Conference championship weekend has arrived.
Saturday features the four power conference title games that will shape the College Football Playoff field. The 12-team bracket will be announced Sunday afternoon.
Arizona State got things started on Saturday with an absolute drubbing of Iowa State in the Big 12 title game. Star RB Cam Skattebo had 208 total yards and three touchdowns in a 45-19 Sun Devils win.
Here’s what we’ll be following the rest of the day (scroll down for live updates).
No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas
Time: 4 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Texas -3 | Total: 49.5
Georgia used a dominating performance from its defensive front to overwhelm Texas in the first meeting, and Texas’ offensive line could be thinner on Saturday. Georgia’s offense also squandered some opportunities in that game. A loss for the Bulldogs would also be their third of the season, but it’s very hard to see Georgia dropping out of the 12-team playoff field given their current ranking.
No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon
Time: 8 p.m. | TV: CBS | Line: Oregon -3.5 | Total: 49.5
Is the Big Ten title game a play-in for the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff? The Ducks enter as the only undefeated team at the top level of college football while Penn State took advantage of Ohio State’s loss to Michigan to sneak into the title game and move up a spot in the CFP rankings.
No. 17 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU
Time: 8 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: SMU -2.5 | Total: 55.5
The ACC title game could have the most at stake. An SMU win likely gives the conference just one team in the College Football Playoff. A Clemson win could mean two berths for the conference, but only if the playoff committee keeps an 11-2 SMU team ahead of a 9-3 Alabama team that jumped Miami (10-2) on Tuesday in the next-to-last set of rankings.
Live40 updates
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Kickoff is here!
After a long gap between games, the SEC championship is finally underway in Atlanta.
Texas has the ball to start us off.
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CFP is watching closely…
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Final: ASU 45, ISU 19
Buoyed by Cam Skattebo’s 208 yards and 3 TDs, the Sun Devils run away with the Big 12 title in their first year in the conference.
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Ohio wins MAC championship
In the only other game this morning, the Bobcats made a meal out of Miami (Ohio). This touchdown run by Anthony Tyus III sealed things late in the fourth.
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Touchdown Iowa State
The Cyclones have found the end zone for the first time since their opening drive. Rocco Becht is back in the game and he hit Jaylin Noel for a 25-yard touchdown with 7:27 left.
They went for 2, but didn’t get it.
ASU 45, ISU 19
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Iowa State adds FG
The Cyclones finally cobbled together another scoring drive, mostly with true freshman Connor Moberly under center in place of Rocco Becht after the big hit. But they have to settle for a Kyle Konrardy field goal in the red zone.
ASU 45, ISU 13
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ASU player ejected for targeting
The fourth quarter is underway and ASU’s Shamari Simmons was just disqualified for targeting after a huge hit on Rocco Becht. He’ll have the sit out the first half of ASU’s first-round CFP game for that one.
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Touchdown Arizona State!
Who else but Cam Skattebo? The star didn’t even need to break a tackle this time as he caught a swing pass from Sam Leavitt and ran it 33 yards for a touchdown.
ASU 45, ISU 10
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Fumble recovered by ASU!
The Cyclones just can’t stop the bleeding. Abu Sama put the ball on the ground again and the Sun Devils have the ball right back.
There’s still 5 minutes left in the third quarter, but the game feels like it’s over.
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Touchdown Arizona State!
The Sun Devils wasted no time after the turnover as Sam Leavitt found Xavier Guillory for a 25-yard touchdown.
ASU 38, ISU 10
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Interception ASU!
The Sun Devils get the ball right back after a Rocco Becht throw ricochets off a helmet and into the hands of ASU’s Keith Abney II.
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Touchdown Arizona State!
The Sun Devils add to their lead after the turnover with a workmanlike 11-play, 43-yard drive capped off by a pass from Sam Leavitt to Xavier Guillory.
ASU 31, ISU 10
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Fumble recovered by ASU!
We are back for the second half and the Sun Devils still have all the momentum after a fumble by Abu Sama in the opening minutes.
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Halftime: ASU 24, ISU 10
The Sun Devils are in control at the break after a huge first half from Cam Skattebo.
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Touchdown Arizona State!
The Sun Devils are in the end zone just before the half as Cam Skattebo caps off the quick-hitting drive with a short TD run. That’s 140 yards and 2 touchdowns for him in the first half.
ASU 24, ISU 10
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Cam Skattebo breaks another long run!
The ASU star took a straightforward run and broke several tackles for a 53-yard gain to put the Sun Devils inside the red zone.
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The Cyclones couldn’t do anything with their possession, so ASU will have the ball back in their own terri with just under 2 minutes left in the half.
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ASU punts it away
The Sun Devils couldn’t do much after the long pass and punt it back to the Cyclones. That’s the first punt of the game with 2:39 left in the first half.
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ASU hits long pass
Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt just flung it up and somehow Malik McClain came down with it for a 43-yard gain and the Sun Devils are over midfield already.
