2015 Conference Championship Previews & Updated Top 25

Coming Soon: End of the year wrap-ups including the top songs & albums in music of 2015, Bowl game picks, NFL & Bro League Playoffs and before you know it, it'll be 2016 and I'll be in basketball mode!

Many people seemed to have trouble watching Friday night's rainstorm game between Baylor and TCU because of how much it hindered the offenses after the first quarter and a half of football. Personally, I just think that those fans were disappointed that this wasn't the Big 12 deciding match-up we all thought it would be all year long (that turned out to be Oklahoma-Oklahoma State) and people who are used to watching 50-point shootouts/blowouts every week just do not know how to enjoy low-scoring games. I don't know about anyone else but, as long as the score was tied (and it was for the final 2.5 quarters of regulation) and everybody was one botched snap away from losing the game, I was on the edge of my seat. Thankfully, the game went to double overtime and rightfully so, ended with TCU stuffing Baylor on a 4th & 1. The game was an instant classic and the highlight of a maniacal weekend of football both college and professional.

The AT (Andy Todd) Top 25
#1. Clemson Tigers - I think we all keep waiting for these guys to "Clemson" themselves into a loss and out of the top spot but, I'm not sure they've ever had a Quarterback like DeShaun Watson. As it also turns out, Clemson still has one of the best defenses in the nation (despite weaker efforts against South Carolina and NC State). This team will be really tested by an 11-1 Tar Heel team this Saturday but for now, this is the best team in the nation because of their clean record and continued dominance.

Rainier Ehrhardt/Associated Press
Deshaun Watson is the best college Quarterback currently playing on the East coast.

#2. Iowa Hawkeyes - Kirk Ferentz's team of no-names has been rolling behind the best offensive line in the nation and should absolutely play Alabama in the Playoff (if it comes to that) so we can all witness the best o-line versus the best d-line. It's unbelievable to think that this team had current-Michigan QB Jake Rudock on it's team last year and was so mediocre. Now, C.J. Beathard is doing just enough while the team slots in any Running Back they want and the Hawkeyes continue to just ram their run game down opponents throats. It's not the most entertaining football but, it does tend to keep games closer.

#3. Oklahoma Sooners - How did this team lose to Texas?! The Sooners seem to have fully recovered from their Longhorn loss as their complete dominance of in-state rival Oklahoma State shocked many including the person writing this. I always liked this team as a sleeper since the end of last season as they had a transfer QB with experience (Baker Mayfield), a running game that is unstoppable when needed to be used (Samaje Perine, Alex Ross, Joe Mixon), a future-NFL pass-rusher (Eric Striker) and one of the nation's best Cornerbacks in Zack Sanchez. They are stacked from top to bottom and might just hoist the championship trophy at the end of the season.

#4. Alabama Crimson Tide - Way to sneak out a 16-point win over horrible Auburn, guys. 'Bama is trying to get by on their defense and running game alone (as they have in many years past) which works to an extent but, I simply cannot trust Jake Coker to make big-time throws compared to some of the previous Crimson QBs (Brodie Croyle, A.J. McCarron, Greg McElroy). This team knows how to beat SEC teams in dominant fashions (see: LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia) and yet, they've always had that one weekend where they just stumble all over themselves (see: Ole Miss) the past few years and this year's team is not as good as the team that was led by Blake Sims and T.J. Yeldon to a first-round playoff exit in 2014. 

#5. Michigan State Spartans - I cannot figure out whether this team is really great or not nor can I figure out whether Connor Cook really has the NFL future worthy of a first-round draft pick. My opinion on the Spartans has flip-flopped so much this season with an undeserving win over Michigan and an undeserved loss to Nebraska. No matter what, they will always have that last-second win over Ohio State where their Kicker windmilled his way across the field and no matter what, made this season a success for Sparty and company.

"I F***ing nailed it" - Michigan State Kicker Michael Geiger.

#6. Ohio State Buckeyes - No one told them life was going to be this way (clapclapclapclap) but, the Buckeyes are anything but a lock to make it into the college football playoff thanks to the Big-12 already being wrapped up (Oklahoma won) and one blemish of a three-point loss to Michigan State. Thankfully for them, Urban Meyer actually fed RB Ezekiel Elliott the football in their last week's game against Michigan and they won handily and impressively 42-13. This team still has the most NFL talent on it's roster and is still one of (if not the MOST) polarizing team in the nation and I would love to see them in the playoffs again. 

#7. North Carolina Tar Heels - Sure, giving up 34 points to NC State wasn't in the playbook but, the Wolfpack has an underrated offense and the Tar Heels' offense rose to the occasion with a 35-point first quarter and a 45-point showing that did just enough to win comfortably. After losing in the first game of the season all the way back on September 3rd to rival South Carolina (just a 13-17 loss by the way) , North Carolina has won eleven straight and their offense and defense are both very real threats to knock off the #1 team in the nation this Saturday as the teams both play similar styles of football. The ACC Championship might actually be the game of the week for the first time in a long time.

