Curator & Coach - Conference Championship Weekend

Curator Sam Burnham

​Three Games to Watch
Ohio State vs Wisconsin
This is going to be a big game for the Buckeyes. Their schedule has been suspect. Earlier this year they beat Wisconsin 38-7. That must still sting up at Camp Randall. The tricky thing will be beating the Badgers again. Beating a team twice in the same season is so hard. This game has added pressure for the Buckeyes. The Badgers already want revenge. But they also have nothing to lose. One the other hand, Ohio State could potentially lose a shot at a national championship. A loss in Indianapolis would nullify those big wins over a Rutgers, Maryland, and Miami (OH). Look for this one to be closer than the first. But also expect the Buckeyes to handle their business.

Oklahoma vs Baylor
Because of the craziness that comes with conference championship weekend, the winner oof this game has a great chance to make the playoff. In fact, I think only an LSU loss keeps this winner out.

It has not been that long ago that sportswriters were penning obituaries for Baylor Football. The controversies that befell the program would have shattered many programs. But the Bears are back.

As I mentioned before, it is incredibly hard to beat the same team twice in the same season. The Sooners eked our a squeaker a few weeks ago and Baylor has not forgotten it. Oklahoma has to play their best game on Saturday if they want any chance at the playoff. Baylor won’t need much motivation for this one.

Georgia vs LSU
This is the best matchup of the weekend. Joe Burrow and that amazing offense against the #1 defense in the SEC. A friend said it best last week: “Georgia’s defense is a cheat code.” The Dawgs have built this season on their defense and their kicker. I don’t think Georgia has seen an offense like LSU’s but I also don’t think LSU has seen a defense like Georgia’s.

This game is in Georgia which sounds like a home game for the Dawgs. But everyone knows the Tigers travel well and will be well supported in Atlanta.

The big big question is what will happen when Georgia has the ball. Their offense has been sluggish and is not hampered by injuries. But LSU’s defense can be pretty sketchy. If the Dawgs get their running game going, LSU will have their hands full.

Upset Alert: SEC Championship
All the talking heads are talking down about the Dawgs. You can’t blame them. All the signals point to the Dawgs needing to hold LSU under 17 points in order to win. That just sounds like a bridge too far. Burrow & Co. are going to let it all hang out.

Like I mentioned before, if Georgia can get their running game going, control the game tempo, keep LSU on defense and play their usual defense, this could definitely be a win.

This scenario depands on the big uglies. Georgia’s offensive line is a brute squad. They really need to live up to the hype. If they take over the game, control the line of scrimmage that is how Georgia get that running game going. They’re due. I think this might be their game. For that reason, I’m putting the Tigers on Upset Alert.

Coach Drew Burnham

​Three Games to Watch
CINCINNATTI @ MEMPHIS
The Tigers handled act 1 of this dual-part series. Now they have to accomplish one of the toughest tasks in all of sports: beating a good team twice. You see it all over the NFL. 2 victories in the same year against a good team is extremely tough, no matter how good you are. Now, try to do it in not only the same year, but in back to back weeks, and you have a real booger bear on your hands. If there is anyone who can get it done, I believe it’s Norvell and his staff. Memphis will get them at Home again, which will certainly help but this is a tall task. It should make for an entertaining matchup.

UTAH VS OREGON
The Pac-12 has a big shot here to receive their 1st CFP invite. Oregon is the one that no one is talking about. They are sliding under the radar regardless of the fat that they are in a “win and you’re in” spot. There is a guaranteed loss in front of them so they should be all set. There is one little wrinkle that I will mention later that could throw a wrench in that, but this is the biggest Pac-12 game of the playoff era. The Utes defense has been stellar all year having allowed 15 points or less 8 times this season. Their ability to stifle some of the high-flying offenses on the west coast, I believe, make them a legitimate playoff contender. These guys are a major sleeper and people need to wake up!

GEORGIA VS LSU
Here it is, the 1st round of the College football playoff. Kind of. Obviously, if LSU wins, UGA is out, LSU will take the 1 or 2 (most likely 1) spot, and everything is nice and clean for the committee. BUT. Lets suppose for just a second that UGA can find a way to actually win this game. Does anyone out there honestly believe that the committee would send home a 1 top 5 loss LSU home with wins over Auburn, Bama and Florida? Should that happen, and should Ohio St. and Clemson both win, then those 4 stay in and Utah watches the playoff from the house. Everything rides on this one matchup. All the dominoes are lined up, which way they fall will be decided in Atlanta.
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UPSET ALERT
BAYLOR VS OKLAHOMA
Here is potentially the most under-rated coaching job of the season. What Matt Rhule inherited at Baylor was a dumpster fire. I don’t even mean from a football standpoint. All the air surrounding that program was toxic and Rhule marched right into the center of it and commanded it with overwhelming presence. Until their first matchup with Oklahoma he had the Bears on the cusp of perfection. Now he has a chance to avenge their only loss from a phenomenal season. (Please see the Memphis vs Cincinnati section if you aren’t sure where I’m going with this.) Baylor has no issues functioning in close games. They’ve found themselves in several barn burners this year and have managed to squeak out of all but one. Tough to keep a good team down. I think Baylor finds a way to sneak out of this one on top and drop some jaws across the country along the way.

Curator’s Picks

OKLAHOMA over BAYLOR
​MEMPHIS over CINCINNATI
GEORGIA over LSU
CLEMSON over VIRGINIA
OHIO ST over WISCONSIN
UL-LAFAYETTE over APPALACHIAN ST
C. MICH over MIAMI OH
UAB over FAU
BOISE STATE over HAWAII
UTAH over OREGON

Coach’s Picks

OKLAHOMA over BAYLOR
MEMPHIS over CINCINNATI
LSU over GEORGIA
CLEMSON over VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN over OHIO STATE
UL-LAFAYETTE over APPALACHIAN ST
C. MICH over MIAMI OH
UAB over FAU
BOISE STATE over HAWAII
UTAH over OREGON