Today's College Football Thread (Conference Championship Edition)

[fishwax]

Today’s College Football Thread (Conference Championship Game Edition)

Last night Oregon beat UCLA in the Pac 12 Championship Game and Northern Illinois beat Ohio in the MAC Championship Game. TCU has won the Mountain West championship, Louisiana Tech has won the WAC, and Arkansas State has won the Sun Belt. Today there are more conference championships on the line:

Conference USA Championship Game (noon eastern)
#24 Southern Miss at #6 Houston. If Houston wins, they get a spot in a BCS bowl.

SEC Championship Game (4 pm eastern)
#1 LSU vs. #14 Georgia in the Georgia Dome.

(De facto) Big 12 Championship Game (8 pm eastern)
#10 Oklahoma at #3 Oklahoma State. This isn’t officially a conference championship game, but the winner will win the Big 12 Championship. If OSU wins, they win the conference championship outright, get their first-ever BCS Bowl, and have an outside chance at the BCS Championship Game. If Oklahoma wins, then OU and OSU (and perhaps Kansas State, if they beat Iowa State today) are co-champions at 7-2, but Oklahoma gets the BCS bid based on the head-to-head win(s).

ACC Championship Game (8 pm eastern)
#20 Clemson and #5 Virginia Tech play in Charlotte. (Clemson won the regular season game 23-3.)

Big 10 Championship Game (8:17 pm eastern)
#15 Michigan State and #13 Wisconsin play at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Michigan State beat Wisconsin earlier this season on a last-second hail mary pass.

Big East Championship
West Virginia and Rutgers have clinched a share of the Big East championship. If Cincinnati beats UConn today (noon eastern), they will also share the title. West Virginia would win the tiebreaker as the highest-ranked of the three teams. If Cincinnati loses to UConn, then Louisville would win the tiebreaker, having beaten West Virginia.

One other game of note: #22 Texas at #17 Baylor.

So who does your team play? What games are you looking forward to?

[rurallib]

1. Northern Iowa plays Wofford (go Panthers!)

Nice they put all the games in one bunch tonite.

[Ptah]

2. Playoff games in Montana: Bears vs. Grizzlies and Wildcats vs. Bobcats!

1:04 First quarter
Cent Arkansas Bears (9-3, 6-1 Southland) 0
vs.
Montana Grizzlies (9-2, 7-1 Big Sky)         17


New Hampshire Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 CAA)
vs.
Montana St Bobcats (9-2, 7-1 Big Sky)

[Ptah]

4. Final

Cent Arkansas Bears (9-4, 6-1 Southland) 0
vs.
Montana Grizzlies (10-2, 7-1 Big Sky)       37


Go Griz!




Meanwhile in Bozeman:

New Hampshire Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 CAA) 10
vs.
Montana St Bobcats (9-2, 7-1 Big Sky) 3

[fishwax]

5. woohoo!

Good job, Grizzlies!:kick:

[Ptah]

12. Bobcats win by one. Missed PAT sank the Wildcats

New Hampshire Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 CAA) 25
vs.
Montana St Bobcats (9-2, 7-1 Big Sky) 26

Yea Cats!

[era veteran]

13. Go Grizz

I love Missoula and the difference between it and other Montana towns I have been in was the University. We inherited some property years ago there and unfortunately had to sell it. The neighbors did ask us NOT to sell to Californians though. That was a first for me.

[fishwax]

3. SMU 42 -- Houston 21 late in the third quarter

15 minutes and 54 seconds left to save the BCS bid ...

[fishwax]

6. SMU wins

What a huge loss for Houston ...

[fishwax]

7. Cincinnati beat UCONN

Congrats to West Virginia :toast:

[fishwax]

8. first quarter is all Georgia

Georgia 10 -- LSU 0.

Zero first downs.
Zero completions.

The Tigers did break double digits in rushing yards, though, on the final play of the first quarter.

[gratuitous]

9. Ruh roh . . .

Oh well, the BCS is all locked down for the SEC anyway. LSU could lose 50-0 and still go to the championship. #everygamemattersmysweetauntfanny

[fishwax]

10. Well, LSU has now completed a pass ... for negative two yards

They'd be better off 0-6 passing.

