College Football Top 25: Conference Championship Weekend

Without a doubt The Big Game and Rivalry Weekend as a whole lived up to the hype. Michigan and Ohio State battled into the final minute before the Wolverines ultimately prevailed, Alabama received some semblance of divine intervention to claim victory in the Iron Bowl, and the Washington Huskies survived a brutal four-game stretch to close out their regular season and remain perfect.

This weekend it is all about conference championship games and in some cases, making a final case to the College Football Playoff committee.

To that end, the path to the Playoff is clear for Georgia, Michigan, and Washington. Win your conference championship this weekend and you will be in the Playoff. It is a little murkier for Florida State and Oregon and more so for Alabama and Texas and even less of a straight line for Ohio State.

And then there is the matter of deciding who will step to the podium in New York City and claim the Heisman Trophy. That as well will be decided this weekend.

Throughout it all are numerous opportunities to find value in a potential wager. Join in the college football betting conversation Friday at 11AM ET. From sides to totals to props, get ready for the weekend of college football with the NBC Sports College Football Betting Q&A.

While not as much as in previous weeks, Rivalry Weekend did cause a bit of movement in the NBC Sports Top 25.

1 Georgia Bulldogs

2 Michigan Wolverines

3 Washington Huskies

4 Oregon Ducks

5 Florida State Seminoles

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports): The College Football Playoff will be one to remember as the top seven seeds all have legitimate chances to make the four-team playoff. For Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and Washington, win and you’re likely in. Georgia and Michigan are the only safe teams in the field. If Washington and Florida State win, but Georgia loses to Alabama, then we all have a decision between Florida State and Alabama as the No. 4 seed, which could be chaotic.

Eric Froton (@CFFroton): It all comes down to this weekend, with Michigan seemingly the only true lock to make the College Football Playoff. Oregon and Washington will hash their differences out in the Pac-12 title game, with the winner almost assuredly getting an invite. Florida State is desperately trying to hang on to a playoff spot. The Noles opened as 4.5 point favorites in the ACC Championship but that number has been whittled down to 2.5 points as the Sharps do not believe in FSU. Maybe the Seminoles, however, secure a spot if they win big over Louisville. The Alabama vs. Georgia result will either clear up the playoff picture with a UGA victory, or muddy the waters with an Alabama win that would cause major chaos.

6 Alabama Crimson Tide

7 Texas Longhorns

8 Ohio State Buckeyes

9 Missouri Tigers

10 Penn State Nittany Lions

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11 Oklahoma Sooners

12 Mississippi Rebels

13 Arizona Wildcats

14 LSU Tigers

15 Iowa Hawkeyes

Dalzell: Texas has the longest shot of the top seven seeds to make the postseason with its lone loss coming in the final seconds against Oklahoma. The Longhorns’ resume is legit and their case for a playoff berth is solid. If Alabama beats Georgia, however, the timing of the Longhorns’ win over the Tide becomes problematic and Texas will likely miss the College Football Playoff. The only way Texas makes it is if Georgia beats Bama, Michigan beats Iowa, Washington beats Oregon, and Florida State, plus Alabama both lose. Texas then will have a case for the No. 4 seed when competing against a two-loss Oregon team and a one-loss Florida State squad minus its star quarterback.

Froton: Texas has what seems to be the easiest of the Power 5 matchups as 14.5-point favorites over a plucky, but outgunned, Oklahoma State team. However, in a tight race where style points count, it would have helped the Longhorns if they could have avenged their lone loss to Oklahoma, but Oklahoma State pulled out a dramatic Double-OT victory over BYU to extinguish that possibility. An Iowa win would vault the Hawkeyes into a New Year’s Six Bowl, but that is an extremely unlikely scenario given their offensive deficiencies and the prowess of the Michigan defense.

16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

17 Tulane Green Wave

18 Clemson Tigers

19 Louisville Cardinals

20 North Carolina State Wolfpack

21 James Madison Dukes

22 Oklahoma State Cowboys

23 Oregon State Beavers

24 Liberty Flames

25 Toledo Rockets

Fell out of the Top 25: Kansas State

Dalzell: I think it’s worth noting that Oregon State was No. 10 and No. 11 in our polls just two weeks ago, but back-to-back losses put the Beavers out of the Pac-12 Championship race. Oregon State will be a squad worth backing in bowl games as three out of four losses came by a combined eight points.

Froton: Tulane has the good fortune of playing a hobbled SMU team that just lost star QB Preston Stone to an injury against Navy last weekend and are already without their top two starting RBs, Jaylen Knighton and LJ Johnson. A win should secure the Green Waves’ place in a New Year’s Six bowl. Liberty, JMU and Toledo round out the elite G5 schools who made it into the Top 25. Sincere congratulations to JMU who will get to play in a bowl game after all in their first year as an FBS program.

The boys will be breaking down all the games and answering your questions this Friday morning at 11A Eastern on the NBC Sports College Football Betting Q&A. They’ll be taking sides and totals as well as placing a few bets for pizzas and roast beef sandwiches.

Enjoy the games and enjoy the sweat.