Friday, December 1, 2017

2017 Championship Week: Final Predictions

We’ve made it to Championship Week! And what a treat we have the next few days!


Highlights include:
• Two de facto quarterfinals (ACC and SEC)
• Two games that could provide clarity or chaos (Big 12 and Big Ten)
• Two games that will round out the New Year’s Six field (PAC-12 and American)

Also, as an under-the-radar note, this is the final weekend of the “traditional” championship determination, as Sun Belt will complete the FBS set and begin their Championship Game next year. If Appalachian State beats Louisiana-Lafayette, we’ll see conference co-champs in FBS for the final time (along with the Arkansas State-Troy winner).

Even with the NY6 off the table, the other three G5 Conference Championships could provide some intrigue. They’re all rematches from earlier this season, and each feature some unlikely teams.

And so, as promised, my predictions:

PAC-12: USC (both teams have shown inconsistency throughout the season, but Stanford’s floor is lower)
Big 12: Oklahoma (Game 1 vs. TCU wasn’t a fluke; Baker Mayfield solidifies his Heisman campaign)
SEC: Georgia (no more pressure to stay undefeated; this time, it’s all about the rivalry and the championship)
ACC: Clemson (like the VT and UNC games, I think there will be a late surge by Miami that comes up a little short)
Big Ten: Wisconsin (this isn’t 2014, and Paul Chryst will not lay down when Ohio State pulls its punches)

Ultimately, with all the talk about chaos and potential firsts, I see a lot of clarity and 0-to-1 loss teams from four different conferences once again.

American: UCF (déjà vu from Game 1, and welcome to the New Year’s Six, Knights!)
MAC: Toledo (after being on both ends of some intriguing upsets the last several years, the Rockets nab a conference title)
C-USA: Florida Atlantic (who would have guessed, after 1-3 and a bad loss to Buffalo that Kiffin would find a way to run through conference play?)
Mountain West: Boise State (though not without a lot of groaning from Fresno State to change the hosting rules for future championship games)
Sun Belt: App State wins. So does Troy. Last time we see FBS conference co-champs.


NEW YEAR’S SIX

Orange: Miami vs Alabama
Peach: Auburn vs UCF
Cotton: Ohio State vs USC
Fiesta: TCU vs Penn State 

As in years past, the committee does little to no dropping of the CCG losers who were already in NY6 range. Thus, TCU and Ohio State stay ahead of Washington and Notre Dame. 

Also, UCF finishes in the Top 10.


PLAYOFF

Sugar: #1 Clemson vs #4 Wisconsin (Clemson wins)
Rose: #2 Oklahoma vs #3 Georgia (Oklahoma wins)

Championship: Clemson repeats and joins Florida State (and others) as a 3-time national champ.

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