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Miami, Clemson battle for ACC Championship Saturday on Channel 2

Kelly Bryant #2 of the Clemson Tigers drops back to pass against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina. 

ATLANTA — It’s finally here. It's championship week in college football!

Thanksgiving is over, and all of the rivalry games have been played. Speaking of rivalry games, as expected, some of them altered the landscape for championship week and the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee as if they needed to be changed or scrutinized for any more wild, new projections.

Thanks to rivalry week, the Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) now sit in a position that they are not accustomed to for the first Saturday in December.

Following Alabama’s 26-14 road loss to Auburn (10-2) in the highly-anticipated Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide will not be playing for an SEC Championship.

Even more, Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide face the idea of not being one of the top four teams to compete for the CFP National Championship, at least for now.

Whether that changes remains to be seen on Saturday after the celebration has begun inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the SEC title game.

While one might say Miami’s 24-14 loss to Pitt was unexpected -- being that the Hurricanes defeated Virginia Tech and Notre Dame in convincing fashion -- the Hurricanes (10-1) played enough to get by in most of their games and the “bend but don’t break mentality” will only work for so long before a team beats you.

If the Hurricanes can get a win in the ACC title against Clemson, Mark Richt’s Hurricanes could be back in the top four to compete in the CFP.

One-loss Clemson (11-1) remained in control of its CFP hopes taking care of South Carolina, 34-10. Oklahoma (11-1) put up 59 points to defeat West Virginia, 59-31. Georgia (11-1) destroyed Georgia Tech, 38-7, to continue its fight for the CFP.

Wisconsin (12-0) shut out Minnesota, 31-0, while Stanford shocked Notre Dame, 38-20, and earned a spot in the Pac-12 title game against USC thanks to Washington’s 41-14 victory against Washington State in the Apple Cup.

After Saturday’s championship games, Sunday will serve as Judgement Day.

We will know the verdict of what four teams will get the chance to play for the coveted National Championship revealed on Selection Day.

Finally, all of the wild, crazy upsets and weekly bowl projections will be behind us and the teams who will play for all of the marbles will be set.

Get ready for a wild week of games and championships before college football teams and fans embrace their favorite time of the year – going bowling in the month of December and January.

NOTE: The rankings for each team reflect the latest college football playoffs released on Tuesday. 

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Memphis at UCF (AAC Championship) | 12 p.m. on Channel 2

McKenzie Milton #10 of the UCF Knights looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half at Nippert Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

UCF is the only team that kept Memphis from recording an undefeated season. Had the Tigers won in their match against the Knights on Sept. 30, Memphis (10-1) would have 11 wins for the season. Instead, the Tigers became the second team in program history to win 10 games after beating East Carolina 70-13 on Saturday and tied its highest ranking in the USA TODAY coaches poll at No. 14.

While wins and rankings matter to Memphis, nothing is more important for the Tigers than getting revenge against the Knights in the AAC Championship game Saturday at Spectrum Stadium.

In their Week 4 matchup, the Knights’ defense forced four turnovers, with three of them coming as interceptions from Tigers’ quarterback Riley Ferguson. UCF (11-0) poured in 603 yards of total offense, finished 10-of-18 in third-down conversions and dominated the time possession in holding the ball over 37 minutes to get a 40-13 victory at home against the Tigers.

“I wish we had done a better job the last time we faced them,” said Memphis coach Mike Norvell.

On Saturday, Norvell and the Tigers will get another shot at UCF but one thing remains constant from the September matchup. If the Tigers want to win an AAC title, they will have to do it at UCF’s venue, Spectrum Stadium.

Having played the Knights in Week 4 – an early period of the season where things can be shaky or still in development for some teams – Memphis has grown over the weeks and its growth will be tested against a Knights’ defense that gives up just over 20 points per game.

Ferguson will be a key factor in the Tigers’ success on Saturday. For the season, Ferguson has thrown for 3,500 yards and recorded 32 touchdowns. Ferguson, who threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns against ECU Saturday, will need to duplicate a performance like this one against the Knights as opposed to the three interceptions he put up in the regular season game.

Some of the pressure can be taken off Ferguson with the play of running back Darrell Henderson, Patrick Taylor and Tony Pollard. Against the Knights, the Tigers rushed for a total of 75, with Henderson recording 48 of them on six carries. As a unit, Memphis averages 203 yards rushing per game, 327 passing yards per game and ranks second nationally in scoring per game (averaging 47 points).

