Conference Championship Games

Well, Oregon settled the Pac-12 in fairly convincing fashion last night. They took apart Arizona 51-13 last night in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. The Ducks likely wrapped up a #1 or #2  seed in the brand-spankin' new playoffs. Quarterback Marcus Mariota likely wrapped up the Heisman Trophy. He would be Oregon's first Heisman Trophy winner.

Northern Illinois thrashed Bowling by a very similar score in the Mid-American Conference Championship, 51-17.

Four Conference Championship Games are on tap for today.

SEC Championship
#1 Alabama vs #16 Missouri

There aren't many people giving Missouri much of a chance. If the Tigers can pull off the upset, maybe there's no SEC team in the college football playoffs. That's inconceivable.

ACC Championship
#4 Florida St. vs #11 Geoirgia Tech

Like Missouri, Georgia Tech's getting no respect. Florida St. knows all about getting no respect. Defending National Champs, undefeated, the only undefeated FBS team and they are teetering on the edge of playoff inclusion. How is that even possible. Apparently it's possible if a team does just enough, and nothing more, to win their games. If Florida St. is simply skating through the season, it's about damn time that they start playing some football.

Big Ten Championship
#5 Ohio St. vs #13 Wisconsin

It's Melvin Gordon vs the team that lost J.T. Barrett. One of these teams has played in each of the previous three Big Ten Championship games. If Urban Meyer can get Cardale Jones ready to step in for Barrett, the Buckeyes could jump into the playoffs.

Mountain West Championship
#22 Boise St. vs Fresno St.

Conference USA Championship
Louisiana Tech vs Marshall

Marshall was cruising until losing 67-66(!) to Western Kentucky last week. That was Marshall's first loss of the season.

Fresno St., at 6-6, would appear to be very much the underdog. The two teams met in Boise earlier in the season. They were tied at 27 through three quarters before the Broncos pulled away to win 37-27.

#9 Kansas St. at #6 Baylor

It's not a Big 12 Championship game but it might as well be some sort of playoff game. Baylor could still get into the playoff dance. With a win over #3 TCU on their resume, they probably should be in the mix already.

Speaking of TCU,
Iowa St. at #3 TCU will also impact the selection of the four playoff teams.

I'm going with Alabama, Florida St., Ohio St., and Boise St. in the conference championship games. TCU and Kansas St. in the Big 12 games.

And, Alabama, Oregon, Florida St., and Ohio St. leap-frogging TCU as the four teams playing for a National Title.