We have arrived at championship weekend, and the college football teams still standing have delivered to us a phenomenal feast of conference title games. No. 1 Georgia will square off with No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on CBS in what is a must-win game for the Crimson Tide if they are going to make the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, it’ll be the toughest test for the top-ranked Bulldogs, which haven’t exactly had to run through a gauntlet to get to Atlanta.
No. 5 Michigan will also tee it up with with No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game — a matchup that could clinch the Wolverines’ first playoff appearance.
Oddsmakers have released lines for the entire slate. Let’s take a look at what the good folks at Caesars Sportsbook think this weekend will look like.
No. 1 Georgia (-6) vs. No. 3 Alabama: This is the game that most people around the SEC expected to see all year and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Crimson Tide. They narrowly escaped Auburn in four overtimes in the Iron Bowl, and now that offensive line is going up against the best front seven in the game. Could this be Bryce Young’s Heisman moment? The Alabama quarterback will get his chance to shock the college football world.
No. 5 Michigan (-10.5) vs. No. 16 Iowa: The Wolverines defense dominated rival Ohio State and the offensive line pushed the Buckeyes front seven around like a bully on the playground. Both of these teams dominate the line of scrimmage, but oddsmakers clearly think that the Wolverines will repeat the feat of last week inside of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
No. 7 Oklahoma State (-6) vs. No. 8 Baylor: The Cowboys defense was lights out in the second half against Oklahoma on Saturday night, and it will have a second chance to shut down the Bears at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It’s a bit surprising to see this line so tight considering the quarterback injury concerns with the Bears and Gerry Bohanon.
No. 24 Houston at No. 4 Cincinnati (-10.5): The Bearcats are likely one win away from becoming the first Group of Five team to make the CFP, but a few style points against a hot Cougars team could go a long way towards sealing the deal. Dana Holgorsen’s crew has won 11 straight games and will provide one of the toughest tests of the season.
No. 17 Pittsburgh (-3) at No. 18 Wake Forest: The ACC Championship Game won’t have an impact on the CFP race, but these two offenses will likely run up and down the field on one another. It’s a little surprising to see oddsmakers list the Demon Deacons as an underdog considering their explosiveness this year.
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 19 Utah (-3): The Utes throttled the Ducks in Salt Lake City two weeks ago, which eliminated any possibility of Mario Cristobal’s crew making the CFP. A little revenge would take the sting out of that debacle just a little bit. Oddsmakers don’t think that will be the case, though.
Best of the rest
- Western Kentucky (-1) at No. 22 UTSA
- Northern Illinois vs. Kent State (-3)
- Utah State at No. 21 San Diego State (-5)
- Appalachian State (-2.5) at Louisiana
- USC at California (-2)
