Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff Writer 166d

College football conference championship preview: Penn State, Oregon aim for top seed

College Football, Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, SMU Mustangs, Clemson Tigers, Iowa State Cyclones, Arizona State Sun Devils, Boise State Broncos, UNLV Rebels, Marshall Thundering Herd, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Tulane Green Wave, Army Black Knights, Miami (OH) RedHawks, Ohio Bobcats, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

The Championship Week slate gives us only nine FBS games, but much remains up in the air as it pertains to the 12-team College Football Playoff. Nine playoff bids are about set, which means three aren't. About nine teams still have hopes of a top-four seed and a first-round bye. Five teams could play their way into the field with a win.

From Friday night's Group of 5 showcase (headlined by Boise State-UNLV) through Saturday night's potential bid-stealing ACC championship game, let's walk through the stakes, storylines and matchups that will define the most consequential Championship Week college football has seen.

(All times are Eastern.)

Jump to a section:
Oregon-Penn State | Texas-Georgia
SMU-Clemson | Iowa State-Arizona State
Boise State-UNLV | G5 title games
Small-school showcase

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