So here we are: championship week. Sure, there are some regular-season games happening (mainly in the Sun Belt, independents and a rescheduled Florida State-Louisiana Monroe tilt), but this is all about the nine conference championship games.
There are a couple are de facto playoff games in their own right. The winners of the ACC and SEC title games should get into the College Football Playoff. If Wisconsin and Oklahoma win their league championship games, they will most likely nab the final spots. If one loses, then who gets in? Would Ohio State advance with a win over unbeaten Wisconsin? Could Alabama slide in even though the Tide aren't playing for a conference championship? Could Clemson, Auburn, Georgia or Miami get in even if they lose on Saturday?
It's a lot to take in. Plus, there are championship games elsewhere. Stanford and USC tangle for the Pac-12 crown behind two of the best running backs in the country. Can UCF win the American Athletic Conference championship and finish the year undefeated, or will Memphis rip a probable New Year's Six bowl bid from the Knights' hands? The Mountain West features a championship matchup that just took place last week. Even the Sun Belt, which has no title game this season, has three teams tied for the lead with all three fighting for a championship.
Even that quickly rescheduled Florida State-Louisiana Monroe game has meaning as the Seminoles are trying get their sixth win to reach their record 36th straight bowl game.
It's all fun as we look forward to bowl season. With a limited slate of games and so much on the line, here are the players you need to watch this weekend as champions are being crowned.
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