Championship Week rooting guide, TV schedule, and open thread

Good morning, Dawg fans. How ya’ doin?

I find myself wondering if there is enough caffeine in this cup of java to both cut through the bleariness in my sleep-deprived eyes and the BS speculation about two Big Ten playoff teams being spewed by the talking heads on ESPN.

Hey, the good news is that they are no longer talking about three Big Ten teams.

And, oh yeah, the Washington Huskies ARE THE PAC-12 CHAMPS!!!!

(Yes, I am screaming at you this early in the morning.)

No matter what any “analyst” might want to say in order to keep eyeballs on a certain selection show broadcast, UW is almost assuredly a playoff team. It is a true observation that this has not yet become a certainty. Let’s call it a two percent chance that something wonky could still happen with the selection committee. So, there remains a reason to watch football today.

(As if you needed an excuse.)

So, here is your rooting guide and College Football open thread.

Rooting Guide - Championship Week

#23 Virginia Tech vs. #4 Clemson

Given that Alabama and Ohio State have effectively locked up their invitations, this remains the only game of real intrigue. Obviously, a Virginia Tech win would eliminate Clemson and make Washington a certainty. The only question then would be at what seed would UW end up. I think it would result in UW jumping to #3 and a date with Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

#1 Alabama vs #15 Florida

I can’t see any scenarios that result in Alabama dropping out of the top four. Thus, go ahead and root for a big ‘Bama win. It will ensure that UW is an even bigger underdog in the likely event that the Huskies catch the Tide in Atlanta. You all know how Chris Petersen loves being an underdog.

#6 Wisconsin vs #7 Penn State

It does not matter to UW fans which team emerges out of the Big Ten. If you are still hoping to see Ohio State get dropped out of the top four, then you probably want to see Wisconsin win big. That would take some zest off the Penn State victory over the Buckeyes.

If you want to minimize the risk to UW, the best thing would be for this game to be sloppy and close. If you had to choose a winner, I’d still probably take the Badgers as my team. At the very least, that they lost to both Michigan and Ohio State makes it easier for the committee to exclude them in favor of Ohio State.

#9 Oklahoma at #10 Oklahoma State

It would be easy to root for chaos by cheering for the ‘Pokes. Resist that urge. While it is probably meaningless, we already know that UW is almost certainly in with Oklahoma well behind them. Oklahoma State has a case to make if they blow out Oklahoma. The reason is that the second loss that they took on their résumé against Central Michigan is widely viewed as invalid given the officiating error on the last play of that game. One could argue that Oklahoma State should be viewed as a one-loss Big 12 champ with a win over the very same team that has so substantiated the Ohio State résumé.

Is it a reach? Sure. But it isn’t even a consideration with a Sooner win.

Michigan

The Wolverines are not playing this weekend because they lost two of their last three. This fact seems to escape a playoff committee that is enchanted by the boldness of Michigan’s out-of-conference scheduling.

I’d like to add my hearty congratulations to a Wolverine team that so bravely scheduled a Colorado team that won two conference games in the last three years. Apparently, that qualifies as aggressive scheduling. So, I’m rooting for Michigan to continue to be a beacon of inspiration to ADs all over the land this offseason.

TV and Streaming Broadcast Guide