LSU was down by 14 against Arkansas and came back, though, so they've got plenty of time to turn it around ...

On edit: punt return for a touchdown makes it 10-7.

[underpants]

14. Doesn't matter - it will still be LSU Bama in the BCS championship game

this game has no relevance other than the bragging rights.

[trof]

16. From your mouth to god's (NCAA) ear. Roll Tide.

LSU did not have ONE first down in first half.
They're winning now, but they are supposed to.
I think Bama will whip their asses.

[underpants]

18. Bama out played them in the first game

they should have (in a normal game) been up 14-0 but LSU does have a great team and D.

Miles freaked and switched QB's and it didn't really pay off. They only got 9 points.

Bama is really impressive running between the tackles. It ain't Saban's fault they missed two field goals which would have won the game. Bama was clearly the better team but they lost. Glad they get another shot. I actually like both teams.


I have to say that I am amused by the "Mad Hatter" nickname for Miles. His team has won several games over the last 3 years in spite of his dumbass decisions (timeouts if I remember correctly).

[trof]

19. True.

And under the 'old' rules the game would have been a tie.
:shrug:
Not too sure I like the overtime rule.

[trof]

22. Last half is all LSU. 42-10

Geaux Tigers

[fishwax]

11. Zero first downs in the first half for LSU

They're only down three because of a touchdown that, based on the replay, probably shouldn't have counted.

Can they get it going in the second half?

[petronius]

17. The answer to that question appears to be 'Yes'

:)

I can't believe the officials (esp. replay) missed that non-TD. Even I saw it (and I'm an LSU fan)... :shrug:

[fishwax]

21. yes indeed -- LSU blew up that second half

And now a defensive touchdown to push the lead to 32. Impressive.

[trof]

15. SO. MISS waxed Houston. woohoo

[guitar man]

20. It's Bedlam!!

Go Oklahoma State!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[fishwax]

23. .

BOOMER SOONER! ;)

Kickoff coming up.

I'm not exactly confident--but I'm definitely excited :bounce:

[fishwax]

25. OSU looked pretty good running the ball on that first possession

That last third down play notwithstanding.

Maybe it'll be a defensive battle. :)

[guitar man]

26. Touchdown cowboys !!

I think it might just be a long night for the Sooners :evilgrin:

[fishwax]

27. hmm ...

I'm worried you're right ... but now the Sooners are driving ...

On edit: not driving anymore.

[fishwax]

28. 10-0 now

Cowboys are controlling the line on both sides of the ball.

I'm hoping to see Oklahoma run a bit more, as 75% of our plays have been passes so far.

[guitar man]

29. Shut us down on that last drive

OU defense starting to look strong

[fishwax]

30. offense still sputtering though

OSU's defense is doing a good job of reading plays and being disciplined.

Then, too, DeJuan Miller has dropped three catchable balls on third downs that would have extended drives. :banghead:

[fishwax]

32. d'oh!

17-0 after OSU's defense almost scores a TD. Just when the Sooners were starting to get things working on offense, too. Nice play. Ugh. That's all I'll say for now. ;)

[fishwax]

33. 24-0 OSU

Great game for the Cowboys. They're giving the voters something to think about, I think.

[guitar man]

34. Yeah we look good

It's really sweet for us OSU alums to watch em whip the Sooners :)

[fishwax]

35. I imagine so

Shaping up to be your biggest win in the series since 1945. I was at OU during the John Blake years when y'all beat us in Norman by three touchdowns. This, obviously, is shaping up to be an even bigger margin.

It's tough for me to watch, but I guess it's a fitting end to the season. Taking into account the preseason expectations, the injuries, and the how/where/to whom we've lost to this year, it's the most disappointing season in my memory.

Congrats to your Cowboys. You've had a great season, and you may yet get a chance to play for more. :toast:

[fishwax]

24. Baylor beats Texas

Congrats to the Bears :toast:

[Maccagirl]

31. Who's watching Wisconsin-Michigan State

This sucker will go down to the last play just like the first game if it keeps going like it has been. I bleed Scarlet & Gray but this is one entertaining football game-22-21 MSU.