College football rankings: Conference rankings after bowl game selections

3. Big 12

It was a game of inches. It’s a joke everyone has seen at least 40 times after Oklahoma State running back Dezmon Jackson came up just short on fourth and goal with less than 30 seconds left in the game against Baylor. Now, Baylor is a three-time Big 12 Champion. That hilariously ties them with Texas for second-most all time. The Big 12 has a lot of chances to make a name for itself in the bowl games. Oklahoma State could shake off the Championship Game loss with a big win against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Baylor can prove it actually is a dominant team against the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl. Iowa State can salvage what’s left of the season with a win against Clemson. WVU, Kansas State, and Texas Tech were all given fun matchups in their respective bowls. Then, there’s Oklahoma. They will take on Oregon, another team that had its coach leave for greener pastures this week. The Sooners are in a weird spot, but they just hired Brett Venables from Clemson to hopefully take them through their final years in the conference.

2. Big Ten

This has to be one of the strangest years in the history of the Big Ten, but when people look back at this season, they will see Michigan was the champion. The Wolverines shook off all of the Jim Harbaugh demons to take themselves all the way to the College Football Playoff. They destroyed the Iowa Hawkeyes in the championship game. It was a wonderful end to a great regular season for the Wolverines. Ohio State was at home for the championship game for the first time in five years. They watched as the Wolverines took their spot, and now they are preparing for a Rose Bowl matchup with the Utah Utes. Nine Big Ten teams made a bowl, with OSU, Iowa, and Penn State all playing on New Year’s Day. Michigan State also has a huge game against ACC Champion Pitt, showing the schedule makers still hold the Big Ten in high regard.

1. SEC

What a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide. Well, what a game if you like watching the usual champion put the new kid on the block in their place. Alabama needed a win to guarantee its spot in the College Football Playoff after some mediocre performances this season, and now they are the number-one team in the country at the end of the regular season. Georgia falls down to three, but they still have a chance at a rematch if they beat the Wolverines in the Orange Bowl. Only one SEC didn’t make a bowl game this season, which seems almost impossible. Missouri, Florida, and South Carolina all overcame some serious issues to make it to the postseason. This is the top conference in college football, and it’s not particularly close right now. There is no conference with this kind of depth, and there’s especially no conference with the talent at the top of the conference.

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