As the regular season has wrapped up, there are still some scores to settle. Teams will be trying to secure their playoff spot, or trying to scratch and claw their way in. Seasons can be defined by a win or loss here. It is also time for lower level teams to have their chance at the spotlight by winning a conference championship. In this article, I will be previewing every conference championship game, and trying not to say something too off base about teams I have not covered as much.

Northern Illinois vs Buffalo

With the exception of a random blowout loss to Ohio, Buffalo has run through the MAC. Buffalo has a pretty prolific offense that averages 35.3 points per game. That offense is led by 6’7” and 250 pound quarterback Tyree Jackson, who was just named MAC offensive player of the year and is a legitimate pro prospect. Jackson has a cannon for an arm and is able to stretch plays out. Their offense also has a strong rushing attack led by Emmanuel Reed and Jaret Patterson. The leader of their defense is linebacker Khalil Hodge. The key to the game for the Bulls will be for their offensive line to contain Northern Illinois’s star defensive end, Sutton Smith. Establishing the run game with Reed and Patterson will also be a step in the right direction.

Northern Illinois is 7-5 this season. While that record may not look like the best, three of their losses are to Iowa, Utah, and Florida State. Those losses are by 18 points per game. Northern Illinois also has a win over BYU. Unfortunately Northern Illinois comes into this game on a two game skid. The star player on Northern Illinois is defensive end Sutton Smith. Smith has 13 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles so far this season. Quarterback Marcus Childers is a dual threat that tends to try and run before throwing. Tre Harbison is the lead back, and the main source of yardage for the offense. To win this game, Northern Illinois will need to send Smith at Tyree Jackson, and force him into quick throws.

Prediction:

Northern Illinois sends pressure and gets Buffalo out of rhythm. Northern Illinois wins 28-24.

Utah vs Washington

Analysis:

Utah has survived their typical nightmare that is November, except for one game, their Pac 12 Championship against Washington. Utah has been built on their defense, and running the ball. Things looked bleak for Utah when their starting running back and quarterback were injured. Backup quarterback Jason Shelley has completed 48/82 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Those numbers are not amazing, but he is getting the job done, and can make plays on the ground. Armand Shyne has taken over at running back for the injured Zack Moss and did great in his first start before returning back to earth. In this game, their offense will need to find some way to move the ball against an elite Washington defense. In their first matchup with Washington, a more healthy Utah was held to just 3.8 yards per play and seven total points on offense.

Washington was last seen playing their best game of the season in an upset win over Washington State in the snow in Pullman. The heavy snow made running the ball as the best plan, and Washington did that quite effectively. Myles Gaskin had 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Salvon Ahmed backed him up with 87 rushing yards on just nine carries. Jake Browning did not throw a touchdown, he did throw for 207 yards on just 14 pass attempts. Tight end Hunter Bryant led receivers with 108 receiving yards. Washington was able to slow down Washington State’s passing game, and held them to just four yards per attempt. To win this game, Washington needs to try and ground and pound Utah with Gaskin and Ahmed, and play as well on defense as they did in their first matchup with Utah.

A Rose Bowl berth is on the line in this game. These teams played earlier in the season with Washington winning 21-7 at Utah.

Prediction:

Utah wins a pretty ugly game 24-21 as Washington comes in still riding the high of their Apple Cup victory.

Texas vs Oklahoma

Oklahoma secured their spot in this game with a 59-56 win at West Virginia last week. Kyler Murray had an amazing day all around with 478 total yards and four total touchdowns. Murray connected quite a bit with Hollywood Brown who had 243 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Kennedy Brooks led the run game with 182 yards. While the defense may have given up a lot of points, they still did contribute with two defensive touchdowns. Linebackers Caleb Kelly and Curtis Bolton both had scoop and scores on a fumble recovery. Kelly had a pretty good all around day with 14 total tackles. What was concerning for Oklahoma was that they allowed Will Grier to throw for 539 yards. In this game, Oklahoma will need to find ways to slow down Texas’s offense as they struggled heavily with slowing down Texas receivers Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey in their previous matchup. They also need to prevent Sam Ehlinger from getting too comfortable, and take away his ability to run or throw as he beat Oklahoma with both this season. Offensively Oklahoma must not be careless as Murray threw an interception and had a fumble against West Virginia that were made up for by two defensive touchdowns.

