College Football Betting: Three Things To Know Heading Into Week 14 of the 2022 Season

Well, we’ve grinded our way through the season and made it to Conference Championship week. Bittersweet, both because it signals the end of Saturdays filled with football (don’t worry though, college basketball will fill that void real quick) and because there isn’t all that much chaos to be had.

With the College Football Playoff Committee’s final ranking list, they pretty much settled how this shakes out. Georgia and Michigan are in regardless of whether they win this weekend or not (though both likely will), TCU and USC are in if they win, Ohio State makes it if one of those 2 slip up, and Alabama makes it if both do. Clean, simple, easy. It’s almost disappointing, because there really won’t be much for fans or pundits to scream about prior to the final playoff rankings coming in. Sure, you might argue that’s a good thing considering the CFP Committee are a bunch of hopelessly biased idiots, but part of the fun in these bracket releases (just like in CBB) is the element of the unknown. Alas, we’ll have to settle for what we get.

In light of the differences this week, the article is going to adapt a bit as well. Rather than three generic things to know, I’m going to talk a bit about the 3 most significant games and why they’re worth tuning in for. With that, let’s get to a breakdown of the SEC, Big 12, and Pac 12 Title games (yes, I’m ignoring the Big 10, who’s most relevant moment every year took place last weekend).

1. Pac 12: Can USC Exorcize their Demons?

There are two real questions that need to be asked with the Pac 12 and Big 12 Title Games: Will these teams win and do we really want them to win? I’ll get to the former in a moment, but the latter is a legitimate question as well. Do we really think that USC or TCU has any fucking prayer of holding up on the big stage. To be honest, I really doubt it. USC might arguably have enough talent to skirt by and make a game out of things if they played Michigan, but I highly doubt they can hang with UGA considering the shellacking the Dawgs put on Oregon. TCU? Well, miracles can happen I guess... Alas, we have to wait and see.

As for the game at hand, the big question is whether Utah will ruin the Trojans again. The Utes are the only team to beat USC this year and, as you can see from the line, there isn't a  ton to separate them. The key is going to be whether USC’s defense can hold up better than it did in their first matchup where Utah scored 43, and something tells me that Cameron Rising and co. are going to give them fits again. This will likely be a high scoring shootout, and I expect that it comes down to the very end again.

I, for one, will be rooting for USC. Do I have a soft spot for them? Absolutely not. I just want them to make the Playoff and watch them get decimated in Notre Dame-esque fashion, as a reminder to everyone of how far the program (and Pac 12) has fallen.

MORE: College Football Week 14 Predictions

2. Big 12: How Does TCU Handle the Big Moment?

I honestly haven’t got a clue how the Horned Frogs have made it this far. The Big 12 continues to be a mystery box of surprises (or nightmares) and I find it hard to believe any of these teams is really all that good. But hey, kudos to TCU for running the table, which is impressive and worth a CFP Playoff nod if they win against Kansas State.

Do they finish the deal? I say yes. TCU beat Kansas State by 10 earlier in the year and the Wildcats are hopelessly inconsistent. Desire to ruin someone else’s season can only motivate you so much, and the Horned Frogs have shown time and again that they know how to win close games, which is a critical tool this late in the year.

Now, it’s a bit of a hollow victory. This team is going to get absolutely plastered in the CFP Playoff. Their out of conference schedule was more or less a waste of time and they haven't faced talent like they’ll see from Michigan or Georgia. But hey, good for them. Sometimes it’s nice just to be invited to the party.

3. SEC: Will Georgia be Exposed?

As I mentioned already, Georgia is in regardless of what happens. That said, this feels like a fairly important moment for them, and beating a solid LSU team will go a long way in shoring up their (likely) run to another title both in terms of confidence and seeding.

Ironically, Georgia’s hopes largely have nothing to do with this game, aside from staying healthy. The Dawgs would much rather face TCU or USC than they would Ohio State or Alabama, and you can bet they’ll be tuned in to the two previously discussed games for some early tape and to hope they get away with a weaker slate of competition.

This game is still somewhat meaningful though. UGA’s one slip up last year was in the SEC Title Game and you can bet your ass Kirby doesnt want to deal with the headache of watching his team blow the title in Atlanta again. Losing, or even a close game against a team that just got blown out by Texas A&M, would set off alarm bells that other teams may have a real shot at beating the defending champs. Better not to give them hope.