.
Ohio State would have one final opportunity to level the score/get the win in the dying seconds of the game. However, Sayin’s Hail Mary attempt did not go far, meaning that the number two-ranked Indiana Hoosiers had defeated the number one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 to win the Big Ten Championship.
This only adds to the impressive story of the Indiana Hoosiers under coach Curt Cignetti. The program has been turned around, from a struggler to a champion in only two seasons. This is their first conference championship since 1967, and they will be the number one seed in the playoff bracket. As for Ohio State, they are still going into the playoffs as a tough team to beat, and could still do enough to retain the national championship they won last season.
SEC #3 Georgia vs #9 Alabama
The SEC Championship game this season was a familiar affair, as the number three-ranked Georgia Bulldogs faced the number nine-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. These two teams have been the dominant forces in the conference for most of the last 15 years, and their dominance looks like it won’t end any time soon. Who would win this game and get an advantage in the playoffs?
Both teams struggled to get anything going on offense to begin the game, with the opening four drives ending in punts. It was the Bulldogs who broke this streak. Starting on the edge of the Bama redzone, Gunner Stockton led his offense down to the one-yard line. Here, he found Roderick Robinson for the touchdown pass.
In response to this, Alabama would make a costly mistake. On the Georgia 45-yard line, quarterback Ty Simpson’s pass was intercepted. On the subsequent drive, Stockton and company would slowly make their way down to the Alabama five-yard line. Here, he found Dillon Bell for the touchdown to double their lead.
We then returned to both teams struggling to make a breakthrough on offense, meaning that at halftime, the Bulldogs had a 14-0 lead over the Crimson Tide.
Georgia added to the lead on their first drive of the second half. The offense made their way down to the Crimson Tides’ nine-yard line, with Nate Frazier finding the endzone to score a rushing touchdown to make it a three-score game.
Alabama would finally be able to find the endzone to begin the fourth quarter. Simpson found Germie Bernard for a 23-yard touchdown pass that would only prevent the team from being shut out in the game. A few drives later, Stockton found Zachariah Branch for a 13-yard touchdown pass to seal the win.
The number three-ranked Georgia Bulldogs defeated the number nine-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 28-7 to win the SEC Championship.
This was not the most entertaining game, but it shows the strength of this Georgia team. A strong run in the playoffs could very much happen, giving Kirby Smart a good chance to win another National Championship. While Georgia is in, Alabama is now unlikely to make it. They have a 10-3 record, and it is now up to the playoff committee to decide if that is good enough.
Big 12: #11 BYU vs #4 Texas Tech
The Big 12 Championship game was between the number four-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders and the number 11-ranked BYU Cougars. These two teams met earlier in the season, and the Red Raiders easily won. Another strong performance from Behren Morton, throwing for two touchdowns, gave Tech another strong win over the Cougars. Their 34-7 win gives them the playoff spot and their first Big 12 title. BYU’s playoff hopes are likely to be over.
ACC: Duke vs #17 Virginia
Unlike the other conferences, the ACC Championship game is between the winners of the two divisions, rather than the two best teams in the conference. This meant that the number 17-ranked Virginia Cavaliers played the Duke Blue Devils. This was a very close game, in which a late touchdown by the Cavaliers put them level with Duke, sending the game to overtime. Here, a one-yard touchdown pass from Darian Mensah to Jeremiah Hasley was enough to give Duke a historic 27-20 win. This is Duke’s first ACC Championship since 1989, and it makes the playoff committee’s decision that much harder.
American: #24 North Texas vs #20 Tulane
There is one automatic spot in the playoffs for the best-ranked conference winner from the group of five. It was likely to come from the American Championship game between the number 20-ranked Tulane Green Wave and the number 24-ranked North Texas Mean Green. Tulane was by far the stronger team on the day, recording a 34-21 win to all but seal a spot in the playoffs.
Sun Belt: Troy vs #25 James Madison
The number 25-ranked James Madison Dukes came into their Sun Belt Championship game against the Troy Trojans with an 11-1 record. But they have not been in any honest playoff conversations, considering the level of opposition they have played this season. They needed to win this game and hope that Tulane lost to have a chance of making the CFP. The Dukes won this game 31-14, but as Tulane won, their playoff hopes are over.
So, after all of this action, it is now up for the College Football Playoff committee to decide which 12 teams (technically 8 with the automatic berths) will make the playoffs, a decision I do not envy.
