Scott Frost, who guided Central Florida to a 13-0 season in 2017, is returning to the school for a second stint as head coach, UCF announced Saturday night.

Frost and UCF agreed on a five-year contract through the 2029 season.

‘Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football as we welcome back Scott Frost, a coach who ignites the spirit and passion of Knight Nation,’ athletic director Terry Mohajir said in a statement. ‘Scott’s love for his players, along with his leadership, enthusiasm and vision were pivotal in making the decision to bring him back to UCF. Throughout this national search, his passion for UCF was clear. I believe no one wanted to lead our program more than Scott.’

Frost went 19-7 in two seasons (2016-17) at the school before departing for Nebraska, his alma mater.

That move didn’t go so well as Frost went 16-31 in four-plus seasons with the Cornhuskers and didn’t have a single winning season. He was fired after the third game of the 2022 season – a 45-42 home loss to Georgia Southern.

Frost, 49, is currently an assistant coach with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. He replaces Gus Malzahn, who recently left to be the offensive coordinator at Florida State.

‘I’m deeply honored to return to UCF, a school that has always held a special place in my heart,’ Frost said in a statement. ‘The foundation we built here has only grown stronger, and I am thrilled to continue shaping this program’s legacy. As we prepare for year three in the Big 12 Conference, I look forward to working alongside our dedicated student-athletes, talented staff, and passionate fans to reach new heights together.’

Frost went 6-7 in his first season at UCF before the memorable 2017 campaign in which he was the consensus national coach of the year.

The Knights sailed through their schedule but were bypassed for the four-team College Football Playoff. After UCF beat Auburn 34-27 in the Peach Bowl and finished sixth in the final poll, the school famously claimed it won the national championship.

Malzahn went 28-24 in four seasons at the Orlando school, but the program was just 10-15 overall the past two seasons after moving into the Big 12. The Knights went 5-13 in Big 12 play under Malzahn.

During his playing career, Frost was the starting quarterback when Nebraska went 13-0 and won a share of the 1997 national championship. Michigan was the co-champion. He rushed for 1,095 yards and 19 touchdowns that season in the run-based attack.

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You didn’t really think this rabbit hole of a college football season was easing through the tape after all the chaos that unfolded over the previous three months.

If anything, championship weekend made things worse. Or better, depending on your vantage point.

‘Thank you, Jesus,’ Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the Tigers’ miraculous ACC championship game victory.

And really, who’s going to argue with that statement after watching what played out?

Of all the improbable on conference championship games, none hit quite like Clemson’s 34-31 victory that sent the Tigers to the College Football Playoff ― and may have knocked out SMU.

Clemson led by 17 in the fourth quarter, and SMU tied the game with a 16-play, 79-yard drive that finished with a touchdown pass from Kevin Jennings to Roderick Daniels Jr. with 16 seconds to play. And that was just enough time for Clemson.

Adam Randall, a third-string kick returner subbing for two injured players, returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik then hit Antonio Williams for 17 yards to the SMU 38, to set up a 56-yard field goal attempt ― from a team that had five kicks blocked this season.

And Nolan Hauser, one of three kickers Clemson has used this season, nailed it.

‘SMU,’ Swinney said, ‘They better be in the dang playoff.’

Well, Dabo, that’s the big question. For SMU and a few other teams on the bubble of the 12-team tournament.

Especially after a wild final weekend.

At this point, after more of the unthinkable and unimaginable, after more convoluted and contrived CFP arguments, the only given is No.1 Oregon. And even that’s shaky.

Because after watching Oregon outscore Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten championship game, it should be clear to all involved that this tournament is wide open. Penn State, which struggled to string together first downs against the Big Ten’s best defenses, rushed for 292 yards and had 518 total yards ― and did whatever it wanted against the Oregon defense.

This, of course, should come as no surprise considering what has played out this season ― all the way to Saturday’s championship games.

SMU paid $200 million to join the ACC, and hadn’t lost a conference game all season. Then Clemson happened, and by the end of the night, Swinney and the ESPN television crew were stumping for SMU. Not that it will matter.

So yeah, crazy didn’t stop with the so-called meaningless championship weekend. It was heightened ― and has left the CFP selection committee with 15 worthy teams for 12 spots. And five worthy conference champions for four first-round byes.

Translation: somebody(s) going to be ticked off when the bracket is revealed Sunday at noon.

The Boogeyman Georgia looked vulnerable all season, and then won the SEC with a backup quarterback. That was Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart after the game, standing on the celebration stage after winning the biggest, baddest conference in college football with a backup who had attempted 35 career passes, complaining about the schedule doled out by the league. Really, he did.

