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Fan Pulse Week 14: Conference Championship Games Could Create Chaos

The regular season is finished and we look toward conference championship weekend when the playoff contender will emerge - or underdogs could upset the apple cart

By ranchbabe
Wisconsin v Ohio State Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

For Nebraska fans the football season has ended too early once again. The Huskers will not head to a bowl game or get those extra desperately needed practice sessions. We will have an extra month to wail and gnash teeth and plan our “what went wrong” and “how to fix Husker football” postings.

However, a small group of teams have a game to play this weekend for conference championships.

  • Wisconsin vs Ohio State (Big Ten)
  • Georgia vs LSU (SEC)
  • Baylor vs Oklahoma (Big 12)
  • Oregon vs Utah (PAC 12)
  • Virginia vs Clemson (ACC)

No surprise that LSU has maintained their #1 ranking in Fan Pulse. Personally, I’ve been putting the Buckeyes at the top of my ballot, but the Tigers certainly have a great case to make as well.

Penn State and Wisconsin are the next two Big Ten teams at #11 and #12 respectively. Minnesota checks in at #17, Michigan at #19 and Iowa at #21.

Also receiving votes:

  • USC
  • UCF
  • K-State
  • Hawaii
  • Oklahoma State

Fan Confidence

Husker fan confidence dipped back a bit (88%) after allowing Iowa to keep the Heroes trophy, sigh, again. This is still a really insanely high confidence level for a team that has missed bowl games for three straight years and had losing seasons for four of the past five years. But Husker fans are nothing if not optimistic that the program can be rebuilt. In some ways it does feel close while in others it feels like a long row to hoe.

Who Should Get the Fourth Playoff Spot

If SB Nation voters had their way that murky fourth playoff spot would go to Utah with the Sooners close behind. Given how annoying it is to watch (or rather listen) to ‘Boomer Sooner’ every few seconds from the Oklahoma band, I am surprised Okie got that many votes.

  • Utah - 44.4%
  • Oklahoma - 28.9%
  • Georgia - 20.3%
  • Alabama - 1.2% (you mean to tell me only 1.2% of FanPulse voters are ‘Bama fans?!?)
  • Oregon 0.9%

Of course, this weekend’s championship games could create all kinds of chaos and mayhem if they break certain ways - like a Baylor win or Georgia squeaking out a win in which both teams look terrible. Oregon or Wisconsin could upset the apple cart as well. I may not be giving Virginia any credit, but that would be the biggest upset of the weekend.

So what do you think Corn Nation? Are you rooting for chaos? Who do you see in the playoff?

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