The weekend of conference championships and the final dry run before bowl season is officially here. The games don't get started until Friday evening, but we have quite a few days of speculation and preparation until then. Here's how I feel the conference championship games will shake out. This is a look at all 8 official conference title games as well as the Big XII's de-facto title game at Bedlam.
MAC - #17 Western Michigan vs Ohio U - Friday, December 2nd, 7 PM
The Rust Belt's finest have occupied one of the two early slots with a Friday night game. The Ohio University Bobcats have the unenviable duty of trying to take out PJ Fleck's Western Michigan machine that's rolled undefeated through the season to date. I've got Fleck and Corey Davis and the gang Rowing the Boat to a conference title, an undefeated 13-0 season, and a berth in a New Year's Six Bowl. Western Michigan 41, Ohio U 21
Pac-12 - #4 Washington vs #8 Colorado - Friday, December 2nd, 9 PM
One of two conference title games with guaranteed College Football Playoff implications, Washington and Colorado should be a fun one in Santa Clara. Both teams have had upstart seasons and had their first taste of real success as programs in quite a long time. This is more enjoyable than the seemingly endless loop of USC, Stanford, and Oregon every year we had for quite a while, that got monotonous. I think this will be a close game between two comparable teams and not a lot separates them. Washington has the better quarterback play and probably the better defensive front, which I think will be enough to win them the game. If Colorado has any prayer of making the playoff, they'll need to win decisively. Washington just needs to win and they're in. Washington 31, Colorado 27
AAC - #19 Navy vs Temple - Saturday, December 3rd, 12 PM
I think this should end up being a really fun game to start the day with and keep flipping to during commercials while the Big XII is decided at Bedlam. Matt Rhule's Temple program has won six straight and their defense has been stellar. Navy's offense continues to run over every team they've faced and they've been battle-hardened against a pretty good schedule for a G5 team. I think Rhule and his boys get the upset here; they're a lot better than people think on offense and Walker can really throw the football. Combine that with a stingy defense and it'll be enough. Temple 27, Navy 20
C-USA - Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech - Saturday, December 3rd, 12 PM
I don't really know enough about either of these teams beyond what I've read for this prediction. C-USA football just doesn't do it for me. Still, I think that WKU has a coaching advantage with Jeff Brohm at the helm, I think they can score a lot of points, and I think I'll only catch the highlights of this one. Western Kentucky 48, Louisiana Tech 30
Big XII - #9 Oklahoma vs #10 Oklahoma State - Saturday, December 3rd, 12:30 PM
Bedlam with a Big XII belt on the line? Sign me up. Can Big Game Bob outfox Mike "Mullet" Gundy for the umpteenth time in a row or do the Pokes pull this one out? The chaos that would ensue in terms of uproar over the Central Michigan result if they finish as a should-be-a-one-loss-conference-champion would be a sight to see. Still, I don't know if anybody is going to be able to slowdown this Oklahoma offense or Dede Westbrook. OK State has been chirping Westbrook all week and I don't think it's going to end well for them. Joe Mixon is still human scum, but I think Oklahoma gets the W decisively and plays in a NY6 bowl. Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 35.
SEC - #1 Alabama vs #15 Florida - Saturday, December 3rd, 4 PM
I really don't want to waste time on this game. Alabama is going to pound the hell out of Florida for four quarters, the back-ups will see the field in Atlanta, the Gators will weep, the four horsemen will carry Saban to another title appearance. Alabama 31, Florida 9
MWC - Wyoming vs San Diego State - Saturday, December 3rd, 7:45 PM
This game should be a high-scoring affair in Laramie, Wyoming, which is a helluva place to have a conference championship game. Donnel Pumphrey has been excellent for San Diego State and is one of the most productive players in college football history. However, Wyoming's Brian Hill is pretty good himself and Craig Bohl is an excellent coach. Wyoming already beat this team once and although it's hard to do it again, SDSU is trending down. I've got the Pokes winning their first MWC championship and turning Bohl into next year's hot coaching commodity. (Come on down, Texas A&M?) Wyoming 41, San Diego State 37.
