FIW makes predictions for Championship Weekend winners
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While Notre Dame football’s regular season is over, there is still one more Saturday of college football before the bowl games start, Championship Weekend.
The Irish will have plenty of eyes on the results of these games, as they will undoubtably impact their standing in the College Football Playoff rankings. As it is right now, Notre Dame is the No. 10 team, and will see every game but one have teams ranked above them.
It’s going to be another fun weekend, and the crew here of Tim Healey, Dave Miller and Michael Chen predict who wins conference titles on Saturday.
Big 12 Championship – No. 11 BYU Cougars (11-1) vs. No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1)
Game data: Saturday at 11:00 a.m. CST on ABC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Healey – Notre Dame needs Texas Tech to win, and the good news is Tech already beat BYU handily once. I don’t think it will be that easy this time around, but I suspect Tech does it in a close one.
Miller – I love the brand of football that both of these teams play. The coaching staffs are tremendous, and I expect a fight from the Cougars. But this Red Raiders team is nasty. And, well, Notre Dame needs a Texas Tech win.
That home-state advantage will be real inside of Jerry World. The Red Raiders take care of business and ensure a first-round CFP bye.
Chen – While I’m not the biggest fans of rematches, we learned plenty about both teams. The Cougars have a great young quarterback, but that’s the problem, he’s a bit inconsistent. The Red Raiders have just been jumping all over their opponents, and I don’t think that changes this weekend.
SEC Championship – No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) vs. No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)
Game data: Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CST on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Healey – I wouldn’t put it past ‘Bama to pull off the upset, but Georgia is a tough out. The Bulldogs should win. Irish fans want a rout — but I am not sure Georgia will be able to do that. A win, though, I think is more likely than not.
Miller – The Bulldogs will be able to exact revenge from their regular-season loss to the Crimson Tide, but this is going to be a 60-minute game. I expect more of a defensive battle, but with some offensive fireworks in the fourth quarter. Kirby Smart’s squad squeaks out a victory in the final minutes to ensure there is no Roll Tide!
Chen – Alabama was seemingly dead in the water after its Week 1 loss to Florida State, but has completely turned their season around. Clearly them jumping Notre Dame wasn’t the most ideal situation, since they have the same record of 10-2. The Tide could get that third loss and send them back, but at this point who knows what the committee will do. Let’s find out though, as Georgia continues its sneaky good season, as none is really talking about them being contenders, and that’s how they like it.
ACC Championship – Duke Blue Devils (7-5) vs. No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers (10-2)
Game data: Saturday at 7:00 p.m. CST on ABC at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
Healey – Duke has surprised at times, but Virginia should handle business here. Not much intrigue to this game.
Miller – I love me some Manny Diaz, and he did a fantastic job of getting the Blue Devils into this spot. But this Cavaliers squad is fun to watch, and I expect them to take care of business.
Chen – The most boring conference championship game of the weekend, and I highly doubt many will be watching this one unless you’re a fan of either team. The ACC had multiple teams at 6-2, and by its tie-breakers had to take the worst possible matchup. Virginia gets an easy win here.
Big Ten Championship – No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers (12-0) vs. No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)
Game data: Saturday at 7:00 p.m. CST on FOX at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Healey – Indiana is a better team than the one Notre Dame handled fairly easily in the College Football Playoff, and they might have the Heisman winner under center. But Ohio State is heads and shoulders above everybody — even Georgia and Texas Tech. Indiana challenges, but the Buckeyes win.
Miller – In my opinion, these are two of the three best teams in the country. I believe Notre Dame is the third.
This should be a thriller, and I really like the Hoosiers in this spot. Give me Coach Cigs, and I’ll take a cig while we’re at it.
Chen – The game of the weekend in my eyes, the top two teams in the country going at it for the Big Ten title. Ohio State has been a juggernaut this fall, and Indiana isn’t that far behind them. Cignetti has again put his team in position to make the CFP, but how good are they really. We know how good the Buckeyes are, and I think they hold steady and win the conference championship.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: FIW makes predictions for Championship Weekend winners
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