By Lincoln Hamid ’29
#4 Texas Tech (-12.5) vs. #11 BYU
Within the parity-filled Massive 12, Texas Tech and BYU, picked third and ninth within the Massive 12 preseason media ballot, will face off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday. Nevertheless, each groups anticipated to be right here, as Texas Tech boosters have spent $28 million on NIL for this 12 months’s roster ($8 million greater than defending Nationwide Champion Ohio State spent final season), together with $7 million on an athletic defensive position full of transfers and starring DE David Bailey, who leads school soccer with 12.5 sacks. Additionally on Tech’s Third-ranked scoring protection is Heisman hopeful Jacob Rodriguez, a game-wrecking linebacker and turnover machine.
Tech’s protection will match up towards BYU’s top-25 offense, which has averaged 34.0 factors per sport. Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has been an efficient twin risk for the Cougars, passing for 14 TDs and working for 11 extra. RB LJ Martin was the Massive 12’s main rusher this 12 months, with 1229 yards and 11 TDs. Kalani Sitake’s staff has adopted up on an 11-2 2024 with an 11-1 common season in 2025. Their sole loss was their 9-27 November eighth matchup at Texas Tech. In that sport, BYU was dominated on either side of the ball, being outgained by 130 yards and committing three turnovers.
Nevertheless, BYU’s protection has additionally been formidable this 12 months, ending thirteenth in scoring protection. They’ll match up with a Texas Tech offense led by a fifth-year senior and three-year starter, veteran QB Behren Morton. The Purple Raiders have a two-headed monster within the backfield, with sophomore backs Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams combining for over 1700 yards this season.
Playoff Implications
Texas Tech will safe a prime 4 seed and first spherical bye within the Playoff with a victory Saturday. BYU will fall out of the highest 12 with a loss and can safe a Playoff berth with a win.
Gamers to Watch
Texas Tech: LB Jacob Rodriguez
Senior Jacob Rodriguez began his school profession buried on the quarterback depth chart at Virginia. After getting used as a gadget participant on offense in his freshman 12 months, he transferred as a walk-on and adjusted positions at Texas Tech, the place he has blossomed into the Massive 12 Defensive Participant of the Yr and a possible Heisman finalist. Rodriguez is a ballhawk, with an FBS-leading seven pressured fumbles and 4 interceptions. Together with a fumble restoration landing, he’s additionally added two speeding touchdowns.
BYU: WR Parker Kingston
Junior WR Parker Kingston is BYU’s most dynamic offensive participant, and his elusiveness with the ball has been utilized as a receiver, rusher, and returner. After compiling solely 12 receiving yards by means of his first two video games, Kingston has totaled 804 receiving yards and 103 speeding yards this season. He has 5 touchdowns receiving, three speeding, and one punt return TD. Search for BYU to get the ball to their playmaker in house.
Prediction
Texas Tech wins 23-16
#3 Georgia (-2.5) vs. #9 Alabama
The 2 perennial kings of the SEC are fated to satisfy in Atlanta within the SEC Championship as soon as once more, after convention chief Texas A&M suffered a loss in its regular-season finale towards Texas. Though Nick Saban is not the coach at Alabama, dealing with his outdated boss’s staff has nonetheless been a nightmare for Kirby Sensible, who was 1-5 towards Saban and is now 0-2 towards Alabama’s second-year head coach, Kalen DeBoer, together with a 24-21 loss to the Tide in Athens on September 27. That was Georgia’s lone loss this season, but it surely’s been one other season of shut video games for Alabama, and the Crimson Tide comes into Saturday with two losses, a season-opening 17-31 loss to Florida State, and a 21-23 loss to present #8 Oklahoma.
Georgia’s usually dominant protection has taken a small step again this 12 months, rating #83 in Web Defensive EPA per play, and towards prime offenses, Tennessee and Ole Miss, the Dawgs surrendered 41 and 35 factors, respectively. Count on their secondary to be below duress towards the pass-heavy Alabama assault led by QB Ty Simpson, which is able to repeatedly take photographs downfield to WRs Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams. Williams surprisingly went untargeted within the Tide’s slim Iron Bowl win final week. Alabama’s excessive passing quantity will complement its subpar run sport, which ranked seventh worst in FBS in success charge.