If Memphis can establish the running game early in combination with the production of Ferguson, the Tigers could be on the track for a close game and possibly defeat the Knights on Saturday.

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The Tigers’ task of establishing an efficient offense on Saturday, however, will not be an easy task.

UCF’s defense allows 23 points per game to its opponents and gives up roughly 50 less yards of total offense than the Tigers. A big key to the Knights’ defense is their ability to force turnovers, something UCF coach Scott Frost will look for his players to do in the game.

Not to mention, on offense, the Knights lead the nation in scoring offense averaging 48 points per game, led by talented quarterback McKenzie Milton. Milton has thrown for 3,301 yards, 429 rushing yards and recorded 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Against the Tigers, a major part of the Knights controlling the time of possession was their ability to incorporate the pass production from Milton but also the running game from Milton and running backs Adrian Killins Jr., and Taj McGowan. The three of them combined for 266 of the total 350 yards recorded on the ground.

If the Tigers’ defensive line does not get any push up front and the secondary is exposed on big plays, the Tigers could be in for a long day. The key to not allowing the Knights’ offense to be as dominant is the Tigers putting together a perfect offensive formula to keep UCF on the sideline.

While both coaches – UCF’s Scott Frost and Memphis Mike Norvell – are rumored as potential prospects for other head coaching jobs at other institutions, both will try to will their teams to what should be a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game. In the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, UCF sits at No. 14 and Memphis at No. 20.

Miami vs Clemson (ACC Championship) | 8 p.m. on Channel 2

After several weeks of close wins and three-statement wins in the month of November, Miami (10-1) finds itself in the Atlantic Coastal Conference Championship game for the first time since becoming a member of the ACC in 2003.

Despite college football critics saying the Hurricanes would not remain undefeated or let alone play in the title game, head coach Mark Richt stood by his word that if his Hurricanes kept winning, they would be there.

Miami kept winning, and now the Hurricanes have been given the task of dethroning the reigning ACC and CFP National Champion Clemson Tigers Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

With the Hurricanes suffering a 24-14 loss to Pitt on Saturday, Richt must regroup and prepare his Hurricanes for a talented Clemson team that will be looking to earn its third consecutive conference title and third straight berth into the CFP.

While Miami has seen success on both sides of the ball, a major part of the Hurricanes opportunity to play in Saturday’s title game comes behind the play of their talented defense, led by safety Jaquan Johnson and linebackers Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney. The Hurricanes rank 41st nationally in total defense, 47th in run defense, 15th in scoring defense and lead the nation in sacks and a plus-17 turnover margin.

The “gold turnover chain” will need to be full effect for Miami if the Hurricanes plan to win. Miami has the task of slowing down the Tigers dual threat quarterback Kelly Bryant who has been an all-out winner on all the levels he has played in football. Bryant has thrown for 2,426 yards, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and rushed for 10 touchdowns.

Tigers running back Travis Etienne, who was banged up in the South Carolina game, should still be playing in the title game. If Etienne does, the Hurricanes must keep an eye on him and limit his production as well as he has rushed for 720 yards, 12 touchdowns and averaged 7.4 yards per carry.

Offensively, Miami must find a solid rhythm on offense early in Saturday’s game, something the Hurricanes have not always done this season. The lack of offensive production in the Pitt game is a classic example of what happened many times for the Hurricanes this season before they managed to put together a scoring drive here or there late in games to win. Against Clemson, however, Miami will not be able to do that.

The Hurricanes’ offensive line must allow quarterback Malik Rosier the opportunity to make plays. Against Pitt, Rosier completed 15 of his 34 pass attempts for 187 yards and two touchdowns. The 34 attempts come at the fact the Hurricanes rushed for only 45 yards in the game and went 4-of-15 in third-down conversions. Not to mention, the Hurricanes committed six penalties in the game.

Miami must be efficient as well as smart on the offensive side of the ball. Clemson features a defensive front and overall defense that is filled with big playmakers and will be looking to dismantle the Hurricanes' offensive production.

Clemson’s defensive tackles Christian Wilks and Dexter Lawrence and defensive ends Clelin Ferrell and Austin Brant will look to get pressure on Rosier. If they are successful in doing so for the majority of the game, the Hurricanes will lose the game.

