Ohio State may be sitting at home after losing to Michigan for the second straight year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some quality games on tap for this weekend with the conference championship games going on.
In fact, if you are still rooting for the Buckeyes to get into the College Football Playoff (and why wouldn’t you), you should be closely tuned to things, especially with what’s happening in Las Vegas with the Pac-12 Championship game. Root for a USC loss and Ohio State is most likely in all of the fun again.
But there’s more than that. Every year (and every week of the season) we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination when it comes to picking Big Ten and some of the bigger college football games.
With the conference relegated to just one game now with the Big Ten Championship game in Indy between Michigan and Purdue, we change gears a little bit and make our predictions and picks against the spread and straight up for all of the conference championship games.
So, who will take home trophies this weekend? Here’s how we see things, but of the “pick six” variety of the six most-followed championship games.
As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. If there is a tie, rather than have a cage match or old-fashioned duel, we’ll settle it with less violence and go with the tried, yet true, coin flip where George Washington has the say.
EXAMPLE:
– If you think Ohio State will win minus-3.5 over an opponent: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
Here are our expert picks for a conference championship week, but first, here are the results so far, before all the bowl games which will get involved with as well.
Results so far
@PhilHarrisonBW: 118-47 (straight up), 84-81 (against the spread)
@MarkRussell1975: 115-50 SU, 77-88 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 118-47 SU, 85-80 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 115-50 SU, 80-85 ATS
NEXT … All Conference Championship Games
Pac-12 Championship game - USC vs. Utah
Friday, Dec. 2
7 p.m. ET | Fox
Tipico Line: USC -3
@PhilHarrisonBW: USC
@MarkRussell1975: Utah
@JoshKeatley16: Utah
CONSENSUS PICK: Utah
Big 12 Championship - TCU vs. Kansas State
Saturday, Dec. 3
Noon ET | ABC
Tipico Line: TCU -1.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: TCU
@MarkRussell1975: Kansas State
@JoshKeatley16:TCU
CONSENSUS PICK: TCU
SEC Championship - Georgia vs. LSU
Saturday, Dec. 3
4 p.m. ET | CBS
Tipico Line: Georgia -17.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Georgia*
@MarkRussell1975: Georgia*
@JoshKeatley16: Georgia
CONSENSUS PICK: Georgia*
American Championship game - UCF at Tulane
Saturday, Dec. 3
4 p.m. ET | ABC
Tipico Line: Tulane -3.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: UCF
@MarkRussell1975: Tulane
@JoshKeatley16: UCF
CONSENSUS PICK: UCF
ACC Championship game - Clemson vs. North Carolina
Saturday, Dec. 3
8 p.m. ET | ABC
Tipico Line: Clemson -8
@PhilHarrisonBW: Clemson
@MarkRussell1975: Clemson
@JoshKeatley16: Clemson
CONSENSUS PICK: Clemson
Big Ten Championship game - Michigan vs. Purdue
Saturday, Dec. 3
8 p.m. ET | Fox
Tipico Line: Michigan -16.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan*
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan*
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan*
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