There are simply two complete weeks left in the 2023 college football steady season. That approach it is crunch time for groups which might be nonetheless concerned in their respective conference championship hunts. There are nonetheless a number of hopefuls; as of Friday, 4 out of the 5 power-conference championship games nonetheless have no less than one spot open.
The SEC Championship Game is already set. No. 1 Georgia, representing the SEC East, and No. 8 Alabama out of the SEC West are set to stand off in Atlanta, Georgia, for the 3rd time in the remaining six years. The Crimson Tide gained each and every of the previous two conferences.
Otherwise, the remainder races are moderately open. Florida State is the one different power-conference staff with a transparent postseason outlook after nabbing a place in the ACC Championship Game by way of completing conference play with an 8-0 report. The Seminoles shut the yr with North Alabama and a highway go back and forth to Florida, their in-state rival from the SEC.
The Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 identify games are all totally unsettled. Each race varies in phrases of ferocity and collection of groups nonetheless concerned, with a couple of advanced tiebreakers doubtlessly entering play, so it felt suitable to take a deep dive into each and every outlook because the season winds down.
ACC
This one may well be beautiful simple. No. 4 Florida State has already locked down a place in the ACC identify sport, making its first look since 2014 when the Seminoles downed Georgia Tech to protected a place in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
No. 10 Louisville can clinch a bid with a win towards Miami on Saturday. The Cardinals have not performed for a conference identify since becoming a member of the ACC in 2014. A Louisville loss to Miami assists in keeping the door open for Virginia Tech and No. 20 North Carolina.
Here’s how the ones tiebreakers would play out:
- Virginia Tech: Win out with a Louisville loss to Miami. Virginia Tech would have a greater report towards commonplace fighters than Louisville and North Carolina with wins towards Virginia, NC State and Pitt.
- North Carolina: Win out with a Louisville loss to Miami AND any other Virginia Tech loss. This would create a tiebreaker with Louisville dependent upon “winning percentage versus common opponents based on the order of finish.” Without getting too deep in the weeds, the Tar Heels would want Miami to complete forward of Georgia Tech in the conference standings, for the reason that each groups are commonplace fighters for UNC and Louisville. North Carolina beat Miami and misplaced to Georgia Tech; the Cardinals beat Georgia Tech however lose to Miami in this state of affairs.
Big Ten
Again, let’s get started with the most straightforward state of affairs. Whoever wins in the regular-season finale between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan captures the Big Ten East. It does not essentially topic (for conference standings) what occurs this weekend as each groups hang the head-to-head win over Penn State.
All No. 16 Iowa has to do is win one among its remaining two games to seize the Big Ten West. That’s now not essentially a layup. Illinois, Iowa’s Week 12 opponent, is beginning to hit its stride with a scorching-hot John Paddock at quarterback, and Nebraska has inspired beneath first-year trainer Matt Rhule.
If Iowa loses out, then Northwestern, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota all have a shot on the Big Ten West identify via quite a lot of advanced tiebreaker situations. Purdue is the one staff in the department that mathematically can not win it.
Nebraska is in the most efficient place in the back of the Hawkeyes because it already holds a head-to-head win over Illinois. The Cornhuskers would wish to win out, with Iowa additionally shedding to Illinois and Minnesota shedding no less than another sport.
Without diving too deep into every other hypothetical situations that would play out (we’d be right here all day), listed below are the important thing head-to-head wins for each and every final Big Ten West contender:
- Northwestern: Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Wisconsin: Illinois
- Minnesota: Nebraska, Iowa
- Illinois: Minnesota
Again, none of this issues if Iowa can win a unmarried sport between now and the postseason. With how the West has performed out this yr, although, that isn’t a ensure.
Big 12
Texas’ trail to the Big 12 Championship Game is apparent. All the No. 7 Longhorns wish to do is win out and they are in. When it involves which staff has the most efficient shot at becoming a member of them in Arlington, that is the place issues get slightly extra difficult.
Assuming Texas wins out, there is a probability that No. 21 Kansas State, No. 14 Oklahoma and No. 23 Oklahoma State finally end up in a three-way tie for 2d. The Big 12 released a statement on Wednesday clarifying its complicated tiebreaker regulations, striking the maximum significance on head-to-head wins. With that in thoughts, if Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all win out, Oklahoma State gets a place in the Big 12 Championship Game by way of distinctive feature of being 2-0 towards the Wildcats and Sooners.
Here’s the most straightforward trail for each different staff final in competition:
- Oklahoma: Win out, Kansas State and Oklahoma State each lose as soon as.
- Kansas State: Win out, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma each lose as soon as.
- Iowa State: Win out, Oklahoma loses once or more.
Iowa State is the darkish horse right here. The Cyclones misplaced to Oklahoma in their 2d conference sport, because of this that the Sooners hang the tiebreaker if each groups end 7-2 in the standings. However, Iowa State boasts a win towards Oklahoma State and may reason some critical chaos over the past two weeks. Its final games are towards the highest of the desk (Texas and Kansas State).
Pac-12
No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Oregon, No. 11 Oregon State and No. 17 Arizona are the one groups left in the race for the Pac-12 Championship Game. Of the ones 4, Washington is in the most efficient spot. The undefeated Huskies want only one win in the following two weeks to protected their spot. They’d like to move 2-0 to stay in excellent status for the College Football Playoff.
Oregon, with its lone loss up to now coming towards the Huskies, and Oregon State would each wish to win out to take hold of what’s most likely be the second one spot. For the Beavers, that is more straightforward stated than accomplished. They host Washington this weekend after which trip to Eugene to take at the Ducks in the regular-season finale. That’s about as brutal of a two-week stretch as they arrive.
Then there is Arizona. The Wildcats wish to win out towards Utah and Arizona State however would require numerous lend a hand, too. They want Oregon State to lose to Washington however beat Oregon. Assuming Oregon takes care of industrial towards Arizona State, that suggests each the Wildcats and Ducks could be 7-2 without a head-to-head tiebreaker and equivalent data towards commons fighters (6-2). That would deliver the 3rd tiebreaker, “winning percentage versus common opponents based on the order of finish,” into play. Arizona, with a win towards Oregon State and a loss to USC, would want the Beavers to complete forward of the Trojans in the overall conference standings.