- Copyright 2024 © CollegeFootballPoll.com
- About CFP / Contact
- Legal Statements
Conference championship weekend is here. Question is, where will things go beyond 'here'? Teams are opting out of bowl season, largely echoing Covid fatigue as the reason. Coaches are tired, players are tired. It's been a grind. Kansas State, Louisville opted out of bowl consideration on Wednesday, along with Virginia Tech which is willing to see its 27-year bowl appearance streak come to an end.
Here's a list of all the opt-outs:
Boston College
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Kansas State
Louisville
Pittsburgh
San Diego State
SMU
Stanford
UCLA
Utah
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Washington
Washington State
Other circumstances are also diluting the field.
LSU had previously given itself a one-year postseason ban amid an NCAA investigation. SMU (listed above) had to bow out of the Frisco Bowl due to continuing Covid issues and that bowl, which was scheduled to begin bowl season this Saturday, was canceled. Washington (listed above) opted out for the same reason.
Expect more flies in the ointment.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has floated the notion that the Irish could opt out if families can't attend semifinal game.
Of the 18 teams presently committed to participating in a bowl game, four are no better than .500. Virginia Tech, which finished 5-6 with a win over Virginia, reportedly had as many as 3 bowls willing to help it keep the streak alive before the players voted against it.
All of the teams playing in this weekend's championship games will be invited to play somewhere. Here's a look at each of those games.
Oregon (3-2) vs. USC (5-0) - PAC-12 Championship - Los Angeles - Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET (FOX) - Oregon was supposed to play Washington in the regular season finale which would have a de facto North division title game, but Washington (3-1) had to bow out of that game and handed themselves the division title. Then, Washington had to also back out of the championship game which promoted Oregon to the title contest with USC. So, in essence, Oregon can win the PAC-12, but not the PAC-12 North. The Ducks head to the Coliseum on a 2-game losing streak after falling 41-38 at Oregon State and 21-17 at California. Three of USC's 5 wins came by a total of 10 points.
Oklahoma (7-2) vs. Iowa State (8-2) - Big 12 Championship - Arlington, Texas - Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET (ABC) - In a compelling clash of historical opposites, Oklahoma has won the last five Big 12 championships. Meanwhile, Iowa State’s last league title came before the pandemic… the 1918 one. The Cyclones have already beaten the Sooners once this year, 37-30, in Ames back on Oct. 3. But this game will be in neutral site Arlington with a lot more riding on the outcome. And dethroning the champ is never easy. Both schools are playing their best football, with neither losing in November. The defenses here are underrated and will present challenges to the quarterbacks, ISU’s Brock Purdy and OU’s Spencer Rattler.
Northwestern (6-1) vs. Ohio State (5-0) - Big Ten Championship - Indianapolis - Saturday, 12:00 ET (FOX) - Regardless of how many games Ohio State has played this year, it’s the team to beat in the Big Ten. And the conference’s last remaining hope to land a playoff berth. Standing in the talented Buckeyes’ way is Northwestern, which has used a stingy defense to rebound after going 3-9 a year ago. The Wildcats don’t have the firepower to trade points with QB Justin Fields and his array of playmaker. So, the upset bid will hinge on a D that’s allowing just 14.5 points per game. What Northwestern lacks in star power, it makes up for with sound fundamentals, particularly in the back seven.
Clemson (9-1) vs. Notre Dame (10-0) - ACC Championship - Charlotte - Saturday, 4:00 ET (ABC) - Notre Dame defeated Clemson, 47-40, on Nov. 7 in one of the games of 2020 so far. But that was in South Bend… and while rookie QB D.J. Uiagalelei played well in place of Trevor Lawrence, he’s not Lawrence. Can the Irish beat the Tigers again, but this time at a neutral site with No. 16 behind center? This shapes up as the most riveting matchup of Championship Weekend, with massive playoff implications. ND has upped its game since the Clemson win, avoiding a letdown against lesser opponents. Three weeks ago, the Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah-led D held high-powered North Carolina to its lowest output of the year… by far.
Florida (8-2) at Alabama (10-0) - SEC Championship - Atlanta - Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET (CBS) - Can anyone stop the Alabama juggernaut? It’s not looking likely, at least during the regular season. The top-ranked Tide are on a wicked tear, winning the last six games by no less than four touchdowns. And while Maxwell Award semifinalists Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith have been headliners, Nick Saban’s defense has not yielded more than 17 points in a game dating back to mid-October. Here comes Florida, which will need a short memory after bowing to LSU, 37-34, at home and bowing out of the playoff picture. Kyle Trask, who leads the nation in touchdown passes, will need to outduel Jones for the Gators to have a shot in Atlanta.