By Connor Stewart
American Athletic Championship Tulane Green Wave (NR) V Army Black Knights (24)
The College Football Conference Championship games kick off this Saturday in Australia or this Friday in America. Army and Tulane have the 2 best defences in the AAC with the Army Black Knights only allowing 15.1 points a game, while the Tulane Green Wave are only allowing 18.4 points per game. Army has only had one loss during this season losing to Notre Dame 49-14 but the College Football has ranked them the 24th best team in the country. Tulane on the other hand is not ranked with having a record of 9-3.
The 2024 AAC Championship Logo Tulane V Army.
Tulane are trying to bounce back after a shock loss to rivals Memphis 34-24 last week in which has now got them kicked off of the College Football top 25 Rankings. Army on the other hand won last week against University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) 29-24. Army has had a really soft schedule this year only playing one ranked team in Notre Dame and lost really badly. Tulane on the other hand has had more of a difficult schedule losing to Kanas State, Oklahoma and Memphis, at the time Kansas State and Oklahoma was ranked and now they are not in the top 25, while after Memphis defeating Tulane last week, they have jumped to 25th in the College Football Rankings.
For Tulane to win the AAC Championship for the first time since 2022, it is on Quarterback Darian Mensah who is 5th in Passing Yards with 2,514 with 20 TD'S and 5 Interceptions in the AAC and also Running Back Makhi Hughes who has is the 2nd in Rushing Yards with 1,306 and the play action against Army Defense could be crucial to win the championship.
Tulane QB get readcy to throw the ball deep.
In order for Army to win the AAC Championship for the first time in their school's history is on Quarterback Bryson Daily who has thrown for 860 yards with 8 Touchdowns and 1 Interception but is the leading rusher in the whole AAC Conference with 1,348 Rushing Yards and the 5th leading rusher in the AAC Kanye Udoh with 906 rushing yards. The Read option is going to be hard for Tulane to stop because they will not know if Bryson is going to hand it off or run the ball himself.
Army QB Bryson Daily Scrambling with the football with a blocker in front.
The Weather could help Army out because it is expected to be minus 2 degrees at their home stadium West Point in New York, so running the ball is the best option, however it will still be a great game to watch between 2 rivals that deserve to be in this championship game.
Mountin West Championship UNLV (20) V Boise State Broncos (10)
The rematch of last year Mountain West Championship game and UNLV are hoping for a different story after losing at home to Boise State 44-20. This game is the second game getting played on Friday in USA or Saturday in Australia. This the 2nd time in the school’s history that UNLV has made the Mountain West Championship game, while this will be the 8th appearance for Boise State. UNLV and Boise State have two of the best offenses and defense in the whole Mountain West Conference. Boise State has only had one loss this season which came against the number 1 seed Oregon 37-34 Week 2 of the season and has not lost since. UNLV has only lost two game this year one to Boise State 29-24 and the other Syracuse 44-41 in Overtime.
2024 Mountain West Championship Game between Boise State and UNLV Rebels
UNLV was in the headlines earlier this year with starting QB Matthew Sluka refusing to play for the team because UNLV had not paid his NIL deal that he was offered when he committed to UNLV Rebels, so Hajj-Malik Williams had to take the reins after week 3 in such a bizarre situation. Williams has taken leadership and really has controlled UNLV to be able to play this Mountain West Championship game.
Boise State have a chance to get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoffs, if they do win the championship game and become the 4th seed which nobody would have predicted at the start of the season. If Boise State Broncos want to win this game, they have to run the ball to the best running back in the country and Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty. Ashton Jeanty is the leading rusher in all of College Football with 312 carries, 2,288 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns. Ashton Jeanty last time played UNLV had 33 carries, 128 yards and one touchdown, this was his second lowest rushing game all season.
Boise State Running Back Ashton Jeanty Celebrating scoring a Touchdown with the Heisman Trophy Pose.
UNLV has never been Mountain West Champions, and they want redemption from 12 months ago, if they want to win this game, they will need to stop Ashton Jeanty which they did really well last time. UNLV QB Hajj-Malik Williams and Wide Receiver Ricky White III who is the second-best receiver in the conference with 75 catches, 1,020 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Boise State last time held Ricky White III to 5 catches with 57 yards and zero touchdowns and so the QB and WR connection will need to be on point to cause an upset.
UNLV Rebels Wide Receiver Ricky White III catching a touchdown over a defenders head near the corner.
Boise State will have the home field advantage, so it will be difficult for UNLV to hear the play calls because of the home fans, the game however is meant to be perfect conditions for football, so it is anyone's game.
