FOOTBALL 2021: Conference Championships

Texas A&M finished the regular season with another loss to LSU and an 8-4 record. As it turns out, the Aggies aren't the only ones dealing with disappointment. The conference championship games will be played this weekend, and several of the usual suspects won't be participating in them. Here's the rundown on the five major conferences, in alphabetical order:

Atlantic Coast Conference (Saturday 7:00 PM on ABC): Clemson won't be playing in the ACC game this year. Instead, Pitt (10-2) faces Wake Forest (10-2) as a FG favorite. College Football News predicts Pitt will win 44-38. Update: Pitt won big, 45-21.

Big Ten Conference (Saturday 7:00 PM on Fox): No Ohio State this year. Michigan (11-1) is matched against Iowa (10-2), favored by 11 points. CFN predicts Michigan will advance to the playoffs as B1G champs with a 26-17 victory. Update: Those Wolverines were impressive in a 42-3 stomping of Iowa.

Big 12 Conference (Saturday 11:00 AM on ABC). This time, Oklahoma is on the sideline as Oklahoma State (11-1) meets Baylor (10-2). Okie State is the favorite at 5.5 points, and CFN expects them to send BU back to Waco as 27-17 losers. I may watch this game since I hate both teams and won't care which one loses. Update 2:51 Saturday: Final score 21-16. I'm glad OSU lost, but it's a shame that BU won.

The Pac-12 Conference (Friday 7:00 PM on ABC): Oregon (10-2) is a 3-point underdog against Utah (9-3), but CFN forecasts a 30-24 win for the ducks. Update: Utah wins in a 38-10 blowout.

Finally, the SEC (Saturday 3:00 PM on CBS); Finally a championship game matching teams that were expected to be there, as Georgia (12-0) slugs it out with Alabama (11-1) as a 6.5 point favorite. Hard to believe now that Alabama's only loss was to Texas A&M. The CFN prediction is that the bulldogs give them a second L in a close one, 27-23. I might watch some of this game after the BDF game at 11:00. Update: Whenever the bulldogs play the tide, they usually end up like Eric Stoner facing off against Lancey Howard. Happened again yesterday, 41-24. Georgia always looks invincible until they play the Sabans.