Arizona State was one of the worst Power Five conference teams in 2023 with its last three losses by 52, 36 and 36 points. At one point last year, the Sun Devils lost to Fresno State (at home) 29-0.

That same team – with a transfer portal infusion – lost twice in 2024: by eight at Texas Tech, and by 10 at Cincinnati with backup quarterback Jeff Sims playing for injured starter Sam Leavitt. The same Leavitt who accounted for four touchdowns in the Big 12 championship game.

Boise State won 11 consecutive games, and not only advanced to the playoff with a Mountain West Conference championship, has a slam dunk case for a first-round bye.

Indiana beat one team with a winning record, and is a lock for the CFP because it beat 11 nobodies. And by nobody, I mean Michigan, too.

If that doesn’t underscore how truly disgusting Ohio State’s fourth consecutive loss to Michigan was, I don’t know what will.

Army, like Indiana, won 11 games. The Black Knights also won the American Athletic championship, and with a win over Navy next week, will win 12 games. If wins against overmatched opponents gets you in the CFP, come on down, Army!

Clemson lost the first game of the regular season (Georgia) and the last (South Carolina), its two most difficult games of the year. Then won the ACC. Again.

Miami won nine in a row to begin the season, then lost two of three to finish ― both as a double-digit favorite ― and has been reduced to arguing that Alabama isn’t worthy because it lost three games.

And speaking of Alabama, let’s reintroduce some sanity to this season of chaos. After losing two games to teams that finished 6-6 (including a 21-point loss at Oklahoma), and finishing the season with a win over Mercer and hapless Auburn, the Tide finds itself in a familiar position.

The BCS/CFP chosen one.

Never has one program been so rewarded for so many galling losses at critical moments of the season. Why break precedent now?

Alabama’s CFP argument is rather simple, really: common opponents. Alabama beat both Georgia and South Carolina, and Georgia and South Carolina beat Clemson.

Clemson, of course, beat SMU.

And that whole argument that teams playing in conference championship games shouldn’t be penalized for losing? Georgia was 12-0 and lost by three points to Alabama in last year’s SEC championship game.

And fell from the No. 1 seed to out of the CFP.

Welcome to chaos, CFP selection committee. Now go find 12 worthy teams.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

The College Football Playoff bracket is coming into focus, but not without plenty of potential controversy.

No. 1 Oregon, No. 5 Georgia, No. 10 Boise State, No. 13 Arizona State and No. 17 Clemson won their respective conference championship games to book tickets to the 12-team playoff. Now the focus shifts to the selection committee’s controversial decision over which team earns the final at-large bid to the field, No. 7 SMU or No. 11 Alabama.

In the SEC, the first overtime in the 33-year history of the championship game ended with the Bulldogs beating No. 2 Texas 22-19 on Trevor Etienne’s 4-yard touchdown run in the bottom of the first extra frame.

Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton replaced an injured Carson Beck at halftime and led Georgia to four scoring drives, including overtime. The second win this year against Texas will slot the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals and drop the Longhorns into an at-large playoff bid.

In the Big Ten, Oregon outscored Penn State 45-37 to finish the year as the only unbeaten team in the Bowl Subdivision. The Ducks will be the top seed in the playoff bracket while the Nittany Lions should land at No. 5, leading to a matchup with Clemson in the first round.

Courtesy of a 56-yard field goal as time expired, the Tigers’ 34-31 win against SMU will force the selection committee to chose between the Mustangs and Alabama. While the Crimson Tide have wins against Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri and LSU, that the Mustangs lost by a whisker in a Power Four conference championship game will make it difficult to dump them out of the playoff picture, especially when they started three spots ahead of Alabama.

Including results from Friday night, here are the winners and losers from conference championship weekend:

Winners

Georgia

Far from perfect but good enough to beat Texas for the second time, Georgia doesn’t resemble the juggernaut of the program’s recent past. But there is a formula built around a solid running game — backs Etienne and Nate Frazier had a combined 141 yards on 6.4 yards per carry — and a defense that rebounded very nicely from last week’s rivalry win against Georgia Tech. With the win, the Bulldogs will slot in as one of the top two seeds in the bracket and as one of the favorites to win a third national championship in four years.

MEANS LESS: Conference champions devalued in expanded playoff era

Clemson – and SMU

Clemson’s win will make them the No. 12 seed in the playoff. That this team is in the playoff at all is at once confounding — the Tigers have never looked like one of the best in the country — and also a great example of how conference championship games can retain a high level of importance in the 12-team era. While no longer a playoff lock, SMU should be able to hold off No. 11 Alabama and come in just ahead of the Tigers as the last at-large team in the field. The Mustangs have two losses to ranked teams, six wins against bowl teams and only two Power Four wins decided by single digits. The Mustangs were also one of two Power Four teams, along with Oregon, to go unbeaten in conference play.

