(Photo Courtesy: The Washington Post)
Rivalry Week can be defined by one word, pride. No one wants that taken away from them, so what does one do when one feels as if you’re pride is on the line? The answer is you start a massive brawl involving players, coaches, and local police. In case you weren’t aware, multiple games had brawls that have gone viral over social media. That’s what makes college football college football.
If you’re a resident of Ohio, boy do I feel for you (just kidding, I don’t, GO BLUE!!). Nevertheless, the Buckeyes fall to their arch-nemesis Michigan at home for the fourth straight year 13-10. They looked defeated on the field, virtually their entire offense shut down by a Wolverines defense that was missing two of their best players. Now, not only do they find themselves out of the BIG 10 title game, but they could also be fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Penn State is now in the title match after demolishing Maryland 44-7 and will face Oregon for the right of BIG 10 Champion.
The BIG 10 wasn’t the only conference that had some action, the other three power conferences had some wild regular season endings. In the ACC, Miami lost on the road to Syracuse in a shootout 42-38 and cost themselves a spot in the ACC title game. Despite Clemson losing their rivalry against South Carolina 17-14, they still clinched a spot in the ACC title against SMU. In the BIG 12, red-hot Arizona State blazes its way into the BIG 12 title game, defeating Arizona 49-7. They will face Iowa St, who won Farmagedon against Kansas State 29-21.
In the SEC, the Lonestar State finally renewed the rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M, and the Longhorns came out on top 17-7. They will face Georgia, which is coming off a victory over rival Georgia Tech, which took eight overtimes to decide. They have faced each other before, all the way back in week seven, and the Dawgs got the best of the Horns, with a final score of 30-15. Now they meet in Atlanta for what promises to be an electric SEC title match.
Looking at the last unofficial playoff rankings, the committee had made the internet scratch its head. Ohio State fell to sixth, putting them as the eighth seed in the playoff. While I don’t necessarily disagree with the ranking, I would’ve liked to see them fall more, considering they lost at home to an unranked Michigan. I also understand why Miami was placed outside the bracket as the first team out. But does a three-loss Alabama deserve to be ahead of a two-loss Miami? I’m not so sure.
Nevertheless, this projected bracket will create some super exciting matchups. Alabama would go to Notre Dame, which is an ESPN instant classic if I’ve ever heard of one. Indiana would travel to Georgia, Arizona state would go to Penn State, and Tennessee would go to Ohio State. These would be some amazing matchups, and depending on what happens this weekend, these could be the matchups we see in a few weeks.
As we look ahead toward championship weekend, here are my games to watch this week:
Mountain West Championship- 20 UNLV vs 10 Boise St (Friday 8 PM EST FOX)
These two squads have been some of the biggest surprises this season and will be playing for a spot in the playoffs. You should watch this contest for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has one more chance to convince voters that he’s the Heisman. And he’ll be the x-factor in this one. You stop Jeanty, you stop Boise State’s offense. But no team this season has been able to do that. The Rebels of UNLV have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the Mountain West, at 101.1, while Jeanty is averaging 190.7 rushing yards per game. The Broncos should be able to take care of business at home and lock up one of the top four seeds.
BIG 12 Championship- 16 Iowa St vs 15 Arizona St (Saturday NOON EST ABC)
Out of all the championships this weekend, this one is the most evenly matched. Both the Cyclones and Sun Devils can run the rock efficiently, which subsequently opens up a passing attack that limits turnovers and has a defense that can limit points and force mistakes. This will be a true roller coaster of a game. Over the last few weeks, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo has taken over social media with his electric performances, and he is the x-factor in this matchup. Iowa State is ranked top five in the Big 12 in both points allowed (19.2) and yards allowed (330.6) per game. With a spot in the playoffs on the line, I can see the red-hot Sun Devils taking the title in their first year in the BIG 12, but not without a fight from Iowa State.
SEC Championship- 5 Georgia vs 2 Texas (Saturday 4 PM EST ABC)
As I mentioned previously, this is a rematch from earlier in the year, where the Dawgs got the best of the Horns. The Longhorns have begun to use a two-quarterback system, using both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, especially in designed QB runs. In addition, they’re second in the nation in points allowed (11.7) and third in yards allowed (247.5). So why not the Horns? Well, statistically speaking, the Dawgs' only advantage is in the passing game, but that solely relies on Carson Beck’s performance. This contest is the one I’ve had the hardest time deciding a winner on, but if I had to pick one, I can see Texas taking the title in their first year in the SEC.
BIG 10 Championship- 3 Penn St vs 1 Oregon (Saturday 8 PM EST CBS)
The Nittany Lions of Penn State were most likely not expecting to be in the BIG 10 title game this weekend, but here they are, taking on the juggernaut that is the Oregon Ducks. Both these squads are super-efficient with the ball. They both limit mistakes and turnovers and feature a plethora of weapons to spread the wealth. This one will come down to who will simply have the ball last because this one is going to be the closest of all the games this weekend. While Penn State is favored by ESPN analytics, however, I like the Ducks in this one. Dillon Gabriel has put together one of the best QB campaigns in the country, and while Drew Allar has been good this year, Gabriel is simply the better quarterback. In a system where the quarterback has to be an effective game manager, Gabriel takes the edge in that category.
ACC Championship- 17 Clemson vs 8 SMU (Saturday 8 PM EST ABC)
Clemson is coming off a disappointing loss against South Carolina and will face off against a dominant SMU team, who have averaged just over 40 points per game since their week three loss to BYU. Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik has led every single game in passing yards this season, so the Tigers must air it out to have a chance at winning. The Mustangs simply find ways to score and don’t stop until the clock strikes zero. The winner of this one will most likely be the only ACC team to receive a bid in the 12-team playoff. This will be an offensive shootout, and the Mustangs should come out on top.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Thomas Szot tszot@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu
Comentários