Welcome to conference championship week, where each of the Power Four leagues will have a debutant in its conference championship game. How about that?
In Year 1 in their new spots, Texas, SMU, Oregon, and Arizona State fit right in and each one of them is favored slightly. Each game’s point spread is within four points. On paper, the close spreads portend a more entertaining slate of games. Last year featured Michigan and Iowa (Wolverines favored by 21.5) and Texas vs. Oklahoma State (Longhorns favored by 14.5). The Wolverines and Longhorns won in blowouts.
We might still get blowouts this year because the game isn’t played on paper, but despite the messy tiebreaker madness we’ve endured to get to this point the league title games should be more competitive. And thankfully, the ones that don’t have elimination stakes like the ACC, at least have a bye week to play for which is very important no matter how much The Monday Read has been told by folks that it devalues the games.
How have the newbies navigated new leagues? Let’s unpack.
Texas (SEC)
Perhaps you’ve heard of the plucky underfunded program from Austin, Texas? A funny thing will happen on Saturday when Texas plays for the SEC title: despite the SEC’s assertion that it is the biggest, baddest and deepest conference in college football, a Big 12 team marched in and finished second in the regular season and sits 60 minutes away from claiming the crown. Is the SEC the best league in the sport? Yes.
But it is not head and shoulders above, the deeper you go. It’s the second time a new entrant has quickly proved it can hang. Missouri played in the SEC Championship Game in its second year in the league back in 2013. The Longhorns just marched into College Station and marched out with a dominant defensive showing holding Texas A&M to a grand total of zero offensive points. It’s a cherry on top for an impressively reloaded unit on that side of the ball. The health of left tackle Kelvin Banks will be the most closely watched storyline of the week due to what Georgia did to the Texas front in the first go-around between the two teams. But Texas proved that they could run the ball effectively without him against the Aggies and redshirt freshman Trevor Goosby was more than up for the task.
SMU (ACC)
If you were positive about SMU heading into the season it was largely due to their schedule. It wasn’t exactly a baptism by fire with only Florida State and Louisville as the only significant tests. Then the Mustangs produced clunkers against Nevada and a loss at BYU with an uncertain QB rotation. Head coach Rhett Lashlee went to quarterback Kevin Jennings full time, it became apparent Florida State was terrible and after avoiding disaster at Duke, SMU sits in the conference championship game as one of two undefeated teams in conference play in the entire country.
With a deep stable of receiving targets and Brashard Smith leading the way at running back, SMU’s offensive attack has been potent since the first of three bye weeks in mid-September, and the defense has havoc producing players aplenty up front. ACC final boss Clemson awaits in Charlotte having found their way to the title game again and that more than anything else truly encapsulates the ACC experience.
Oregon (Big Ten)
Undefeated and lightly tested since their mammoth matchup with Ohio State on Oct. 12, the only time Oregon’s been close to losing is the Wisconsin game at the tail end of a stretch of eight games in a row on Nov. 16. Wideout Tez Johnson returned to boost the passing attack for the rivalry game against Washington, and with offensive line issues long a thing of the past for this team, no team has looked more complete this season.
Arizona State (Big 12)
The true surprise of conference championship weekend is the Sun Devils. In a Big 12 where the only constant is inconsistency, ASU plays a clean brand of efficient football and won’t beat themselves (only eight turnovers all season). Their lone bump in the road since October was the Cincinnati game that quarterback Sam Leavitt sat out with an injury. Arizona State is proof of the 12 team playoff’s value.
In a four-team world, the Sun Devils don’t sniff the postseason after two losses before November. But this format gives them more than just a surprise shot at a conference crown.
Flag plantings of the week
Everyone loves the emotion and the hatred that is imbued into rivalry games, right up until they deem that it goes too far. The Monday Read does not condone violence, but it is always interesting how pearls immediately get clutched when athletes that play a sport predicated on violence get physical with each other at any moment outside of the 4-6 second span of an actual play. At Arizona, NC State, Florida State, and Ohio State, fights broke out when the road teams beat their rivals on their turf and planted their flag/fork into the opposition’s turf after the game. These are deeply charged atmospheres before you add the energy of a rivalry game mixed in with senior day emotions and the end of the regular season. Dustups are bound to happen.
There will almost certainly be a cycle this offseason of conference officials saying that they will take a stand against such behavior in the 2025 season. There will almost certainly be an increased security presence on the field in Ann Arbor, Gainesville, Raleigh, and Tempe next year on rivalry weekend. And after everyone gets over it the footage from this weekend will be spliced into sizzle reels for rivalry week promos next year, and it will all add to the lore that makes this sport great.