Clemson enters Saturday’s title game ranked sixth in total defense and ranks in the top 10 in nine other defensive categories.

With the CFP on the line, anything can happen. There’s the saying that defense wins championships. While that statement is very true, Miami will need its offense to come to life to go along with a solid defense to beat Clemson. The last time the two teams played each other, Clemson blanked Miami 58-0 in 2014.

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Georgia vs Auburn (SEC Championship) | 4 p.m.

Roughly three weeks ago – on Veterans Day – nearly 87,000 fans packed Jordan-Hare Stadium to witness then-No. 1 Georgia put its undefeated season on the line against a 10th-ranked Auburn team that was looking to make a statement before its eventual matchup with Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

The Bulldogs, who were coming off three big SEC East wins at home, had not played on the road since shutting out Tennessee, 41-0, on Sept. 30. The old cliché of it's “hard to play in the SEC” every Saturday in the fall is by far a true statement. Even more, playing against a good team on the road with the conference title and College Football Playoff implications on the line makes winning in the conference that much harder.

That proved to be the case on The Plains as Auburn smacked Georgia, 40-17, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season and shaking things up in the SEC West and the CFP.

Now, fast forward three weeks and the Bulldogs managed to remain a one-loss team, beating South Carolina and destroying Georgia Tech in the annual rivalry game on Saturday. Then, thanks to the uncharacteristic miscues by Alabama against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, the Bulldogs get another shot at the Tigers in the 2017 SEC Championship Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Bulldogs, who last played in the SEC title in 2012 when they lost to Alabama, will have their hands full in stopping an Auburn team that recorded 488 yards of total offense with 237 of them coming on the ground.

Tigers running back Kerryon Johnson and quarterback Jarrett Stidham stole the spotlight from Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm and running backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Johnson, who ranks second in the conference in total rushing yards this season, finished the game with 167 yards on 32 carries, while Stidham torched the Bulldogs’ secondary for 214 yards and three touchdowns.

Against Alabama -- a team that stifles the running game of its opponents -- Johnson rushed for 104 yards on 30 carries and one touchdown while being banged up late in the game.

Georgia, who has been in top 10 in defense all season, will enter Saturday’s game ranked fourth in the nation in total defense (allowing 272 yards of offense to its opponents per game), 12th in rush defense (113 yards) and third in pass defense (159 yards).

If Johnson plays, he will play a big part in the Tigers’ success on offense, much like he did in the regular-season game. If Johnson does not, Stidham will be forced to make more plays with his arm and with his legs --something that will not be easy without help of the Tigers rushing attack.

Georgia’s will be put to the test again on Saturday with hopes that the Bulldogs can back up their defensive stats.

Offensively, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that the Bulldogs will have to establish the running game early against Auburn to allow for Fromm to make shots down the field to his wide receivers like Javon Wims, Terry Godwin and Riley Ridley.

According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, UGA head coach Kirby Smart said his team’s offensive line will have to get more movement to improve in rematch.

“I think Sony and Nick understood going into the game that it was going to be tough,” Smart said. “We didn’t think it was going to be that tough.”

In the regular-season game, Michel and Chubb combined for 58 yards on 20 carries. D’Andre Swift recorded 18 yards on four carries.

While Auburn defeated Alabama, the Tigers still gave up 209 yards on the ground and 168 yards through the air to the Crimson Tide.

Thus, the Bulldogs can establish success offensively, but they must get the push up front with the offensive line. Without the running game, it is highly possible to see Fromm running for his life outside the pocket or committing costly mistakes due to the pressure from Auburn’s defensive line.

Another part of the Bulldogs’ success comes with their efficiency in third-down conversions. Against the Tigers, the Bulldogs went 3-of-14 in third down conversions, allowing the Tigers’ offense to get back on the field and keeping the Bulldogs’ defense on the field.

Auburn will enter Saturday’s game ranked 21st in rush defense (giving up 126 yards on the ground per game), 11th in total defense (giving up 303 yards per game) and 14th in pass defense (allowing 177 per game).

While Atlanta is only an hour and a half away from Auburn, the Bulldogs would much rather play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium than on The Plains at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

With that, the Bulldogs must take care of business in the capital city but more importantly play well in all aspects of the game to claim their first SEC title since 2005.

Idaho at Georgia State | 2 p.m.

