Week 14 CFB Predictions – Conference Championship Week

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Time for Week 14 CFB Predictions, Conference Championship Week. I’ll predict every game, big or small. And remember, as always, join us before kickoff at The Tailgate. We’ll talk about the match-ups, answer any fantasy questions, and get you ready for an action-packed day of football.

Memphis RB Darrell Henderson is the 2nd leading rusher in the country – (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

AAC Championship Game 🏆

(8) UCF 31 Memphis 28

It’s a bittersweet appearance for the Knights in the AAC Championship game. Winners of 24 in a row, they were looking to win their 25th in a row, and possibly, by some miracle, sneak in the the College Football Playoffs. But that all ended when star QB McKenzie Milton suffered a horrific injury. Now, even with a victory, there is no way the committee would put them in.

Led by future NFL RB Darrell Henderson, Memphis looks to pull the mild upset (+3) and end the longest winning streak in the country. It will be interesting to see if UCF rallies the troops around the Milton injury. It will also be interesting to see if Memphis lets their guard down due to the Knights missing their starting QB. I say UCF adds another W to the streak.

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence leads the Tigers into battle in the ACCCG against upstart Pitt

ACC Championship Game 🏆

(2) Clemson 41 Pittsburgh 10

Most experts picked Clemson to be in this game. Not many experts picked Pitt to be in this game. The Panthers o/u win total for the year was 5.5. So to say they exceeded expectations is an understatement. Now, led by 1-2 punch of RBs Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, they have a chance to win the ACC and completely throw a wrench in the Tigers’ CFP plans.

Led by QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, & arguably the best D-line in football, the Tigers have their eyes set on the National Title. As good of a story as Pitt has been, they are no matched for a focused Clemson team. Tigers in a rout.

(Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

Big 12 Championship Game 🏆

(5) Oklahoma 45 (14) Texas 35

In the first in season rematch between the two schools in 115 years, the Red River Shootout will get an Act 2. In one of the most entertaining games of the year, Cameron Dicker, aka Dicker the Kicker, wrote himself into Longhorns’ folklore, as his GW FG gave Oklahoma for their only loss on the year. Now, the Sooners have revenge on their mind, with the possibility of a CFP berth to boot.

Both teams know each other well, so there will be no secrets. The only question is can the much maligned OU defense make a play or two. Expect Oklahoma to win in a shootout.

Ohio St RB JK Dobbins looks to give the Buckeyes another B1G title

Big Ten Championship Game 🏆

(6) Ohio State 41 (21) Northwestern 20

The Buckeyes have score 114 points in the last two weeks. That = good. And with a potential CFP berth on the line, that = better. Their defense is 68th in the country in total defense. So their chances of success falls squarely on the shoulders of QB Dwayne Haskins.

Northwestern will play in the Big Ten Championship game for the first time ever. Can head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s crew slow down the Buckeyes runaway offense? I say no. Buckeyes in a rout.

Middle Tennessee St QB Brent Stockstill leads the Blue Raiders into battle vs UAB – (AP)

C-USA Championship Game 🏆

Middle Tennessee 24 UAB 20

UAB has been a great story this year. The Blazers didn’t even have a football team as of a few years ago, as the school had contracted football. Now, just a couple of years later, they’re back and in the C-USA Championship Game. After going 9-1 in their first 10 games, they’ve lost two in a row. One of those two losses came at the hands of their opponent, MTSU.

The Blue Raiders head into this game with a ton of confidence. Coming off the aforementioned 27-3 beat down of the Blazers, MTSU and QB Brent Stockstill are slight favorites (-1) to win the title. It will be tough and RB Spencer Brown and UAB definitely can win, but they’ll come up just short, as MTSU takes it home.

Northern Illinois WR Jauan Wesley hopes to lead the Huskies to an upset

MAC Championship Game 🏆

Buffalo 28 Northern Illinois 24

Buffalo has had a great season. Their o/u win total for the year was 6.5. The Bulls come into the MAC Championship Game with a stellar 10-2. Led by a Top 30 defense in the country, they have all the momentum to take home the trophy.

Northern Illinois has had an up and down year. They lost 3 of their first 4 games, won 6 in a row, and then lost their last two. Very inconsistent. And with that inconsistency, it’s hard to imagine them beating a tough Buffalo team that’s been rock solid all year. Bulls win.

Fresno St QB Marcus McMaryion & the Bulldogs look to take down the Broncos

Mountain West Championship Game 🏆

(22) Boise State 34 (25) Fresno St 31

The total for this game is surprisingly low (53). Especially considering that Boise has a Top 20 offense and Fresno having a Top 50 offense. And their defenses are mirrored of their offenses. Fresno has a Top 20 defense and Boise has a Top 50 defense. Quite the even match up.

QB Marcus McMaryion leads the Bulldogs into battle and is having a huge year. On the year, he has 3,283 yds with 24 TDs and only 3 ints. He can sling it and Fresno can definitely win this game. The Boise St attack is just as potent. QB Brett Rypien is having a huge year, and RB Alexander Mattison has 1215 yds and 16 TDs. That balance will be enough for the Broncos to get it done.

Pac 12 Championship Game 🏆

(11) Washington 27 (17) Utah 17

Points will be at a premium when the Huskies face off against the Utes in the Pac 12 Championship game. Both teams are Top 15 defenses. The o/u is only 44.

The Huskies had dreams of a CFP berth. But 3 tough losses torpedoed those dreams. Utah would love nothing more than to add another loss to that UW resume. Washington QB Jake Browning’s play has been subpar this year. He has 16 TDs vs 9 ints. But often makes headscratching plays. Especially for a senior. He’ll have to limit the number of negative plays, if Washington wants to come away with the victory.

Utah has gotten similar QB play from Tyler Huntley. He has 12 TDs & 6 ints on the year. The Utes will not have leading rusher RB Zack Moss due to a season ending knee injury. That’s too much to overcome. Washington wins it.

SEC Championship Game 🏆

(1) Alabama 38 (4) Georgia 27

This will be a rematch of last year’s National Title game, where the fates of Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa & Georgia QB Jake Fromm were intertwined. Alabama has been their usual dominating selves. Georgia is flying a bit under the radar this year, as so much attention has been given to the Tide in the SEC.

This will probably be the first real meaningful minutes that Tagovailoa has played in the 4th quarter this year, as all of the Tide’s games have been blowouts. Beyond a bunch of turnovers by Alabama and a clock controlled game by the Dawgs running attack, featuring D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield, I just don’t see it happening. The Tide by double digits yet again.

Sun Belt Championship Game 🏆

Appalachian State 34 Louisiana 20

App St has had a stellar year. Their o/u win total was 8.5. They come into this game at 9-2 and are a 16.5-pt favorites. Led by their lock down defense, the Mountaineers are the 4th ranked defense in the country. They have a great shot at 10 wins and possibly 11 with the bowl game.

Louisiana has a terrible offense (104th ranked). They really have trouble moving the ball. That’s going to be a tall order against a tough App St defense. The only issue would be if the rumors reported by @PypelineMike are true, and head coach Scott Satterfield’s mind is on a different job. That could be problematic. Taking that into account, I still say the Mountaineers get it done.

Other Week 14 Games

  • Virginia Tech 31 Marshall 27
  • NC State 48 East Carolina 17
  • South Carolina 48 Akron 10
  • (23) Iowa State 41 Drake 17
  • Liberty 52 Norfolk State 14
  • Stanford 24 CAL 17

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