CFB 2024 Conference Championships: A thread never serious about getting it into the end zone

[Awesome Fossum]

All times ET. Rankings are CFP / FCS seeds. All FBS and FCS games are listed:

Friday, December 6
7:00 PM CUSA Championship: WKU at Jacksonville State (-3.5) , CBSSN
8:00 PM MWC Championship: #20 UNLV at #10 Boise State (-4), FOX
8:00 PM AAC Championship: Tulane (-5) at #24 Army, ABC

Saturday, December 7
12:00 PM Big 12 Championship #16 Iowa State vs #15 Arizona State (-2) in Arlington, ABC
12:00 PM MAC Championship: Ohio vs Miami OH (-2.5) in Detroit, ESPN

2:00 PM SWAC Championship: Southern at Jackson State, ESPN2
2:00 PM FCS Second Round: 14 Montana at 3 South Dakota State, ESPN+
2:00 PM FCS Second Round: 11 Villanova at 6 UIW, ESPN+
2:00 PM FCS Second Round: 10 Rhode Island at 7 Mercer, ESPN+
3:00 PM FCS Second Round: UT Martin at 1 Montana State, ESPN+
3:00 PM FCS Second Round: 15 Abilene Christian at 2 North Dakota State, ESPN+
3:00 PM FCS Second Round: 13 Tarleton State at 4 South Dakota, ESPN+

4:00 PM SEC Championship: #5 Georgia vs #2 Texas (-2.5) in Atlanta, ABC
4:00 PM FCS Second Round: 12 Illinois State at 5 UC Davis, ESPN+

7:30 PM Sun Belt Championship: Marshall at Louisiana (-5.5) , ESPN
8:00 PM Big 10 Championship: #3 Penn State vs #1 Oregon (-3.5) in Indianapolis, CBS
8:00 PM ACC Championship: #17 Clemson vs #8 SMU (-2.5) in Charlotte, ABC
9:00 PM FCS Second Round: Lehigh at 8 Idaho, ESPN+

 

[canderson]

I won’t be able to watch any games this weekend. Grrr

 

[gmogmo]

Big questions this weekend:

1) If SMU loses, do they get in over Bama
2) Where do seedings shake out depending on results of Big 10 and SEC championship games? Oregon and Texas win - does PSU drop behind ND, does UGA drop below Ohio State? PSU and Texas win - Who's #1 seed and who's #2 along with does UGA drop? (Oregon would be 5 seed) Georgia beats Texas, is Texas 5 or is ND 5?

 

[Vegas Sox Fan]

Would a UNLV win over Boise potentially jump them over the BIG12 winner for the final bye spot?

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Would a UNLV win over Boise potentially jump them over the BIG12 winner for the final bye spot?

No chance, imo.

 

[Skyhawk96]

No chance, imo.

I agree. I don't think there is enough space between Boise State and ISU/ASU to justify that leap. The other thought I have is would a UNLV win automatically push out Boise State? I assume 'yes' but if it is a close game, and Clemson dominates SMU could you make a case for Boise St to be in over SMU?

 

[canderson]

If Clemson beats SMU, they likely get a bye, knock out SCar (who they just lost to) and let Alabama jump SMU/SCar.

So dumb.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

The other thought I have is would a UNLV win automatically push out Boise State? I assume 'yes' but if it is a close game, and Clemson dominates SMU could you make a case for Boise St to be in over SMU?

You could, but the bigger issue is Alabama. No chance Boise gets in with a loss, imo. And I'm not sure about SMU either, especially if the loss is ugly.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

If Clemson beats SMU, they likely get a bye, knock out SCar (who they just lost to) and let Alabama jump SMU/SCar.

So dumb.

I can't see Clemson jumping Boise State. If UNLV wins, they'd definitely get a bye.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I really don't know how the committee can select these teams fairly as there are so many flawed teams on or near the bubble. Look at Indiana, for example, who's at 9 and will certainly get a spot. They have a great record (11-1), but every team they beat finished with at least 5 losses. They get rewarded because they have a good record, but are they actually better than Ole Miss, S. Carolina, Miami, or several other teams that may have to sit out?

 

[Awesome Fossum]

It's football. Is Miami actually better than Syracuse?

Edit: I guess I don't get why Indiana beating 5-loss teams is dismissed when all these other supposedly better teams -- Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami -- lost to 5-loss teams. (South Carolina lost to 8-4 LSU, 9-3 Ole Miss, 9-3 Alabama.)

 

[Ferm Sheller]

It's football. Is Miami actually better than Syracuse?

Edit: I guess I don't get why Indiana beating 5-loss teams is dismissed when all these other supposedly better teams -- Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami -- lost to 5-loss teams. (South Carolina lost to 8-4 LSU, 9-3 Ole Miss, 9-3 Alabama.)

