After weeks of speculation, the Bowl Subdivision conference championship matchups have been determined, paving the way for the last weekend of the regular season and the final College Football Playoff rankings.

The nine championship games will occur on Friday and Saturday. The playoff rankings and bracket will be unveiled early Sunday afternoon.

Most of these games will significantly impact playoff standings, with the exceptions being the Conference USA, Mid-American, and Sun Belt championship games, which will not influence the selection of a Group of Five team for an automatic playoff spot.

The automatic playoff bid will be awarded to the champion of the American Athletic or Mountain West Conference, with both title games happening at the same time on Friday night. The Mountain West matchup is projected to feature Boise State against UNLV, although this won’t be officially confirmed until Tuesday’s playoff rankings. All Power Four matchups will at least play a role in deciding seeding and which teams receive first-round byes.

These games will wrap up an exciting regular season and set the stage for the postseason:

ACC: SMU (11-1) vs. Clemson (9-3)

The Tigers squeezed into this game after Miami suffered a loss to Syracuse. Following a defeat to South Carolina, winning against SMU is Clemson’s only route to the playoff. The Mustangs could have been strong contenders for an at-large bid had they lost to Miami; however, that may not hold true if they lose to the three-loss Tigers. The ACC is increasingly looking like it could end up being a one-bid league.

Big 12: Arizona State (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-2)

This matchup is crucial for both teams, as they each seek a spot in the playoffs. Iowa State started strong at 7-0 but lost to Texas Tech and Kansas. They bounced back with wins against Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State to reach Arlington, Texas, for their second championship under Matt Campbell. Arizona State is competing for the Big 12 title in its first season in the conference, having previously played in the Pac-12 title game in 2013. Entering Saturday, the Sun Devils are on a five-game winning streak, including victories over Kansas State and Brigham Young. While these two teams did not face each other in the regular season, Arizona State lost to Cincinnati but defeated Kansas.

Big Ten: Oregon (12-0) vs. Penn State (11-1)

Both teams have secured playoff spots; this game will decide which Big Ten team will receive a first-round bye and which will host a playoff visitor. The losing team might fall to No. 5, which offers two advantages: one, facing the No. 12 seed, and two, a potential matchup with Boise State in the quarterfinals. A win should guarantee the Ducks the No. 1 overall seed, while a victory for the Nittany Lions could put them in contention for that top spot alongside Georgia or Texas from the SEC.

SEC: Texas (11-1) vs. Georgia (10-2)

This rematch is expected to be more competitive than Georgia’s earlier 30-15 victory in Austin this year. The Bulldogs had a tough time in a thrilling eight-overtime game against Georgia Tech, while Texas managed to recover from a shaky second half to secure a 17-7 win over Texas A&M. This victory ensures the Longhorns a playoff spot regardless of Saturday’s result. Conversely, Georgia’s third loss could lead to unfavorable comparisons with other three-loss teams like Alabama and Mississippi, who defeated the Bulldogs.

American Athletic: Tulane (9-3) at Army (10-1)

The Black Knights, hosting the game after finishing first with an 8-0 league record, will be keeping an eye on the scoreboard to see if an upset occurs in the Mountain West. If Boise State loses and Army wins against Tulane, they could have a strong argument for being the Group of Five representative in the playoffs. However, their spot is not guaranteed since UNLV might also be in the conversation.

Conference USA: Western Kentucky (8-4) at Jacksonville State (8-4)

These teams will face off again on Friday night, just six days after Western Kentucky narrowly defeated Jacksonville State 19-17 to secure a spot in the Conference USA title game. The Hilltoppers secured second place in the standings based on a head-to-head tiebreaker with Sam Houston State. A key question going into this rematch is how much strategy Rich Rodriguez and the Gamecocks revealed to Western Kentucky last Saturday, knowing they would meet again so soon. Jacksonville State is looking to extend its eight-game winning streak, having scored at least 31 points in all but one game.

MAC: Ohio (9-3) at Miami (Ohio) (8-4)

Both teams are on impressive runs. Ohio has claimed five victories in a row, including critical wins over Buffalo and Toledo, while Miami is riding a seven-game winning streak, most recently defeating Bowling Green on Friday. They previously met on October 19, where the RedHawks triumphed 30-20. Miami aims to secure back-to-back MAC titles for the first time since 1973-75, while Ohio seeks its first league championship since 1968.

Mountain West: UNLV (10-2) at Boise State (11-1)

Boise State has a chance to enter the playoffs with a victory and might even secure a spot among the top four conference champions. UNLV, currently ranked No. 22 in last week’s playoff rankings, is also in a similar position. The Mountain West Conference uses head-to-head rankings to break ties between UNLV and Colorado State, and since the Rebels are expected to remain ranked, they have a good chance. Army is currently unranked following their defeat against Notre Dame, and Tulane is positioned at No. 17, although it’s likely they will drop out of the rankings this week. This scenario suggests that the Mountain West champion could represent the Group of Five in the playoffs.

Sun Belt: Marshall (9-3) at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2)

Louisiana will be the host for the championship game, which provides a significant advantage based on the conference’s past performance: the home team has a flawless record of 5-0 in Sun Belt title matches since the league’s divisional split took place in 2018. The Ragin’ Cajuns have consistently performed well, with eight teams from the conference reaching bowl eligibility after having placed 12 teams in postseason last year. Marshall secured their spot by overcoming a 17-0 deficit at halftime against James Madison, winning 35-33 in double overtime. Louisiana might have had a playoff opportunity if they hadn’t lost to South Alabama earlier this month.