Oregon

No unquestioned No. 1 team has ever been so ignored as the unbeaten Ducks. As first-year members of the Big Ten, Oregon scored at least 30 points in every league game but one and enters the playoff as the favorite to become the first national champion of the 12-team era. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel booked his place as a Heisman Trophy finalist with 283 passing yards and four scores, receiver Tez Johnson had 11 receptions for 181 yards and running back Jordan James finished with 87 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon ripped through a defense that entered the weekend ranked fourth nationally in yards per game. The Ducks are what their record says they are: the best team in the country.

Gunner Stockton

Let’s get this out of the way: If Beck is healthy for the postseason, there is zero, zero, zero quarterback controversy at Georgia. Give Stockton credit, though, for stepping out of the cold to spark this offense and for taking a vicious hit at the tail end of a scramble in overtime to put the Bulldogs in position for the game-winning score. (Let’s remove credit for a horrendous interception with under three minutes remaining in regulation that helped Texas force overtime.) The redshirt sophomore completed 12 of 16 attempts and had 79 yards of total offense and led a comeback in the second half. Can’t ask for much more under the circumstances.

Arizona State

Arizona State completed an out-of-nowhere run to the top of the Big 12 by beating No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 to book a playoff berth. Running back Cam Skattebo made another statement with 208 yards of offense and three scores and quarterback Sam Leavitt continued to play nearly error-free football with 219 passing yards and three touchdowns without an interception. While seeding remains to be determined, the Sun Devils will likely be on the road for the opening round. After winning three games last season, Arizona State storms into the postseason as winners of six in a row, three against ranked competition, and eight of nine overall.

Boise State

The Broncos beat No. 19 UNLV 21-7 on Friday night to win the Mountain West and secure the Group of Five’s bid to the playoff. Boise held the Rebels to just 3.9 yards per play if taking out an 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter by UNLV senior Kylin James. In his last showcase before next week’s Heisman ceremony, Boise running back Ashton Jeanty went for 205 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, giving him 2,497 yards on the year — the fourth most in a single season in FBS history. All that’s left to determine is whether Boise State is one of the top four conference champions and earns an opening-round bye into the quarterfinals. That’s a very safe assumption based on where the Broncos have been in the rankings these past few weeks.

Rich Rodriguez

The former West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona coach guided the Gamecocks’ seamless promotion from the Championship Subdivision, culminating in Friday’s 52-14 rout of Western Kentucky to take the Conference USA crown in his third season. JSU ran for 386 yards on 56 carries, averaged 11.7 yards per pass attempt, dominated the clock and were plus-two in turnovers — a pretty clear roadmap for a blowout win. This came one week after the Gamecocks lost 19-17 to the Hilltoppers; in hindsight, it’s clear Rodriguez and the offense purposely played things close to the vest. His success at Jacksonville State has helped rebuilt Rodriguez’s reputation and is one reason why he should be a legitimate contender for the opening with West Virginia.

Ohio

Ohio beat Miami (Ohio) 38-3 in the MAC championship game to earn the program’s first conference title since 1968. After averaging a season-low 3.8 yards per play in a 30-20 loss to the RedHawks during the regular season, Ohio went for 467 yards on 6.4 yards per snap with all five touchdown drives traveling at least 75 yards. After winning three games in his debut season, fourth-year head coach and longtime Frank Solich assistant Tim Albin is the first in program history to win 10 games three years in a row.

Marshall

Marshall beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 to capture the Sun Belt and the program’s first conference title since winning Conference USA in 2014. After giving up a combined 68 points the past two weeks, the Thundering Herd held the Ragin’ Cajuns to just 256 yards, 4.2 yards per play and just a pair of third-down conversions. The Herd lost to Virginia Tech and Ohio State in September but have lost just once the rest of the way in what has become a breakthrough season for coach Charles Huff.

Losers

Texas

Another loss to Georgia rekindles the simmering debate over who Texas played and defeated in reaching the playoff. The Longhorns’ best win came last Saturday against four-loss Texas A&M, followed by Florida and Michigan. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Longhorns are destined for a first-round playoff loss — this team has looked the part of a national champion against this less-than-stellar schedule. But it’s only fair to be worried about a few things, namely Ewers, the inability of the offensive line to move bodies up front and the winless record against fellow playoff teams. Texas will have plenty to prove later this month.

Iowa State

Iowa State’s inconsistent run defense came up short once again and cost the Cyclones the Big 12 championship and a spot in the playoff. Arizona State was the fifth team overall and the third in the past five games to run for at least 200 yards on Matt Campbell’s team. Meanwhile, the 26-point loss was the Cyclones’ first by more than 10 points since losing 62-14 to TCU in the 2022 season finale.