I'm not dismissing Indiana, they probably deserve to be where they're at. My point is that there are a lot of flawed teams and so I think they're going to be particularly hard to sort this year. While I can't say, for example, Indiana, doesn't deserve to be in, I also can see the argument for keeping them out (which I know won't happen -- they're locked in).

 

[BaseballJones]

When there were only four teams in the playoff, people said it's unfair to teams 5-6, etc., so we need to expand the playoffs to make it fair. They must have forgotten that no matter where you make the cutoff, the teams just outside that cutoff will have a good argument for why they should be in.

If we're arguing about teams 11 and 12, oh well. You probably don't even "deserve" to be in anyway in a reasonable playoff system in the first place. A team that has 3-4 losses simply cannot complain about not getting into the playoffs.

 

[scott bankheadcase]

When there were only four teams in the playoff, people said it's unfair to teams 5-6, etc., so we need to expand the playoffs to make it fair. They must have forgotten that no matter where you make the cutoff, the teams just outside that cutoff will have a good argument for why they should be in.

If we're arguing about teams 11 and 12, oh well. You probably don't even "deserve" to be in anyway in a reasonable playoff system in the first place. A team that has 3-4 losses simply cannot complain about not getting into the playoffs.

I think if it wasn’t Alabama and their 3 losses (including getting trounced 2 weeks ago), there would be less complaining.

Alabama and the “sec” tautology of being ranked because they’re SEC and then giving the benefit of the doubt because they beat “ranked” teams is what is the issue.

Take Alabama out and put Miami or whoever in and there’s less complaints.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

When there were only four teams in the playoff, people said it's unfair to teams 5-6, etc., so we need to expand the playoffs to make it fair. They must have forgotten that no matter where you make the cutoff, the teams just outside that cutoff will have a good argument for why they should be in.

If we're arguing about teams 11 and 12, oh well. You probably don't even "deserve" to be in anyway in a reasonable playoff system in the first place. A team that has 3-4 losses simply cannot complain about not getting into the playoffs.

Yes, this is true. If there were 50 teams, there'd still be teams that missed out that would have a legitimate claim to being in the top 50.

Maybe what we're seeing is that shifting to 12 teams has resulted in more bubble teams than when only the top 4 made it.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I think if it wasn’t Alabama and their 3 losses (including getting trounced 2 weeks ago), they’re would be less complaining.

Alabama and the “sec” tautology of being ranked because they’re SEC and then giving the benefit of the doubt because they beat “ranked” teams is what is the issue.

Take Alabama out and put Miami or whoever in and there’s less complaints.

I like Alabama but I don't think that they're one of the top 12 teams. I saw yesterday that more money had been bet on Bama making it than all of the other teams combined. (I assume that they mean bubble teams, and not the likes of Oregon and Ohio State or the "definitely in" teams.)

 

[Vegas Sox Fan]

Should UNLV beat Boise I would love to attend maybe UNLV's one and only chance at an appearance in these playoffs but man do those potential matchup homesites look like a who's who of places I don't want to visit in the winter. Especially for what will most likely be a trouncing.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Should UNLV beat Boise I would love to attend maybe UNLV's one and only chance at an appearance in these playoffs but man do those potential matchup homesites look like a who's who of places I don't want to visit in the winter. Especially for what will most likely be a trouncing.

Root for Georgia in the SECC and come to Austin?

 

[Vegas Sox Fan]

Root for Georgia in the SECC and come to Austin?

I don't hate that.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Bowl assignments are starting to come out:

Veterans: South Alabama-Western Michigan
Hawaii Bowl: San Jose State-South Florida
Frisco: Memphis-West Virginia (cool matchup)

https://fbschedules.com/south-alabama-western-michigan-to-play-in-is4s-salute-to-veterans-bowl/
https://fbschedules.com/san-jose-state-south-florida-to-play-in-2024-hawaii-bowl/
https://fbschedules.com/memphis-west-virginia-to-play-in-2024-scooters-coffee-frisco-bowl/

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

We are going to fuck Georgia up bad.

 

[canderson]

We are going to fuck Georgia up bad.

Your words to god or whoever’s ears.

Texas locked up the #1 recruiting class today too .

 

[j-man]

Big questions this weekend:

1) If SMU loses, do they get in over Bama
2) Where do seedings shake out depending on results of Big 10 and SEC championship games? Oregon and Texas win - does PSU drop behind ND, does UGA drop below Ohio State? PSU and Texas win - Who's #1 seed and who's #2 along with does UGA drop? (Oregon would be 5 seed) Georgia beats Texas, is Texas 5 or is ND 5?

