For the 15th consecutive season, I will be publishing weekly columns late in the season which analyze all of  the FBS conference championship races. Like my bowl bubble watch, there is not really a column like this on any other mainstream college football site.  Bolded teams have already clinched their division or conference. Italicized teams are my predicted champions of their respective conferences/divisions at this point in time.  This list is updated through all games played on November 30, 2024 and includes all of the finalized matchups for next week’s college football championship weekend.

ACC– SMU/Clemson (If the Clemscum Tigers go to the playoff, it will be the biggest farce in American sports since the Rosie Ruiz Boston Marathon win in 1980.)

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Big 12– Arizona State/Iowa State (The Sun Devils will get a chance to be the greatest Cinderella conference champion since Wake Forest won the ACC in 2006!  Iowa State will seek to end what is by far the longest conference championship drought in all of the Power 4 by winning its first conference tile since 1912!  What a matchup!)  

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Big Ten- Oregon/Penn State (After Michigan’s shocking upset of Ohio State, the Nittany Lions have emerged as the Ducks’ challenger in the Big Ten Championship Game.)

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SEC– Georgia/Texas (This is the SEC Championship Game matchup most expected in the preseason and that is exactly what we’ll get next Saturday in Atlanta.)

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American– Tulane/Army (The Black Knights of Army will host Tulane next Friday night in West Point for the AAC championship.  Unfortunately, I don’t believe either team has a realistic shot at a playoff bid following Boise and UNLV”s victories this weekend.)    

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Conference USA– Jacksonville State/Western Kentucky (The Gamecocks host the Hilltoppers next weekend for conference crown.)

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MAC– Miami-OH/Ohio (The Redhawks will host the Bobcats in next weekend’s MAC title game!)

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Mountain West– Boise State/UNLV  (The Rebels and Broncos will play next week in a regular season rematch on the Smurf Turf.  The winner will almost certainly claim the Group of Five automatic bid to the first-ever 12 team college football playoff!)  

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Sun Belt East– Marshall

Sun Belt West– UL-Lafayette (the Ragin’ Cajuns will meet the Thundering Herd next Saturday. The only thing in question is where the game will be played as per the Sun Belt Conference website a composite of multiple computer ratings will determine which team hosts. I assume the home field advantage will ultimately go to Louisiana based on their better overall record.