Week 13 of College Football has come to an end. Only the conference championship games remain. What seems to be the most controversial College Football playoff selection
since introduced in 2014, many coaches and fans are on edge, wondering if their teams will play in the 2023 CFB Playoffs.
It is a rigorous job for the College Football Playoff selection committee to select who they think deserves a spot in the Top 4 without coming across as being biased.
All I can say is thank goodness for Championship Week, which will iron out all of the kinks and unwanted creases in the playoff system. Here is a look at the conference championship games in the Power 5 conferences.
Utah and USC will face off in a highly anticipated PAC-12 Championship game in Las Vegas Friday. These two have already met this season (Oct.15), in which Utah escaped giving USC their only loss of the season, 43-42. Quarterback Cam Rising of the Utes scored a rushing touchdown and converted on a two-point conversion in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to come away with a victory.
There is a lot a stake for the Trojans, who want to keep their CFB playoff hopes alive. They hold the key to their destiny with a win on Friday. Not only would the Trojans win the PAC-12 Championship. They would book a ticket to the program's first College Football Playoff berth.
The key for USC is Caleb Williams.
Caleb Williams has been playing lights out for USC. He has set a school record with 44 combined touchdowns in a season. Paul Finebaum, ESPN's College Football Contributor, believes Williams is a sure lock to win the Heisman Trophy. The Trojans will need Williams to do another Notre Dame-type performance like Week 13 to give his team the best chance to win.
The most surprising match-up we didn't expect to see in the Big-12 Championship Game. These two met in October, with TCU winning 38-28. During the game, Kansas State's starting quarterback Adrian Martinez went down in the first possession and did not return. Backup quarterback Will Howard took over, and by half K-State led 28-17.
Howard would get hurt in the third quarter and replaced by a redshirt freshman Jake Rubley. When Howard returned to play in the fourth quarter, it was too late as TCU gained the lead, 38-28, and never looked back.
TCU is the first team in the Big-12 since the 2009 Texas Longhorns to finish the season 12-0. The Horn Frogs have proven they belong to have a spot in the CFB playoffs, but how does the playoff committee feel? In 2014, TCU was (11-1) and ranked #3 in the country. However, they were snubbed by the playoff committee and left out of the CFB playoffs by Ohio State. If the Horn Frogs can win Saturday, there is no doubt they will solidify a spot in the playoffs.
Both teams are coming off disappointing Week 13 losses. North Carolina looked like they would finish the season 11-1 but ran into some potholes (Georgia Tech and NC State) along the way and dropped two consecutive games. Clemson, who was looking for a possible CFB playoff chance, blew it against South Carolina 31-30.
North Carolina is back in the ACC Championship game for the first time since 2015. They have a high-powered offense averaging 37.1 points per game. Their defense gives up 30.3 points per game. Clemson is solid on the defensive side allowing only 20.9 points per game, but they will need a solid performance offensively in order to keep pace against the Tar Heels.
Clemson has won the last four meetings over North Carolina. The last time these two met was in 2019, and the Tigers defeated the Tar Heels 21-20.
#2 Michigan(12-0) vs Purdue(8-4)
What a big accomplishment for the Purdue Boilermakers, who seized the West Division and a title shot in the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in program history.
But let's be clear, Michigan should not lose to Purdue.
Michigan and Purdue last played in 2017, a victory for the Wolverines, 28-10. Michigan has won the last four meetings, last losing to Purdue in 2009, 38-36
Michigan displayed a dominant victory over rival Ohio State in Week 13, 45-23. Running back Blake Corum saw limited action due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 12. Corum may not be needed in Saturday's game against Purdue. It will give him extra time to rest and rehab his knee back to 100% before the CFB playoffs.
The 12-0 Wolverines' have their first undefeated season since 1997.
The Bulldogs are 12-0 for the 2nd consecutive season and are the first team to do so since Clemson in 2018-2019 and the first SEC team since Alabama in 2008-2009. Georgia will also be looking to win their first SEC Championship Game since 2017.
The only problem is Georgia's kryptonite LSU, who stands in their way.
LSU has won the last 4 out of 5 meetings with the Bulldogs dating back to 2009. In their latest match-up, in the 2019 SEC Championship Game, LSU thumped Georgia, 37-10. I'm sure that left a bad taste in the Bulldogs' mouths, who are looking to get their revenge on Dec. 3. Georgia has a balanced attack on both sides of the ball, and their #1 ranked scoring defense is what makes the Bulldogs tough to beat.