Big 12 Championship Game Iowa State Cyclones (16) V Arizona State Sun Devils (15)
The first Sunday game in Australia or first Saturday game in America. Iowa State and Arizona State both finished the College Football season with 10-2 records with Arizona State currently on a 5-game win streak, while Iowa State currently on a 3-game win streak after losing 2 games in a row. The Big 12 this season became one of the best conferences to watch because how close the standings were, and no one knew who would play in this Big 12 game 2 weeks ago. These 2 teams match up so well against each other being in the top five of the Big 12 in the key stats especially in the defensive stats. Iowa State are ranked number one for points against with 19.6 and 4th in yards per game allowed. Arizona state are 4th in points allowed with 21.5 and 5th in yards allowed per game with 336.6.
2024 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game Logo
Currently in the College Football Playoff Bracket the winner of the Big 12 Championship game will be in the playoffs as the 5th highest ranked conference champion so this game is a must win for both teams and will do anything to win the game.
This game will come down to which QB can make big time throws under pressure against some of the best defences. Iowa State QB Rocco Becht has thrown for 3,021 yards with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and with a completion percentage of 59.2%. The last two games he has struggled, against Utah two weeks ago he finished the game 20-38, 238 yards one touchdown and one interception and had a completion rate of 52%, while last week he really struggled against Kansas State having numbers of 13 for 35, 137 passing yards and two touchdown, however had a 37.1% completion rate, which will not be good against Arizona State defense.
Iowa State QB Rocco Becht looking down the field for a teammate to throw it to.
Arizona State will be heavily relying on their game because of Cam Skattebo, who is ranked the 3rd best rusher in the Big 12 with 1,398 yards with 17 touchdowns and averaging 5.7 yards a carry. The last two games Skattebo has had a combined stats of 49 carries, 324 yards and 6 touchdowns. The running game could help Arizona State because Iowa State is the 3rd worst team in the Big 12 allowing 173.7 rushing yards per game.
Cam Skattebo Evading 2 oppsoing players to get extra yards.
The Big 12 Championship game will take place at a mutual stadium at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys play their home games, and the weather will be perfect because it will be played under a closed dome so conditions will not play a factor in this game. It will be a battle that will create so much chaos for the College Football Committee on who wins and if they do make the College Football Playoffs.
SEC Championship Georgia Bulldogs (5) V Texas Longhorns (2)
This is the first SEC Championship game for the Texas Longhorns in their debut season in the SEC after leaving the Big 12 to face a tougher schedule and be more recognised by the College Football Committee. Georgia Bulldogs on the other hand have been the best college team in the past 5 years winning multiple National Championships. This game is probably the best game in all the College Football Conference Championships. Georgia are incredibly lucky to be playing in this game with results going their way and escaping with a 44-42 win against rival Georgia Tech which went to 8 overtimes.
2024 SEC Championship Game Georgia vs Texas
Texas and Georgia did play earlier in the season in which Georgia dominated Texas to win 30-15, which was Texas only loss and finished the season with a 11-1 record. While Georgia Bulldogs had a record 10-2 with losses to Alabama and Ole Miss. This winner of the SEC Championship will receive a first-round bye and most likely become a top two seed for the College Football Playoffs, while the loser of this game will fall out of the top 4 and will not have a first-round bye for the College Football Playoffs.
For Georgia to get the same result that they did against Texas earlier this season their defense needs to stand up. Georgia defense only allowed Texas to convert on 3rd and 4th down for a combined 3-20 which is remarkable considering how dynamic Texas offense is. QB Carson Beck needs to be more careful with the football and not throw interceptions, because last time he threw 3 interceptions. The best thing for Georgia is that Carson Beck has not thrown an interception in his last 3 games, while he has thrown for 11 touchdowns and had a completion rate of 60% in each of his last three games.
Carson Beck Dropping back looking for a wide open receiver down the field.
Texas will want to win this game and become the number 2 seed and win the SEC Championship in their debut season in this conference. Texas running game was so irrelevant last time these two teams played, but they had to throw the ball because they were down 23-0 at half time so they only could throw the ball to try and comeback. Texas had 29 rushing attempts for 27 yards and averaging 1.1 yard per carry. Texas O-Line will need to step up big time to protect their QB Quinn Ewers because he was sacked season high 5 times last time these two schools played and allows Ewers to use his ability to throw the ball down the field.
Quinn Ewers celebrating after throwing a touchdown with his coaches and teammates in the background.
Even though Texas Longhorns are the higher ranked team the SEC Championship game is getting played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. This will affect Texas play and give Georgia a big advantage. This game will be won on which school can be more effective in crucial situations and reduce the turnovers. The biggest factor will be time of possession, because you will have more changes to score then the opposition.