Tulane

Behind a combined 284 rushing yards and five scores from running back Kanye Udoh and quarterback Bryson Daily, No. 23 Army scored a slight upset and captured the first conference championship in program history in Friday night’s 35-14 win against Tulane. With rival Navy to close the regular season and then a bowl game, the Black Knights are in line to break the school’s single-season record for wins set in 2018. For Tulane, the blowout loss comes one week after a backbreaking defeat to Memphis and erases a good chunk of the positive vibes coming out of coach Jon Sumrall’s debut season.

No. 1 Oregon are expected to remain the top seed when the College Football Playoff bracket is announced Sunday after the Ducks beat No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten championship. The Ducks will also have a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

This is Oregon’s first season in the conference after spending nearly six decades in the Pac-12, and the Ducks made their mark, going 13-0 and 9-0 in the Big Ten.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been viewed as a Heisman Trophy contender in his only season with the Ducks and looked like one Saturday.

Celebrate Oregon’s Big Ten title with this new book

Gabriel completed 22 of 32 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Tez Johnson set a new Big Ten Championship game record with 181 receiving yards. Johnson was the game’s MVP.

Updates and highlights from the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis:

Final: Oregon 45, Penn State 37

Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon Ducks beat Penn State to win the Big Ten Championship on Saturday. The Ducks remain unbeaten.

Drew Allar throws a costly interception

Oregon’s Nikko Reed intercepts Drew Allar’s pass, which may have been enough to put the game out of reach for Penn State with less than two minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.

Penn State makes it a one-score game

Drew Allar finds Harrison Wallace III for a 14-yard touchdown with two defenders on him. PAT good.

Jordan James increases the lead for the Ducks

Jordan James scores on a 3-yard run to cap off a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Oregon leads Penn State 45-30 with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Kaytron Allen scores for Penn State

The Nittany Lions running back scored on a 1-yard run with 14:17 left in the fourth quarter. Penn State failed to score on the two-point conversation attempt. Oregon leads Penn State 38-30.

End of 3rd quarter: Oregon 38, Penn State 24

The Ducks have held the lead through the first three quarters of the game. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 17 of 26 points for 233 yards and four touchdowns. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar completed 15 for 29 points for 180 yards for two touchdowns and an interception.

Oregon scores quickly in the third quarter

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks wasted little time scoring on their first possession in the third quarter. Gabriel found Tez Johnson in the middle of the field for a 48-yard touchdown. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. The Ducks started the drive with plays of 11 yards and 17 yards respectively. Oregon leads Penn State 38-24 with 7:36 left in the third quarter.

Penn State misses field goal

Penn State drove 52 yards down the field on the opening drive of the second half only to come up empty after Ryan Baker missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.

HALFTIME: Oregon 31, Penn State 24

Atticus Sappington’s 32-yard field goal attempt was good after Penn State held the Ducks out of the red zone.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks have held the lead throughout the first half. Quarterback Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions overcame some early mistakes to keep it a seven-point game.

Penn State will receive the ball to start the second half.

Drew Allar scores to help cut Oregon’s lead

Penn State’s Drew Allar scores on a 7-yard quarterback keeper to end the 64-yard drive with a touchdown. PAT good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-24 with 1:53 left in the first half.

Allar helped extend the drive with a 19-yard pass to tight end Tyler Warren for a first down.

Drew Allar, Penn State’s offense bounced back

The Nittany Lions shake off the interception from the previous possession as Drew Allar leads his offense 75 yards down the field in eight plays. Allar completes a 22-yard touchdown pass to Omari Evans. PAT good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-17 with 6:41 left in the second quarter.

Drew Allar’s pass was intercepted, Oregon capitalized

Drew Allar’s pass was intercepted by Oregon’s Dontae Manning. Manning returned the ball 24 yards before he was tackled on the 1-yard line, just missing an opportunity to score.

Jordan James scores on the next play with a 1-yard touchdown run. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-10 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.

Oregon, Penn State forced to punt

Penn State has the first punt of the game. The two teams produced a combined five consecutive scoring drives. Oregon’s offensive drive was also stalled on its next possession.

Oregon leads Penn State 21-10 with 10:22 left in the first half.

Oregon keeps rolling to start the second quarter

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completes a 4-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Ferguson. Atticus Sappington’s PAT attempt was good. It is the third consecutive touchdown drive for the Ducks.

Oregon leads Penn State 21-10 with 13:04 left in the second quarter. Gabriel connected with Tez Johnson for 24-yard and 31-yard passes during the drive.

Penn State answers back with a score

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar found running back Nick Singleton for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:24 left in the game. Ryan Barker’s PAT attempt was good. Oregon leads Penn State 14-10. Allar completed a 28-yard pass to standout tight end Tyler Warren before the touchdown score.

