The Fumble: A Viewer’s Guide to the CFB Conference Championship Weekend

The college football season, as many have bemoaned in recent years, has very much become centered entirely around the playoff at the end of the season, relegating Group of 5 conferences, the teams that play in them, and the third-tier teams that make up the bottom two-thirds of every power 5 conference somewhat irrelevant to the national conversation. This effect is increasingly seen in the way that the nation views conference championships, which are viewed as more play-in games than championships in their own right. Whether it is right or wrong, and I definitely side with the people who claim that it is making the sport increasingly shallow, there is no doubt that this has fundamentally changed the sport, maybe permanently. 

As many have pointed out, the value of these games is just less than it once was. How did we get to the point where the Big 12 championship game, played tomorrow between two top-10 games, has gotten virtually no coverage except to point out that Iowa State is woefully overrated at 6? How has it come to pass that a victory for Northwestern tomorrow would mean not that an underdog wildcat team had won its conference and was headed to the Rose Bowl, but that the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes had stumbled against an inferior opponent and was going to miss the playoff? Even worse, we have reached a point where a loss for Alabama would mean virtually nothing; there is no way they are getting left out of the playoff, and few would actually change their view of the Crimson Tide. If it did not have the potential to earn serious retribution from the committee, why wouldn’t Nick Saban just rest his starters tomorrow? 

I don’t know how to fix this problem; there have been a few different suggestions offered this week, but every article ends with “of course, this will never happen.” There are too many factors at play, and there have been too many steps leading up to this to simply undo it. But in many ways, college football has become the national sport of America, for better and for worse. I certainly hope that eventually something is figured out. Or maybe we will get used to a game that is financially bigger but geographically and narratively smaller. The best teams keep getting better, and there are few reasons to go to any school but the top five or six in the country if it is possible. You never know how things will change, but things do not seem to be getting better.

I was going to do a playoff scenario column this week, but that feels somewhat hypocritical at this point. So I am going to give a sort of viewers guide to Conference Championship week; there are several non-championship games being played this weekend to go along with the conference title games, and I’ll highlight a few of them. If you would like a prediction and preview column for the conference championship games, you can find one by my colleague TJ Mathewson here.

If You Want to Watch A Bubble Team Make Its Final Audition: #5 Texas A&M vs. Tennessee, Noon

The Aggies have only lost to Alabama, though it wasn’t close, and have already beaten Florida, which is playing the Tide in the SEC championship game. They get their final chance to convince the committee to put them in with this game against the Volunteers, and things do not have to be very crazy for them to sneak into the playoff through the backdoor On the other hand, a loss would make things interesting for Iowa State and Cincinnati. 

If You Were Wondering What Happened to Oklahoma: Big 12 Championship, #6 Iowa State vs. #10 Oklahoma, Noon

Iowa State is generally considered to be pretty grossly overrated, but they can prove everyone wrong with a win over the Sooners that is followed by a playoff run. Of course, a few things need to go their way, but the opportunity does exist. For Oklahoma, a season that began in disappointing fashion with consecutive losses has picked up substantially with six straight wins. Redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler has been good but not great this season, but he has the potential and the system to make a Heisman run next year. For now, he can finish the year with a Big 12 championship.

If You Want to See Two of the Best Group of 5 Teams in the Country Play: AAC Championship, #23 Tulsa vs. #9 Cincinnati, 8 p.m.

Cincinnati has consistently been the top Group of 5 team in the country, and has a decent argument to be in the playoff on Sunday if they win this game; it won’t happen, but the case could be made. For Tulsa, this game means no more or less than winning the conference championship, but it would conclude a strong 6-1 season with a big upset over the Bearcats. 

If You Want to See a Revenge Game: ACC Championship, #2 Notre Dame vs. #3 Clemson 4 p.m.

Clemson lost to the Irish at the beginning of November while the Tigers were missing QB Trevor Lawrence, catapulting them into the playoff conversation in a way they had not been before. Now, with Lawrence back, Clemson will seek to avenge that loss and solidify their playoff spot. If they lose a second time, they are virtually guaranteed to be left out, but a win would probably put both teams in the playoff. Either way, it is probably the most compelling game involving playoff contenders this week. 

Schedule and Ranking info according to ESPN.com, Scores, and statistics according to sports-reference.com

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-By: Alex Spieldenner