Texas punched their ticket to this game by winning at Kansas in a game they nearly choked away. Texas led 21-0 before the start of the fourth quarter before allowing Kansas to cut it to 24-17 with a minute left. While I thought Texas would win the whole time, it was hard not to get a bit nervous. Sam Ehlinger was a bit more careless with the ball than he was before, as he threw two interceptions. Tom Herman also said that Ehlinger’s shoulder has not fully healed. While he was sloppy, Ehlinger accounted for all three Texas touchdowns as he threw for two and ran in another. Texas played stout defense until the fourth quarter, before allowing 17 points. Texas can not afford to have a late game meltdown like they have recently, and did last time against Oklahoma. While that did result in a win for Texas last time, it is unlikely it will again. Texas also needs to find a way to contain Kyler Murray. Defensive backs Caden Sterns, Kris Boyd, PJ Locke, and BJ Foster will need to do well in coverage. Defensive linemen Charles Omenihu, Breckyn Hager, and Malcolm Roach need to get a pass rush. On offense, Ehlinger has to return to form and be the multifaceted talent he has been.

These two teams have met, and it was a pretty even matchup. While Texas won, these two teams are different from last time. There also have been reports and video surfacing of a verbal confrontation between Sam Ehlinger and Kyler Murray after their first matchup where things got a bit tense (I will try to keep my homer opinions out of this, but Murray definitely cane off looking worse). This all means this game might get a bit chippy which makes for some entertaining football. If Oklahoma wins, they have a really good chance to make the playoff. If Texas wins, they can be the ultimate spoiler for Oklahoma, they will punch their ticket to a NY6 Bowl, and Breckyn Hager can finally cut his hair since he said he only would when Texas won the Big 12 Championship.

Prediction:

Texas wins 41-38. I know this sounds like a homer pick, but I think Texas comes out swinging, and Tom Herman has a very good track record being the underdog. Also Oklahoma’s defense is the worst single unit on the field, and I trust Texas’s defense to stop Oklahoma at least a little bit.

Louisiana at Appalachian State

Analysis:

Appalachian State is 9-2 on the season, including an overtime loss to Penn State in their season opener. Appalachian State has won their conference games by an average of 18.4 points as they have a 7-1 conference record (their one loss was to rival Georgia Southern). The Mountaineers sport the best offense in the Sun Belt, averaging 37 points per game. While their offense is primarily based on the run game, quarterback Zac Thomas can step up when needed. Running back Darrynton Evans is the main playmaker on offense. While their offense is very solid, their defense is currently the fourth best in the country in yards given up per game, and the fifth best in points given up per game. The key to this game for Appalachian State will be to get Evans and the ground game going early, and make plays on defense. Running teams have been the kryptonite for Louisiana’s defense, and they need to find a way to stop them soon if they want to win on Saturday.

Louisiana’s 7-5 record may not look too great, but two of their losses are to SEC opponents Alabama (I am not sure if you have heard yet, but Alabama is actually pretty good this season) and Mississippi State. Louisiana puts up 33.7 points per game, and specializes in running the ball. Trey Ragas leads the team with 1,040 rushing yards on the season, and Elijah Mitchell leads the team in rushing touchdowns with 12. Louisiana will need to get quarterback Andre Nunez going in this game, as his inability to throw the ball downfield was a big hindrance for Louisiana’s offense when these two teams played earlier this season, as Appalachian State won 27-17. They will also need to prevent Darrynton Evans from dominating on the ground like last time.

Prediction:

Appalachian State runs through the Ragin’ Cajuns (awesome mascot) 27-14.

UAB at Middle Tennessee

Analysis:

After a 9-1 start, UAB has fallen off a bit. In their last two outings, UAB lost to Texas A&M 41-20 then lost 27-3 to Middle Tennessee. UAB’s offense has definitely lost a step since running back Spencer Brown went out with injury. Brown leads the team with 15 total touchdowns. Quarterback AJ Erdely might not be super accurate or efficient throwing the ball, but he can make plays on the ground. While UAB has some offensive struggles, their defense is one of the best in the country, allowing just 16.7 points per game, and 11 in conference play. One key to the game UAB is that backup running back Jarrion Street will need to be a playmaker on the ground. Erdely also will need to make things happen through the air. Their offense needs to be much better than they were in their last meeting on Saturday.

Middle Tennessee is 8-4 on the season, with three of their losses to SEC teams. Middle Tennessee has a pretty strong offense led by quarterback Brent Stockstill (son of head coach Rick Stockstill). On the season, Stockstill has completed 71.2% of his passes for 2852 yards and 26 touchdowns. The run game is fairly spread out, with Chaton Mobley as the lead back. The lead receiver is Ty Lee, with 806 receiving yards on the season. To win this game, the Blue Raiders need to poke holes in UAB’s defense, like they did in their matchup last week.

Prediction:

Middle Tennessee wins an ugly game 20-17.

