Ranking the 10 conference championship games: What's the best game?
Welcome to conference championship week. With the introduction of the Sun Belt Conference Championship game and the second season of the Big 12’s reincarnated title game all 10 FBS conferences will host championship games on Friday and Saturday. Here’s our power rankings of those games. You should watch them all if you can. But if you can’t, use this post as a guide for your priorities.
(Games on Saturday, Dec. 1 unless otherwise noted, all times ET)
10. Sun Belt: Louisiana (7-5) at Appalachian State (9-2)
Location: Boone, North Carolina | Time: 8 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: App State -17.5
What’s at stake: The claim of being the first winner of the Sun Belt Championship game. And a better spot in line to pick a bowl game.
Why you should watch: Scott Satterfield is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. Could this be the year a Power Five school pursues him? He has won at least nine games in each of his last four seasons with the school and should be an attractive head coaching candidate. Louisiana enters the game on a three-game winning streak under first year coach Billy Napier. Both teams score over 30 points per game but Louisiana allows 34 per game while App State only allows 15 per game.
Picks: Nick Bromberg: App State 30, Louisiana 17, Sam Cooper: App State 38, Louisiana 20
[Rivals annual subscription deal: Sign up now and get $99 worth of free team gear]
9. MAC: Northern Illinois (7-5) vs. Buffalo (10-2)
Location: Detroit | Time: 7 p.m. (Friday) | TV: ESPN2 | Line: Buffalo -3.5
What’s at stake: Buffalo has already set a program record for wins in a season and can keep the good times rolling with just its second-ever MAC title (the first came in 2008). NIU is more familiar with this stage. The Huskies played in the league title game five straight seasons from 2010 to 2015, winning three.
Why you should watch: Buffalo has an awesome QB-WR duo in Tyree Jackson and Anthony Johnson. At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, Jackson has a massive arm that has put him on the radar of NFL scouts. Johnson, with 121 catches and 23 touchdowns over the last two seasons, is Jackson’s favorite target. On the NIU side is one of the most disruptive edge rushers in college football: Sutton Smith. Smith was an All-American last fall when he put up 30 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. So far this year, he has 21 TFLs and 13 sacks.
Picks: Nick: Buffalo 41, NIU 30, Sam: Buffalo 34, NIU 28
8. ACC: Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Clemson (12-0)
Location: Charlotte | Time: 8 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: Clemson -27
What’s at stake: A fourth straight ACC title and another College Football Playoff berth for Clemson. An upset would lead to a Peach or Fiesta Bowl berth for Pitt, plus the program’s first-ever ACC crown.
Why you should watch: To see if Pitt can pull off what it did two years ago when it beat the Tigers 43-42 in Clemson. The Panthers have played well since losing to North Carolina early in the season but got beat handily by Miami on Saturday. On paper this looks like a very easy Clemson win. But Pitt ended Miami’s undefeated season in 2018. Can the Panthers make it three huge upsets in three seasons?
Picks: Nick: Clemson 45, Pitt 21, Sam: Clemson 48, Pitt 17
7. Conference USA: UAB (9-3) at Middle Tennessee (8-4)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Time: 1:30 p.m. | TV: CBSSN | Line: MTSU -2.5
What’s at stake: In just its second season back after the shuttering of its program, UAB is in the conference title game. That’s pretty remarkable, isn’t it? Bill Clark and the Blazers, the C-USA West Division champions, have had a tremendous season but will head back to Murfreesboro for a second straight week. UAB’s loss to MTSU over the weekend put the conference title game back at Floyd Stadium, where the Blue Raiders can win their first-ever C-USA title. It would be UAB’s first, too.
Why you should watch: These are two really good teams vying for their first-ever C-USA titles. In UAB’s case, the program has never won a conference crown. MTSU won a share of the Sun Belt title in 2001 and 2006, but has never played for the C-USA title since joining the league in 2013. There’s plenty of motivation on each side.
Picks: Nick: UAB 30, MTSU 20, Sam: MTSU 27, UAB 24
6. Pac-12: Utah (9-3) vs. Washington (9-3)
Location: Santa Clara, California | Time: 8 p.m. (Friday) | TV: FOX | Line: Washington -4.5
What’s at stake: A Rose Bowl bid is the game’s prize. Washington hasn’t been there since 2001. Utah’s never been. It would also mean the second Pac-12 crown in the last three seasons for the Huskies. Utah, since joining the league in 2011, has never won the conference title. The Utes last won a conference championship in 2008 as a member of the Mountain West.
Why you should watch: Chris Petersen and Kyle Whittingham are two of the best game-planners in the Pac-12. This probably isn’t going to be a shootout, so if you enjoy disciplined defense and good running games, this is the conference championship game for you. Washington has developed a nice one-two punch at running back with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed while Utah quarterback Jason Shelley has been responsible for six touchdowns in his last three games after taking over for the injured Tyler Huntley.
