Preview: 8 Conference Title Pairings To Be Decided this Week

November 19, 2018 by Dave Congrove

Only 2 of the 10 conference championship pairings have been determined - the ACC and the SEC. That will all change this week when 8 divisional champions will be decided, as well as the Big 12 title matchup.

Set

ACC - Clemson (Atlantic) vs. Pittsburgh (Coastal)
SEC - Georgia (Eastern) v.s Alabama (Western)

To Be Determined

American - UCF (clinched East) vs. winner of Houston at Memphis (West)
Big Ten - Northwestern (clinched west) vs. Michigan or Ohio State (East)
Big 12 - Oklahoma vs. West Virginia or Texas.
CUSA - UAB (clinched West) vs. FIU or Middle Tennessee (East)
MAC - Northern Illinois (clinched West) vs. Buffalo most likely, but Miami and Ohio still in it (East).
MWC - Fresno State (clinched West) vs. winner of Utah State at Boise State (Mountain)
PAC 12 - Utah (clinched South) vs. winner of Washington at Washington State (North)
Sun Belt - Troy at Appalachian State winner (East) will host either Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette or Louisiana-Monroe (West)

Bowling For Dollars

71 teams have reached 6 wins to attain bowl eligibility and 22 others are knocking on the door with 5 wins. 78 spots are available.

Buffalo and Syracuse are each definitely bowl-bound for the first time since 2013. Louisiana-Monroe is eligible for the first time since 2012 at 6-4. Tulane is on the cusp of its first bowl bid since 2013 with a 5-5 record.

The longest current bowl absence streak belongs to Kansas (2008).

Ole Miss (5-6) is ineligible due to NCAA probation.

The newest kid on the block, Liberty (4-6), locked down a two-year bowl agreement with the Cure Bowl before it ever played a down of FBS football. The contract for 2018 and 2019 says the Flames will be called upon as the first backup option if the American and Sun Belt conferences can't fill their available slots in the bowl.

FBS vs. FCS

No games this week pit FBS teams against FCS schools. FBS teams are 103-7 (.936) vs. the FCS this season, and 1,322-124 (.914) since 2003.

Here are all of the FCS victories over FBS teams, so far, in 2018:

August 30: UC Davis 44, San Jose State 31
September 1: Villanova 19, Temple 17
September 1: Northern Arizona 30, UTEP 10
September 1: Nicholls State 26, Kansas 23 (OT)
September 2: North Carolina A&T 28, East Carolina 23
September 8: Maine 31, Western Kentucky 28
September 22: Illinois State 35, Colorado State 19

Streaks

UCF - Won 23 straight overall (FBS longest), Won 16 straight conference games including AAC title last year (FBS longest). At USF on Friday.

Alabama - Won 25 straight home games (FBS longest). Home vs. Auburn on Saturday.

Oklahoma - Won 19 straight true road games (FBS longest). Visits West Virginia on Friday.

Rice - Lost 11 straight overall (FBS longest). Hosts Old Dominion on Saturday.
(NOTE: Rice also owns the longest current conference game losing streak at 14.)

Charlotte - Lost 12 straight road games (tied FBS longest). Visits FAU on Saturday.

San Jose State - Lost 12 straight road games (tied FBS longest). Visits Fresno State on Saturday.