Memphis at UCF

Analysis:

Memphis secured the AAC West Division last week with a win over Houston. Memphis is 8-4 on the season, and boasts one of the best rushing attacks in the country averaging 276 rushing yards per game as a team. That rushing attack is led by Darrell Henderson. With 1699 rushing yards, Henderson is the country’s second leading rusher, along with having 22 total touchdowns to add to his name. Patrick Taylor Jr. has been another great rotation back with 894 rushing yards this season. Quarterback Brady White has stepped up and done well for a first time starter, throwing for 2947 yards and a 29/7 touchdown/interception ratio. White has often connected with Damonte Coxie who has 1062 receiving yards. Memphis is lacking a bit on defense, but they are decent in stopping the run. To win this game, Memphis must slow down UCF’s rushing attack. Memphis’s offense matches up well with UCF, as UCF has a pretty bad run defense.

UCF won the War on I-4 last week over South Florida 38-10 to extend their winning streak to 24 games. While that was a great win for the Golden Knights, the game was overrun with bad news as star quarterback McKenzie Milton left the game with a brutal knee injury. Milton was the leader of this team, and could always be relied upon to make things happen on offense, so his loss will be devastating. Backup quarterback Darriel Mack has played in spots this season, and has not been very efficient throwing the ball downfield. Mack can run the ball pretty well as can running back Greg McCrae who has 895 rushing yards on the season. UCF’s offensive prowess is unfortunately countered by a defense that leaves some to be desired. They allow just 19.5 points per game, but they are 109th out of 130 teams in rushing yards allowed per game. UCF will need to keep things going on offense without Milton. They also need to keep Darrell Henderson from dominating the game.

These two teams have met this season, and UCF won 31-30 in a tight game where they had to erase a 30-14 deficit. Memphis also took UCF to overtime in the AAC Championship game last season so Memphis can play UCF close.

Prediction:

UCF’s offense stalls without Milton, and Henderson runs wild for Memphis as UCF’s win streak gets snapped. Memphis wins 35-34.

Alabama vs Georgia

Analysis:

Alabama kept their undefeated season alive last week with a 52-21 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. After only winning by a score of 17-14 at halftime, Alabama’s offense reached full form, and could not be stopped in the second half. Tua Tagovailoa was his usual self, throwing for 324 yards and five touchdowns. Tua accounted for every Alabama touchdown while he was on the field as he added another on the ground. The ball was spread around pretty well, with five different players getting at least 50 receiving yards. Alabama also did well defensively by tearing through a weak Auburn offensive line. Alabama held Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham to just 4.2 yards per attempt. Alabama’s defense has been a bit overlooked this season but it is still ripe with talent like every Alabama defense has been under Nick Saban. Alabama’s key to the game on offense is to give Tua time to throw and go through his progressions. On defense, Alabama needs to break through Georgia’s offensive line, and get a pass rush on Jake Fromm. Quinnen Williams and Raekwon Davis have wreaked havoc on many opponents, and it will be huge if they can do that here. An underrated aspect of this game is kicking. Alabama still has struggles with kicking field goals while Georgia has arguably the best kicker in the country. Alabama kicker Josep Bulovas might have to be called on in a high pressure situation and he needs to be ready.

Georgia moves up to 11-1 on the season after their 45-21 beatdown of Georgia Tech. Georgia was up 45-7 at the start of the fourth quarter before giving up two touchdowns in garbage time. Georgia was so dominant in this game because they were able to contain Georgia Tech’s triple option offense, (which I want them to stick with even if Paul Johnson is retiring) allowing the Yellow Jackets to just 2.8 yards per carry. This was evidenced even more by the fact that Georgia had nine tackles for loss in this game. Jake Fromm was efficient at quarterback, completing 13/16 passes and throwing for four touchdowns. D’Andre Swift led all rushers with 105 yards. To pull off the win, Georgia needs to contain Alabama’s star studded defensive line. Georgia’s defense needs to find a way to make things difficult for Tua. Jonathan Ledbetter and the defensive line have their work cut out for them, as do DeAndre Baker and the secondary. The good need is that Georgia has done well this season preventing big plays through the air. While I think Jake Fromm is a very good quarterback, I also think Georgia should use Justin Fields some as a way to throw off Alabama as he bring something new to the table. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship also needs to be ready to be called upon for a big kick, as this game may come down to that.

This is the best team Alabama has played all season, and Georgia will be looking for revenge after the National Title game last season. The last two big games between these teams, last year’s National Title game and the 2012 SEC Championship game, were tightly contested battles where Georgia had Alabama in the ropes but just could not finish the job.

Prediction:

This game is a battle where Alabama squeezes out a 34-31 win. I do really think Georgia has a shot though and would not be too surprised by them winning.