Mascot fight of the week
Flag planting wasn’t the only thing that caused a fracas. There’s a difference some playful mascot fun and … whatever this is.
Missing trophy of the week
UMass and Uconn have renewed hostilities in recent years in a series that dates back to 1897. The Huskies took this year’s version, but to the victors did not go all of the spoils. A rivalry trophy for the two does exist and was introduced by UMass’ collective.
The only problem was in the week leading up to the game UMass cut ties with that collective (according to The Hartford Courant). Thus, the trophy didn’t show up on Saturday and Uconn head coach Jim Mora was not pleased by its absence when he didn’t have a jug to hoist after the Huskies won.
The schools have gone into damage control mode, but one line its joint statement does ring a little hollow:
“The trophy was provided to UMass for the first time earlier in the week, not leaving a lot of time to properly consider an official name, secure a mutually beneficial sponsor or execute a marketing plan.”
Since when does a rivalry need a pitch dek? It goes back to what we want college sports to be: organic and fun or just a business proposition.
Surprisingly good teams in each league
To commemorate the end of the regular season, here’s one team from each league that was a pleasant surprise this season.
- AAC — Army (10-1): New offense, no problem for the Black Knights, who will play for a conference championship in their first year in the AAC. Quarterback Bryson Daly has been tremendous and Army has proved that it can still hang even without independence.
- C-USA — Sam Houston (9-3): The most unheralded turnaround job in the country is the resource barren BearKats getting one game away from a conference championship in their second season in FBS after a 3-8 start. In a nod to just how impressive this year was, head coach K.C. Keeler is moving on to Temple.
- ACC — Syracuse (9-3): Did you know the nation’s most prolific passing offense belongs to the Syracuse Orange? Offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon teamed up with former Ohio State QB Kyle Mccord and they put together a potent aerial attack including tight end Orande Gadsen II (the nation’s best tight end not named Harold Fannin Jr. or Tyler Warren.) Head coach Fran Brown says winners get washed, and there were plenty of showers in Syracuse this season.
- Big 12 — Colorado (9-3): The Buffs had an over under win total of 5.5 heading into this season. Goes to show what our friends in the desert know. CU almost made the conference championship game in their first year in the Big 12. They were ready for Prime Time.
- Big Ten — Indiana (11-1): Google them.
- MAC — Buffalo (8-4): Pete Lembo took over in February, and the Bulls were still able to put together an impressive 8-4 season. As they look to regain the Lance Liepold era’s level of consistency, this is a great start.
- MWC — Colorado State (8-4): The Rams got off to a tough 2-3 start and then ripped off a 6-1 conference play record that got them within a game of the conference title.
- SEC — South Carolina (9-3): Another team the 12 team Playoff was tailor made for. One only wonder what would could have been if one score games against Alabama or LSU went the other way. Good luck stopping LaNorris Sellers in next year’s “College Football 25” video game.
- Sun Belt — James Madison (8-4): The first season under Bob Chesney picked up just about where last year left off under Curt Cignetti. The Dukes continue to prove they more than just belong at the FBS level.
Notable quotable: Brian Kelly, LSU head coach
“We’re taking receipts and we’ll see you at the national championship.”
We love a called shot. Let’s see how it pans out for the boys on the Bayou.
Heisman of week: Travis Hunter
It’s his award, no doubt about it. Hunter had three touchdowns and an interception in the blowout win over Oklahoma State. He’s been a revelation all year, and he’ll be the one in New York who hoists the stiff-armed trophy.
Research note of the week
Notre Dame’s defense had multiple full field pick sixes against Notre Dame. If you think it’s rare, well, you’re right.
Playoff projection of the week:
1. Oregon (auto, Big Ten)
2. Texas (auto, SEC)
3. SMU (auto, ACC)
4. Boise (auto, MWC)
5. Penn State
6. Notre Dame
7. Georgia
8. Tennessee
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Bama
12. Arizona State (auto, Big 12)
First four out: Miami, South Carolina, Iowa state, Ole Miss
Meal of the week: Cheese curds at Great Dane, Madison Wisconsin
When in Rome, you eat the fried cheese, isn’t that how the saying goes? No trip to America’s dairyland is complete without some curds and the old glory cheese curds on the side didn’t disappoint. Bonus points for the chimichurri ranch on the side which was also outstanding.
Thing TMR is already excited for next week
The final bracket reveal. Just like last year, the ACC will have a team holding its breath to see if it can make the field. It was unclear how much drama the 12 team format would actually have in its lower seeded races, but the answer is quite a bit.
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