Big 10 Championship Game Penn State Nittany Lions (3) V Oregon Ducks (1)
Undefeated and number one seed Oregon Ducks will play against Penn State who are the 3rd seed and have only had one loss throughout the season, which was against Ohio State 20-13 one month ago. This matchup is so good because every stat these two school are ranked in the top 5 in each category. The category that separates these two school is the passing yards per game average, Oregon is ranked 2nd in the Big Ten averaging 277.6 yards, while Penn State is averaging 248.2 and is ranked 7th.
Logo of the 2024 Big 10 Championship Game
This matchup was not meant to happen, because if Ohio State defeated Michigan last weekend it would have been between Oregon v Ohio State, but because Ohio State lost Penn State has now taken over to compete for the Big Ten Championship. This matchup is set up to be a low scoring affair with old school football, because it is just how well these two schools defences stack up against each other and they will not give an inch to each other all game.
If Oregon want to keep being undefeated it will be on the QB Dillon Gabriel because he has thrown for 3,275 yards and ranked number 1 in that category in the big ten, he has also thrown for 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with a 73.5% as a completion rate. It will not be only on Dillon Gabriel it will also be on defensive pass rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Jordan Burch. These players have destroyed QB's with their speed and ability to get off the O-Line to sack the Quarterback. Uiagalelei has had 10.5 sacks this season including 3 sacks in his last two games, and Burch has had 8.5 sacks this season with getting 3.5 sacks in his last two games.
Matayo Uiagalelei sacking the Idaho QB Week 1 of the College Football Season.
Penn State two key players that will give them a chance to win the Big Ten championship game is Tight End Tyler Warren, and Pass Rusher Abdul Carter. Tyler Warren is ranked 3rd in receiving yards this season in the Big Ten and number one in receiving yards in his position Warren has 978 yards with 6 touchdowns. Warren can also run the ball this season he has had 21 carries for 189 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns and is a dual threat and become beneficial to confuse Oregon defense. Abdul Carter has been a wrecking ball for Penn State defense contributing to 10 sacks 2 forced fumbles and 54 tackles. Carter though has only had 2 sacks in his last 3 games so for Penn State to win this game he will need to be dynamic every single snap he is on the field.
Abdul Carter lifting the home crowd to make some noise to stop the opposition.
This game will be decided on which offense can break the spirit of the other school defense and who is going to be more discipline is crucial situations. This game is getting played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana and because, it is getting played under a dome so the conditions will not play a factor on the outcome of the game.
ACC Championship Game Clemson Tigers (17) V SMU Mustangs (8)
Clemson Tigers are trying to win their 9th ACC Championship while the SMU Mustangs are going to be in their first ever ACC Championship game and trying to win it as they have been the best team in their conference this year. Clemson are coming a loss last week to rivals South Carolina 17-14 and made them drop out of the College Football Playoff Bracket after finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record. SMU are undefeated in their conference this year finishing 8-0 and a total record of 11-1 with their only loss coming to BYU 18-15 Week 3 of the season and have not lost a game since.
20th Annual ACC Championship game.
This game has big ramifications for the College Football Playoff Committee If SMU Mustangs win the game, their is zero pressure on the Committee, however if Clemson Tigers cause an upset come next week there really good be an uproar with the College Football Playoff Committee because, they said at the start of the season "No one would be punished if they lose their conference championship game." If SMU lose, they might not get a shot at the 12 team College Football Playoff Bracket and become the 13th seed, and it would be a double standard for the College Football to not follow through what they said at the start of the year.
SMU Key player is Safety Jonathan McGill who has made 48 tackles, 3 interceptions and 6 pass deflections. McGill has had 2 interceptions in his last 5 games and could cause havoc against Clemson offense. The other key player for SMU is Linebacker Kobe Wilson who has had 95 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 2 interceptions. Kobe Wilson's 3 sacks have come from 2 out of his last 3 games and is making SMU defense really stacked for this game.
SMU Linebacker Kobe Wilson jumping over players for a Pick Six.
Clemson 2 key players that will be big and give them a chance to become ACC Champions are T.J. Parker and Cade Klubnik. T.J. Parker has been unreal in his Sophomore season this year. with stats of 46 tackles, 10 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. Parker has had 5 sacks in his last 3 games including a 4-sack game against Pittsburgh. QB Cade Klubnik has had an unreal season for Clemson having thrown for 3,041 yards, 29 Touchdowns and only 5 interceptions with a 64.2% as a completion rate.
T.J. Parker in his defensive getting ready for the snap of the football.
This game is getting played at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina and it is the only mutual stadium that does not have a dome, but the conditions are meant to be ideal for football and have a clear sky all throughout the night. This is a game of stakes and who wants to be in the College Football Playoff more. This game will come down too who can get the hold of the football, and which big-time players make the big-time plays in key situations and win the game for their school.
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