Georgia State will look to bounce this week in its final game of the regular season at home against Idaho.

Coming off a 31-10 home loss to Appalachian State, the Panthers (6-4, 5-2) hope to add another win to their record to keep pace with three teams – Arkansas State, Appalachian State and Troy -- that share a 6-1 record in Sun Belt play.

In Saturday’s match against the Mountaineers, the Panthers gave up 323 yards on the ground and committed numerous penalties that helped the Mountaineers within the game. Georgia State also lost the battle in time of possession and converted three of its 12 third-down conversions. This is not formula the Panthers used to win five of their six straight victories on the road and winners of six of their last eight.

The Panthers will need to get back to their offensive strategy in Saturday’s game. Georgia State averages 380 yards of offense per game but managed to get only 292 against Appalachian State. While Idaho’s defense is not at the same level as the Mountaineers, quarterback Conner Manning needs to be clicking on all cylinders, feeding the ball to sophomore wide receiver Penny Hart.

Hart leads the conference in receiving yards with 70 catches for 1,022 yards and eight touchdowns.

If Georgia State can get the offense early in the game, Idaho (3-8, 2-5) could face some difficulty in stopping the Panthers offensive attack. The Vandals are giving up 386 yards of total offense to their opponents, with 218 of them coming through the air. That’s a good sign for the Panthers. Look for Elliott to utilize the Manning-Hart connection in what the Panthers hope will earn them their seventh win for the season.

Surprisingly, in the last and only previous meeting between the two schools, Idaho won 37-12 in last season’s finale in Idaho.

Anything can happen, and the Panthers should be prepared for anything. Idaho will be playing its final FBS and Sun Belt Conference game before moving next season to the FCS and the Big Sky Conference.

Kennesaw State vs Jacksonville State | 2 p.m.

Coming off of its first FCS Playoff win against Samford and riding an 11-game winning streak, Kennesaw State looks to maintain its winning ways in the second round of the playoffs against Jacksonville State on Saturday.

The Owls (11-1) became the second FCS team in just its third year (since 2008) of existence to host and win a first round matchup in the FCS playoffs.

Kennesaw State, under head coach Brian Bohannon, enters Saturday’s game with the No. 1 rank rushing attack in FCS, averaging 338 yards per game. The Owls are also ranked No. 1 in interceptions (22) first in turnover margin (+23), sixth in scoring defense (allowing less than 15 points per game) 12th in rush defense (97 yards) and 12th in total defense.

The Owls rushing attack is led by quarterback Chandler Burks and running back Jake McKenzie. While Burks has thrown for over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, he is 16 yards’ shy of a 1,000-yard season on the ground as well. McKenzie has recorded 654 yards and three touchdowns.

Bohannon’s team has seen lots of success with the triple-option rushing attack, one that is very similar to the style of Georgia Tech. The Owls could potentially deal with some adversity in their rushing attack against Jacksonville State.

The Gamecocks enter Saturday’s game ranked second in total defense (giving up only 231 yards per game) and against the run (63 per game). Jacksonville State will look to get a solid push up front from its physical and bigger defensive line to limit the production of the Owls rushing attack. The Gamecocks defensive playmakers include defensive end and two-time Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the year Darius Jackson, linebacker Jonathan Hagler and safety Marlon Bridges.

Jacksonville State also features an offense built around the run as well with quarterback Bryant Horn and running back Roc Thomas. Horn has thrown for 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions and rushed for 709 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas has run 991 yards and 12 touchdowns as well as caught 16 receptions for 235 yards.

Like Jacksonville State, the Owls' defensive playmakers like linebacker Bryson Armstrong and safety Taylor Henkle will need to be ready to lead the defense in stopping the Gamecocks on offense. In its last five games, the Owls have allowed just over 10 points per game and posted two shutouts. 
If the Kennesaw State can continue to replicate its deadly rushing attack and play solid defensively against a bigger, physical Jacksonville State team, the Owls have a great shot at winning their second FCS playoff game.

While the two teams are separated by only 87 miles, Kennesaw State will put its program best 4-1 road record on the line when the Owls make the trip to Jacksonville, Alabama.

The winner of this game will play South Dakota or No. 6 seed Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals on Dec. 8 or 9.

Follow Channel 2 for all the latest coverage and updates on the championship games of Week 14 in college football.