Picks: Nick: Washington 23, Utah 16, Sam: Washington 27, Utah 21
5. American: Memphis (8-4) at Central Florida (11-0)
Location: Orlando, Florida | Time: 3:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: UCF -3.5
What’s at stake: UCF has won 24 consecutive games and can increase that streak while capturing its second straight AAC title. While a spot in the College Football Playoff is still a long shot for the Knights, an AAC crown would lock up a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl for a second straight year. Otherwise, that spot would likely go to the Mountain West champ (it has to be a conference champion). For Memphis, it can win its first outright conference title since 1969 when it played in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Why you should watch: UCF is one of four undefeated teams in the country. The other three appear ticketed for the College Football Playoff, but UCF’s strength of schedule as an AAC member will likely hold the Knights back once again. An unanticipated subplot, however, is that UCF will be without star QB McKenzie Milton, who suffered a grisly injury. Memphis is plenty dangerous on the other side, especially with Darrell Henderson. Henderson is second in the nation with 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
Picks: Nick: UCF 31, Memphis 27, Sam: UCF 38, Memphis 34
4. Big Ten: Northwestern (8-4) vs. Ohio State (11-1)
Location: Indianapolis | Time: 8 p.m. | TV: Fox | Line: Ohio State -14.5
What’s at stake: A potential playoff bid for Ohio State and a Rose Bowl berth for Northwestern. That’s where Ohio State is heading if it doesn’t make the playoff. A win would mark Northwestern’s first outright Big Ten title since 1995.
Why you should watch: Is Ohio State the team we saw for much of the 2018 season or the team that destroyed Michigan on Saturday? The Buckeyes earned a spot in the first playoff with a 59-0 blowout of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game and a similar performance could mean Ohio State is playing in this season’s playoff. The Buckeyes will know before kickoff if Oklahoma beat Texas and if Alabama beat Georgia.
Picks: Nick: Ohio State 37, Northwestern 20, Sam: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24
3. Mountain West: Fresno State (10-2) at Boise State (10-2)
Location: Boise, Idaho | Time: 7:45 p.m. | TV: ESPN | Line: Boise State -2
What’s at stake: If UCF, playing without McKenzie Milton, loses to Memphis, the winner of this game would almost certainly be the Group of Five representative in the New Year’s Six bowl games — likely the Fiesta Bowl. On a conference level, Fresno State can win its second outright MWC title. Boise State can win its third since coming over from the WAC.
Why you should watch: This could be the most competitive conference title game of the year. Fresno looked like the class of the conference until it fell to Boise 24-17 on the blue turf on Nov. 9. Before that, the Bulldogs had won their first five conference games by an average margin of 29.6 points per game. Boise enters the game on a seven-game winning streak. If the ACC or Big Ten games (both of which start at 8) get uninteresting, this is your game to cap off the day.
Picks: Nick: Boise State 27, Fresno State 20, Sam: Boise State 24, Fresno State 21
2. Big 12: Texas (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (11-1)
Location: Arlington, Texas | Time: Noon | TV: ABC | Line: Oklahoma -7.5
What’s at stake: A potential playoff bid for Oklahoma and a New Year’s Six bowl berth for Texas. If Oklahoma ends up outside of the playoff then the winner is heading to the Sugar Bowl. Texas can win the Big 12 for the first time since 2009. OU has won the Big 12 title three years in a row.
Why you should watch: The first game between the teams this season was epic. Texas won 48-45 on a late field goal and gave the Sooners their only loss of the season. There’s no reason to think the rematch will be a blowout either way. Texas’ offense is more than capable of hanging with Oklahoma’s if the Texas defense can get a few stops. That’s not an easy task given the way Oklahoma’s offense is playing.
Picks: Nick: Oklahoma 47, Texas 41, Sam: Oklahoma 55, Texas 52
1. SEC: Georgia (11-1) vs. Alabama (12-0)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia | Time: 4 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: Alabama -13
What’s at stake: A lot. If Alabama wins, things stay relatively simple in the CFP race. The Tide would be in and Georgia, with two losses, would almost certainly be out. That would make the fourth spot in the playoff field wide open with Clemson and Notre Dame sliding behind ‘Bama at Nos. 2 and 3. But if Georgia wins? That opens up a big ol’ can of worms where SEC champion Georgia makes the playoff and a one-loss Alabama does, too. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Why you should watch: Alabama, led by Heisman favorite Tua Tagovailoa, has been completely dominant for the entire season, but this will be, by far, its toughest game. Georgia scuffled some early in the season with the 20-point loss to LSU as the obvious low point. Since then, UGA has rattled off five consecutive wins, all by double-digit margins. The Bulldogs are playing their best football right now. Will it be enough to pull off the upset?
Picks: Nick: Alabama 34, Georgia 24, Sam: Alabama 38, Georgia 20
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Report: QB Smith’s career may be over after broken leg
• NFL’s worst rule rears its ugly head in Steelers game
• Rookie QB has no time for former coach after win
• NFL Winners and Losers: Browns actually look pretty good
