Bleacher Report's Ultimate Guide to College Football Championship Weekend
The pace at which this all moves never truly settles in. The season begins, we don’t know what to do with our hands and then it comes to a crashing halt. But college football is a resilient brute. It will not go quietly into that good night—not without first having its say.
Welcome to championship week, the last thing standing in our path before the bowl season and playoff.
How does it move at such a violent pace? That’s a question running through my mind as I write my final in-season preview of the year. Given the madness we’ve been treated to thus far, it’s no wonder we’ve sailed right through, pinballing back and forth past once-in-a-lifetime plays, waiting for the next thing to enthrall us.
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By the time Saturday night morphs into Sunday morning, we will have the complete picture. The College Football Playoff selection committee will reveal its final work—picking the four most deserving teams in the country. Secondary but still mighty impactful, a resume good enough for the Heisman Trophy will receive its finishing touches.
Do not assume anything will go as planned. Perhaps it will, and a relatively chaos-free picture will unfold, carrying us through to the next phase without much of an upset. But if this season has taught us anything, it’s that things rarely go how they’re supposed to.
As for a peek at the weekend’s biggest games and a note about the unpredictable next act—college football’s coaching silly season—here is a look at championship week in all of its glory.
The Buffet: Previewing the Top 5 Games of Championship Week
5. American Athletic Conference Championship: Temple at Houston (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ABC)
The winner of this game will enjoy treasures beyond a conference championship. The victor is all but guaranteed to represent the Group of Five teams in a New Year’s Six bowl. Although the contest may not produce a playoff spot, the stakes here are spectacularly high.
Whether Tom Herman is still coaching Houston next season is a talking point that will have to be tucked away for now. With each passing day, it’s looking more and more likely.
After the Cougars fell to Connecticut, they responded by absolutely blasting Navy in Week 13, 52-31, shuffling up the league (and bowl bids). Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. looked healthy, throwing for 308 yards, rushing for 83 and accounting for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).
Temple dismantled UConn last week, 27-3, seven days after the upset. And while that might prompt many to spin the whole transitive-win wheel, keep in mind that Ward was not healthy when Houston lost. When he’s healthy, everything changes.
But still, Temple can ball. Having lost only to Notre Dame and USF, a much-improved team, the Owls are more than capable of winning once more.
It’s been a magical year for both teams. It will get a bit more magical for one.
4. Pac-12 Championship: Stanford vs. USC (Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
So here’s where the playoff scenarios perk up, although that depends a great deal on what happens elsewhere, too. For any chaos scenario to be realized, however, Stanford still has to win the Pac-12. And goodness, this is by no means a given.
In the most exciting and downright wild game of the past weekend, Stanford sneaked past Notre Dame 38-36. It looked like the Irish had the game won when DeShone Kizer scored the go-ahead touchdown with only 30 seconds to go.
With all three timeouts remaining—a development that drew criticism at the time—Stanford marched down the field and kicked the game-winning field goal. As a result of his timeout hoarding, David Shaw’s team is alive.
USC can change that entirely. While the Trojans will not crash the playoff with a win, there is life in the program after Clay Helton was named head coach, dropping the interim tag. The offense will do its part, but how does the defense slow down do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey?
If Stanford wins and a projected playoff team loses, the Cardinal will state a fascinating case. But USC, having taken a strange path to a possible Rose Bowl, is suddenly back where it started.
3. SEC Championship: Florida vs. Alabama (Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
So let’s address the obvious and get it out of the way. On paper, this looks like a mismatch of magnificent proportions. It looks like perhaps the most unwatchable championship game of the weekend.
Heck, even the coaches are having a laugh about it—at least one of them is. When asked about Alabama’s magnificent front seven in the SEC Championship Game teleconference, Florida head coach Jim McElwain couldn’t help itself.
"I think it's the front 30,” he joked. “They just keep rolling them through there."
Yes, even after Alabama struggled to dominate Auburn in the Iron Bowl like many anticipated, it’s assumed the Crimson Tide will roll right through the Gators to the playoff. The defensive line, as the opposing coach pointed out, is still absurdly deep and talented.
Oh, and running back Derrick Henry is coming off a 46-carry, 271-yard game. He is a fatigue-less, unstoppable bowling ball.
But Florida’s defense, hampered by injuries and a lack of offensive help, is still a fantastic group. It may not stop Henry entirely—in fact, it won’t—but it is capable of slowing him for a bit. The question is whether the offense can do, well, anything.
Against Florida State, there were some chances. But the inconsistencies on this side of the ball have plagued this team for the past month. In order for Florida to have a chance, quarterback Treon Harris has to play the best game of his career.
Can that happen? Stanford certainly hopes so. So does Ohio State. Alabama, not so much
2. ACC Championship: North Carolina vs. Clemson (Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
For weeks we have wondered what this game might look like—what it would mean—and if the ACC title game would produce its own quarterfinal playoff matchup.
At this point, it’s hard to say if that will be the case. If Clemson wins, there is no doubt. Heck, the Tigers are the No. 1 seed right now, and that likely won’t change.
But what happens if North Carolina pulls the upset, ripping off 12 consecutive victories in the process? That part is a bit more complicated, given the Tar Heels’ No. 10 ranking, although there is a chance.
Since that loss to South Carolina in the opener, seemingly everything has gone North Carolina’s way. Running back Elijah Hood exploded against North Carolina State last Saturday, running for 220 yards and two touchdowns. The defense under first-year coordinator Gene Chizik has gone from an enormous liability to an enormous strength.
