College Football’s Championship Weekend: High Stakes, Big Names, and One Major Coaching Decision Looming
As the 2025 college football regular season wraps up, the stakes couldn’t be higher-and the storylines couldn’t be juicier. Conference titles are on the line, playoff dreams are hanging in the balance, and one of the most intriguing coaching dominoes could be ready to fall. Let’s break it all down.
Kalani Sitake and the Penn State Possibility
Kalani Sitake has been synonymous with BYU football for a decade. A former Cougar player, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a steady hand who’s guided the program through its transition into the Big 12, Sitake has been more than just a coach-he’s been a cultural fit and a consistent winner.
But now, Penn State is calling. And Sitake is listening.
Multiple reports confirm that discussions between Sitake and Penn State are serious, though nothing is finalized. For BYU, the timing couldn’t be worse.
The Cougars are gearing up for a Big 12 Championship showdown against Texas Tech, a game that could determine whether they finally break through to the College Football Playoff. It’s a CFP-or-bust scenario, and the uncertainty around Sitake’s future adds another layer of tension.
From Penn State’s side, this search hasn’t exactly gone smoothly. After parting ways with James Franklin, the Nittany Lions have cycled through candidates without landing their guy-until now, potentially.
Sitake doesn’t check the usual boxes for Penn State: no ties to the region, no coaching experience east of the Mountain Time Zone, and no Big Ten background. But in college football, “fit” is often overrated.
What matters more is winning-and Sitake has done plenty of that, averaging over eight wins a year and going 22-3 across the last two seasons.
While BYU has thrived since joining the Big 12, the reality is that the path to the playoff is steeper in that conference. The Cougars have posted back-to-back 11-win seasons and still haven’t cracked the CFP.
Last year, they were left just outside the door. This year, unless they knock off Texas Tech, it could happen again.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten sent four teams to the playoff last year and three this year. The math is simple: the road to a national title is smoother at Penn State.
If Sitake makes the leap, it would be a bold move for both sides. But bold is often what it takes to win big.
Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs. Indiana
Let’s talk about the game with the biggest implications: Ohio State vs. Indiana for the Big Ten crown.
The winner grabs the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and a trip to the Rose Bowl. That’s big-time stuff.
Indiana fans are living in a dream. Two years ago, this kind of season was fantasy-level thinking.
Now, thanks to Coach “Google Me” and his swagger-filled rebuild, the Hoosiers are 60 minutes away from a perfect 13-0 season and a Big Ten title in Indianapolis. But to get there, they’ll have to go through the juggernaut that is Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have won 16 straight and are looking every bit like the sport’s new Death Star. They’ve been dominant, efficient, and ruthless. A repeat national title is very much on the table.
This game also doubles as a Heisman Trophy showdown between two of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country: Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Fernando Mendoza (Indiana). They’re sitting 1-2 nationally in pass efficiency, separated by just over a point. A big performance in this game could swing the Heisman race in either direction.
SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama (Again)
It’s a familiar matchup, but the stakes are as high as ever. Georgia vs. Alabama in the SEC Championship is a battle of heavyweights, and for Kirby Smart, it’s another shot at slaying his personal dragon.
Smart is 1-7 against Alabama, and 0-2 against current Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer. That’s a brutal stat line for a coach who’s 68-5 against everyone else in the SEC.
A win here would lock Georgia into a first-round playoff bye and a Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. A loss?
That opens the door for a debate about who deserves to be the top-seeded SEC team.
Big 12 Championship: Texas Tech Chasing History
Texas Tech is one win away from rewriting its history books. The Red Raiders haven’t won an outright conference title since 1955 and have just one all-time Top 10 finish (1965). Beating BYU would not only secure the Big 12 crown but likely earn them a first-round playoff bye.
There’s a bittersweet twist, though. A bye would mean no first-round home game in Lubbock-and that would’ve been a spectacle.
A playoff game in West Texas? That’s the kind of event that would’ve had the whole city buzzing for weeks.
ACC Championship: Duke vs. Virginia, A Throwback Title Game
The ACC Championship brings a dose of nostalgia with Duke and Virginia-two of the league’s original members-facing off in a game that feels like it’s from a different era. Duke is chasing its first outright ACC football title since 1962.
Virginia? They’ve never done it.
In a conference that’s seen its identity shift dramatically in recent years, this matchup is a reminder of the roots-and a chance for one of these programs to make a little history of their own.
MAC Championship: Chuck Martin’s Long Road at Miami (OH)
Chuck Martin’s tenure at Miami (OH) has been a slow burn, but it might finally be paying off. He’s got the RedHawks in the MAC title game for the third straight season-something no MAC program has done since 2013-15.
If they win, Martin will finally push his career record above .500 at 73-72. It’s been a long road since he opened with four losing seasons.
But now, in Year 12, he’s the longest-tenured coach in the storied history of the “Cradle of Coaches.” That’s a list that includes legends like Bo Schembechler and Randy Walker.
Martin may not have dreamed of staying this long, but he’s made it work-and now, he’s on the verge of a championship.
Nebraska’s Flat Finish and Rhule’s Reality Check
Nebraska’s season started with promise-a soft early schedule, no matchups against Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon-but it ends at 7-5. Quarterback Dylan Raiola’s injury didn’t help, but injuries are part of the game. In Year 3, Matt Rhule still hasn’t delivered a winning Big Ten record.
He fired his defensive coordinator this week, after firing his offensive coordinator last year. At this point, the scapegoats are running out. The pressure’s building in Lincoln.
Championship weekend is always loaded, but this year feels especially thick with storylines. From coaching moves to playoff positioning to long-awaited title dreams, the drama is everywhere. And by the time the dust settles, we’ll have a clearer picture of who’s in, who’s out, and who’s on the rise in college football’s ever-shifting landscape.