#8. Stanford Cardinal - Running Back Christian McCaffery was silenced a bit by Notre Dame's defense but, the good Kevin Hogan showed up (as opposed to bad Kevin Hogan, who has cost the team many games in his tenure at the school) and he led the Cardinal on a last-minute drive to set up the golden toe of Conrad Ukropina for the game-winning field goal as Stanford walked away victorious in the form of a 38-36 final. The Pac-12 has done a pretty good job at killing their own chances at representation in the playoff and yet, one team stands at two losses in Stanford and the odds may be against them but, anything is possible.

Any team listed ninth or lower practically has no chance at making the playoffs so, a one-sentence summary of where they are at should suffice.

#9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Losing to Stanford kills their dreams. Maybe it's time to join a conference?
#10. TCU Horned Frogs - A win over Baylor should make people think how good this team was prior to the dozen or so starters getting injured.
#11. Baylor Bears - Maybe it was just a fluky game in the rain or maybe they can't just swap in their third-string QB and expect the same results as with the other two QBs.
#12. Florida State Seminoles - Beating a Gator team while it's down is still a win but, an impressive win? I'm not so sure.
#13. Houston Cougars - They caught a lot of flack for losing to UConn (rightfully so) but, 11-1 is still 11-1.
#14. Oklahoma State Cowboys - Mason Rudolph's mysterious toe injury killed any chance they had at the playoffs.
#15. Ole Miss Rebels - A few roller-coaster seasons in a row must have Hugh Freeze's head spinning.
#16. Oregon Ducks - Another team whose hopes were dashed due to an injured QB at one point.
#17. Michigan Wolverines - They still get a pass for their loss to Michigan State but, 13-42 against the Buckeyes? They're making it hard to fully appreciate the turnaround from 2014.
#18. Northwestern Wildcats - Jazz Peavy caught that ball.
#19. Wisconsin Badgers - No seriously, Jazz Peavy caught that ball.
#20. Temple Owls - I wasn't fully aware of how good their defense was until this week's 27-3 win.
#21. Florida Gators - Defense wins championships but every defense needs a semi-competent offense and Florida does not have one.
#22. Navy Midshipmen - Keenan Reynolds definitely won't win the Heisman anymore. It'd be nice to see him invited though.
#23. Utah Utes - RB Devontae Booker is greatly missed.
#24. LSU Tigers - Les Miles was never leaving after all! 
#25. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers - I'll keep pimping MY Hilltoppers until the committee is bold enough to put them in the top 25.

Heisman Race
#1. Alabama RB Derrick Henry
#2. Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott

USA TODAY Sports
Derrick Henry is seemingly part of a two-horse race for the Heisman between himself and Ezekiel Elliott

Conference Championship Previews
Marathon MAC Championship (8 PM ET, FRIDAY on ESPN2): Bowling Green v. Northern Illinois in Detroit, MI

After breaking his hip in 2014, QB Matt Johnson is already back in the MAC Championship with Bowling Green

Mid-week #MACtion has come and gone and now there is just one game left for the conference title. Long gone are the days of superstar MAC QB Jordan Lynch (formerly of Northern Illinois) as we are now in the days of superstar MAC QB Matt Johnson, who is the nation's leading passer with 4,465 yards. Northern Illinois is still good as they have been for the past decade but, with their first non-double digit winning season since 2009, one has to wonder whether or not the magic is running out now without a 100% reliable Quarterback. If Northern Illinois's defense shows up as it also has in year's past, Matt Johnson won't be whistling while floating passes up for receivers like it's no big deal. Even though Johnson is one of the more explosive passers in the league, the Huskies should still game-plan for the running game as starting Running Back Travis Greene averages 5.7 yards per carry. Hopefully for entertainment's sake, this turns into a shootout.

My Pick: Bowling Green 45-34

NOTE: Every game from here on out takes place on Saturday

AAC Championship Game (12 PM ET on ABC): Temple v. Houston in Houston, TX

Bob Levey/Getty Images
Houston has achieved a solid passing game mostly through WR Demarcus Ayers.

The American Athletic Conference has had a surprising amount of success even with their soft-as-Charmin opponents this season. With Memphis and future NFL QB Paxton Lynch dropping three straight, the AAC has come down to the Owls of Temple and the Cougars of Houston. Houston's one loss was to a weak UConn Husky team while Temple dropped two to a hampered Notre Dame Fighting Irish team and a sneaky fast South Florida team that scrambled all over them. Greg Ward Jr. versus P.J. Walker should be a decent match-up from an entertainment standpoint but, with Temple facing the only impossible challenge of the season against the Irish and doing a damn good job against them for an AAC team, the Cougars have a steep hill ahead of them in this game.

