College football winners and losers on Fox News Digital Sports: Conference Championship Weekend

The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was officially announced on Sunday as the bell tolls for the national championship and the season begins to wind down.

The conference championship weekend proved whether the team could make the playoffs. Clemson surprised SMU with a victory in the ACC Championship, which ended up forcing Alabama out of the field. Georgia State dominated Texas to win the SEC Championship, and the Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals with a bye.

Boise State also advanced to the quarterfinals with a bye thanks to a Heisman Trophy-worthy performance from running back Ashton Giunty.

Now that the big parts of the season are over, who are the winners and losers this weekend? Read on to find out more.

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winner

Clemson: After losing to South Carolina in the regular season finale, the Tigers needed a win over SMU to qualify for the College Football Playoff. After trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, Clemson made a 56-yard field goal to win the ACC championship. There was talk that Dabo Swinney would not play in the CFP in the near future, but he is currently leading his team to play for the National Championship. It was a terrible end to the season for Clemson, and they needed a monster FG to end it.

SMU: A close loss may never feel as good for SMU as it did when a furious comeback in the ACC title game clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff. Now they're going to play a Penn State team, they've got a little bit of momentum and it's a dream come true.

Oregon State: Oregon's introduction to the Big Ten. In their first year in the conference, the Ducks had a dominant campaign, culminating in a convincing but competitive victory over conference powerhouse Penn State.

Ashton Giunty: Did the Broncos' Mountain West Conference victory Saturday night seal the Boise State running back's claim to the Heisman Trophy? The winners will be announced later this week, with either Giunty or Colorado's Travis Hunter expected to be the frontrunners for the prestigious award. However, Giunty had 32 carries for 209 yards and one touchdown in a 21-7 win over UNLV, his sixth 200-yard rushing game. Giunty had one of the most impressive seasons in college football history, finishing the regular season with 2,497 yards on 344 carries (7.3 yards per carry).

Boise State running back Ashton Giunty hits UNLV defensive lineman Tattoo Martinson while running during the first half of a Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game in Boise, Idaho, Dec. 6, 2024. Push your arm away. (AP Photo/Steve Connor)

Cam Skatebo: There's no doubting the Arizona State running back's confidence after leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 title Saturday night. Skatebo capped off an impressive season for him with 170 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in ASU's win over the Cyclones. He had 1,398 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, and the Sun Devils will compete for a national title if they earn a bye as a No. 4 seed.

Timothee Chalamet: College football fans weren't happy with ESPN's decision to have Hollywood A-list actor Timothée Chalamet as a special guest picker on “College Game Day” during conference championship weekend. But the “Dune” actor left fellow fans speechless and even his co-hosts for the day in awe with his seemingly expert analysis. For what it's worth, he was the only person to predict Ohio State's 38-3 rout of Miami versus Ohio.

loser

Alabama: The College Football Playoff Committee ruled that wins outweighed strength of schedule in awarding SMU a playoff berth against Alabama on Sunday. The Mustangs lost to Clemson in the final game of the ACC Championship Game, but the Crimson Tide's losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma proved too costly. Penn State will host the Mustangs in the first round.

Texas: Look, I know Quinn Ewers passed for over 350 yards against Georgia in the SEC title game, but those two interceptions were brutal. Their biggest regular season win was against Texas A&M, and while their defense is good enough to carry them to a playoff victory, their offense is also hit-or-miss. Even when Carson Beck was injured before halftime, the Longhorns were unable to take advantage of an injured Dawgs team. It will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian gets Arch Manning more involved when the playoffs begin.

Iowa State: Just when it looked like Matt Campbell could lead this Iowa State team to a Big 12 title and overcome the odds, the team faced Arizona State in the championship game. Not only that, but their defense was terrible, and they lost the game by 26 points in the third quarter. They had a playoff berth, probably bowling somewhere in warm weather, but obviously not for a national championship. It was a missed opportunity for the Cyclones.

UNLV: UNLV suffered a blowout loss to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship. UNLV looked like a blowout of Boise State for much of the first half, but when Boise State got off the gas, they found an opening to make the score a little more beautiful.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (Dale Zanin Image Image/File)

Carson Beck's Draft Stock: Would the Bulldogs have beaten Texas and won the SEC Championship if Beck had been at quarterback in the second half? Beck was injured on the last play of the first half in what was supposed to be a Hail Mary, but was hit in the arm while trying to throw and immediately collapsed in pain. Substitute Gunner Stockton then energized the Bulldogs' offense, ultimately scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime to seal the victory. Beck completed 7-of-13 for 56 yards, but will have time to rest in preparation for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, where Georgia is the No. 2 seed.

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Fox News Digital Sports' College Football Winners and Losers was compiled by the staff of Fox News Digital Sports and the staff of OutKick.com.