But Deshaun Watson will test that development. The Clemson quarterback—in the thick of the Heisman race—added four more touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) to his resume against South Carolina on Saturday.
Still, the Tigers’ 37-32 win over a South Carolina fresh off a loss to The Citadel, has many believing the undefeated season might be on the ropes.
The potential ramifications of this game cannot be overstated. Playoff chaos likely hinges on what happens here. Enjoy.
1. Big Ten Championship: Michigan State vs. Iowa (Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, Fox)
Welcome to a de facto quarterfinal playoff game. The winner of the Big Ten Championship will enjoy one final voyage into the Top Four—style points need not apply. The only thing that matters is the final score.
Iowa has gone from quirky story and fun chaos team to legitimate national-championship threat. Whether you’re mentally prepared to embrace the Hawkeyes or not, they are here. And after beating Nebraska on the road—a game many penciled in as a loss—they are one game away.
Running back Jordan Canzeri broke two long runs and finished with 140 yards and two touchdowns against the Cornhuskers on Saturday. The defense forced four turnovers in the eight-point win, and, because it’s worth repeating, Iowa is now one game away from the playoff.
Standing in the Hawkeyes’ path, however, is a team that looked healthy and destructive last weekend. Spartan quarterback Connor Cook, having suffered a shoulder injury only two weeks earlier, threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns. It looked easy against Penn State.
So much so that center Jack Allen ran for a touchdown—looking rather natural in the process, I might add—in a blowout win. This is art. Time stops when you watch this play, and I encourage you to sit back, relax and do so repeatedly.
What else needs to be said? In early December at Lucas Oil Stadium, two outstanding teams are competing for a spot in the second College Football Playoff. If you can’t make it to Indy—and that’s where I’ll be—be sure to tune in from afar.
Please Don’t Forget About...the MAC Championship Game: Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green (Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Oh, do not go to sleep early on Friday night. In fact, cancel all plans. Avoid human beings and gatherings. Sit at home and watch two wonderful MAC teams do battle once more in 2015.
Yes, #MACtion calls.
Northern Illinois—not Toledo—will take on a potent Bowling Green offense with a conference title on line. Points should flow with relative ease.
And while the Falcons will be the favorite, per Odds Shark, we know better than to simply assume a blowout. The MAC, college football’s version of the movie Crank—a film where a man literally has to keep his heart rate elevated to avoid dying—has one more thing to say.
The 'Oh Yeah, They Still Have to Play That' Game of the Week: Texas at Baylor (Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN)
Although this is widely regarded as “championship weekend,” that term does not hold true for a handful of teams in the Big 12. While Oklahoma is headed to the College Football Playoff and already has its conference-championship swag secured, Baylor and Texas still have work to do.
Should you watch this game? I suppose that depends. If you’re into third-string quarterbacks and power programs in the midst of an identity crisis, this one is for you. Keep in mind that major championship games won’t be played until later in the day.
So, well, why not watch? That’s about as hard as I’m going to sell it.
So Is Derrick Henry a Lock for the Heisman?
Lock is such a strong, overpowering word. No, Alabama's Henry is not a “lock” to win the sport’s most prestigious award, not with other contenders—headlined by Clemson’s Watson and Stanford’s McCaffery—still in action.
But if Alabama beats Florida, as it should, and if Henry plays a significant role in this win, as he should, then there likely won’t be much suspense come the following week. And in reality, with all due respect to the wonderful contenders putting up gaudy statistics, there shouldn’t be.
The numbers (1,797 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns) are outstanding, but the impact he has had on the offense is the tipping point. He is the most important piece on arguably the nation’s best team. And while his style induces infatuation and is unique without any statistics attached, he has the production to match.
Will he win it? Right now, he’s trending well.
Holiday-Movies Power Ranking
Soon you will need to pass time with things other than college football, which is a terrifying thought. As bowl season prepares itself, your television will demand something else.
If you are inclined to turn your attention from football to the holidays, consider this a very helpful power ranking of films you should enjoy.
This seems like an opportune time to tease the No. 1 film with Dan “Cousin Eddie” Mullen. (Warning: Video contains NSFW language.)
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas
9. A Christmas Story
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
6. Bad Santa
5. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Scrooged
3. Die Hard (Yes, it counts.)
2. Home Alone
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Parting Shot: A Note About Human Beings Losing Their Jobs
For fans of slumbering programs, this time of year is exhilarating. It’s a time for change, and given the state of college football—a big business infused with more dollars than ever before—the pressure to hire a coach to turn things around has reached an unprecedented, unrealistic threshold.
And through all the press releases, press conferences, rumors and “sources,” I suppose we’ve all grown numb to a rather depressing process. It’s my job to cover what these changes mean and, more importantly, what the future holds. But there is a human element to these mass firings that rarely receives the amount of consideration it deserves.
Someone is losing a job.
In this sport, it’s more than just one person—it’s a lot of people. Entire staffs will be reshuffled. Administrators will be asked to leave. And then there are the family members—the children with friends at a particular school who are tired of moving but will have to move once more because of their father’s profession.
Sure, there’s a great deal of money in all of this. Some of these coaches will be paid millions to go away. Most of the people impacted by this, however, will not get a small going-away fortune. In fact, the majority of the people—the ones you will never hear about—will be dealing with the repercussions for months to come.
So the next time a coach is fired and we all run to the Internet for a group-think session about the likely candidates, just take a moment—even if it’s only a few seconds—and think about what’s actually taking place here.
The frequency and veracity of it all has made it easy to lose track.
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