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon off to a fast start

Quarterback Dillion Gabriel and the Ducks score on their second consecutive drive to start the game.

Gabriel finds Kenyon Sadiq for a 2-yard touchdown. It was the duo’s second touchdown of the night. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. The Ducks lead Penn State 14-3 with 3:21 left in the first quarter.

Penn State cuts into Oregon’s lead

Kicker Ryan Barker made a 33-yard field goal attempt for Penn State. The Ducks lead the Nittany Lions 7-3 with 7:30 left in the first quarter. It was an eight-play, 59-yard drive (3:10 time of possession).

Running back Nick Singleton played a key role on the drive with a 46-yard run.

Oregon takes early lead

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completes a pass to Kenyon Sadiq, who hurdled a defender before scoring on the 28-yard touchdown play to finish the opening drive of the game. Atticus Sappington’s PAT attempt was good. It was a nine-play 84-yard drive that leaves 10:40 left in the first quarter.

It was Oregon’s eighth opening-drive touchdown of the season, which is tied for second most in the country.

Battle for the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs

With Georgia defeating No. 2 Texas in overtime, the top seed in the CFP will likely go to the winner of the Penn State-Oregon tonight.

When is Big Ten championship game between Oregon and Penn State?

The kickoff for the Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Oregon vs. Penn State in Big Ten championship

The Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State will be televised nationally on CBS.

Live streaming is available on Paramount+ and Fubo.

Catch Oregon vs. Penn State on Fubo

College football Week 15 schedule, conference championship games

Here are the kickoff times and TV info for Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern): 

Jacksonville State Gamecocks beats Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 52-12
No. 10 Boise State Broncos beats No. 19 UNLV Rebels, 21-7
No. 23 Army West Point Black Knights beats Tulane Green Wave, 35-14
No. 13 Arizona State Sun Devils beats No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones, 45-19
Ohio Bobcats beats Miami (OH) RedHawks, 38-3
Jackson State Tigers beats Southern University Jaguars, 41-13
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs beats No. 2 Texas Longhorns, 22-19
Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
No. 17 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 7 SMU Mustangs, ABC, 8 p.m.
No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 1 Oregon Ducks, CBS, 8 p.m.

College football picks Week 15

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of Saturday’s ranked Week 14 games. 

Penn State vs. Oregon odds, line for Big Ten Championship

The Oregon Ducks are the favorites to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions in Saturday’s college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Dec. 5.

Spread: Oregon (-3.5) 
Moneyline: Oregon (-185); Penn State (+150) 
Over/under: 50.5

College GameDay at Week 15: Timothée Chalamet shines

Penn State vs. Oregon all-time record 

The Oregon Ducks have played the Penn State Nittany Lions four times since their first matchup in 1960. Penn State leads the all-time series with a 3-1 record.

In their most recent encounter in 1995, the Nittany Lions won 38-20.

College Football Playoff bracket scenarios. Five possible outcomes this weekend

The College Football Playoff selection committee is hoping for a paint-by-numbers Sunday that sees no changes from the penultimate rankings and, most critically, avoids any major outrage over the debut 12-team bracket.

Committee chairman Warde Manuel implied teams already in the clubhouse —such as Ohio State, Tennessee and Indiana — won’t be rearranged after conference championship weekend, though SMU could move up the rankings by beating Clemson to win the ACC.

While there are only so many possibilities that could unfold, the potential for a predictable bracket would be upended by one or more upsets on Friday and Saturday. Here are five scenarios still on the table leading into the final rankings and playoff matchups. — Paul Myerberg

College Football Fix podcast 

Looking ahead to the weekend’s nine conference championship games, there will be top-five matchups in the Big Ten and SEC. The Big 12 will settle its entry into the playoff, while the Mountain West likely determines the Group of Five participant. Who will emerge victorious this weekend?

US LBM Coaches Poll 

The US LBM Coaches Poll for Week 15 is out after some unexpected results last week, and the top looks different from the preseason version. Here is how the top-25 shapes out ahead of Saturday’s action.

College football bowl projections 

Sometimes the penultimate weekend of the college football season can make the playoff picture clearer. There are just a handful of championship games left and a finite amount of results combinations can make things easier to predict.

That’s not the case this year, even with the expanded 12-team field in place for the first time. There are at-large candidates with their regular season over and how the committee will sort them is anybody’s guess. There’s five conferences vying for first-round byes and the championship games will sort out those races. And how the seeding among all these teams are impacted by the games this weekend is unclear. — Erick Smith 

College football Re-Rank 1-134 

Texas climbs to No. 2, Ohio State drops to No. 7 and the reputation of the ACC takes a big hit in this week’s USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after some wild results on rivalry weekend. — Paul Myerberg

College football 2024 season predictions 

The experts at USA TODAY Sports offer predictions for the season ahead, including which 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. Who wins the national championship? 

