PAC-12 Championship Game Open Thread: Duck...Duck...Ute!

If you’ve been waiting all these years to watch a nationally relevant PAC-12 Championship Game, tonight’s your night.

Utah and Oregon will kick off at 8:00 pm eastern on ABC in a game with real, honest-to-goodness College Football Playoff implications.

Maybe.

The Utes currently sit at #5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, one slot behind Georgia and just out of the running. If they win tonight and Georgia loses tomorrow, there’s a good shot the Utes are in. If Clemson somehow loses to Virginia, the Utes might be in. Those scenarios are mediated by the fact that Oklahoma (#6) and Baylor (#7) could jump Utah with a bravura display in tomorrow’s Big XII title game.

It’s all very complicated. We had to get a Ph.D. to explain it.

Just remember, if Georgia takes care of business tomorrow afternoon it’s all academic. Take your mind off things by watching what should be a relatively competitive game between a very good Utah defense and a solid Oregon offensive line.

Oregon will be well-conditioned. They’re trained by the strongest handlebar mustache in the business. I sort of suspect this is the night Utah’s playoff candidacy withers. But who knows?

Go ‘Dawgs!!!