November is here, and with the calendar change comes rising stakes in the college football landscape. Just four weeks remain until conference championship games are upon us, and the first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night to give teams a better understanding of where they stand in the postseason picture. After a busy week of action that featured three ranked-vs-ranked matchups and several more key clashes, what are the latest trends in the sport’s postseason outlook? Here’s a look at some key storylines using insights from SI Tickets’ postseason reservations.
Tennessee Passes Another Test
The college football world may have been looking ahead to this week’s showdown between Tennessee and Georgia, but the Vols took care of business and more in a dominant win Saturday over a ranked Kentucky team. Tennessee scored less than 90 seconds into the contest on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker to Jalin Hyatt and never looked back, coasting to a 38-point victory in the series’ most lopsided game since 2000. Hooker had little trouble shredding a sturdy Kentucky defense, and Tennessee’s defense made a statement after being less-than-stellar in SEC play.
The win upped National Championship Game ticket reservation prices for Tennessee by nearly 50% on SI Tickets, a huge jump ahead of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first rankings reveal on Tuesday. Why? In addition to how good the Vols looked, Kentucky was the team’s hardest remaining game on paper other than its showdown with Georgia on Saturday. And while the matchup with UGA will have major SEC title implications, the Vols would have a strong chance of making the CFP even with one loss. But if you want to check out what could be the game of the year in the SEC between the Vols and Bulldogs, tickets are listed on average for over $1,500 on SI Tickets.
Big Ten Races Find Clarity
In both the Big Ten East and West, action this weekend essentially cleared the field of contenders to two teams still in the thick of things in the regular season’s final month.
In the East, Ohio State got a scare from Penn State in Happy Valley but eventually asserted control in the fourth quarter and earned a 44–31 victory over the Nittany Lions. For all intents and purposes, the result eliminates PSU from Big Ten title contention, as James Franklin’s team now trails OSU and Michigan by two games in the loss column and wouldn’t win tiebreakers with either. Penn State’s Big Ten Championship Game ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets dropped 38% after the loss. Now, Ohio State and Michigan (which beat Michigan State Saturday to remain undefeated) are on a collision course for rivalry weekend, with the winner likely headed to the Big Ten Championship Game.
And in the West, Illinois got some breathing room in a crowded division with a road win at Nebraska. The Illini now have at least a two-game lead on everyone other than Purdue in the West, and Bret Bielema’s team owns tiebreakers with all four three-loss teams in the division. That’s why Illinois’ win at Nebraska dropped Big Ten Championship reservation prices for not just the Huskers but also Wisconsin and Minnesota by 38% each. A game on November 12 against Purdue is the last major stumbling block to the Illini winning the West.
Kansas State Makes Move in Big 12 Race
The Big 12’s parity has made for a very entertaining season thus far. The latest twist in the conference race came Saturday when Kansas State dominated Oklahoma State 48–0 despite turning to backup QB Will Howard with Adrian Martinez out. K-State, whose only loss in conference play so far was to undefeated TCU earlier in October, now controls its own destiny to at least get to the Big 12 Championship Game. And while the remaining schedule still presents some challenges, like an upcoming showdown with Texas, the Wildcats saw their conference championship game ticket reservation prices rise by 202% after Saturday’s win. K-State now has the highest reservation price of any Big 12 team, while the Longhorns are second.
A Sleeper Emerging in the ACC
The ACC’s clear favorite remains Clemson, which was on bye this past weekend ahead of a huge game against Notre Dame this weekend. But North Carolina has taken control of the ACC’s Coastal division entering November and even has a dark horse path to the College Football Playoff.
The Heels have rarely been dominant: Four of their seven wins have come by one score or less, and their lone loss came by 13 at the hands of Notre Dame. But UNC played one of its best games of the season Saturday in a 42–24 win over Pittsburgh behind a stellar day from QB Drake Maye, and now the Heels are clearly in the driver’s seat to at least get a shot at Clemson in December. UNC’s ACC Championship Game ticket reservation prices jumped another 22% this week after a 36% jump the week before, and we’ll see Tuesday where the College Football Playoff committee has them heading into a road matchup with Virginia this week.
Looking Ahead in the SEC West
One of the biggest movers in SI Tickets’ ticket reservation prices for conference championship games was LSU, despite the fact that the Tigers were on a bye. LSU’s reservation price for the SEC Championship Game dropped by 34% after fellow SEC West contender Ole Miss won at Texas A&M to stay at one loss.
The next two weeks will all but determine which of LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama ends up winning this division. Saturday, LSU hosts Alabama in Death Valley in the defining game of Brian Kelly’s first year as head coach in Baton Rouge. Tickets are listed on average for $365 on SI Tickets. Then, Alabama heads to Oxford to take on Ole Miss the following weekend. Win both road games, the Tide will be all but assured of a place in the SEC title game and would have bolstered their College Football Playoff hopes in the process. If not, things could get very interesting.