Scooby Axson: Ohio State 
Jordan Mendoza: Oregon 
Paul Myerberg: Georgia 
Erick Smith: Georgia 
Eddie Timanus: Ohio State 
Dan Wolken: Ohio State

How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024? 

In the 2024-25 season, 12 teams will qualify for the College Football Playoff. The top five conference champions will earn automatic bids, with the top four earning a first-round bye. The remaining seven highest-ranked teams will complete the 12-team field.

How does College Football Playoff format work? 

The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.

‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’

When College Football Playoff rankings come out 

The final of six College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings will be released on Sunday, Dec. 8, after Week 15 games at 12 p.m. ET.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show 

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 8
Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The Detroit Lions already wrapped up their postseason berth this week, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills as firmly entrenched in the NFL playoff picture. Which teams could follow their lead in Week 14?

Other than the Chiefs wrapping up their ninth consecutive AFC West crown with a simple win over the Los Angeles Chargers in ‘Sunday Night Football,’ the remaining candidates face complicated paths in their clinching scenarios. While the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to join the Lions in the NFC field, each will need to win or tie against their respective opponents and then receive some help elsewhere.

Here are all the NFL clinching scenarios to know for Sunday:

NFL playoff scenarios – Week 14

Kansas City Chiefs

Clinch AFC West title with:

Chiefs win

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Minnesota Vikings

Clinch playoff berth with:

Vikings win + Seahawks-Cardinals tie
Vikings win + Cardinals loss + Rams loss or tie
Vikings tie + Buccaneers loss + Cardinals loss + Rams loss
Vikings tie + Cardinals tie + Rams loss + Eagles win or tie

Philadelphia Eagles

Clinch playoff berth with:

Eagles win + Falcons loss or tie + Seahawks-Cardinals tie
Eagles win + Falcons loss or tie + Cardinals loss
Eagles win + Buccaneers loss or tie + Seahawks-Cardinals tie
Eagles win + Buccaneers loss or tie + Cardinals loss
Eagles tie + Falcons loss + Seahawks-Cardinals tie
Eagles tie + Falcons loss + Cardinals loss + Rams loss or tie
Eagles tie + Buccaneers loss + Seahawks-Cardinals tie
Eagles tie + Buccaneers loss + Cardinals loss + Rams loss or tie

The 2024 college football conference championship weekend has concluded with all games that will factor into the Heisman Trophy race now being finalized.

Running backs Ashton Jeanty and Cameron Skattebo shined in the spotlight on conference championship weekend.

It served as their final audition for some contenders before Heisman Trophy votes were submitted.

Here are some of the top storylines coming out of Saturday’s games:

Heisman favorites: Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty

Colorado star Travis Hunter was idle this week but remains the favorite for the sport’s most coveted individual award.

Hunter had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games played. He also had one rushing touchdown. On defense, he recorded 32 tackles (one for a loss), four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Jeanty finished the season with 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns in 13 games this season. He added 116 receiving yards and a touchdown on 20 receptions.

Dillon Gabriel makes a final push with Oregon

Dillon Gabriel completed 22 of 32 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns in the Ducks’ 45-37 victory over Penn State to capture the Big Ten Championship.

Gabriel has completed 275 of 374 pass attempts for 3,275 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games played. He also contributed to the run game with 175 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 carries.

The sixth-year senior is expected to be invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Skattebo shines for Arizona State

Skattebo produced a strong outing in Arizona State’s 45-19 victory over Iowa State to capture the Big 12 Championship in its first season in the conference. Skattebo had 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He added two receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Skattebo’s performance created some buzz for himself following the game but it may be too little, too late for the senior. He finished the season with 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 468 receiving yards and two touchdowns through 12 games but any lasting impressions he made on Saturday might not be enough to earn enough votes to be a true darkhorse contender and earn a trip to New York.

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ATLANTA – On Texas’ first snap of overtime in the SEC championship game, it wasn’t Quinn Ewers coming out of the huddle but rather Arch Manning.

It was a curious spot for Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian to insert a quarterback who had barely played all day. It’s also likely going to be a metaphor for the biggest what-if of Texas’ season.

Manning was only in the game to run the ball. After one play, the future of Texas football went back to the sidelines and the present came back in. As it had all day with Ewers at the controls, the Texas offense stalled in the red zone and settled for a field goal. A few minutes later, the Longhorns had lost to Georgia, 22-19.

