Ring in the New Year with four college football bowl games, including the national semifinals in the Rose Bowl in Arlington, Texas and Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
ARLINGTON, Texas Alabama is in the College Football Playoff championship game for a record fifth time. The Crimson Tide will play Ohio State, which won the inaugural title in the CFP’s four-team format at the end of the 2014 season. This is the first time the Buckeyes have gotten back to the CFP title game. Alabama advanced with a win over Notre Dame in the relocated Rose Bowl. No. 3 Ohio State beat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide and Buckeyes meet January 11 in suburban Miami. Both are undefeated, although Alabama has played 12 games while the Buckeyes were limited to seven.
Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs Northwestern 12/19/20 College Football Picks, Odds, Predictions
Photo by Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
College Football: Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 12:00 pm (Lucas Oil Stadium)
The Ohio State Buckeyes face off with the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten college football championship game on Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Northwestern Wildcats punched their spot in the conference title game for the 2nd time in three years after finishing with an overall record of 9-1 on the year. Peyton Ramsey threw for 1,218 yards, 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on 59% passing while Drake Anderson led the Wildcats in rushing with 256 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Isaiah Bowser and Evan Hull each had 200+ rushing yards while Cam Porter had 174 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman had 30 catches for 344 yards and 4 touchdowns while Kyric McGowan’s 30 grabs went for 333 receiving yards. Riley Lees and Jo
It hasn’t been a smooth or easy road getting there, with the start of the season delayed until late October and three of the Buckeyes’ final five regular-season games canceled, but thanks to their undefeated record in the five games they have played – and the Big Ten eliminating the six-game minimum that would have kept them out of the championship game – Ohio State has a chance to win its fourth straight conference title. If Ohio State beats Northwestern in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, which will kick off at noon at Lucas Oil Stadium instead of the 8 p.m. start time from years past, the Buckeyes will also likely secure their berth in the College Football Playoff, whose participants will be selected on Sunday.
Pat Fitzgerald figures he will gain a few more gray hairs by the time No. 15 Northwestern steps on the field to face third-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday.
As the Wildcats’ coach, it’s his job to figure out a way to contain the Buckeyes. And with Justin Fields leading their high-powered offense, well, good luck with that.
Then again, if Northwestern succeeds?
“Not gonna lie to you, it would be a helluva ride home on I-65,” Fitzgerald said.
The Wildcats (6-1) have been on one wild ride the past three seasons, from winning the Big Ten West to finishing last to winning the division again this season.