It’s finally time to settle up all the conference scores and find out what the last installment of the BCS will look like. Some conferences don’t have championship games, of course, so here is your guide to every game that will have an impact.
Sun Belt Championship
Saturday, 8:00p: Louisiana-Lafayette @ South Alabama. The Cajuns just need to win here for sole ownership of the title. Even if they don’t, they still have the head-to-head win over second place Arkansas State, which I guess could come into play for a bowl or something. Here’s a treat for anyone still reading this. (GamePlan/espn3)
Conference USA Championship
Saturday, Noon: Marshall @ Rice. Marshall lost in three overtimes to Virginia Tech back when Virginia Tech was still maybe good. Rice beat Kansas, which I guess isn’t really that impressive. (ESPN2)
Mountain West Championship
Saturday, 10:00p: Utah State @ Fresno State. Utah State kind of rode an easy conference schedule to a division title that should probably be Boise State’s. If this is a good game, I’ll be stunned. Still, it will make a nice nightcap if nothing has happened to make you not want to watch more football. (CBS)
AAC Championship
Thursday, 7:30p: Louisville @ Cincinnati. The winner has a shot at a split title with UCF, who only holds a head-to-head win over Louisville. That means there could be a mess if Cincy wins and UCF loses. (ESPN)
Saturday, Noon: UCF @ SMU. UCF just needs to win and they get the BCS bid. If they lose, they’ll still get it over Louisville, but if the Cardinals lose to Cincy, the bid would probably go to the higher-ranked team. Cincy is sitting just outside the top 25 right now while UCF is at #15, so it’s hard to say who would come out on top in this scenario. (ESPN)
MAC Championship
Friday, 8:00p: Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois. That other undefeated team has one more hurdle before busting the BCS for the second straight season. Bowling Green got shredded by Indiana, but has been on a hot streak lately, giving up just 17 points in 4 games in November. (ESPN2)
Big 12 Championship
Saturday, Noon: Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State. The Sooners can’t capture the league title for themselves, but a win here opens the door for the Texas/Baylor winner. If Oklahoma State wins, they hold head-to-head wins over both the Longhorns and the Bears. (ABC)
Saturday, 3:30p: Texas @ Baylor. There’s nothing to add here; the winner will take the BCS bid if Oklahoma can beat Oklahoma State. (Fox)
Pac-12 Championship
Saturday, 7:45p: Stanford @ Arizona State. There’s nothing on the line here besides the Rose Bowl bid, which of course is huge. That game is likely to be against Michigan State, whether they win the Big Ten or not. (ESPN)
SEC Championship
Saturday, 4:00p: Auburn vs. Missouri. I’m taking the Tigers in this oneHAHAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHA HA HA. Ahem. Anyway, maybe it’s just the schadenfreude talking, but I’m more impressed with Missouri this year than I am with Auburn. I’m wondering if the “Kick Six” attention and national title arguments might distract Auburn this week and cause one of those post-upset stumbles we see so much.
This game has national title implications if Florida State or Ohio State loses. (CBS)
ACC Championship
Saturday, 8:00p: Duke vs. Florida State. Has anyone ever heard a sweeter phrase than “Beat Duke at football and you’re in the national title game?” Probably not. I’m not even sure if overlooking the Blue Devils would make a difference. I mean no offense, it’s just that these two teams seem light years apart. (ABC)
Big Ten Championship
Saturday, 8:00p: Ohio State vs. Michigan State. Easily the most important game of the week. If Michigan State wins, about a hundred teams (including the entire SEC) will be clamoring for that national title spot. (Fox)
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