It’s the final week of the 2024 college football season, and several conference championship games have major College Football Playoff implications.
Whether it’s first-round byes, playoff games at home or just a spot in the field on the line, five league title games will have a lot of stakes.
We’re tracking how each game will affect the CFP field:
Big 12: Arizona State 45, Iowa State 19
Arizona State earned a spot in the CFP with its convincing win against Iowa State, but it will still need help to earn a first-round bye. If the Big Ten and SEC winners, along with Mountain West Conference champion Boise State, all maintain their projected first-round byes, ASU will need Clemson to beat SMU in the ACC championship game to earn one of the bye spots awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions. That’s assuming the selection committee would keep the Big 12 champion ranked ahead of No. 17 Clemson — a likely scenario, considering how well ASU has played and that Clemson has three losses. If ASU earns the No. 4 seed with a Clemson win, it would play the winner of No. 12 vs. No. 5. If SMU wins, though, Arizona State would likely earn the No. 11 seed and play the No. 6-seeded team. — Heather Dinich