Power 5 conference and division title scenarios for every remaining contender
It’s just over two weeks until Championship Saturday, and yet the field of teams that will reach their respective conference title games remains almost completely undetermined. That could change Saturday with several Week 12 matchups potentially determining division champions. Here’s how the conference and division title races could get settled in each of the Power 5 conferences:
ACC
Atlantic Division
Clemson can clinch the division with a win over Wake Forest on Saturday.
Louisville wins the division if Clemson loses to Wake Forest on Saturday.
Coastal Division
Virginia Tech can clinch the division with a win over Virginia next week.
Virginia Tech wins the division if it loses to Virginia next week AND North Carolina loses to North Carolina State next week.
North Carolina wins the division if Virginia Tech loses to Wake Forest next week AND North Carolina beat North Carolina State next week.
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Big 12
Oklahoma can clinch the conference with wins over West Virginia on Saturday and over Oklahoma State on Dec. 3.
Oklahoma wins the conference if it loses to West Virginia on Saturday but beats Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 AND West Virginia loses to either Iowa State or Baylor.
Oklahoma wins the conference if it beats West Virginia on Saturday but loses to Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 if Oklahoma State loses to TCU on Saturday.
West Virginia wins the conference if it beats Oklahoma on Saturday, Iowa State next week and Baylor on Dec. 3 AND Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 OR Oklahoma State loses to TCU on Saturday.
Oklahoma State can clinch the conference with wins over TCU on Saturday and over Oklahoma on Dec. 3.
Oklahoma State wins the conference if it loses to TCU on Saturday but beats Oklahoma on Dec. 3 if West Virginia beats Oklahoma AND West Virginia loses to either Iowa State or Baylor or both.
Big Ten
East Division
Michigan can clinch the division with wins over Indiana on Saturday and Ohio State next week.
Michigan wins the division if it loses to Indiana on Saturday but beats Ohio State next week AND Penn State loses to either Rutgers or Michigan State or both.
Michigan wins the division if it beats Indiana on Saturday but loses to Ohio State next week if Ohio State loses to Michigan State on Saturday AND Penn State loses to either Rutgers or Michigan State but not both. (With all three teams tied with 7–2 conference records and 1–1 records against one another, the tiebreaker would favor Michigan because its division record would be 5–1 while Ohio State’s and Penn State’s would both be 4–2.)
Ohio State wins the division if it beats Michigan State on Saturday and Michigan next week AND Penn State loses to either Rutgers or Michigan State or both.
Ohio State wins the division if it loses to Michigan State on Saturday but beats Michigan next week if Penn State loses to Rutgers on Saturday and Michigan State next week.
Penn State wins the division if it beats Rutgers on Saturday and Michigan State next week AND Ohio State beats Michigan.
Penn State wins the division if it goes 1–1 against Rutgers and Michigan State AND Ohio State loses to Michigan State but beats Michigan AND Michigan loses to Indiana.
West Division
Wisconsin can clinch the division with wins over Purdue on Saturday and Minnesota next week.
Wisconsin wins the division if it goes 1–1 against Purdue and Minnesota AND Nebraska loses to either Maryland or Iowa or both.
Wisconsin wins the division if it loses to Purdue on Saturday and Minnesota next week AND Nebraska loses to Maryland and Iowa AND Minnesota loses to Northwestern AND Iowa loses to Illinois AND Northwestern loses to Illinois. (Wisconsin wins the five-way tiebreaker by going 3–1 against the other four teams.)
Nebraska wins the division if it beats Maryland on Saturday and Iowa next week AND Wisconsin loses to either Purdue or Minnesota or both.
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Nebraska wins the division if it beats Maryland on Saturday but loses to Iowa next week AND Wisconsin loses to both Purdue and Minnesota AND Iowa loses to Illinois OR Iowa beats Illinois AND Northwestern beats Minnesota and Illinois. (Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern all finished with 6–3 conference records and remain tied on each of the Big Ten’s tiebreaker procedures until considering overall winning percentage, which favors Nebraska.)
Nebraska wins the division if it loses to Maryland on Saturday but beats Iowa next week AND Wisconsin loses to both Purdue and Minnesota.
Minnesota wins the division if it beats Northwestern on Saturday and Wisconsin next week AND Wisconsin loses to Purdue on Saturday AND Nebraska loses to Maryland on Saturday and Iowa next week AND Iowa loses to Illinois on Saturday.
Iowa wins the division if it beats Illinois on Saturday and Nebraska next week AND Wisconsin loses to Purdue on Saturday and Minnesota next week AND Minnesota beats Northwestern on Saturday OR Northwestern beats Minnesota on Saturday and loses to Illinois next week.
Northwestern wins the division if it beats Minnesota on Saturday and Illinois next week AND Wisconsin loses to Purdue on Saturday and Minnesota next week AND Nebraska loses to Maryland on Saturday and Iowa next week.
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Pac-12
North Division
Washington can clinch the division with a win over Arizona State on Saturday and a win over Washington State next week.
Washington wins the division if it loses to Arizona State on Saturday but beats Washington State next week AND Washington State loses to Colorado on Saturday.
Washington State can clinch the division with a win over Washington next week.
Washington State wins the division if it beats Colorado on Saturday but loses to Washington next week AND Washington loses to Arizona State on Saturday.
South Division
Colorado can clinch the division with a win over Washington State on Saturday and a win over Utah next week.
Colorado wins the division if it loses to Washington State on Saturday but beats Utah next week AND USC loses to UCLA on Saturday.
Colorado wins the division if it beats Washington State on Saturday but loses to Utah next week AND USC loses to UCLA on Saturday AND Utah loses to Oregon on Saturday.
USC wins the division if it beats UCLA on Saturday AND Colorado loses to Washington State on Saturday but beats Utah next week OR Utah loses to Oregon on Saturday but beats Colorado.
Utah can clinch the division with a win over Oregon on Saturday and over Colorado next week.
Utah wins the division if it loses to Oregon on Saturday but beats Colorado next week AND USC loses to UCLA on Saturday AND Colorado loses to Washington State on Saturday.
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SEC
East Division
Florida can clinch the division with a win over LSU on Saturday.
Florida wins the division if it loses to LSU on Saturday AND Tennessee loses to either Missouri or Vanderbilt or both.
Tennessee wins the division if it beats Missouri on Saturday and Vanderbilt next week AND Florida loses to LSU on Saturday.
West Division
Alabama has already clinched the division.
