SEC Daily: Predicting the Power Conference Championship Game

The regular season is finished and it is now time to move onto the postseason, starting with the conference championship games. This weekend contains conference championship games that have plenty of College Football Playoff implications one way or another. The entire complexion of the bracket will be affected by results this weekend.

The power conference championships are especially important to the playoff picture, from the SEC Championship to the ACC Championship. Friday holds four Group of 5 championships, but Saturday is going to be the main course starting at 11 a.m. CT. With that being said, it is time to predict the four power conference titles that will take place this weekend.

No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 4 Georgia, SEC Championship, Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on ABC

Well, well, well here we are again. In the SEC it seems that all roads end up leading to Alabama and Georgia playing in Atlanta in December. This time, it is a rematch of the game that occurred in late September in which Alabama went into Athens and used a hot start to beat Georgia 24-21.

Alabama has beat Georgia 10 of the last 11 games the schools have played against each other. It is possible that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart may have some sort of psychological thing going on against Alabama. Maybe Alabama is his kryptonite?

Regardless, it is incredibly hard to beat a team like Georgia twice in a season. Heck, these two teams could see each other sometime during the playoff if things play out right. But what is different this time around compared to last time is that Alabama’s offense did not play that well down the stretch of the regular season. The Crimson Tide turned the ball over plenty and have failed to pull away from teams the duration of conference play. That could spell trouble against Georgia.

Georgia’s offense has been up and down of late. The Bulldogs scored 35 on a good Texas defense, but only 16 on Georgia Tech. This game will be a very defensive, low-scoring game. It comes down to whether Alabama is able to take care of the ball and establish some sort of offensive rhythm in the game. I think Georgia’s defense will be able to force one key turnover that makes enough difference to win the SEC title.

PREDICTION: Georgia 20, Alabama 14

No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 1 Ohio State, Big Ten Championship Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on FOX

What a game we have for the Big Ten Championship Game. The top two teams in the country finally meet for a conference title and for the top overall spot in the College Football Playoff.

Indiana has had a tougher road to get to where it is with wins at Oregon, Iowa and a comeback at Penn State. The Hoosiers are battle-tested with a Heisman candidate at quarterback. But this is by far the toughest game of the season for Indiana.

Ohio State has a Heisman candidate at quarterback itself in Julian Sayin. Not to mention, Ohio State has NFL-caliber wideouts on the offense on top of an incredible defense. Watching Ohio State’s defense throughout the season, one cannot help but be impressed with the Buckeyes’ defense, regardless of who they have played.

It helps Indiana a little that this game is played in Indianapolis, but Ohio State is possibly the team to beat right now in college football. Ohio State has won on the big stages like this before, which proves to be a difference in the game.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 27, Indiana 17

No. 11 BYU vs. No. 5 Texas Tech, Big 12 Championship, Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ABC

These two teams were clearly the best in the conference the entire season. Texas Tech has already beaten BYU this season with its 29-7 win over the Cougars in Lubbock a little under a month ago. That game was not that competitive either.

Texas Tech has separated itself from the rest of the conference this year. The Red Raiders have a great team, with especially an incredible defense that could win a championship. BYU just has not been as impressive as Texas Tech has. Watching the two teams down the stretch of the season does not make me any more confident that BYU can get revenge.

Texas Tech is just the better team and it will prove it this weekend in Arlington.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 27, BYU 13

Duke vs. No. 18 Virginia, ACC Championship, Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on ABC

Duke snuck into this championship despite having a 7-5 record this season. Yes, a team that did not secure bowl eligibility until Nov. 22 is playing in a power conference championship game. That is how wild the ACC has been all season where a team that is ranked in the top 12 in the country failed to make its conference title.

These two teams already played each other, and Virginia beat Duke 34-17 on Nov. 15. It was a game where Virginia just jumped on top early and did not look back. In the ACC, nobody knows what is going to happen anymore. If Duke wins this game, there could be two Group of 5 teams in the playoffs. If Virginia wins this game, it will be in the playoffs.

In a game where the two teams are rematching anything can happen, so why not root for chaos? Who knows when the next time is where a 7-5 team makes a power conference title game.