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No. 2 Indiana 13, No. 1 Ohio State 10
Fernando Mendoza threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and the Indiana defense came up with two massive fourth-quarter stands as No. 2 Indiana edged No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game.
The Hoosiers (13-0) claimed their first conference title since 1967 and snapped a 30-game winless streak against the Buckeyes (12-1). Mendoza, who went 15 of 23 with one interception, repeatedly leaned on Charlie Becker, who hauled in six passes for 126 yards. Mendoza’s 17-yard strike to Elijah Sarratt on third down midway through the third quarter provided the final margin.
Ohio State still had chances. Julian Sayin (21 of 29, 258 yards, one TD, one INT) marched the Buckeyes to the Indiana 5 twice in the fourth quarter. On the first trip, a fourth-and-1 keeper was overturned to no gain on review. On the second, Jayden Fielding hooked a 27-yard field goal with 2:48 left, effectively sealing Indiana’s perfect season and putting the Hoosiers squarely in the mix for bettors eyeing the board of Week 15 NCAAF picks. Jeremiah Smith finished with eight catches for 144 yards in the loss.
No. 3 Georgia 28, No. 9 Alabama 7
Gunner Stockton threw for 156 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia dominated Alabama 28-7 in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
Stockton was a sharp 20 of 26 (76.9 percent) through the air to earn MVP honors. Nate Frazier added 52 rushing yards and a score, while Zachariah Branch caught five passes for 53 yards and a touchdown for Georgia (12-1), which claimed a second straight SEC crown and clinched a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. It was exactly the kind of statement effort handicappers look for when applying core concepts from how to bet on football to conference title spots.
Georgia’s defense suffocated Alabama, holding the Crimson Tide to minus-3 rushing yards and avenging a 24-21 home loss on Sept. 27. Ty Simpson went 19 of 39 for 212 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Alabama (10-3), which had been 4-0 vs. Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and had won 10 of the previous 11 meetings.
No. 4 Texas Tech 34, No. 11 BYU 7
Ben Roberts intercepted two passes and Butkus Award winner Jacob Rodriguez piled up 13 tackles as Texas Tech locked up a first-round CFP bye with a 34-7 win over BYU in the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Tech (12-1) outscored BYU (11-2) 34-0 over the final three quarters, turning four Cougars turnovers into 14 points. Behren Morton completed 20 of 33 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns to Coy Eakin, clinching the Red Raiders’ first outright conference title since 1955. Performances like this, with a turnover-hungry defense and efficient passing game, mirror the profiles often highlighted in Sportshub’s breakdown on how to win more college football bets.
Bear Bachmeier completed 16 of 27 passes for 115 yards but was picked twice. LJ Martin rushed for BYU’s lone touchdown as the Cougars were held to 200 total yards.
Duke 27, No. 17 Virginia 20 (OT)
Darian Mensah threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns to Jeremiah Hasley as Duke upset No. 17 Virginia 27-20 in overtime to win the ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C.
After Mensah hit Hasley on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line for a touchdown on Duke’s overtime possession, Luke Mergott intercepted Chandler Morris on Virginia’s first offensive snap in OT to seal it. The Blue Devils (8-5) claimed their first outright ACC title since 1962 and avenged a 34-17 home loss to the Cavaliers just 21 days earlier.
The loss may have cost the ACC a College Football Playoff berth, as Virginia (10-3) likely would have been a lock with a win. The Cavaliers’ setback and Duke’s late-season surge will both factor into how handicappers approach future college football picks as bowl matchups and CFP lines hit the board.