My Pick: Temple 38-21

Conference USA Championship Game (12 PM ET on ESPN2): Southern Mississippi v. Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, KY

(Susan Broadbridge/The Hattiesburg American via AP)
Southern Miss dominated Louisiana Tech 58-24 to clinch a spot in the CUSA Championship.

There is not a Quarterback in college football that I trust more right now than Western Kentucky's Brandon Doughty. He reminds me of Philip Rivers and will be a steal for whomever is smart enough to draft him. The rest of the team has been good enough to win their division within the conference but, let's be honest, Doughty and Head Coach Jeff Brohm are the main reason they are there. The Hilltoppers do have a very good Linebacker in Nick Holt and the progress from Corners Wonderful Terry and Prince Charles Aworah (best tandem of names ever) is duly noted. Southern Miss has also had success within their passing game thanks to the money connection of QB Nick Mullens and WR Michael Thomas (pictured above). The only real opponents Southern Miss has had all year all ended in losses (Marshall, Mississippi State, Nebraska) while Western Kentucky barely lost to Indiana and gave LSU a solid half before the defense crumbled and they did it all without starting RB Leon Allen (Out for the season). 

My Pick: Western Kentucky 49-28

SEC Championship Game (4 PM ET on CBS): Florida v. Alabama in Atlanta, Georgia

Gary McCollough for the Times-Union
Pictured Here: Florida's only offense

Alabama underachieves offensively and is tremendous defensively but c'mon... Florida is not winning this game. The suspension of QB Will Grier killed their season despite one of the nation's best defenses and this game will likely be as unwatchable as their 2-27 loss to Florida State. Get ready for an extended depression, Gator fans.

My Pick: Alabama 26-7

Mountain West Championship Game (7:30 PM ET on ESPN2): Air Force v. San Diego State in San Diego, CA

Jake Roth - USA TODAY Sports
RB Donnel Pumphrey has 1,464 rushing yards in 2015

San Diego State runs a run-first offense and after watching their late-night game against Nevada, I seriously doubt their passing game can be trusted to make any serious dents in the armor of the Air Force defense. The Air Force Falcons run the same exact offense but instead of sticking with the hot hand, they tend to mix things up in the backfield by rotating Running Backs consistently. This game is going to decide which scheme works better between the two.

My Pick: San Diego State 27-20

PAC-12 Championship Game (7:45 PM ET on ESPN): USC v. Stanford in Santa Clara, CA

Luis Sinco - Los Angeles Times
After defeating UCLA, Clay Helton's interim tag was removed and he signed a 5-year deal to coach the Trojans

The PAC-12 did a whole lot of cancelling each other's playoff chances off this season and with how shaky Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan can be on a game-to-game basis, it would not be shocking to the final PAC-12 team with a shot at the playoffs to get crossed off against an also inconsistent USC team. USC's only offensive shakiness would come from their run game which has seen better days but, it's not like the backfield options are all averaging two yards per carry, this is still a decent run game. Stanford's defense has also seen better days but always does just enough to let the Cardinal offense be the deciding factor in potentially higher-scoring games like this one.

My Pick: USC 31-23

Big Ten Championship Game (8 PM ET on FOX): Iowa v. Michigan State in Indianapolis, IN

Mike Carter - USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State Defensive End Shilique Calhoun could intimidate the Hawkeyes O-line into the fetal position.

Iowa is a great story and their offensive line is the best in the nation but, Michigan State is the one mighty big challenge they have to conquer in order to reach the playoffs and gain the respect of the nation. In order to win a game like this, they will need to play at the highest level in all facets of the game and shut down Connor Cook. Can they do this? I have no idea. Michigan State is favored by 3.5 points and they match up pretty evenly with the higher-ranked Hawkeyes just with a more balance offense that relies more upon the health of Cook than any Running Back. 

My Pick: Michigan State 31-28 in OT

ACC Championship Game (8 PM ET on ABC): North Carolina v. Clemson in Charlotte, NC

Gerry Broome
The improvement in year two of Marquise Williams starting has been outstanding.

Fact: North Carolina has faced just one ranked opponent all year (Pitt) that is not even going to finish the year ranked. This does not bode well for a team that has to face the #1 team in the nation that has been shutting down opponents with one of the nation's best defenses and has dropped points on their opponents like crazy. Ask yourself this one question though, which team would you rather be on? the team that has won 12 straight and is the current team that everyone wants to take down (outside of Alabama) or the team that has actually faced adversity by dropping the first game of the college football season to a terrible South Carolina team in an embarrassing offensive showing, the likes of which we have not seen since? Okay, it's not that tough of a question to answer (Clemson) but, I wouldn't get too comfortable in picking Clemson to win.

My Pick: North Carolina 33-28

Other games (involving ranked teams) taking place on Saturday

12:00 PM ET: (ESPN) Texas @ Baylor

Best of luck to your teams of interest and may the games all be well played and full of excitement!