“We had plenty of opportunities to go capitalize,” Ewers said. “Some games go that way. But it’s cool. With the new 12-team playoff, we get to keep playing ball.”

Indeed, despite entering Selection Sunday with no wins against teams in the committee’s top 25, Texas’ 11-2 record is going to be enough to get this team into the College Football Playoff.

But the Longhorns don’t look like a team that is going to be there long. They haven’t since mid-October. With an offense that can’t run the ball, doesn’t block particularly well, drops too many passes and commits devastating, mind-numbing turnovers, Texas is in danger of wasting the nation’s best defense and squandering a golden opportunity to win a CFP championship that truly seems up for grabs.

And if Texas suffers an early exit in similar fashion to the way it lost to Georgia on Saturday, Sarkisian’s decision to ride with Ewers rather than make the transition to Manning will be the subject of heated debate for years to come.

“This one stings,” Sarkisian said. “It’s hard, but the beauty of it for us is we get a chance to regroup in a couple weeks and get into the playoff and go compete for a national championship, and I think we’re plenty good enough to win that.”

Texas might be collectively. But is Ewers?

The reality is that since beating Oklahoma 34-3, Texas’ offense has been pedestrian for two consecutive months outside of a 49-point outburst against Florida on Nov. 9. The four games after that, Texas scored 20 against Arkansas, had a teeth-pulling 31 against Kentucky, beat Texas A&M just 17-7 in a game they dominated statistically and couldn’t put away Georgia despite holding the Bulldogs to 277 yards.

Some of that is certainly related to Ewers’ health. He missed two games earlier this year with an oblique injury and has been dealing with an ankle sprain late in the season. But no matter what injuries he’s dealing with, Ewers has to be great for Texas to be great.

Against A&M, a pick-six followed by a fumble on the next possession gave the Aggies a chance to hang around in the second half. And against Georgia, Ewers made a couple spectacular, backyard-style throws on third-and-long early on to get drives going. But as the game wore on, he seemed more and more limited in his foot speed, passing accuracy and ability to process what was coming at him from Georgia’s defense. His second interception, with 3:36 remaining in the game, was just a flat-out poor throw into single coverage against minimal pressure.

There were also issues in the first half, as Ewers couldn’t get a touchdown on the board despite three first-half trips to the edge of the red zone. Failing to get that separation on the scoreboard was the biggest reason Texas lost this game.

“I wish we could have executed earlier in the game and stretched the lead,” Sarkisian said. “Late in the game, some of those throw situations and in the overtime was a microcosm of the game. We couldn’t put it in the end zone, and it opened the door for them to score and win the game. If we’re fortunate enough to see them again, we have to improve in that area.”

It’s unclear how much the CFP selection committee will punish Texas for this performance. On one hand, it’s just not a very impressive resume with wins over Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Michigan as the highlights. But having just two losses, both to Georgia, will probably save the Longhorns from falling too far.

The question is whether some of these clear offensive concerns would be as troubling if Manning were running the show.

As media members, we don’t see practice. We don’t really know what goes on behind closed doors. Coaches are not typically in the business of keeping their best quarterback on the bench, but this is an unusual situation as Ewers led Texas to the playoff last year and returned for one more college season despite being NFL draft-eligible. It would be hard – and controversial – for a lot of reasons if Sarkisian had made a quarterback switch late in the season.

But deep down, every Texas fan has to be wondering whether the best player right now is on the field for Texas. We don’t know yet what Manning’s ceiling really is, but he performed admirably when he had to step in early in the season against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. He also adds a running element that Texas doesn’t have – but needs with its offensive line issues – especially given Ewers’ ankle injury.

Sarkisian, though, has decided that this is Ewers’ team come hell or high water. Aside from a brief glimpse of Manning here or there like we saw in overtime Saturday, we’ll never know how far Texas might have gone if he’d been given the car keys for good.

With Ewers playing like this, though, it’s hard to imagine Texas will have more than a short stay in the playoff.

It didn’t matter.

Not only did he return to the game, he scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2.

It was just the latest example of how the Capitals have gone 6-2-1 since red-hot scorer and captain Alex Ovechkin went out with a fractured fibula last month, pausing his chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.

The puck to Wilson’s face happened with about eight minutes left in the first period. He returned to the ice with a little more than a minute left in the first.

‘My dad always told me if you’re good to play, you play,’ Wilson told Sportsnet after the game. ‘I went to the room and got checked out and felt good enough to get back out there.’

The Capitals were down 2-0 at that point, but Pierre-Luc Dubois scored 33 seconds into the second period and Wilson scored at 7:10 and 11:48 of the third period to put Washington ahead 3-2. Dylan Strome made it 4-2 with a power-play goal.

Wilson realized his face didn’t look great but said he was feeling pretty good at the moment.

