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The college football regular season is now over as rivalry week concluded things over the weekend. It was a bizarre final couple of days as we saw thrilling endings in eight overtimes and shocking upsets that no one saw coming. There were zero conference title matchups set before the weekend, but all of the questions were obviously answered. The Arizona State football team needed to take down rival Arizona to punch their ticket to the Big 12 title game, and they cruised to a victory.
Not too many people had the Arizona State football team making the College Football Playoff this year, but the Sun Devils are now just one win away from doing just that. They are playing their best football right now, and only the Iowa State football team stands in the way of Arizona State making the playoff.
Before we talk more about this matchup, let's take a deeper look at both of these teams.
Matt Campbell continues to excel with Iowa State
This Iowa State football team was near the bottom of the Big 12 when Matt Campbell took over, and they are now a consistent contender in the conference. The Cyclones have already made a Big 12 title game under Campbell, and they have a chance to win one this weekend.
Iowa State is coming into this game with a 10-2 record. Both losses came in Big 12 play as the Cyclones lost in back-to-back weeks against Texas Tech and Kansas.
After those losses, Iowa State was in some trouble in terms of making the Big 12 title game. However, they clutched up and won their final three games of the season to earn a bid.
Arizona State is hot right now
The Arizona State football team has not lost a game since mid-October. The Sun Devils are rolling right now as they won their final five games of the season, so they are coming into this game with a lot of momentum.
Arizona State wasn't expected to be here, but one more win will punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff. This has been an incredibly impressive year, and the Sun Devils aren't done yet.
The Sun Devils are playing well right now, but taking down Iowa State is not going to be easy. Arizona State needs to play a good game, and this one area is something to keep an eye on this weekend.
Arizona State commits a lot of penalties
One area of concern for this Arizona State football team is the amount of penalties that they commit compared to Iowa State. In a championship game like this that is expected to be very close, penalties can make a huge difference in the game. Tensions will be high, and Arizona State has to make sure that they can keep their composure in this one.
Arizona State ranks 86th in the country in terms of penalties. They have committed 77 penalties this season for a total of 637 yards. Iowa State, on the other hand, ranks fourth in the country as they have committed 49 penalties on the year for 352 yards.
Who knows if this is something that will have a big impact on the game, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on. The Sun Devils need to play with discipline.
Iowa State and Arizona State will kick off at noon ET on Saturday from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the game will be airing on ABC. The Sun Devils are currently favored by 1.5 points.
Conference championship preview
The Big 12 title game should be an exciting one to watch, but this entire weekend is going to be a lot of fun, and every matchup will shape the College Football Playoff. Let's take a look at what will be going in every notable conference.
First off, there are a couple important non-power four conference title games that will kick off the weekend on Friday night. #22 UNLV and #11 Boise State will face off in the Mountain West title game and #17 Tulane will play Army in the American title game. Remember, the highest-ranked non-power four teams get an automatic bid.
The Big 12 will kick things off on Saturday with this Arizona State-Iowa State matchup that we talked about. This is a win or go home. The loser will not make the playoff.
After that, the SEC title game will get going at 4:00. Georgia is taking on Texas, and both of those teams will likely go to the playoff regardless of the outcome.
In this Big Ten title game, the same is true. Win or lose, Oregon and Penn State will both be going to the playoff. Ohio State was expected to be make this game, but a shocking loss to Michigan over the weekend paved the way for the Nittany Lions.
The other night game this weekend is the ACC title game that will feature Clemson and SMU. Clemson definitely needs a win to get in the playoff, but SMU could still squeak in even if they lose.
Conference championship week is always fun. Enjoy it, college football fans.
