Playoff tickets will be punched and the Heisman Trophy could be won during college football’s conference championship week. Nine games will be played over the weekend.
Here are the most important people in college football ahead of games Friday and Saturday:
Ashton Jeanty | Boise State running back
Jeanty and the No. 10 Broncos (11-1) host No. 20 UNLV (10-2) in the Mountain West Championship on Friday. The first matchup between the teams was a thriller and one of the few games Jeanty did not run wild (33 carries, 128 yards).
With Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter idle this week, Jeanty has the final audition for the Heisman solely to himself. He can also secure a College Football Playoff appearance for Boise State.
Per BetMGM, Jeanty is a long shot behind favorite Hunter for the Heisman.
Iowa State defensive line
No. 16 Iowa State (10-2) does not defend the run well (173.7 YPG, 96th), which could lead to their demise Saturday in the Big 12 Championship. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo has been a monster the past two weeks for the No. 15 Sun Devils, rushing for six touchdowns. Iowa State’s defensive line needs its best showing of the season.
James Franklin | Penn State head coach
Newsflash: Franklin struggles in big games. The HC of No. 3 Penn State (11-1) is 1-14 against top-five teams in his career, but he has another opportunity against No. 1 Oregon (12-0) on Saturday in the Big Ten title game. His defense is paramount. The Nittany Lions rank seventh in the nation (169.8 YPG) against the pass. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is one of the most prolific passers in the country (3,275 yards, 24 TDs, six interceptions).
Warde Manuel and the CFP committee
Expanding the playoff to 12 teams hasn’t quieted the committee’s critics. The latest round of rankings has No. 12 Miami (10-2) out of the field, while No. 11 Alabama (9-3) is currently in. That’s apparently not going to change.
“Any team that is not playing right now, we don’t have a data point to rearrange where we have those teams ranked, and so that is set in terms of how we see them going into the final week of championship week,” Manuel said, per ESPN.
He’ll face strong criticism no matter what the committee decides Sunday.
Jim Phillips | ACC commissioner
Phillips must be vocal this week. Miami is out of the playoff and No. 8 SMU (11-1) could be too if No. 17 Clemson (9-3) were to beat the Mustangs in the ACC title game Saturday. Phillips must be more than an advocate for his league — he should demand change. The ACC is losing its footing in the national landscape. This week will be telling as to how it moves forward.
Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers | Georgia and Texas quarterbacks
Beck and Ewers will square off for the second time this season in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. Although No. 5 Georgia (10-2) defeated No. 2 Texas (11-1) 30-15 earlier this season, neither quarterback played to the level he would have liked. After throwing nine picks in a four-game stretch, Beck has been interception-free the past three games. Ewers has thrown only one interception to 10 touchdowns in Texas’ past four games. A CFP bye is on the line. The better QB will earn his team an extra week of rest.
Dabo Swinney | Clemson head coach
Swinney has been feeling heat as Clemson has slipped from its perch atop college football. He has attempted to regain the program’s form of 2015-19, when it won 14, 14, 12, 15 and 14 games and two national titles. A CFP berth may turn some of those critics into believers again. What does Swinney have planned for an offensive attack? SMU held opponents under 160 yards passing the past two games.
Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss head coach
Kiffin won’t be coaching this weekend as his No. 13 Rebels failed to make the SEC Championship Game. However, he is still creating headlines thanks to an active presence on X.