Georgia’s offense will probably be led by the QB Gunner Stockton, who has steadily improved in his junior season, his first 12 months because the starter. Nevertheless, Stockton’s worst outing of the season got here final week towards Georgia Tech, the place he threw for less than 70 yards on 21 makes an attempt. He additionally struggled towards Alabama earlier this 12 months, throwing for less than 130 yards. Georgia doesn’t have the weapons they’ve had on offense previously, and Alabama’s protection will probably be prepared, because the Tide sports activities a protection filled with blue-chip expertise, led by LB Justin Jefferson, DL LT Overton, and LB Deontay Lawson.
Playoff Implications
For the favored Bulldogs, a big loss has the possibility to knock the Bulldogs out of the highest 4 seeds and trigger them to lose a primary spherical bye, if Texas Tech had been to win the Massive 12 Championship. If Alabama can hold the sport shut, they may possible stay within the Playoff, though with a big loss, they may threat dropping behind each Notre Dame and Miami and out of the sphere.
Gamers to Watch
Alabama: QB Ty Simpson
Simpson has confronted adversity in his redshirt Junior 12 months, his first 12 months because the Crimson Tide’s starter, however heading into the convention championship sport, he has proven he’s able to main Alabama to a victory. Simpson has usually been productive this 12 months, throwing for 3056 yards, 25 TD, and 4 INT. However he struggled mightily in his first begin of the season in a loss to Florida State, and in his most up-to-date begin within the Iron Bowl, posting a completion proportion under 55% in each video games. Which model of Ty Simpson reveals up Saturday will probably be pivotal for Alabama’s success.
Georgia: RB Nate Frazier
Sophomore RB Nate Frazier fumbled within the second quarter of the Bulldogs’ regular-season loss towards Alabama and was subsequently benched for the remainder of that important matchup. Count on him to play a a lot bigger function on this rematch, as he carried a bigger workload down the stretch, together with a 16 carry, 108 yard efficiency towards rival Georgia Tech final week.
Prediction
Alabama wins 31-28
#1 Ohio State (-4) vs. #2 Indiana
Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, 12-0 Indiana and 12-0 Ohio State will face off within the third-ever convention championship sport, and the first-ever Massive Ten Championship Recreation, between groups ranked #1 and #2. This marks the Hoosiers’ first look in a Massive Ten Championship Recreation, and Ohio State’s first look since 2020. Ohio State is led by the very best protection within the nation, which has allowed solely 7.8 factors per sport, and options first-round expertise in any respect three ranges, together with security Caleb Downs and out of doors linebacker Arvell Reese, a possible #1 general draft choose this spring. The Buckeyes are but to permit greater than 16 factors in a sport or path within the second half.
However Indiana’s offense would be the greatest the Buckeyes have confronted this 12 months. Led by QB Fernando Mendoza and star WRs Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt, Head Coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers had been the #2 scoring offense within the nation.
When Ohio State has the ball, their top-15 offense will probably be led by first-year starter and sure Heisman finalist QB Julian Sayin, and the highest WR duo within the nation, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State had the primary offense in Web EPA per play this season, and can want its proficient offensive line to dominate this sport. Indiana’s protection can also be a power, as they ranked #2 in scoring protection, permitting solely 10.9 factors per sport. Defensive lineman Stephan Daley leads school soccer with 18 TFLs, and CB D’Angelo Ponds and DE Mikail Kamara mission to be draft picks on this spring’s NFL draft.
Playoff Implications
The stakes of the Massive Ten Championship this 12 months with regard to the Faculty Soccer Playoff are small, as each the winner and loser of this sport will possible stay within the prime 4 seeds and obtain a first-round bye. The winner of this sport will journey to the Rose Bowl for his or her quarterfinal.
Gamers to Watch
Indiana: QB Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza, a Junior in his first 12 months with the Hoosiers after transferring from Cal, has been probably the greatest gamers in all of faculty soccer this 12 months and is at present the slim favourite to take house the Heisman Trophy. Mendoza has thrown for two,758 yards with 32 TDs and 5 INTs this season, and has the second-best passer score in FBS at 183.7, solely outdone by Ohio State QB Julian Sayin. Mendoza is an environment friendly pocket passer with a knack for the clutch, as he led an 80-yard game-winning landing drive towards Penn State in simply 75 seconds in one among Indiana’s solely shut video games this season.
