With college football’s 10 conference championships scheduled to be played on Friday and Saturday, and with countless storylines, bowl berths, and implications for the College Football Playoff at stake, the final top spot for the 2023 season. It made sense to do a 10-weekend power ranking.
(All point spreads are from BetMGM. Click here) here For live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern Time and Saturday unless otherwise noted. All rankings are from the College Football Playoff. )
10. Conference USA: New Mexico State (10-3) at No. 24 Liberty (12-0), Friday, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network.
The Aggies will travel more than 1,800 miles to play the Flames, potentially playing in the realigned conference championship game here. In its sixth season of FBS football and first time as a member of Conference USA, Liberty completed its first undefeated regular season in the program’s 50-year history, including a 33-17 home victory over New Mexico State. All of this is a credit to Liberty. The Flames are double-digit favorites to win at home, but even with a win, they would likely need a loss to Tulane to qualify for the Group 5 New Year’s Six. Either way, it was a great season under first-year head coach Jamie Chadwell.
Line: Liberty -10
9. Sun Belt: Appalachian State (8-4) vs. Troy (10-2), 4 p.m., ESPN
Props to App State is a perennially successful program, appearing in four of the six games in Sun Belt conference history, and even if this one was a technical one, it won They won the East Division despite finishing one game behind the unbeaten James Madison. He played a valuable role in the Mountaineers’ victory over the Dukes a few weeks ago. They’ll need to pull off another upset against a stingy Troy team that lost only to JMU and Kansas State. They have a scoring defense that ranks 11th in the FBS in yards per play and 10th in scoring at 16.7 points.
Line: Troy -6.5
8. MAC: Miami (Ohio State) (10-2) vs. Toledo (11-1), noon, ESPN
Toledo will seek back-to-back championships in the only conference untainted by the disaster of realignment. This should be fun. These two teams have the best offenses in the league, with the Rockets averaging 6.6 yards per play and 35.3 points per game, while the Redhawks average 5.83 yards per play and 35.3 points per game. He has scored 27.3 points. Miami’s only losses are to Toledo and the other Miami. The Rockets haven’t lost since a two-point road loss to Illinois in the season opener. It will be interesting to see if this finally gives Toledo head coach Jason Candle a chance at No. 5 this offseason.
Line: Toledo -7.5
7. Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan (12-0) vs. No. 16 Iowa (10-2), 8 p.m., Fox.
Listen, despite a 10-2 regular season that is probably the worst in college football history, Iowa State deserves to bloom. The Hawkeyes found a way to win the disappointing Big Ten West and got their fair share of rewards. As a result, head coach Jim Harbaugh will return to the sideline and Michigan will likely suffer a blowout loss. The Wolverines’ win over Ohio State on Saturday effectively clinched the league championship. No one expected this to be a big battle. That’s why the Wolverines rank so low on this list. Michigan clearly has a playoff spot at stake, but this feels like the most certain outcome of the weekend. The biggest question is whether the total will stay below 35.5 points.
Line: Michigan -23.5
6. Mountain West: Boise State (7-5), UNLV (9-3), 3 p.m., Fox.
After San Jose State pulled off a road upset of the Rebels on Saturday, breaking a three-way tie for first place in the standings, the computer rankings were forced to render this matchup…Spartans The only thing left behind was that many people were still left behind. UNLV will be appearing in the Mountain West Championship Game for the first time. Despite firing head coach Andy Avalos and losing quarterback Maddux Madsen in recent weeks, Boise State finished the regular season with three straight wins and earned a berth in the title game. Secured. It’s still surprising to see the Broncos being favored on the road over Barry Odom and a Rebels team that leads the league in points per game.
Line: Boise State -2.5
5. AAC: SMU (10-2), No. 22 Tulane (11-1), 4 p.m., ABC.
This should be the best match of the G5 Championship, and even a modest match could be one of the best of the weekend. Both teams are undefeated in the league. Tulane is the highest-ranked Group of 5 program, and a win would advance to the New Year’s Six bowl for the second straight year, after a season in which the Green Wave pulled off a dramatic upset against USC. SMU has the best offense (6.55 ypp) and defense (4.5 ypp) in the country, and an upset could be enough for the Mustangs to beat Liberty and earn him a spot in NY6. Tulane’s Willie Fritz has been mentioned for his job in Houston, and SMU is looking to challenge the ACC. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they will be without talented starting quarterback Preston Stone, who broke his foot in the final regular season game against Navy. However, this line has been moving towards SMU in recent days.
Line: Tulane -3.5
4. Big 12: No. 18 Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. No. 7 Texas (11-1), ABC noon.
What an accomplishment for Oklahoma State to get this far. They are led by Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Ollie Gordon II (running back) and Coach of the Year Mike Gundy (who stole the spotlight over Texas’ Steve Sarkisian). It probably doesn’t matter if that provides extra motivation for Sark and the Longhorns. I don’t think the Pokes are good enough to beat a Texas team that is in contention for a playoff spot, but Oklahoma State has pulled off some surprises, including an upset win over the same Oklahoma team that beat the Horns. It is full. But for Texas, this game is a chance to avenge some of the disappointments that have plagued them over the past decade in the Big 12, leading up to their graduation as well.
Line: Texas -14.5
3. ACC: No. 14 Louisville (10-2) vs. No. 4 Florida State (12-0), 8 p.m., ABC.
This became more interesting than many expected a few weeks ago, as Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury. If he’s healthy, it’s highly unlikely this line will be less than a field goal. Additionally, the Cardinals, who had a very impressive and unexpected first year under coach Jeff Brohm, are entering the season feeling a little disappointed after Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. But the stakes are clear, even with reserve Tate Rodemaker behind center for the Seminoles, who picked up a rivalry win against Florida. If you win, you have the right to participate. Nevertheless, the committee is not barring the undefeated P5 from the CFP. In case of major injuries. This should be a great way to end the championship weekend.
Line: Florida State -2.5
2. Pac-12: No. 5 Oregon (11-1) vs. No. 3 Washington (12-0), Friday, 8 p.m., ABC.
There are many fascinating stories around this area. Washington is undefeated and in control of its playoff destiny, coming off a head-to-head win against Oregon, but the Ducks are the heavy favorites and look like a better, more complete team since losing to the Huskies in October. It looked like. Will Oregon State’s win be enough to guarantee a playoff spot? Can Washington get another win in the Pac-12? There also appears to be a Heisman Trophy race between quarterbacks Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. It’s the perfect Friday night aperitif.
Line: Oregon -9.5
1. SEC: No. 1 Georgia (12-0) vs. No. 8 Alabama (11-1), 4 p.m., CBS.
Admittedly, I don’t have a good feeling about this. Georgia State, which is almost quietly (!?!?) gunning for a three-peat, has a good chance of upsetting a Bama team that will need a last-minute miracle to beat Auburn. Or, this could be another classic prizefight between SEC heavyweights. I wouldn’t be surprised in either scenario, but the chaos agent in me wants to see the Crimson Tide win and the CFP selection committee clean up the mess. Either way, considering the stakes, possible ramifications, characters involved, and his final ride to the SEC with CBS, this game earns the top spot.
Line: Georgia -5.5
(Carson Beck photo: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
