The regular college football season has officially concluded, and we now look forward to the extended segment of postseason play. Bowl season will soon commence as well as the Division 1 playoffs, all of which can be set as we closed with this weekend of conference finals.
Going into things, some scenarios would have basically cemented the playoff bracket for the championship. Instead, almost every conceivable result to throw the pairings into a Cuisinart took place, meaning today’s announcement of the final 12 teams to play for the title was as hazy as possible. So, let’s build up the drama and look first at the results, followed by the AP Top-25, and then peer over the decisions made by the playoff committee for the champion bracket seedings.
BIG 10 CHAMPIONSHIP
Indiana 13 – Ohio State 10
There were all kinds of questions about how the Hoosiers would truly stack up against the #1-ranked team, and the Buckeyes had some mystery with few real powerhouse matchups this year. In the end, they played so close that many of those questions linger. Across the box score, the stats were equal, and the difference came down to a missed field goal late in the game. The only resolution is that Indiana is the real deal.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
Georgia 28 – Alabama 7
This was a smothering performance from Georgia, as the score does not indicate the level of clampdown the Bulldogs delivered. Georgia did not have to play from behind as they hit the end zone once in each quarter. The Dogs held a possession advantage of over 13 minutes, and Alabama had no ground game at all. They collectively ran for a net of -3 yards, with Daniel Hill leading all rushers with just 11 yards gained. Alabama getting dominated so handily raised questions about the Crimson Tide making the cut for the playoffs.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
Texas Tech 34 – BYU 7
The Red Raiders have been quietly impressive all season, and they tied the NCAA mark for most games won by 20 points. The power on both sides of the game was on display as the Cougars scored on their opening drive, and then disappeared for the rest of the game. As Tech took control, the second half saw four turnovers. Getting handled like that has BYU moving from the bubble of the postseason, as Tech rightfully earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
Duke 27 – Virginia 20
As things had already progressed to make the playoff seeding a quandary, the Blue Devils had to make things worse with an upset. Leading for much of the game, Duke saw a late drive by Virginia ending with a tying touchdown. After a score in overtime, the Blue Devils secured the win with an interception, and their unranked status as conference champs meant that the ACC could have conceivably gone with no team in the playoffs.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Tulane 34 – North Texas 21
This would lead to a probable bracket bid for the winner, so the competition was real. Drew Mestemaker had another impressive stat sheet, throwing for the Mean Green, but one detail made all the difference – three interceptions and two additional fumbles recovered by the Green Wave tilted the result. So the North Texas dream becomes dashed.
SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP
James Madison 31 – Troy 14
Just after becoming ranked for the first time last week, the Dukes looked poised for a bracket seeding as the Group of Five selection, as they literally ran over the Trojans. JM’s QB Alonza Barnett did not even throw for 100 yards, and nearly matched it on the ground with 85 yards and a score. Meanwhile, his running back Wayne Knight was everywhere, grinding out a 212-yard game.
Further muddying things for the playoff committee was the final regular-season poll, as there was intrigue in the way the schools were organized after the conference trophies were handed out.
THE AP TOP-25 RANKINGS
1. Indiana
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Texas Tech
5. Oregon
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma
9. Notre Dame
10. Miami
11. Alabama
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. Texas
15. Utah
16. USC
17. Tulane
18. Michigan
19. James Madison
20. Virginia
21. Arizona
22. Navy
23. North Texas
24. Georgia Tech
25. Missouri
THE PLAYOFF BRACKET RANKINGS
(Schools getting the first round bye)
#1 Indiana
#2 Ohio State
#3 Georgia
#4 Texas Tech
First Round Matchups, with the higher-seeded team hosting a home game.
#12 James Madison vs. #5 Oregon – Dec. 20, 7:30pm, TNT/HBO Max (Winner plays Texas Tech)
#11 Tulane vs. #6 Ole Miss – Dec. 20, 3:30pm, TNT/HBO Max (Winner plays Georgia)
#10 Miami #7 Texas A&M – Dec. 20, 12:00pm, ESPN/ABC (Winner plays Ohio State)
#9 Alabama vs. #8 Oklahoma – Dec. 19, 8:00pm, ESPN/ABC (Winner plays Indiana)
Just outside: Notre Dame, Texas, Vanderbilt
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