Conference championship game pairings in the Bowl Subdivision are set three months after the season started with Iowa State and Kansas State meeting in Dublin, Ireland, setting the stage for the unveiling of the College Football Playoff bracket.
While the Big Ten championship game will match the top two teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The three matchups with the biggest playoff impact are in the SEC, the ACC and the Sun Belt.
Alabama was able to survive the Iron Bowl against Auburn and will draw a rematch against Georgia. But the Crimson Tide failed to impress down the stretch of the regular season and might need to beat the Bulldogs for the second time to avoid being left out of the field.
The nine championship games will be played on Friday and Saturday. The playoff rankings and bracket will be released early on Sunday afternoon.
These games will close the door on a crazy regular season and get us set for the postseason:
All times Eastern.
SEC: Alabama (10-2) vs. Georgia (11-1)
Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m., ABC, Atlanta
Alabama won the first meeting 24-21 back in September, the first of four wins in a row against ranked SEC opponents. But the Tide scuffled through November while Georgia answered the bell with wins against Texas and Georgia Tech. Alabama would likely fall out of the at-large mix with a lopsided loss.
Big Ten: Ohio State (12-0) vs. Indiana (12-0)
Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m., Fox, Indianapolis
The winner is the playoff’s top seed and the loser should still finish in the top four, especially if the game is competitive. (And especially if the loser is Ohio State.) Think of this matchup as a barometer for both teams heading into the postseason.
Big 12: Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Brigham Young (11-1)
Time/TV: Saturday, noon., ABC, Arlington, Texas
Texas Tech won 29-7 when the two teams met in early November. BYU might have a case for the playoff with a closer loss, but there might be too much ground for the Cougars to overcome. For the Big 12, the dream scenario is to send two teams to the playoff with a narrow BYU win that leaves the Red Raiders as an at-large pick.
ACC: Virginia (10-2) vs. Duke (7-5)
Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC, Charlotte, N.C.
For the ACC, this matchup is potential nightmare that leaves the chance of sending zero teams to the playoff should Duke take the rematch against the Cavaliers. In that case, Virginia would not be an at-large pick while Duke would come into comparison with James Madison, should the Dukes win the Sun Belt. The Blue Devils would probably win that debate, but that it’s not a sure thing will cause a few sleepless nights in the ACC offices leading into Saturday.
American: North Texas (11-1) at Tulane (10-2)
Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m., ABC
This is for the Group of Five’s playoff berth — there’s no question whatsoever the winner lands in the bracket over JMU. What’s interesting is that both teams will be led by coaches set to leave for the Power Four after the end of the season. Eric Morris has already said he’s leaving UNT for Oklahoma State, while Tulane’s Jon Sumrall will be the next coach at Florida or Auburn.
Conference USA: Kennesaw State (9-3) at Jacksonville State (8-4)
Time/TV: Friday, 7 p.m., CBSSN
In a bit of a shocker, Jacksonville State knocked off Western Kentucky on Saturday to knock the Hilltoppers out of the championship game. Kennesaw State has already made a seven-win jump under first-year coach Jerry Mack and is looking to take Conference USA in just the program’s third year as a member of the FBS.
Mid-American: Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Miami (Ohio) (7-5)
Time/TV: Saturday, noon, ESPN
Western has quietly been the most consistently strong team in the MAC all year and will head into the championship game with just one league loss. The Broncos’ matchup wasn’t settled until Miami beat Ball State 45-24. The RedHawks get the nod over Toledo and Ohio because of a better record against common opponents.
Mountain West: UNLV (10-2) at Boise State (8-4)
Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m., Fox
The MWC had to break a logjam of four teams tied atop the standings at 6-2 in league play by using composite computer rankings. The pileup of New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and defending conference champion Boise State came after the Lobos knocked off the Aztecs on the final weekend. The Rebels and Broncos got the good news Sunday morning and will meet for the conference title for the third consecutive seasons. The teams played earlier this season with Boise State winning at home 56-31.
Sun Belt: Troy (7-5) at James Madison (11-1)
Time/TV: Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN
JMU won’t earn the Group of Five’s one guaranteed bid but could sneak in via an unexpected backdoor provided by Duke. How will the committee compare two teams separated by four wins? There’s no doubt the Blue Devils have better victories, and JMU did lose to Louisville in non-conference play. In addition, Duke’s five losses came to Illinois, Tulane, Georgia Tech, nine-win Connecticut and Virginia.