1 no bama is in no matther what
2 army couild be in if they beat tuelane navy and boise loses to unlv

1 ore - unlees they lose then SEC champ
2 sec champ if ore wins penn st wouild be 2
3 ACC champ if clem wins boise wouild be 3
4 boise or clem IF army leaps boise then b12 winner wouild get 4

here is my geiss
1 ORE
2 UGA
3 SMU
4 BOISE
12 Zona st Iowa st vs Tex/nd/uga
11 bama vs 6 penn st
10 indy vs 7 tenn
9 ohio st vs 8 nd

 

[j-man]

Should UNLV beat Boise I would love to attend maybe UNLV's one and only chance at an appearance in these playoffs but man do those potential matchup homesites look like a who's who of places I don't want to visit in the winter. Especially for what will most likely be a trouncing.

idk IF army beat tulane Army couild get that group of 5 spot over UNLY that navy game will not matther
but for UNLY to be 100 in u need tulane to beat army plus beat boise

 

[j-man]

SEC and big ten will always get 4 teams in
i wouild had pick S car as the 4th SEC Team in

 

[j-man]

the best way to do it is get rid of bowl games
and have a 20 team playoff with
10 Conf champs
ND is ranked in top 20
10 at large spots

like this

20 Seed Jax St - W KY @ BYU CLEM wouild take byu spot
19 SEED M OH -OHIO @ S CAR
18 SEED LOUISIANA- Marshall @ ZONA ST IOWA ST
17 seed Army -tulane Play aga UNLY -BOISE
16 seed UNLY-BOISE
15 Seed zona st - iowa st
TOP 12 get byes
14 S Car
13 BYU
12 M FL @ INDY
11 bama @ ND
10 OLE MISS @ TENN
9 SMU @ OHIO ST
8 ohio st
7 tenn
6 nd
5 INDY
4 PENN ST
3 UGA/TEX LOSER
2 TEX UGA WINNER
1 ORE

 

[BaseballJones]

Getting rid of bowl games is a terrible, awful idea. It gives the teams with no chance at winning the championship something to aim for, something to play for. I've seen first hand how excited players get to go to a bowl game, when they have no chance of being in the playoffs. It really is meaningful for so many players at so many schools to make it to a bowl game.

Is it like a participation trophy of sorts? Yeah, I guess. You still have to have a pretty decent season to make it to a bowl, so there has to be SOME level of success. And not that many people in general care about the lesser bowls. But lesser programs and players in those programs sure do. For UConn, for example, they have zero chance of basically ever making the college playoffs (I guess if it expanded enough and they found lightning in a bottle sure I guess there's a chance). So what do they play for? They play to make it to a good bowl game. They went 8-4 this year and have a chance to maybe play in Boca Raton or wherever, and they're pumped about that.

I was talking yesterday with a UConn senior who has legit NFL aspirations and asked him if he was going to play in the bowl game or sit it out as a precaution against injury. He looked at me like I was from Mars and said, "I've played my whole life for something like this. Of course I'm playing."

The bowl game means a hell of a lot to these players.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Big questions this weekend:

1) If SMU loses, do they get in over Bama
2) Where do seedings shake out depending on results of Big 10 and SEC championship games? Oregon and Texas win - does PSU drop behind ND, does UGA drop below Ohio State? PSU and Texas win - Who's #1 seed and who's #2 along with does UGA drop? (Oregon would be 5 seed) Georgia beats Texas, is Texas 5 or is ND 5?

It's very simple, the committee will place as many SEC teams in as possible because their fans travel and bring eyeballs. The same is true for the Big 10 to a lesser degree. I'm not picking on you by any means BTW and could've picked any number of other posts to quote--yours was just the first

Personally, I think the committee will pick their 12 maximizing the most well-supported programs as much as possible, and then from there sketch out their ideal bracket, with notions of fairness only vaguely in the background of the decision-making process.

I used to think people crying out about the sanctity of college footbaw were over the top, but there's a lot of truth to the idea that the more and more the NCAA resembles the NFL, the less special it will become. Everyone raves about the Rose Bowl because the view and setting obviously, but also because it reflects the more stripped down (i.e., not corporate) heart of the college game. It's about marching bands, fight songs, local/regional/national rivalries, and of course these kids who work their asses off for a shot at glory (and the League) [/soapbox].

 

[Awesome Fossum]

2 army couild be in if they beat tuelane navy and boise loses to unlv

I don't see #24 Army beating unranked Tulane at home and leapfrogging a #20 UNLV that just beat #10 Boise State on the road. If the committee wanted to have that option, they could have grouped UNLV and Army closer together.

