College Football Picks Week 15: Top 25 Odds, Box Score Prediction, Rankings, Schedule
December 2, 2024College Football Picks Week 15: Top 25 Odds, Box Score Prediction, Rankings, Schedule
A pair of top-five showdowns headline conference championship week in college football.
The Penn State Nittany Lions and Oregon Ducks will square off in the Big Ten Championship Game, while the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns meet for the second time this season in the SEC Championship Game.
All four teams should qualify for the College Football Playoff. UGA would likely be in as the SEC runner-up with two losses to Texas despite having three defeats.
Both games will act as playoff previews for the top teams in the two strongest conferences, and because all four teams have been so strong all season, it's not surprising to see small point spreads for the contests in Atlanta and Indianapolis.
The ACC Championship Game could serve as a playoff tune-up for the SMU Mustangs, who despite being a small favorite against the Clemson Tigers, could run away with the victory in Charlotte.
Week 15 CFB Schedule and Odds
Friday, December 6
C-USA Championship Game: Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State (-4) (7 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
Mountain West Championship Game: No. 19 UNLV vs. No. 10 Boise State (-3.5) (8 p.m. ET, Fox)
AAC Championship Game: Tulane (-4) at No. 24 Army (8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Saturday, December 7
Big 12 Championship Game: No. 16 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Arizona State (-2.5) (Noon ET, ABC)
MAC Championship Game: Miami (Ohio) vs. Ohio (-2.5) (Noon ET, ESPN)
SEC Championship Game: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas (-2.5) (4 p.m. ET, ABC)
Sun Belt Championship Game: Marshall at Louisiana (-4) (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten Championship Game: No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon (-3.5) (8 p.m. ET, CBS)
ACC Championship Game: No. 18 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU (-2.5) (8 p.m. ET, ABC)
No. 3 Penn State (+3.5) vs. No. 1 Oregon
Penn State is as serious of a national championship contender as Oregon.
The Nittany Lions have a balanced offense led by a veteran quarterback in Drew Allar and a top-10 defense that features a first-round draft pick in defensive end Abdul Carter.
However, Penn State's biggest knock is that it can't win the big game under head coach James Franklin.
Plenty of experts will point to Franklin's single win against a top-five team in his tenure as the primary reason why the Nittany Lions won't beat top-ranked Oregon on Saturday.
It's a fair criticism, but there's better time than Saturday to shift the narrative.
Oregon was at this same stage last season in the Pac-12 and came up short against the Washington Huskies.
The Ducks were only tested once in Big Ten play and that resulted in a one-point win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Oregon's only other serious test was a three-point triumph at home over the Boise State Broncos.
Oregon's toughest games this season have been battles, which is a great sign for Penn State to at least hang within a field goal.
There's no massive difference between either side, so at minimum, we should expect an even contest in Indianapolis.
No. 18 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU (-2.5)
The ACC Championship Game could be more one-sided than any of the games this weekend.
SMU enters on a nine-game winning streak and Clemson is coming off a close loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Rhett Lashlee's Mustangs cruised through its first ACC regular season and it looked like a championship-caliber team in the last two weeks in blowout wins where they conceded just 13 points.
Clemson was on the fringe of the top 10 for most of the season, but when it mattered, the Tigers came up short.
Dabo Swinney's side fell in its opener to Georgia, lost to its other ranked opponent South Carolina and struggled at home with an eight-win Louisville Cardinals team.
Clemson was very good this season at beating the weaker opponents on its schedule, but it hasn't been able to raise its level of competition.
Meanwhile, SMU regularly cruised to point totals in the 30s and most of the roster has championship-winning experience from last season in the AAC.
No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas (-2.5)
Texas has been a far more consistent team than Georgia since the Bulldogs knocked off the Longhorns on October 19.
Georgia lost three weeks later to the Ole Miss Rebels and struggled to put together a consistent offensive attack in its final game versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
UGA needed a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback at home just to avoid its third regular-season loss.
Georgia also struggled to move the ball in its early-season loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide that was only close on the scoreboard because of a second-half surge.
Texas earned four double-digit wins in the five games since the Georgia loss. The Longhorns held their last four opponents under 20 points.
The combination of Texas' strong defense and UGA's offensive inconsistencies favors the Longhorns in Atlanta.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
