2011 Bowl Projections: Predictions for the BCS Conference Championship Games

The Conference Championship game can make a promising season come crashing down with one loss. However, for some teams a conference championship game can turn a season that was headed towards just another bowl game to a BCS bowl game with one win.  

This year, the conference championship games have some of the best matchups ever. With the SEC and Big Ten championship games, you have two very evenly matched teams. While in the Pac-12 and ACC title games, there are opportunities for teams to shock the college football world with a win.  

Here are the title games and who will win in each one. 

ACC Championship Game: No. 5 Virginia Tech Hokies vs. No. 17 Clemson Tigers

This title game is a rematch from their Oct. 1st game. In that game, Clemson did a great job in shutting down the Virginia Tech passing attack. It only allowed the Hokies to throw for 125 yards and picked off Logan Thomas once.  

While the Tigers defense was shutting down the Hokies offense—only allowing three points in the game—the offense was led by a good performance by Tajh Boyd. Boyd threw for 204 yards and had a 32-yard touchdown to put the game away.  

In this ACC title game, the Hokies will take advantage of this slumping Tigers squad. Virginia Tech will not blow Clemson out, but this game will not be close. Virginia Tech will pound this struggling Clemson defense that has given up 37 and 34 points in its last two games.  

Predicted Score: Virginia Tech 31 - Clemson 17

Big Ten Championship Game: No. 14 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers

This is another rematch of a game from earlier this year. However, this game saw both of these teams play in an epic game in East Lansing. If it wasn’t for a successful Hail Mary pass for Michigan State, Wisconsin could have escaped with a victory and its national title hopes still intact.  

However, the past is the past and these two teams will meet in the first ever Big Ten football championship game. It will be another slugfest between these two teams.  

Both Wisconsin’s and Michigan State’s quarterbacks will have their offenses playing at a high level. The Badgers' Russell Wilson will try to get his name back into the running for this year’s Heisman Trophy while the Spartans' Kirk Cousins will try to make it to his first ever Rose Bowl game in his long tenure at Michigan State.  

Wisconsin just has too much firepower and running back Montee Ball is playing too good right now to be stopped. 

Predicted Score: Wisconsin 27 - Michigan State 21

Pac-12 Championship Game: No. 10 Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins

This game will be an absolute blowout. It is a shame that USC had to have the NCAA sanctions against it, or else we would be seeing a rematch between Oregon and USC. That game would have been a back-and-forth classic, much like their game in Oregon two weeks ago. 

Instead, we will see a one-sided affair with Oregon cruising in this game with a spot in the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin. 

Predicted Score: Oregon 52 - UCLA 10

SEC Championship Game: No. 1 LSU Tigers vs. No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs

This will be the game that has the most attached to it. With a win or loss for LSU, it will make the BCS Championship game because of how far ahead it is in the standings. However, a win for Georgia will put an unprecedented three SEC teams in the BCS bowl games.  

At first glance, it looks like this game will be another LSU dominant performance. It has earned that reputation, having dominated every team it has played this year. However, this Georgia team is playing at an insane level, winning its last 10 games. 

If Georgia cannot get overwhelmed by this suffocating LSU defense, it has a chance at pulling a monumental upset. This will be the game of the week, as it will come down to a close LSU victory after a second overtime.  

Predicted Score: LSU 48 - Georgia 45 2OTs 

These conference winners will all go on to represent their conferences with a great performance in a BCS bowl game later on in January.

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