CFB: Championship Week Preview
Two more days. Friday and Saturday. Just about 60 hours from now, we will know the four teams in the college football playoff. We will know the four group of warriors that will face off on New Years Eve. It has been a roller coaster of a season (per usual) but every week has seen something more and more memorable.
From the dropped punt walk off touchdown, to another kick six, to an eight-lateral game winning touchdown return, to a 20 yard lateral that was later ran back for a first down that ended up leading to a two point game winning conversion/ Yeah; you read that right. We have experienced one of the greatest seasons in recent memory, going toe to toe with the 2007 campaign.
Now we are sitting at the end. The rivalries are over. The excitement just getting underway. Championship weekend brings FIVE ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Florida will try to hang with top dog Alabama. Clemson will try to get past the upset-minded Tar Heels. Stanford and USC will battle it out for a second time this year, this time with a slot in the Rose Bowl on the line. In a more quiet game, Temple will travel to Houston to try and snatch the Group of Five bid away from the Cougars.
Which all leads up to the biggest game of the week. Maybe even the year. No. 5 Michigan State and No. 4 Iowa in Indianapolis. The Big Ten division winners are playing in a de-facto playoff quarterfinal. The winner is almost certainly in the four team bracket.
Then there are three other conference championship games that are sneaky good in: Southern Miss vs Western Kentucky, Bowling Green vs Northern Illinois, and San Diego State vs Air Force. I will give you my picks and then a quick playoff prediction, before letting you all enjoy the last full Saturday of madness.
Alabama - 30 Florida - 13
Clemson - 27 North Carolina - 20
Stanford - 43 USC - 35
Houston - 31 Temple - 20
Iowa - 23 Michigan State - 20
Playoff Projection: No. 1 Clemson No. 2 Alabama No. 3 Iowa No. 4 Oklahoma
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