The College Football Playoff bracket is becoming clearer, yet it’s not without significant potential disputes. Top-ranked Oregon, fifth-seeded Georgia, tenth-seeded Boise State, thirteenth-seeded Arizona State, and seventeenth-seeded Clemson all triumphed in their conference championship clashes to secure spots in the 12-team playoff. The attention now turns to the selection committee’s contentious decision regarding the final […]
The College Football Playoff bracket is becoming clearer, yet it’s not without significant potential disputes.
Top-ranked Oregon, fifth-seeded Georgia, tenth-seeded Boise State, thirteenth-seeded Arizona State, and seventeenth-seeded Clemson all triumphed in their conference championship clashes to secure spots in the 12-team playoff. The attention now turns to the selection committee’s contentious decision regarding the final at-large bid—either No. 7 SMU or No. 11 Alabama.
In the SEC, the inaugural overtime in the 33-year history of the championship game concluded with the Bulldogs defeating No. 2 Texas 22-19 thanks to Trevor Etienne’s 4-yard touchdown run in the final moments of the first extra frame.
Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton took over for an injured Carson Beck at halftime, propelling Georgia to four scoring drives, including in overtime. This second victory over Texas this season will propel the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals, leaving the Longhorns seeking an at-large playoff spot.
In the Big Ten, Oregon bested Penn State 45-37, concluding the season as the only unbeaten team in the Bowl Subdivision. The Ducks will head into the playoff as the top seed, while the Nittany Lions are expected to secure the No. 5 seed, setting up a first-round clash with Clemson.
Thanks to a 56-yard field goal just before time elapsed, the Tigers’ 34-31 win over SMU will force the selection committee to choose between the Mustangs and Alabama. Despite Alabama’s victories against Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and LSU, the Mustangs’ narrow loss in a Power Four conference championship game complicates their potential exit from the playoff contention, especially given they began three spots ahead of Alabama.
With outcomes from Friday night included, here are the highlights of the winners and losers from conference championship weekend:
Winners
Georgia
While not flawless, Georgia proved capable of defeating Texas for a second time; they may not reflect the powerhouse they once were, but their strategy includes a robust running game—backs Etienne and Nate Frazier combined for 141 yards on 6.4 yards per carry—and a defense that significantly recovered from last week’s rivalry win against Georgia Tech. This victory positions the Bulldogs among the top two seeds in the bracket and as favorites for a third national championship in four years.
LESSER SIGNIFICANCE: Conference champions diminished in expanded playoff landscape
Clemson – and SMU
Clemson’s victory places them as the No. 12 seed in the playoff. Their mere presence in the playoff is puzzling—even though they haven’t appeared among the best nationally—demonstrating how significant conference championship games can remain in the era of the 12-team playoff. While they are not guaranteed a playoff spot, SMU appears set to surpass No. 11 Alabama, closely trailing Clemson as the last at-large team in the playoff. The Mustangs hold two losses against ranked opponents, six wins against bowl eligible teams, and only two Power Four victories by narrow margins. Moreover, they were one of two Power Four teams, alongside Oregon, to finish their conference slate unbeaten.
Oregon
No previously undisputed No. 1 team has faced such oversight as the unbeaten Ducks. Newly inducted into the Big Ten, Oregon scored at least 30 points in every league contest save one and stands as the playoff favorite to be the first national champion in the 12-team setup. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel solidified his Heisman Trophy candidacy with 283 passing yards and four touchdowns, while receiver Tez Johnson recorded 11 catches for 181 yards, and running back Jordan James contributed with 87 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon overwhelmed a defense which entered the weekend ranked fourth in average yards allowed. The Ducks are precisely what their record suggests: the premier team in the nation.
Gunner Stockton
To be clear: if Beck is fit for postseason play, there’s absolutely no quarterback controversy at Georgia. Nevertheless, Stockton deserves recognition for emerging to energize this offense and for absorbing a heavy hit near the end of a scramble in overtime that positioned the Bulldogs for the decisive score. (We can overlook the critical interception with under three minutes left in regulation that allowed Texas to force overtime.) The redshirt sophomore completed 12 of 16 attempts, amassed 79 total yards of offense, and led a comeback effort in the second half. Under the circumstances, he couldn’t have asked for more.