‘We’ll see when we land after the flight and try to get to bed,’ he said. ‘It might set in a little bit, but it’s a fun win.’

ATLANTA – Down in these parts, they love to talk about the inspiration of former Southeastern Conference commissioner Roy Kramer, who bucked the trends of college football and created a conference title game in 1992 that in some ways grew to become as big an event as the national championship itself.

For college football’s most storied conference, this game has been everything in the 30-plus years since: A driver of the SEC’s brand, a standalone accomplishment that also defined the postseason whether it was the BCS or College Football Playoff and a carrot for fan bases who have traditionally treated this game almost like a mini-Super Bowl.

“I still remember my senior year of high school playing in the playoffs,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this week. “It was a Saturday night game and Alabama was playing Florida in one of the greatest SEC championship games of all time. I remember listening to the radio, hearing the outcome as I was getting ready to play in our game.”

And one day, sometime in the future, there will be another Kirby Smart somewhere out there reminiscing about the good old days when the SEC could fill Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Because here’s the most interesting thing that happened Saturday as Georgia won a wild 22-19 overtime decision in a game where both teams were playoff-bound no matter what: Despite announcing a crowd of 74,916, the SEC didn’t fill the building – not even close, really.

Even though this venue sits in the middle of a city where millions of Georgia fans live. Even though Texas, after a long buildup to joining the SEC, had a chance to win just its second conference championship in the last 15 years.

A lot of people in those two mega fan bases looked at the opportunity to watch two blueblood college football brands in a great stadium for an allegedly important title and said: “Nah.” How many empty seats were there? Hard to say, but enough to notice – particularly in the upper deck, where there were dozens and dozens of rows that had more unoccupied chairbacks than people.

That’s new for the SEC championship game. And it should be a warning for all of college football. Even in the SEC where “It Just Means More,” fans have decided that conference championships in the 12-team College Football Playoff era mean a whole lot less.

And they’re not wrong.

For better or worse, the sport has changed. Even the SEC isn’t immune. In years past, SEC fans and even administrators would sneer at other conferences that couldn’t fill seats for a championship game. Now, it’s their reality too.

Just look at the Big 12 championship game, where at least 25 percent of the stadium was empty to watch Arizona State and Iowa State. Or the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, where you could have gone online Saturday afternoon and scored a ticket in the upper deck for about $30 – largely because Oregon fans weren’t going to travel nearly all the way across the country when their team is in the playoff win or lose.

Even if you thought the SEC wouldn’t feel those same headwinds because of history and geography, Saturday made clear there is a limit to how much greed fans will tolerate and where their priorities now lie.

And it is no longer watching their team try to win a conference championship.

In the SEC championship’s heyday, this game was such a big deal because the winner was almost certainly going to play for the Bowl Championship Series title. There was just one more game after this one, and often the SEC championship was a tougher test.

When college football finally adopted a four-team playoff, it added some stress to fans’ decision-making: Would they lay out their hard-earned money to go to the semifinals or keep their powder dry for the championship? Mostly, though, that didn’t impact the SEC because Atlanta is an easy road trip for most of the league and this game was usually like a play-in for the playoff. It meant a lot.

But now, by expanding the playoff to 12, Texas or Georgia fans have to potentially pay for three road trips to follow their team to a national championship. And not just any road trips: When you factor in flights, meals, jacked-up hotel prices and expensive game tickets, it’s just not financially viable except for the wealthiest families.

It suggests that college football officials, as they evaluate this season, need to think carefully about where conference championship weekend fits in the bigger picture. The 12-team playoff helped make this regular season arguably the most exciting in a generation. But the championship games didn’t have the same urgency, and in Georgia’s case may have been actively harmful. Despite getting a jolt from backup Gunner Stockton in the second half, starting quarterback Carson Beck’s arm injury could have major implications for the Bulldogs’ playoff chances if he isn’t 100 percent in a few weeks.

You can’t expect conferences and television networks to just sacrifice championship games. They are still huge moneymakers, empty seats and all. But they either need to become part of the playoff itself in some way, or they will continue to lessen in cachet as fans, players and coaches focus more on the real postseason.

And college football could help its fans afford to come to these games if it committed to holding the quarterfinals at campus sites rather than handing them over to the traditional bowl games. That would also boost the importance of conference championship games, since the winner would be guaranteed a home game in the quarterfinals.

These are all fixable problems. The 12-team playoff has made college football more relevant than ever at places like Arizona State and SMU that had no real chance of competing for a national title under the old system. When you look at every metric from TV ratings to social media buzz, the sport is on fire.

But there are lessons to learn. And one of them showed up Saturday in Atlanta, where a whole lot of empty seats made a loud statement about how much things have changed – even in the SEC.