Ohio State: WR Jeremiah Smith
Sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith has been a sensation in his first two years at Ohio State, breaking quite a few Ohio State freshman receiving information and main the Massive Ten in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a freshman. Smith possesses a measurement and velocity mixture not often seen on the school degree, and he {couples} his body with elite route working and ball expertise. This season, Smith once more led the Massive Ten in receiving touchdowns and posted 942 yards on 72 receptions whereas sharing the workload with fellow future first-rounder Carnell Tate. Count on Ohio State to get the ball to Smith early and infrequently, who confronted double groups and concentrated defensive consideration in his final sport towards Michigan.
Prediction
Ohio State wins 24-17
#17 Virginia (-4) vs. Duke
The ACC’s muddled convention standings have resulted in a peculiar championship sport matchup, which options #17 10-2 Virginia dealing with off towards 7-5 Duke at Financial institution of America Stadium in Charlotte. Because of the convention’s giant measurement, asymmetrical scheduling, and sophisticated tiebreaker state of affairs, the ACC’s top-ranked staff, Miami, which at present sits on the Playoff bubble, misplaced out on a championship sport berth as a part of a five-way tie for second place within the ACC. That implies that Duke will play for the ACC title and a possible CFP bid, although they went 5-2 in convention whereas avoiding 4 of the highest six groups within the convention, and shedding to the opposite two, together with a 17-34 loss to Virginia three weeks in the past. Manny Diaz’s staff went 0-3 in non-conference play, with a 26-point loss to Illinois and losses to Tulane and UConn.
It’s a very good matchup for Tony Elliott’s Virginia squad, which has been probably the greatest tales of the soccer season, with switch QB Chandler Morris and a top-25 scoring protection main the Cavaliers to their second 10-win season in program historical past. WR Trell Harris had 161 yards and a TD towards Duke of their first matchup, and can also be the Cavaliers’ main receiver. Virginia has additionally run the ball properly, averaging 188.7 speeding yards per sport. Duke has allowed 29.4 factors per sport this 12 months, 4th worst within the ACC.
The Blue Devils featured an explosive offense this 12 months, led by a pair of transfers, QB Darian Mensah from Tulane and WR Cooper Barkate from Harvard. Barkate has 978 receiving yards this season and 6 TDs. Duke is averaging 34.6 factors per sport, however struggled to get going towards UVa, gaining solely 255 whole yards of offense.
Playoff Implications
With a win, Virginia will qualify for the Faculty Soccer Playoff as one prime 5 highest-ranked convention champions, and can possible slot in because the #11 seed. If Duke wins, they may current the choice committee a tricky option to make, as they may fall behind AAC Champion Tulane and will probably be evaluated towards the resume of Solar Belt Champion #25 James Madison for the ultimate playoff spot. Duke is at present 59th in power of report, and JMU is 18th. It stays to be seen how a lot a top-20 win would enhance Duke’s odds, however indicators level to JMU getting the nod over Duke.
Gamers to Watch
Virginia: QB Chandler Morris
Senior Chandler Morris is at his 4th faculty in six years. When he began his profession at Oklahoma, he was teammates with Rhamondre Stevenson, who’s at present in his fifth season with the New England Patriots. After spending three seasons at TCU, Morris lastly discovered his footing at North Texas final season, through which he threw for 3774 yards and 31 TDs. Taking part in towards harder competitors this season, it has been extra of the identical, as Morris is finishing 66% of his passes and has thrown for 2586 yards and posted a 135.6 passer score.
Duke: QB Darian Mensah
Sophomore QB Darian Mensah can also be a switch, having spent final season starring at Tulane earlier than becoming a member of the Blue Devils previous to this season, the place he has expanded on final 12 months’s success. Mensah has been one of the vital environment friendly passers within the ACC, main the ACC with 3450 yards passing and 28 TDs this season. Mensah’s worst efficiency of the 12 months got here in Duke’s loss to Virginia, as he accomplished a season low 51.4% of his passes.
Prediction
Virginia wins 37-21
