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Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
It all comes down to this.
The longest college football regular season wraps up with championship weekend. While the top four in the playoff rankings have been the same the past four weeks, there is the possibility of changes Saturday.
No. 1 Alabama takes on No. 11 Florida in the SEC championship game. Alabama has been dominant all season with each of its 10 wins by at least 15 points. The Gators fell surprisingly to LSU last week, but they only dropped to seventh in the committee rankings, giving them a shot to get into the field with a surprise win.
No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Clemson meet for the ACC title. The Irish got the better of the Tigers last month and could still be in the playoff with a respectable loss. The Tigers must win, though they will have quarterback Trevor Lawrence and some key defensive players available that were sidelined in South Bend.
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No. 4 Ohio State is in position to secure a spot even with just five wins in the regular season. A sixth against No. 14 Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game will do the trick. The Wildcats and their tough defense will provide some resistance.
Waiting in the wings for chaos are No. 8 Iowa State and No. 10 Oklahoma. They’ll meet for the Big 12 title and are hoping a couple losses ahead of them will benefit their case. The Cyclones won their previous meeting in October. The Sooners were short-handed for that game and have won six in a row since the loss.
The final game involving ranked opponents comes in the Sun Belt championship. It’s a rematch between No. 12 Coastal Carolina and No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette that the Chanticleers won by a field goal. Another defeat of the Ragin’ Cajuns could send them to a New Year’s Six bowl.
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