UPDATE: The College Football Playoff (CFP) landscape is shifting dramatically as the final weekend of regular-season games concludes, setting the stage for a chaotic week ahead. With bowl announcements and Heisman Trophy voting looming, the stakes have never been higher.
In an unexpected twist, the ACC is facing potential embarrassment following a shocking upset. Earlier today, California defeated SMU, eliminating the Mustangs from the ACC Championship. This opens the door for Duke University to face Virginia in the championship game next weekend, despite Duke’s unranked status and five losses this season. A victory for Duke could mean the ACC champion is left out of the playoff entirely, a scenario that would send shockwaves through the college football community.
The implications are far-reaching. The CFP awards automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, and if Duke wins but is ranked lower than champions from the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, and two Group of Five leagues, the ACC champion could miss out on a playoff spot altogether. Conversely, a victory for 18th-ranked Virginia would secure their place in the playoffs, making the championship game a must-watch event.
As we shift focus to the championship matchups, the Big Ten title game between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana has minimal implications for the playoff rankings, as both teams have clinched CFP spots already. The SEC Championship features a high-stakes battle as Georgia faces Alabama in Atlanta. Alabama, ranked 10th, must avoid a decisive loss to maintain their playoff hopes after surviving a tense win against Auburn today.
In the Big 12, Texas Tech takes on BYU with an automatic playoff bid on the line. The stakes couldn’t be higher; while Texas Tech is in a strong position, a loss could jeopardize their playoff chances, leaving the conference with only one bid for the second consecutive year.
The CFP selection committee’s penultimate rankings will be released on December 5, 2023, followed by the final rankings on December 7, 2023. Expect controversy as Alabama may secure a playoff spot despite a potential loss, while Texas Tech’s victory could complicate the selections. The final spot appears to be a heated race between Notre Dame and Miami, with both teams vying for a coveted at-large bid.
Meanwhile, the Heisman Trophy race is heating up. Ballots are due by 2 p.m. (Pacific) on December 9, 2023, the day after the bowl pairings are announced. The Heisman Trust has delayed online voting until Saturday to ensure that voters consider performance in conference championships. Key candidates include Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. Mendoza and Sayin will face off in their championship game, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the voting process.
As the coaching carousel spins, many schools are making moves amidst a heated hiring market. Virginia Tech, Stanford, and others have filled their vacancies, while schools like Penn State, LSU, and Florida are still searching for their next head coaches. The next 48 hours could bring significant developments as schools assess their coaching situations.
Stay tuned for these critical updates as the college football landscape evolves. With so much on the line, the next week promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.
