Championship week in college football is finally, and mercifully, here.
Nothing has been easy about the 2020 season, especially during the past month, but the league title matchups are set and several will factor into the final College Football Playoff selections. Some pairings have been known for a while, even if not officially confirmed, while the Pac-12 announced only Monday that Oregon will replace Washington and face USC on Friday in Los Angeles.
The Pac-12 teams aren't CFP contenders, but the ACC and SEC title game participants are. If No. 3 Clemson and No. 6 Florida take down No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Alabama, respectively, the top four could come from only those leagues. Ohio State, meanwhile, aims for its fourth consecutive Big Ten championship despite playing just five games. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes face No. 14 Northwestern in Indianapolis for the second time in three seasons.
The Big 12 title game surprisingly has some CFP intrigue after two-loss Iowa State vaulted to No. 7 in last week's rankings. If the Cyclones beat No. 11 Oklahoma for the second time, and get help in front of them, they could enter the top-four discussion.
The CFP outlook isn't as sunny for Cincinnati, which slipped to No. 8 last week and has not played since Nov. 21 because of COVID-19 issues. But the Bearcats get a résumé-boosting opportunity in the AAC title game against No. 24 Tulsa.
I spoke to coaches to help break down the Power 5 championship games, as well as the AAC contest. These scouting reports are based on who is known to be available, although every coach mentioned how COVID-19 could impact rosters.
Let's dive in, starting with the two most important matchups.