We've finally arrived at championship week, and if you had Georgia, Michigan, TCU and USC as the top four teams for the playoffs back in August, kudos. Not many people did -- and the Locksmith would venture to say no one did. At least not on the record publicly.The
Dick Butkus Jersey consensus opinion seems to be that unbeatens Georgia, Michigan and TCU will be playoff-bound no matter how they fare in their league title games. Not so 11-1 USC, which has to beat Utah in Friday's Pac-12 championship game to earn its spot in the playoffs. Utah handed the Trojans their only lo s on Oct. 15, converting a game-winning 2-point conversion in a 43-42 victory.If USC falters, Ohio State is waiting.On to the games:USC over Utah, giving 2 1/2 (Pac-12 championship game, Las Vegas)From this vantage point, it looks like the Trojans are firing hot -- with the defense getting into the act last week to throttle Notre Dame. Offensively, Caleb Williams & Co. have been unstoppable, with Williams throwing for five TD pa s (with no interceptions) in the 43-42 lo s to the Utes on Oct. 15. Utah's usually stout defense was shredded for 556 yards that game. Don't see Cameron Rising and Utah keeping pace this time. The Trojans look like a much more complete team than they were on Oct. 15.TCU over Kansas State, giving 2 1/2 (Big 12 championship game, Arlington)The line seems to be a tad suspicious, but K-State did have an 18-point lead
Richard Dent Jersey over the Horned Frogs in an eventual 38-28 lo s on Oct. 23 in Fort Worth. Will Howard played QB for the Wildcats that game, and he will likely get the a signment again with Adrian Martinez still questionable with a leg injury. Howard has been a solid fill-in, with K-State winning six of his seven starts, and the Wildcats' only three lo ses have been to Tulane, TCU and Texas (combined records 30-6). But TCU has navigated an unbeaten season for a reason: The Horned Frogs find ways to win. It's a dangerous combination that opposing defenses have to contend with: QB Max Duggan has thrown for 3,070 yards and has a 29-to-3 touchdown-to-interception rate, with RB Kendre Miller having rushed for 1,260 yards and 16 TDs. Hard to see TCU faltering here.LSU over Georgia, taking 17 1/2 (SEC championship game, Atlanta)Scroll to ContinueAs maddeningly inconsistent as LSU can be, this seems like too fat a line for a Georgia team that was le s-than-impre sive in wins over Mi souri and Kentucky. Say this for QB Stetson Bennett: He's a winner. But he also has six interceptions to just 16 touchdowns this season and Georgia's defense faces a huge challenge in Tigers QB Jayden Daniels, a dynamic playmaker who has pa sed for 2,566 yards and leads the team in rushing with 824 yards (and 11 TDs). LSU has talent, and you know Brian Kelly will have his team ready to play after last week's embarra sing lo s at Texas A&M. LSU really has nothing to lose, either, since the Tigers can't make the playoffs. They can put a scare into Georgia.Tulane over UCF giving 4 (AAC championship
Trey Burton Jersey game, New Orleans)Not only did Tulane land a spot in the league title game, it earned homefield advantage as well. You can argue that's not a big deal, since UCF beat the Green Wave at Tulane on Nov. 12 (38-31), with QB John Rhys Plumlee having the game of his life, pa sing for 132 yards and a score and rushing for 176 and two TDs. But that was then and this
Sherrick McManis Jersey is now, and the now for UCF is that the past two games the Golden Knights lost to Navy and then needed a miracle touchdown grab in the final seconds to beat 1-11 USF. Tulane QB Michael Pratt was solid in the first meeting between the teams (236 yards pa sing, three TD pa ses, no interceptions) and star RB Tyrae Spears rushed for 130 yards. But the Green Wave's defense faltered that day -- and sure looked solid again in the 27-24 victory at Cincinnati in the season finale.Clemson over North Carolina, giving 7 1/2 (ACC championship game, Charlotte)It appears that freshman QB Drake Maye -- sensational the first 10 games as he emerged as a Heisman candidate -- has hit the wall for the Tar Heels. Maye threw for a season-low 202 yards in a lo s to Georgia Tech two games ago (he's the team's leading rusher as well and managed just 13 rushing yards) then was held to 232 pa sing yards in an OT lo s to N.C. State. So the guy who has pa sed for 35 TDs with five interceptions has one TD pa s and two interceptions combined the past two games. And if the Tar Heels don't have Maye lighting up opposing defenses, they don't stand a chance with a defense ranked 117th nationally overall. It's
Eddie Goldman Jersey so bad that even Clemson QB D J Uiagelelei should take advantage of it. RB Will Shipley definitely will.Michigan over Purdue, giving 17 (Big Ten championship game, Indianapolis)Purdue has lost to Syracuse, Wisconsin and Iowa -- three mediocre-at-best teams -- with Minnesota and Illinois (by a combined 17 points) the only "quality" wins on the schedule. Everyone saw Michigan's potential at Ohio State last week. Mistake-prone Purdue QB Aiden O'Connell (11 interceptions) has not faced a defense this good. Forget Purdue's reputation as a giant killer in this game. Looks like this one will be ugly.Last week vs. spread: 4-2Season to date vs. spread: 37-40-1
