Conference Championship Weekend delivered all the drama one could hope for, creating chaos for the College Football Playoff committee to sort through and figure out. James Madison won on Friday Night and got the help they needed from Duke on Saturday Night, most likely sending the JMU Dukes to the Playoff.
Alabama suffered a blowout loss to Georgia, which creates an issue for the committee, as BYU also lost, which will make Sunday all about whether or not teams should be punished for losing an extra game. To cap it all off, Indiana completed an incredible turnaround, finishing off an undefeated regular season with a Big Ten Championship.
Predicting the final College Football Playoff Top 25
The Tennessee Volunteers will likely rejoin the College Football Playoff Top 25 this weekend after falling out last week. Every loss for Tennessee has come against Top 25 programs and they played close games for the most part.
Bob Chesney's team came into the weekend needing a win to keep itself in the College Football Playoff race. On Friday Night, the Dukes handled business with a win over Troy, making them the biggest cheerleaders for Duke. The Blue Devils delivered the result James Madison needed as they beat Virginia behind their defense most likely sending Bob Chesney's team to the Playoff.
The Iowa Hawkeyes spent the weekend at home as the two unbeaten teams in the Big Ten prevented there ever being a real race for the conference championship. Losing 4 games by a combined 15 points will haunt Kirk Ferentz as this team was a few plays away from making the Playoff.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets didn't play this weekend as their loss to Pitt kept them from making the ACC Championship Game. Brent Key's team will make a solid bowl game, but falling short of the ACC Championship Game and the Playoff after the way they started is a disappointment.
The Houston Cougars were inactive this weekend as their 3 losses in conference play kept them from contending for the Big 12 Championship Game. This team has had some exciting flashes, and they'll have a great chance to finish strong in whichever bowl game they're in.
The Michigan Wolverines didn't play this weekend after their loss to Ohio State last weekend ended their hopes of making the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines will be playing in the Citrus Bowl against one of the bowl eligible SEC teams.
Arizona wasn't in action as losses early in Big 12 play kept them from playing for the Big 12 Championship, even with their great 5 game winning streak to end the season. The Wildcats caught fire to end the season, and they'll be a dangerous team in bowl season.
Coming into Saturday Night, the task was clear: win and you're in, while a loss would knock Virginia out of the Playoff hunt. A successful season for Tony Elliott's group ends in sadness as Duke's defense was dominant the whole night, intercepting Virginia in overtime to seal the Cavaliers fate.
The American Championship became a win-and-in game for both teams as Tulane and North Texas were both ranked ahead of James Madison. After North Texas opened the game with a 7-0 lead, it was all Tulane as Jon Sumrall's team scored 31 unanswered points before the Mean Green made the final score more respectable at 34-21. Having a win over the ACC Championship winning Duke Blue Devils only boosts Tulane's resume.
The USC Trojans had the talent to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff, but they were never able to win the big game. Lincoln Riley will start to face some pressure from the fanbase, but his team is also starting to become more consistent.
The Utah Utes weren't in action this weekend as the two teams that handed them losses this season played for the Big 12 Championship. This team was a darling for the committee early, but they never quite had the look of a College Football Playoff team.
Clark Lea's team is going to suffer the cruelest fate out of any Playoff team as they finish the season 10-2, yet it's not going to be enough. The Commodores tried to get someone to play them this weekend, but even facing a team also in the Playoff mix wouldn't have helped them at all.
Steve Sarkisian has lobbied for his team to make the Playoff, but with 3 losses including a loss to a bad Florida team, this group will be left on the outside. The Longhorns have an impressive group of wins, but they also struggled against some bad teams which will haunt them.
The Miami Hurricanes had an outside chance at making the Playoff with the results of this weekend, but at the end of the day, the committee has signaled that they were going to be left out. The committee isn't going to punish BYU and Alabama for losing this weekend when Miami sat at home while a 5-loss Duke played in the ACC Championship Game.
Kalani Sitake's team had a chance to avenge their only loss and make the College Football Playoff, but they instead lost in a blowout once again. The Cougars at best will remain 11th in the Playoff rankings, but there's a strong chance they're jumped by at least Miami.
Alabama was dominated by Georgia in Atlanta, but the committee forecasted last week that they were going to drop the Crimson Tide one spot while moving Notre Dame up a place when they flipped the teams. The Crimson Tide took a 3rd loss, but they already beat Georgia in Athens which makes it impossible to believe they're going to knock them out of the Playoff field.
Like Alabama, Notre Dame will be watching the Selection Sunday show with a bit of nerves, as there's a chance that the committee doesn't drop Alabama while Miami gets close enough to Notre Dame for head-to-head to matter. Most likely, Notre Dame is deservingly in the Playoff as this team lost two games early, but rallied to rip off 10 straight wins.
Brent Venables' team spent the weekend at home with no worries as they were clearly locked into a place in the Playoff. This extra week should be used to rest John Mateer while trying to find a way to get this offense back in a rhythm, as they haven't been the same group since his injury.
Texas A&M spent the weekend at home as its loss last weekend allowed Georgia to play for and win the SEC Championship. The Aggies have been one of the best teams all season long, and if they can limit turnovers in the Playoff, they'll be a scary team to draw for any team.
Having this week off for Ole Miss was likely helpful as it allowed everyone to reset after Lane Kiffin's drama-filled departure. Getting Charlie Weis Jr back as a player caller was key for this team, and now they'll have extra motivation to play with as they look to prove Kiffin wrong for leaving.
Oregon's lone loss of the season came against Indiana, which kept Dan Lanning's team from playing to defend the Big Ten Championship. The extra week off may help the Ducks in the long run, as this team has been banged up for most of the second half of the season.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders allowed BYU to score on the opening drive, and from there, they delivered a dominant performance. The defense turned in one of its most impressive performances of the season, forcing 4 fumbles, allowing the offense plenty of chances to score with a short field. This program went all in to build a Playoff winner in the Transfer Portal, and Texas Tech just bought themselves a first-round bye.
The Georgia Bulldogs sent their biggest statement of the season with a dominant win over Alabama, avenging their only loss of the season. The Bulldogs' defense looked like some of Kirby Smart's greatest units, holding Alabama to just 7 points and -3 yards rushing. This team has gelled ever since that loss to Alabama early in the year, and they continue to show that they have what it takes to win late.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have lost for the first time this season as Indiana's defense pushed the Buckeyes in a way we haven't seen all season long. The Buckeyes had a chance to send this game to overtime or change how Indiana approached its final drive, but a missed chip shot field goal cost the Buckeyes.
Curt Cignetti has capped off the greatest turnaround in College Football history as he took a program that never had success and went undefeated, knocking off Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. The Hoosiers' defense shut down an explosive Ohio State offense, as this is the clear best team in the Country.