ACC - #3 Clemson vs #23 Virginia Tech - Saturday, December 3rd, 8 PM
Props to Justin Fuente for doing everything he's done with this Virginia Tech team and winning an ACC Coastal Division that had a lot of parity from top to bottom. It was an impressive first-year result and he has them trending in the right direction. Still, a smackdown from Clemson seems like the most likely result here in Orlando. I don't know how VT is going to slow down that monstrous Clemson front seven from generating their pass-rush and I don't know how they're going to stop Deshaun Watson. Watson would need to have another bonehead game and throw a bunch of picks, but I think they'll be feeling fine. This will be VT's first test against a top team all season too, so I'll give Clemson the edge. Clemson 34, Virginia Tech 23
B1G - #6 Wisconsin vs #7 Penn State - Saturday, December 3rd, 8 PM
The Mark Dantonio Memorial Chip-On-Your-Shoulder Little Brother Conference Championship will be held in Indianapolis on Saturday night at 8 PM with potentially all of the marbles on the line for Wisconsin or Penn State. The Badgers and Nittany Lions didn't necessarily expect to be in this position under Chryst or Franklin this year, but if the right scenarios fall into their lap, they could find a playoff berth. The committee seems hesitant to give PSU a shot after losing by 39 to Michigan and also to Pitt, but could a win over #6 prove that Ohio State wasn't a fluke and they're actually good? Can Wisconsin win this game without Alex Hornibrook and relying solely on the excellently-named Bart Houston? Penn State's offensive line continues to have some issues and that's really limited Saquon Barkley lately, who's also coming off of an ankle injury. Wisconsin has had one of the four or five best defenses in the country this year and I think they'll be able to contain McSorley and Barkley. This rock-fight of a game is for the opportunity to sneak into the playoff if everything else goes to hell. Wisconsin 16, Penn State 10
MAC - #17 Western Michigan vs Ohio U - Friday, December 2nd, 7 PM
The Rust Belt's finest have occupied one of the two early slots with a Friday night game. The Ohio University Bobcats have the unenviable duty of trying to take out PJ Fleck's Western Michigan machine that's rolled undefeated through the season to date. I've got Fleck and Corey Davis and the gang Rowing the Boat to a conference title, an undefeated 13-0 season, and a berth in a New Year's Six Bowl. Western Michigan 41, Ohio U 21
Pac-12 - #4 Washington vs #8 Colorado - Friday, December 2nd, 9 PM
One of two conference title games with guaranteed College Football Playoff implications, Washington and Colorado should be a fun one in Santa Clara. Both teams have had upstart seasons and had their first taste of real success as programs in quite a long time. This is more enjoyable than the seemingly endless loop of USC, Stanford, and Oregon every year we had for quite a while, that got monotonous. I think this will be a close game between two comparable teams and not a lot separates them. Washington has the better quarterback play and probably the better defensive front, which I think will be enough to win them the game. If Colorado has any prayer of making the playoff, they'll need to win decisively. Washington just needs to win and they're in. Washington 31, Colorado 27
AAC - #19 Navy vs Temple - Saturday, December 3rd, 12 PM
I think this should end up being a really fun game to start the day with and keep flipping to during commercials while the Big XII is decided at Bedlam. Matt Rhule's Temple program has won six straight and their defense has been stellar. Navy's offense continues to run over every team they've faced and they've been battle-hardened against a pretty good schedule for a G5 team. I think Rhule and his boys get the upset here; they're a lot better than people think on offense and Walker can really throw the football. Combine that with a stingy defense and it'll be enough. Temple 27, Navy 20
C-USA - Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech - Saturday, December 3rd, 12 PM
I don't really know enough about either of these teams beyond what I've read for this prediction. C-USA football just doesn't do it for me. Still, I think that WKU has a coaching advantage with Jeff Brohm at the helm, I think they can score a lot of points, and I think I'll only catch the highlights of this one. Western Kentucky 48, Louisiana Tech 30
Big XII - #9 Oklahoma vs #10 Oklahoma State - Saturday, December 3rd, 12:30 PM
Bedlam with a Big XII belt on the line? Sign me up. Can Big Game Bob outfox Mike "Mullet" Gundy for the umpteenth time in a row or do the Pokes pull this one out? The chaos that would ensue in terms of uproar over the Central Michigan result if they finish as a should-be-a-one-loss-conference-champion would be a sight to see. Still, I don't know if anybody is going to be able to slowdown this Oklahoma offense or Dede Westbrook. OK State has been chirping Westbrook all week and I don't think it's going to end well for them. Joe Mixon is still human scum, but I think Oklahoma gets the W decisively and plays in a NY6 bowl. Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 35.
SEC - #1 Alabama vs #15 Florida - Saturday, December 3rd, 4 PM
I really don't want to waste time on this game. Alabama is going to pound the hell out of Florida for four quarters, the back-ups will see the field in Atlanta, the Gators will weep, the four horsemen will carry Saban to another title appearance. Alabama 31, Florida 9
MWC - Wyoming vs San Diego State - Saturday, December 3rd, 7:45 PM
This game should be a high-scoring affair in Laramie, Wyoming, which is a helluva place to have a conference championship game. Donnel Pumphrey has been excellent for San Diego State and is one of the most productive players in college football history. However, Wyoming's Brian Hill is pretty good himself and Craig Bohl is an excellent coach. Wyoming already beat this team once and although it's hard to do it again, SDSU is trending down. I've got the Pokes winning their first MWC championship and turning Bohl into next year's hot coaching commodity. (Come on down, Texas A&M?) Wyoming 41, San Diego State 37.
ACC - #3 Clemson vs #23 Virginia Tech - Saturday, December 3rd, 8 PM
Props to Justin Fuente for doing everything he's done with this Virginia Tech team and winning an ACC Coastal Division that had a lot of parity from top to bottom. It was an impressive first-year result and he has them trending in the right direction. Still, a smackdown from Clemson seems like the most likely result here in Orlando. I don't know how VT is going to slow down that monstrous Clemson front seven from generating their pass-rush and I don't know how they're going to stop Deshaun Watson. Watson would need to have another bonehead game and throw a bunch of picks, but I think they'll be feeling fine. This will be VT's first test against a top team all season too, so I'll give Clemson the edge. Clemson 34, Virginia Tech 23
B1G - #6 Wisconsin vs #7 Penn State - Saturday, December 3rd, 8 PM
The Mark Dantonio Memorial Chip-On-Your-Shoulder Little Brother Conference Championship will be held in Indianapolis on Saturday night at 8 PM with potentially all of the marbles on the line for Wisconsin or Penn State. The Badgers and Nittany Lions didn't necessarily expect to be in this position under Chryst or Franklin this year, but if the right scenarios fall into their lap, they could find a playoff berth. The committee seems hesitant to give PSU a shot after losing by 39 to Michigan and also to Pitt, but could a win over #6 prove that Ohio State wasn't a fluke and they're actually good? Can Wisconsin win this game without Alex Hornibrook and relying solely on the excellently-named Bart Houston? Penn State's offensive line continues to have some issues and that's really limited Saquon Barkley lately, who's also coming off of an ankle injury. Wisconsin has had one of the four or five best defenses in the country this year and I think they'll be able to contain McSorley and Barkley. This rock-fight of a game is for the opportunity to sneak into the playoff if everything else goes to hell. Wisconsin 16, Penn State 10