 

[Ale Xander]

They need a 15 team field
Top 11 sec teams
Then 4 team playoff for #12 just to get in
B1G winner plays the top ranked nonP4
ACC winner plays B12 winner
Winners play each other on 3 days rest
Winner gets 12 seed

 

[BosoxFaninCincy]

Having a wife who is a Gator (she worked in the registrar's office and was assigned football players exclusively), I have married into SEC fandom. I watch 9 hours of SEC football each Saturday (she is starting to re-think being a SEC football widow). I think not having a dominant team in the conference is not the same as mediocrity. The teams 5-9 are better than they have been in years, and the teams 1-4 are slipping back to the pack. Honestly I am surprised when Alabama wins a conference game this year. But the likes of Vandy and the Gamecocks are no longer easy wins on the schedule. It really shines the light on the inequities and complete randomness of the unbalanced schedule. With that, everyone is just throwing darts at a Board. I do like it better than the Big 2 of the Big 10 with IU and PSU along for the ride because the rest of their conference is so bad. Reminds me of the days of Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer in the Big 8 when there was really only one game all season. I like this better...AND Billy the Kid has the 10th best recruiting class in the County. Good times in Gainesville, and I will be watching their Bowl Game

 

[wonderland]

Your words to god or whoever’s ears.

Texas locked up the #1 recruiting class today too .

I’m seeing Georgia and Oregon both ahead of Texas with Alabama and Ohio state interchanging the 3 to 5 spots.

 

[canderson]

I’m seeing Georgia and Oregon both ahead of Texas with Alabama and Ohio state interchanging the 3 to 5 spots.

24/7 and On3 both have them 1

https://247sports.com/season/2025-football/compositeteamrankings/

https://www.on3.com/db/rankings/industry-team/football/2025/

 

[wonderland]

Thanks. I’ve never seen on3 before.

Has there been any research on which site has traditionally been better than the others?

 

[bsj]

Big questions this weekend:

1) If SMU loses, do they get in over Bama
2) Where do seedings shake out depending on results of Big 10 and SEC championship games? Oregon and Texas win - does PSU drop behind ND, does UGA drop below Ohio State? PSU and Texas win - Who's #1 seed and who's #2 along with does UGA drop? (Oregon would be 5 seed) Georgia beats Texas, is Texas 5 or is ND 5?

Hoping for a Clemson win that looks like 34-31 in double OT.

 

[bsj]

They need a 15 team field
Top 11 sec teams
Then 4 team playoff for #12 just to get in
B1G winner plays the top ranked nonP4
ACC winner plays B12 winner
Winners play each other on 3 days rest
Winner gets 12 seed

Just do 16 and call it a day.

 

[bbc23]

Thanks. I’ve never seen on3 before.

Has there been any research on which site has traditionally been better than the others?

247 has been the consistent best, On3 hasn't been around long enough to have measured results in the draft (think this might be the 1st year they will). They should be able to compete with 247 for best output and were founded by the guy who made 247 and they've stolen plenty of 247's best talent. Rivals and ESPN are both awful

 

[canderson]

The SEC isn't allowing Bevo to be at the game Saturday. They cite "space constraints."

Bevo fits fine in the freaking Cotton Bowl.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

The last time Bevo and UGA met on the field it did not go well for the dog.

 

[canderson]

The last time Bevo and UGA met on the field it did not go well for the dog.

Those idiots brought a damn dog over to Bevo. They got what they deserved.

 

[Ale Xander]

Perhaps surprising? Bevo should be a herbivore and UGA should be an omnivore.

 

[wonderland]

247 has been the consistent best, On3 hasn't been around long enough to have measured results in the draft (think this might be the 1st year they will). They should be able to compete with 247 for best output and were founded by the guy who made 247 and they've stolen plenty of 247's best talent. Rivals and ESPN are both awful

Good to know. I don’t follow recruiting too much anymore but if I’m spending time it will be at 247.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Justus Terry commits to the Horns over Georgia and Bama. #2 DL in this cycle, solidifying the Horns' #1 class.

 

[canderson]

Justus Terry commits to the Horns over Georgia and Bama. #2 DL in this cycle, solidifying the Horns' #1 class.

Texas signed 11 of the top 100 prospects in this class (including 5 5-stars). Sark has built a train.

 

[CFB_Rules]

The SEC isn't allowing Bevo to be at the game Saturday. They cite "space constraints."

Bevo fits fine in the freaking Cotton Bowl.

They need space for all the hangers-on

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Tulane is spiraling.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

This Boise team has flaws. Lots of them.
But they also have Jeanty and the magic of The Blue.
First round bye, likely OSU or some other has-been in the Fiesta!

Hei2man!

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Man what a wasted opportunity by UNLV. How do you draw a delay of game there?

 

[Awesome Fossum]

As a Navy fan, watching Army win the American in its first season is pretty frustrating. This must be how TAMU feels.

 

[loshjott]

Three Boise players injured on the same play.