#1 OHIO STATE (12-0) v #2 INDIANA (12-0); Big 10 championship; Indianapolis; 8 PM ET; FOX: One would think that a conference championship game between two unbeaten teams ranked 1st and 2nd in the country would be as big a game as they come. However, at least in this year’s B1G final between #1 Ohio State and #2 Indiana one would be pretty close to being wrong. Fact is that both Ohio State and Indiana are in the CFP playoffs win or lose. In fact, both are likely to still get first round byes even with a loss on Saturday, although the committee could find a way to screw Indiana should the Hoosiers lose because its just the kind of thing the committee does.
All that said, though, pro scouts will be paying attention to the B1G title game as it does feature not one, not two, but three top 5 prospects for the upcoming in Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza (#15, 6-5, 225) and FS Caleb Downs (#2, 6-0, 205) and LB Arvell Reese (#8, 6-3, 245), both of whom are generally considered to be among the top 2-3 non-QB prospects in college football. In many ways, though, Mendoza is the guy pro teams are most interested in, especially those looking to upgrade at QB this off-season as he’s just one of maybe 2-3 passers with anything close to a top 10 grade and the one most likely to enter the draft.
At the same time, Downs and Reese are hardly the only Buckeyes’ with first-round possibilities as WR Carnell Tate (#17, 6-2, 195) isn’t all that far behind, while LB Sonny Styles (#0, 6-4, 245) has later first-round potential. Meanwhile TE Max Klare (#86, 6-4, 245), rising DE Caden Curry (#92, 6-3, 260), who leads the team with 9 sacks on the season, and DT Kayden McDonald (#98, 6-3, 325) each have some late first potential, while CBs Jermaine Matthews (#7,5-11, 190) and Davison Igbinosun (#4, 6-2, 190) should figure later in the second-day conversation. Meanwhile, while Mendoza looks to be the Hoosiers only first round lock if he in fact should decide to enter the draft, the Hoosiers also have a number of other very good prospects with at least some second-day potential including veteran WR Elijah Sarratt (#13, 6-2, 215), DE Mikhail Kamara (#6, 6-1, 265), 2024 AA MLB Aiden Fisher (#4, 6-1, 235), and CB D’Angelo Ponds (#5, 5-9, 195).
#3 GEORGIA (11-1) v #9 ALABAMA (10-2); SEC championship; Atlanta; 4 PM ET; ABC: Its going to seem like old home week in Atlanta when Georgia and Alabama meet for the SEC title for the 4th time in the past 8 years. In fact, its the 12th year in a row that at least one of the two programs plays in the conference championship. For the record, its also the 2nd time the two teams will have played this year after the Tide handed the Bulldogs their only loss of the season 24-21 back in late September in Athens. Because they only have that one loss, Georgia is pretty much a lock to make the CFP field even with a second loss this weekend. Not so much, though, for Alabama which could find itself bumped from the playoff if they get a 3rd loss tacked on their record. And that’s preposterous that any team should be penalized by a loss to the 3rd ranked team in the country in favor of teams that didn’t have to play at all.
And in a similar vein to the Big 10 championship game, the player pto scouts are most interested in seeing in Atlanta is Alabama QB Ty Simpson (#15, 6-2, 210) who has emerged from relative obscurity this year to the point that he is now considered to be the ‘other’ QB with top 10 potential for the 2026 draft to Indiana’s Mendoza. , although he’s another guy with a year of eligibility remaining who could return to school next fall. And whatever Simpson’s ultimate decision, the Tide look to be in decent shape to extend their current record streak of 16 years in a row with at least one first-round pick at the upcoming draft, although no other Tide player is a top 10 lock type prospect. LT Kadyn Proctor (#74, 6-6, 365), for example, is currently considered to be a top 15-25 prospect, although his grade has slipped over the course of the season, while DE LT Overton (#22, 6-5, 280), a prototype 3-4 DE, LB Deontae Lawson (#0, 6-1, 230), and NT Tim Keenan (#96, 6-2, 320) are each among the top 2-3 candidates at their respective positions and have at least some later first-round potential of their own. Same for veteran WR Germi Bernard (#5, 6-1, 205), who has emerged as a big-play target this year as he’s averaged over 18 yards per catch and a TD per game so far this year, while C Parker Brailsford (#72, 6-2, 290), who anchors the OL, is more of a second-day type.
However, while Georgia appears to be on track to earn a CFP bye, the Bulldogs streak of having at least one player selected in the opening round for 10 straight years might be in some jeopardy as they don’t necessarily have any first-round locks at least for this year, although they do have a goodly number of second-day prospects including LB CJ Allen (#3, 6-1, 235) and DT Christen Miller (#52, 6-3, 310), both of whom are currently rated among the top 2-3 prospects at their respective positions, along with WR Zachariah Branch (#1, 5-10, 180), the former USC speedster who doubles as one of the most electric kick returners in the country, and CB Daylen Everette (#6, 6-0, 190). Its possible though that LB Allen won’t play this week as he is dealing with a knee injury.
#4 TEXAS TECH (11-1) v #11 BYU (11-1); Big XII championship; Dallas; Noon ET; ABC: Another game between a couple of top-ranked teams that played earlier this year; indeed, it was barely a month ago that the Red Raiders clubbed the Cougars 29-7. And there’s a lot on the line in this one. Texas Tech, for example, has a decent chance to make the CFP playoff field even with a loss, but the Red Raiders have worked their way up into the top 4 CFP slots and a win against BYU would pretty much guarantee them an opening round bye. However, BYU probably needs to win to just make it into the playoffs. Unfortunately, neither team is necessarily loaded with top draft prospects, but Texas Tech does have at least one really hot prospect in star DE David Bailey (#31, 6-2, 250), an explosive edge rusher who led the country with 12.5 sacks this fall and is starting to generate plenty of first-round buzz. In fact, if he tests well, nobody should be surprised if Bailey ends up with a top 5-10 grade. Meanwhile, LB Jake Rodriquez (#10, 6-1, 235), who leads the country with 7 forced fumbles and rock-solid NT Lee Hunter (#2, 6-3, 335) are emerging second-day prospects, while QB Behren Morton (#2, 6-2, 210), WR Caleb Douglas (#5, 6-3, 205), LB Romello Height (#9, 6-3, 240) and S Cole Wisniewski (#5, 6-3, 220) are later round or free agent candidates. For its part, BYU’s top prospect is also a LB in Jack Kelly (#17, 6-2, 245), another late second/early third day candidate.
#18 VIRGINIA (10-2) v DUKE (7-5); ACC Championship; Raleigh; 8 PM ET; ABC: So here’s the ACC desperately trying to make itself relevant as a college football conference capable of competing with the SEC and Big 10 sending a 7-5 team to its championship game. In fact, if Duke can upset Virginia on Saturday the ACC will almost assuredly be shut out of the CFP altogether. Pure genius!! Strangely, though, the one really good prospect in this game is Duke CB Chandler Rivers (#0, 5-10, 185) who has legit early second-round potential. Duke also has one of the better offensive lineman around in G/T Brian Parker (#53, 6-5, 305) although he’s got another year of eligibility ad is likely to end up back at school.