Arizona State
Arizona State made a surprising ascent to the pinnacle of the Big 12 by defeating No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 to secure a playoff position. Running back Cam Skattebo continued to impress with 208 total yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Sam Leavitt played nearly faultless football with 219 passing yards and three touchdowns without any interceptions. Although the seeding remains uncertain, the Sun Devils are likely to hit the road for the opening round. After only three wins last season, Arizona State has now charged into the postseason with six consecutive victories, three of which were against ranked teams, and eight wins in their last nine matches overall.
Boise State
The Broncos triumphed over No. 19 UNLV 21-7 on Friday night, claiming the Mountain West title and securing the Group of Five spot in the playoff. Boise limited the Rebels to just 3.9 yards per play when excluding an 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter by UNLV senior Kylin James. In his last showcase before next week’s Heisman announcement, Boise running back Ashton Jeanty tallied 205 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, culminating in a total of 2,497 rushing yards for the season—ranking him fourth in single-season FBS history. What remains is to determine if Boise State is among the top four conference champions, granting them an opening-round bye into the quarterfinals. This seems a very probable assumption based on their recent rankings.
Rich Rodriguez
The former West Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona coach led the Gamecocks’ successful transition from the Championship Subdivision, culminating in a 52-14 victory over Western Kentucky to clinch the Conference USA title in his third season. JSU amassed 386 rushing yards on 56 carries, averaged 11.7 yards per pass attempt, controlled the clock, and finished plus-two in turnovers—a clear strategy for a dominant win. This performance came just one week after the Gamecocks suffered a 19-17 defeat to the Hilltoppers; in retrospect, it appears Rodriguez and his offense intentionally played conservatively. His success at Jacksonville State has revitalized Rodriguez’s reputation and positions him as a strong candidate for the vacancy at West Virginia.
Ohio
Ohio triumphed over Miami (Ohio) 38-3 in the MAC championship game, securing the program’s first conference title since 1968. After a lackluster performance averaging 3.8 yards per play in a regular-season loss to the RedHawks, Ohio exploded for 467 yards at 6.4 yards per play, with all five touchdown drives spanning at least 75 yards. Following three wins in his inaugural season, fourth-year head coach and longtime Frank Solich assistant Tim Albin becomes the first coach in Ohio history to win 10 games in three consecutive seasons.
Marshall
Marshall triumphed over Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 to take the Sun Belt title, marking the program’s first conference championship since winning Conference USA in 2014. After conceding a total of 68 points over the past two weeks, the Thundering Herd restricted the Ragin’ Cajuns to merely 256 yards, 4.2 yards per play, and just two third-down conversions. Despite early-season losses to Virginia Tech and Ohio State in September, the Herd has only suffered one additional loss since, marking a significant season of achievement under coach Charles Huff.
Losers
Texas
Another defeat against Georgia reignites the ongoing discourse regarding the quality of opponents Texas faced to reach the playoff. The Longhorns’ top win was against four-loss Texas A&M just last Saturday, followed by wins over Florida and Michigan. This does not necessarily indicate that Texas is fated for an early playoff exit—this team has displayed championship potential against a less-than-challenging schedule. However, concerns linger regarding Ewers’ performance, the offensive line’s struggles, and a winless record against playoff contenders. Texas will have to demonstrate their capabilities later this month.
Iowa State
Iowa State’s fluctuating run defense faltered once more, costing the Cyclones the Big 12 championship and a playoff contention spot. Arizona State became the fifth team overall and the third in the last five games to rush for a minimum of 200 yards against Matt Campbell’s squad. Furthermore, the 26-point defeat marked Iowa State’s first loss by more than 10 points since the 2022 season finale against TCU, where they lost 62-14.
Tulane
In a close upset, No. 23 Army defeated Tulane 35-14, marking the program’s first conference championship as they tallied a combined 284 rushing yards and five touchdowns from running back Kanye Udoh and quarterback Bryson Daily. With Navy as their rival in the final regular-season game followed by a bowl compeition, the Black Knights are poised to surpass their record for most wins in a single season set in 2018. For Tulane, this lopsided defeat follows a painful loss to Memphis, dimming the positive momentum from coach Jon Sumrall’s inaugural season.