Fresno State at Boise State

Analysis:

Fresno State sits at 10-2, winning behind one of the best defenses in the country giving up just 13.5 points per game. The Bulldogs allowed just 60 rushing yards in their last game against San Jose State. Defensive lineman Mykal Walker, defensive back Juju Hughes, and linebacker Jeffrey Allison are the stars of this strong defense. Quarterback Marcus McMaryion is a threat both passing and running the ball. McMaryion has completed 70.5% of his passes and has a 24/3 touchdown to interception ratio. KeeSean Johnson is a star in the receiving game with 1267 yards this season. Fresno State needs to get something going on the ground, as they were unable to do that in their last matchup with Boise State three weeks ago.

Boise State is 10-2 this season and clinched the Mountain West Mountain Division with a win over Utah State last week. Boise State is a team with a lot of experience led by quarterback Brett Rypien. Rypien leads the best passing offense in the Mountain West. Rypien has completed 68.8% of his passes this season for 3,580 yards and 29 touchdowns. Rypien’s main target is Sean Modster who has 933 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season. The offense also is led by running back Alexander Mattison. On the season, Mattison has 1,215 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Boise State’s defense stepped up last week, holding Utah State to less than half of their average points per game in a 33-24 win. To win this game, Boise State needs an efficient game from Rypien and for Mattison to get things going on the ground like they did in their last meeting with Fresno State

Prediction:

Boise State wins a tight game 20-17.

Clemson vs Pittsburgh

Analysis:

Clemson capped off an undefeated regular season with a 56-35 win over South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl. Trevor Lawrence completed 27/36 passes for 393 yards. Travis Etienne came up big in the run game with 150 rushing yards and a touchdown. Nobody on South Carolina could cover Tee Higgins who had 142 receiving yards. While their offense fired on all cylinders, their defense could not really say the same thing. They allowed 510 passing yards from South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley. They also struggled to cover Deebo Samuel who had 210 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Thankfully for Clemson, Pittsburgh does not pass the ball very much. To ensure victory, Clemson needs to just slow down Pittsburgh’s very strong run game. Clemson matches up well with Pittsburgh as Clemson sports the best defensive line unit in the country. The only way they can lose this game is if they let Pittsburgh run on them.

While Pittsburgh’s 7-5 record does not make them look to tough, it is important to remember three of their losses were to Notre Dame, Penn State, and UCF who are among the most talented teams in the country. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they did not look too great in their last game as they lost 24-3 to Miami. Miami bottled up Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, holding them to just 69 rushing yards on 38 attempts. Without that, Pittsburgh could not do too much on offense. Pittsburgh also could not really stop the run against Miami, as they allowed 293 rushing yards and 10.8 yards per carry to the Hurricanes. To pull off the upset this week, Pittsburgh needs to contain Clemson’s defensive line, and allow their run game to develop with Qadree Ollison, V’Lique Carter, and Darrin Hall. Defensively they need to slow down Travis Etienne and Clemson’s run game.

The last time these teams met was in 2016 and Pittsburgh won at Clemson. Pittsburgh has never been a team to shy away from big games.

Prediction:

Clemson wins 38-10 as Pittsburgh struggles to get anything going on offense.

Northwestern vs Ohio State

Analysis:

Ohio State quieted their critics last week as they won 62-39 against rival Michigan. Dwayne Haskins had a big day, throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns. Haskins’s main target was Parris Campbell, who had 192 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mike Weber led the ground game with 96 rushing yards and 7.4 yards per carry and a touchdown. Ohio State picked apart what was considered to be an elite Michigan defense. No team this season had put up more than 21 points against Michigan this season, and Ohio State had nearly triple that total, as well as putting up 567 total yards, 18% of the total yardage put up against Michigan this season.

Northwestern does not have the strongest resume, but their 8-4 includes two close losses to Notre Dame and Michigan. The Wildcats took advantage of a down year for the Big 10 West. Northwestern’s offense has come on a bit more late this season with the emergence of running back Isaiah Bowser. Bowser had 116 rushing yards for the Wildcats in their last game. Quarterback Clayton Thorson has not quite been the same since tearing his ACL in the Music City Bowl last season, but he can still make big throws, he just has little to no mobility. Where Northwestern succeeds the most is stopping the run, which has kept them in games and was the main cause of victory. Northwestern will need to do this again against Ohio State, as they have an extremely talented offense. They also need to contain Dwayne Haskins and the passing game for Ohio State. Offensively, they need to get Bowser going early and find a consistent source of yardage.

Prediction:

Northwestern tries to make it ugly and win that way, but falls to Ohio State 35-27.

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