Regardless of what happens in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday night in Indianapolis, Penn State has every reason to believe they will be in the College Football Playoff. It is just a matter of what seed and who and where Penn State will be playing which is to be determined following its clash with Oregon in the Big Ten championship game. A victory over Oregon would give Penn State a realistic shot to be the top seed and the top-ranked team in the country.
But conference championship weekend has carried a little higher stakes in some of the other conference championship games so far this weekend. With automatic bids in the playoff reserved for the top five highest-ranked conference champions, the pressure was on in the Big 12 and Mountain West Conference championship games, and the drama surrounding the ACC championship on Saturday evening will be tense. It is a far different story from the Big Ten and SEC title games, where all four participating teams are likely locked into a playoff spot.
Boise State opened up conference championship weekend by winning the Mountain West Conference championship behind a big game from Heisman Trophy candidate running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty’s 209 rushing yards powered Boise State to a 21-7 win at home over UNLV to capture the Mountain West Conference championship, which should lock in one of the top five highest-ranked conference championships. Bosie State came into the conference championship weekend ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings, which has the Broncos in line for a first-round bye.
Arizona State wrapped up a spot in the College Football Playoff as the Big 12 champion following a blowout of Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday afternoon. Cam Skattebo rushed for 170 yards and a couple of touchdowns and Sam Leavitt in the 45-19 victory over the Cyclones. With the win, Arizona State will be one of the five highest-ranked conference champions, staying ahead of the American Athletic Conference champion, Army.
If Penn State loses in the Big Ten championship game, Arizona State could be a potential opponent for the Nittany Lions. And based on the latest playoff projections, a matchup with Boise State could potentially be on deck for the winner of that hypothetical Penn State-Arizona State matchup.
With a spot reserved for the Big Ten, SEC, and ACC champions, the five conference champions are essentially determined. The biggest question now is what happens in the ACC as SMU and Clemson battle for what may be the only spot for the conference. SMU could be at risk of being passed over for the final spot in the playoff by Alabama if the Mustangs lose to Clemson, a program comfortable in the ACC championship landscape.
A lot can still happen in the playoff picture in the coming hours. Let’s see how it all unfolds!
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