College football’s conference championship weekend is here. Eighteen teams are set to face off throughout Friday and Saturday, with postseason glory — and a whole lot more, for a few teams — on the line.
Every Power Four conference will be decided on Saturday. No. 16 Iowa State and No. 15 Arizona State get the day started in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cyclones and the Sun Devils are also playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff and a potential first-round bye as one of the top four seeds.
Though No. 5 Georgia and No. 2 Texas can each feel good about their playoff standing regardless of what happens Saturday, the two are playing for seeding in the SEC Championship Game. The Longhorns are one of five FBS programs this year to make a conference championship game in their first season with said conference.
The 8 p.m. ET window is loaded with action as No. 3 Penn State and No. 1 Oregon lock horns in the Big Ten Championship Game on CBS. At the same time, No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson are playing for a playoff spot in the ACC Championship Game. The Tigers need a win to get in, while the Mustangs can decide their own fate.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the top games on championship weekend.
All times Eastern
No. 16 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Arizona State
Noon | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — It’s rare that an individual player can swing a championship game, but the loss of Jordyn Tyson for Arizona State could do just that. Iowa State boasts an elite passing defense the Sun Devils don’t have the weapons to attack it if the offense is one-dimensional. If ISU keeps the game in front of it, the Cyclones will finally end their 112-year conference title drought. Pick: Iowa State +2.5 — Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas
4 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — It’s always challenging to beat a team twice in one season — Georgia has even been the beneficiary of that truth against Alabama in the past — and Texas will be ready to go this time around. It got the bad performance out of its system in what was one of the biggest sports weekends in Austin, Texas, history. Texas’ defense looks superb right now, the offense less so, and should be able to harass Carson Beck again. It’ll be very close and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd will be decidedly in Georgia’s favor, but I like the Longhorns to win Round 2. Pick: Texas -2.5 — John Talty
No. 17 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU
8 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — This will be, arguably, the biggest test that SMU has faced all season — at least since its loss to BYU in Week 2. That being said, Clemson has some obvious shortcomings this year. As outlined above, its defense isn’t quite up to its normal elite standard, and though the Tigers have shown an ability to put points on the board this year, their offense is entirely too inconsistent to count on. The Mustangs have been a dominant force for a majority of the year, and I expect them to keep things rolling in this game. It will be a close, hard-fought battle, but SMU triumphs in the end. Pick: SMU -2.5 — Will Backus
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon
8 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — I’ve seen plenty of surprise from fans and media alike that Oregon is only a 3.5-point favorite in the game, but the spread makes sense to me. There’s far too much attention paid to Penn State’s inability to beat Ohio State, and it overshadows the fact the Nittany Lions are a genuinely good team! But if I’m taking a side in this game, I’m going with the Ducks. While both teams are evenly-matched across the board, there’s one spot that Oregon has a big advantage: wide receiver. Penn State’s entire passing attack is built through Tyler Warren, and he’s awesome, but what if Oregon takes him away? What’s the counter? Oregon has plenty of options, and it should be enough to make the difference. Pick: Oregon -3.5 — Tom Fornelli
SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for three outright upsets during college football’s championship week. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every matchup 10,000 times.
