What's the race for the conference championship look like for your favorite team(s) conference?

For the Big Ten, I'm still adjusting to the fact that we are only actually competing vs. half the teams, but the divisions have been somewhat interesting this year.

East Division:
1. Ohio State (5-0):
Remaining Games: @ Minnesota, vs. Indiana, vs. Michigan
The win vs. Michigan State means that Ohio State will get to the Big Ten Championship Game if it wins 2 of its last 3. Minnesota has been very good when it's hot this year and Michigan can come out of nowhere some years so the Buckeyes are probably OK, but I wouldn't buy ticket for Indianapolis quite yet.

2. Michigan State (4-1):
Remaining Games: @Maryland, vs. Rutgers, @ Penn State
Basically the Spartans need to win out and have the Buckeyes lose 2.

3. Maryland (3-2):
Remaining Games: vs. Michigan State, @Michigan, vs. Rutgers
Posted more here (Maryland's timing playing Michigan State is great), but then looked at tie-breakers to get to the CCG. Unless Ohio State losses to both Indiana and Michigan, Maryland cannot make it.


West Division: This is a 4 team race with the 4 western most conference teams. The top 3 have not played each other so all 3 control their own destiny and the 4th (Iowa) only needs a little help to regain their own.

1. Wisconsin (4-1)
Remaining Games: vs. Nebraska, @Iowa, vs. Minnesota
-Schedule set-up is pretty good with both Nebraska and Minnesota at home. They will be favored in every one of them, but a loss means they do not control own destiny.

1. Nebraska (4-1):
Remaining Games: @Wisconsin, vs. Minnesota, @Iowa
-By rankings, the lead team here, but not favored this week over Wisconsin. Whomever wins this week though between the two will be favored the rest of the way.

1. Minnesota (4-1)
Remaining Games: vs. Ohio State, @ Nebraska, @Wisconsin
-Having a cross-over game with Ohio State not a positive, especially when the last two games are on the road vs. the 2 most likely to win the division. Most difficult remaining schedule for sure. Their game vs. Iowa was the only one so far here among the top 4 and they destroyed the them.

4. Iowa (3-2)
Remaining Games: @Illinois, vs. Wisconsin, vs. Nebraska
-If they'd won last week, they'd be set-up prefect for a west championship. They still almost control destiny though (need Minnesota to lose). Schedule is favorable with both Wisconsin and Nebraska at home.

In the AAC, the top 6 teams have mostly traded blows with each other. The only teams in the bottom 5 to beat a top 6 team were UConn vs. UCF and Tulane vs. Houston. Here is the rundown ranked by how likely I think these teams are to win or share the AAC championship:

1. Memphis (4-1) - Lucked out and got the easiest schedule in the conference (no fault of their own). Remaining 3 are @ Tulane and home against South Florida and UConn. Will be heavily favored to win all 3. They have beaten lesser competition convincingly, so they are the favorite to finish the conference 7-1 for at least a share of the title.

2. Central Florida (3-1) - UCF has a favorable schedule with 3 very winnable games before finishing the season @ East Carolina.

3. East Carolina (3-1) - Has games @ Cincinnati and at home vs. UCF remaining. Tough road to finish 7-1.

4. Cincinnati (3-1) - Toughest remaining schedule in the league, but they might be playing the best football right now. Does have the benefit of getting East Carolina and Houston at home, but has to travel to Temple.

5. Houston (3-2) - Were in great position before they blew it vs. Tulsa. Probably going to take a miracle for all 4 teams ahead of them to lose a game, but if they do slip up, Houston's remaining schedule is manageable.

6. Temple (3-3) - All but mathematically eliminated, but I give them honorable mention for being much more competitive than the 5 teams below them in the standings -- all while easily playing the most rugged schedule in the league.

My guess? The winner of the ECU-Cincinnati game this Thursday will go into the last week of the season with a chance to win a share of the AAC title with Memphis and UCF. If ECU wins, they will host UCF on Thursday, December 4 in a battle of two 6-1 teams for a 2-way share. If Cincinnati wins, they will finish out with two tough games against Temple and Houston to finish 7-1. So my most likely scenarios:

Memphis and UCF at 7-1
Memphis and East Carolina at 7-1
Memphis and Cincinnati at 7-1
Memphis, UCF, and Cincinnati at 7-1

Still a lot up in the air, obviously.

N/A :)

(11-12-2014 08:19 AM)TerryD Wrote:  N/A :)