It’s championship weekend in college football.
This week, along with the following weeks, brings thrilling moments for football enthusiasts and bettors eager to explore engaging wagering opportunities as the Playoff approaches.
While the best bets for championship weekend have been shared, it’s time for some light-hearted insights known as “Bear Bytes.”
These “bytes” offer fun facts and talking points, perfect for enjoying the games with friends and family or for sparking conversations with colleagues. Here are some intriguing highlights discovered during the research phase.
Conference Championship Games
Remarkably, every Power 4 conference title game features a spread of under four points, marking a historic moment. In the past six years, only three such games occurred across these leagues. Historically, there have been 17 instances in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC title games, with six underdogs emerging victorious.
Last year saw two upsets in the current Power 4 conference title games, which is significant considering only two upsets occurred in the previous six years.
(All times ET)
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
Boise State vs. UNLV (8 p.m., FOX/FOX Sports App)
Mountain West Championship
Boise State boasts an impressive streak, winning 13 consecutive home games against conference rivals, with each victory coming by at least seven points. Since 2013, the Broncos have an impressive home record of 41-5 against conference opponents.
Tulane vs. Army (8 p.m., ABC)
AAC Championship
In his tenure at Troy, Jon Sumrall faced Army twice, securing wins of 19-0 and 10-9 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In those contests, Army managed only 4.5 and 3.4 yards per carry.
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
Oregon vs. Penn State (8 p.m., CBS)
Big Ten Championship
Penn State has struggled in pre-bowl games against top-10 opponents, losing their last 13 such matchups since their win in the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game. In four of the last six games against top-10 teams, they scored zero or one offensive touchdown. Their overall record against top-10 teams, including bowl games, stands at 1-14 in the last 15 encounters.
The last seven Big Ten Championship Games have been claimed by the favorites, with Penn State being the last underdog to win, defeating Wisconsin in 2016.
Currently, Penn State has lost nine consecutive games as an underdog and holds a dismal record of 1-15 in their last 16 matchups when labeled as the underdog.
Georgia vs. Texas (4 p.m., ABC)
SEC Championship
In recent history, underdogs have triumphed in two of the last three SEC title games, while only two underdogs won outright in the previous 19 contests.
Since Kirby Smart led Georgia to their first national title in 2021, the Bulldogs have been underdogs twice, winning both games against Clemson in 2021 and Texas earlier this year while allowing a mere 18 points in total.
Excluding Texas, six SEC teams achieved nine wins, but Texas only faced Georgia, losing at home by 15 points.
Clemson vs. SMU (8 p.m., ABC)
ACC Championship
Florida State’s 16-6 victory over Louisville as a one-point underdog in last year’s ACC Championship Game ended an 11-year streak where the favorite won the title game.
Four ACC teams finished with records of 2-6 or worse in conference play, and SMU faced three of them. In total, eight ACC teams had records of 3-5 or worse, with SMU competing against five of those teams in their eight conference games.
Historically, 36 teams from the current Power 4 leagues reached the conference title game with at least three overall losses, achieving a combined record of 8-28 (1-10 since 2016). Notably, the six teams that were either favored or underdogs by a field goal or less have a balanced record of 3-3.
Arizona State vs. Iowa State (noon, ABC)
Big 12 Championship
Among the last 14 Big 12 title games, there has been only one upset: Baylor’s win over Oklahoma State in 2021.
This matchup marks the first time since the Iowa game that the Cyclones find themselves as underdogs. Iowa State has performed well recently, winning four of their last five games as underdogs.
Iowa State has a record of 2-1 in games decided by four points or fewer this season, a notable improvement from their previous record of 2-7 in similar situations.
In the Big 12, seven teams ended with losing records, and Iowa State faced five of them. Meanwhile, Arizona State competed against six losing teams but also secured victories against 10-2 BYU and 8-4 Kansas State.
