Normally by now championship weekend has come and gone, but like everything else in existence, 2020 has altered the college football schedule. While some teams have played 10 games and others three, the conference championships come December 18 and 19 regardless... but heading into this weekend, there's very little drama. We already know who will play in just about every major game. So with that said, as the playoff committee continues to parse resumes, here are the notable conference title games-to-be, and how they could affect who makes the College Football Playoff.
ACC - Notre Dame vs. Clemson: The rematch we've all expected will indeed happen when No. 1 Notre Dame meets No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte on December 19. Their first meeting in South Bend in November was the game of the year thus far, a 47-40 Irish victory in double overtime. This time, though, the five-time defending ACC champs will have Trevor Lawrence under center... will that prove decisive?
From a national perspective the situation is pretty clear: if Notre Dame wins, the Irish will go to the Playoff, leaving Clemson out for the first time since 2015. If the Tigers win close, it's likely that both teams get in (which, honestly, would be the ACC's deep-down hope). The only way Notre Dame gets left out? If they get absolutely annihilated, it would give the committee something to consider, but don't expect that.
Big Ten - Ohio State vs. Northwestern (we think?): This is where all eyes will be on December 19th. Ohio State is ranked 4th by the committee and they look the part of a national title contender, but to this point they've only played five games. At most they'll play seven, but that's a big if... and they better hope they get there. This weekend's game against Michigan is up in the air, meaning the Big Ten really has to jump through hoops to ensure the Buckeyes are even able to qualify for the conference title game. If Justin Fields and Co. are only able to play six games, no matter how impressively they pass the "eye test", are they really worthy of inclusion over someone else that went 8-1 or 9-1?
Big 12 - Iowa State vs. Oklahoma: The Big 12 played itself out of the Playoff picture weeks ago, but we do get a rematch of a Cyclones 37-30 win back on October 7. It would take a minor miracle, but with both teams hovering around the top-10, if there was ever a year to take a two-loss team to the Playoff, 2020 is it.
Pac-12 - TBD: The only conference without a confirmed participant, the league has quite the pickle. In the North, if Oregon beats Washington this weekend it means a two-loss team goes to Santa Clara. Meanwhile, in the South both USC and Colorado are unbeaten, and because their scheduled meeting was cancelled, won't play each other. Because the Pac-12 kept divisions this year, unlike most other conferences, it will mean a deserving team gets left out - likely the Buffs, by way of Pac-12 games played. And more importantly, whoever comes out of the South will play a mediocre North champion. Any slight Playoff hopes will be tossed out the window because it won't be a marquee win.
The solution? Easy: let USC and Colorado play in the Pac-12 Championship on December 18th, especially if Washington gets handed a second loss this weekend. Alas, it won't happen.
SEC - Alabama vs. Florida: Like always, this is a de facto Playoff quarterfinal, and the scenarios are easy. If Florida wins, the Gators are in. If they lose, they're out. No. 1 Alabama is probably in regardless, barring a four-touchdown loss.
Where the SEC really gets interesting is with Texas A&M. The 7-1 Aggies' lone loss is an early season setback against Alabama, and they're hovering at No. 5 in the rankings. Could they get in without even playing for a conference championship? The precedent is there - Alabama did it in 2017 - but they need things to break their way. They need an Alabama win over Florida and a Notre Dame win over Clemson, for starters.
But let's get really weird for a second: say Florida beats Bama, Notre Dame beats Clemson and Ohio State only plays five or six games (or loses in general)... would the committee take three SEC teams?
American - Cincinnati vs. Tulsa: Here's the wild card in all of this. The Bearcats and Golden Hurricane play each other on back-to-back weeks, with a regular season game this weekend leading to the conference title game on December 19. The No. 7 Bearcats are already the highest ranked Group of Five team in the playoff's history. If Cincy goes 2-0 against a team currently in the committee's top-25, that's two quality victories with a 10-0 record. How strongly would they be considered?
To realistically get there, Notre Dame and Alabama have to win, knocking out Clemson and Florida. Ohio State would have to either lose or play five/six games (which still might not be enough). And Texas A&M would have to either not play again or lose. It's a tall order, but Cincy is at least on the fringes of the conversation.