CNN
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Conference championship Saturday features four blockbuster games with major implications for the College Football Playoff (CFP).
The Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and Big Ten championship games provide endless permutations for the CFP, but the stakes of the Big 12 championship couldn’t have been simpler – win and you’re in, lose and you’re out.
With the writing clearly on the wall, No. 15 Arizona State put a hurting on No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, winning by a score of 45-19.
Arizona State put the rest of the CFP hopefuls on notice with a dynamic offensive display as the Sun Devils piled up the points against the Cyclones. ASU’s powerful running back Cam Skattebo averaged over 10 yards per carry, rushing for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Skattebo also hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass.
The Sun Devils’ aerial attack was equally impressive. ASU quarterback Sean Leavitt tossed three touchdown passes, including two to senior wide receiver Xavier Guillory, whose highlight reel catch in the third quarter, stretched the Devils’ lead to 28 points.
Arizona State is led by Kenny Dillingham, the youngest head coach in college football at age 34. Dillingham showed he’s willing to take a risky gamble, as he twice rolled the dice on fourth down, converting each time in drives that ended in touchdowns.
Arizona State’s defense also made a statement in the second half, forcing Iowa State turnovers on three consecutive possessions as the Sun Devils pulled away.
There was a scary moment on the first play of the fourth quarter, when ASU defensive back Shamari Simmons got an unchecked run at Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht for a crushing sack.
Simmons was ejected from the game for targeting while Becht left the field to receive medical attention. Becht would later be cleared to return to play.
The Sun Devils, picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 in preseason polling, got the big day started with a statement win and claimed their first conference crown since 2007, when ASU was in the Pac-10 Conference.
Next up on this banner Saturday of college football is the SEC Championship, which pits No. 2 Texas against No. 5 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia’s backyard of Atlanta. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET.
The winner and the loser of the SEC title game are both expected to get into the CFP, meaning Saturday’s showdown is primarily about playoff seeding and conference bragging rights.
Saturday night will feature a double dose of drama.
Big Ten newcomer Oregon will put its undefeated record on the line against conference stalwart Penn State. With the Ducks ranked No. 1 and the Nittany Lions at No. 3, each team is confident it will play in the CFP regardless of Saturday’s outcome.
The Big Ten Championship starts at 8 p.m. ET in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The ACC championship between No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson kicks off at 8 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is the game that has the potential to cause the most chaos of the day.
If SMU wins, the Mustangs are CFP bound in their first season in the ACC, but If Clemson pulls the upset, the Tigers would get an automatic playoff entry as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.
That would leave a two-loss SMU’s fate in the hands of the CFP selection committee, with many experts predicting a Mustangs’ stumble would drop the team below a three-loss Alabama squad from the SEC, which is viewed as a stronger conference than the ACC.
The 12-team CFP bracket will be revealed Sunday afternoon, with first round games starting on December 20.
