The Saturday in the south The staff is back to provide tips for every conference championship game heading into Week 15.

The balances until the end of the regular season:

• Derek: 75–64–1
• Ethan: 68–71–1
• Paul: 68–71–1
• Spenser: 64–75–1

Let’s get down to business.

(Editor’s note: All odds are from DraftKings. The point spreads used for this piece were determined earlier in the week and may not necessarily reflect current odds.)

Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State (-4.5)

Spenser Davis: Jacksonville State’s quarterback is a game-time decision due to an ankle injury he suffered last week. But I’m still picking Jax State because Tre Stewart should be able to pass the ball at will against a WKU defense that has had major problems running the ball all season. PICK: Jacksonville State

Paul Harvey: This is not the straightforward Hilltoppers program you may be used to. WKU actually ranked third in the CUSA defensively, giving up 22.2 points per game. They’ll need it when facing Jax State’s CUSA-leading offense. CHOICE: Western Kentucky

Derek Peterson: Jacksonville State quarterback Tyler Huff is a game-time decision after leaving the team’s previous game with an injury. If he is unavailable, Logan Smothers will return to the starting lineup. He began the season as a starter before being replaced by Huff. If Western Kentucky overtakes Jax State (because that WKU passing game has a clear advantage), I don’t trust Smothers to make up the difference. If Jacksonville State is playing with a lead, I don’t trust the defense to get separation. CHOICE: Western Kentucky

Ethan Stone: It will be a trend for my picks this week: it’s hard to beat a team twice. Western Kentucky won by 2 just last week, and I think Jacksonville State will get revenge this time. PICK: Jacksonville State

UNLV at Boise State (-4.5)

SD: UNLV is the only team all season to hold Ashton Jeanty to under 4 yards per carry. The Runnin’ Rebels have been good against the run all season, but not so good. Maybe lightning strikes twice, but I don’t see it. PICK: Boise State

Ph: I know UNLV had a strong performance, but Boise State was my top G5 team for most of the season. With the playoffs on the line, I won’t back down from that. PICK: Boise State

DP: I like UNLV here. It more than held its own in the first meeting. It was the only defense that could slow down Ashton Jeanty all year. It features a true dual-threat quarterback who may find some splash plays against a Boise defense that gives up too many on the ground. And it has revenge on the spirit. All the pressure is on Boise State; I wonder if they are tight early on. SELECTION: UNLV

IT: One team has Ashton Jeanty and the other doesn’t. Sorry, UNLV. PICK: Boise State

Tulane (-4.5) at Army

SD: Army didn’t face a top-40 passing attack (by efficiency rating) all season. Tulane is top-10. The Green Wave doesn’t throw it often, but when it does it usually goes well. After Army’s performance against Notre Dame, I’m not optimistic about the odds against a Tulane team loaded with talent. CHOICE: Tulane

Ph: Army has the best defense in the AAC (15.1 PPG), closely followed by Tulane (18.4). Both programs are also among the top five in the country in time of possession. This could be an epic, and I don’t think it will break out in any way. SELECTION: Army

DP: The army didn’t scale well. The ground defense has been destroyed by Notre Dame and Tulane has Makhi Hughes to throw to the Black Knights. CHOICE: Tulane

IT: The safe choice here is Army – I don’t think Tulane has the sheer power that Notre Dame had to overwhelm them on the front line. Not to mention they get this one at home and have the points. SELECTION: Army

Iowa State vs. Arizona State (-1.5)

SD: Cam Skattebo. Cam Skattebo. Cam Skattebo. PICK: Arizona State

Ph: Every time I vote against Arizona State, I get burned. Now that a playoff spot is on the line, I won’t get burned again. PICK: Arizona State

DP: I’m rocking with Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils, who are one win away from capping a season in which they were picked to finish last in the league with a conference championship. Skattebo has some great pieces to offer. The defense forces a turnover. PICK: Arizona State

IT: There’s a reason people talk more about the Sun Devils in playoff conversations. Arizona State’s confidence couldn’t be higher in this case. PICK: Arizona State

Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (-2)

SD: Miami beat Ohio 30-20 when these teams met in October, but the game wasn’t that close. Miami had a 24-point lead with 6 minutes to play before the Bobcats scored a few points after zero time. I’ll take the RedHawks. CHOICE: Miami

Ph: Both teams lead the MAC in points allowed per game, but Miami sits third in the conference with a plus-4 turnover margin. Ohio has a mark of -3, ranking 8th in the league. Give me the RedHawks. CHOICE: Miami

DP: Ohio’s quarterback is playing well right now and my opinion of the first game is that Ohio was dead in the water after five drives. The Bobcats want to run and dictate things. They opened the first meeting with four straight 3-and-outs and then threw a pick to fall into a 17-0 hole. There is no going back from there. Not with this style. Miami is another strong defense. I think this will be a much closer game. SELECTION: Ohio

IT: It’s hard to beat a team twice. Additionally, Ohio has been better at the line of scrimmage this season – I like their chances on a toss-up. SELECTION: Ohio

Georgia vs Texas (-3)

SD: Texas has been more consistent, but Georgia has proven that its ceiling is still extremely high. This is a game where it pays to have a high ceiling. Texas has rarely played against teams good enough to pay for its mistakes, but Georgia certainly can – and has already done so once this season. Additionally, I like to take points with Kirby Smart whenever they are available. He has 8-4 ATS as a dog. SELECTION: Georgia

Ph: Texas has the better defense – and the more consistent offense. This game isn’t an outright win for the Bulldogs, and they’ve been pretty bad ATS this season. CHOICE: Texas

DP: Texas had a problem at right tackle against big opponents. Now there is also a problem with the left tackle. Georgia enjoyed that Texas offensive line in a way it hadn’t been able to consistently this year. This shouldn’t be forgotten so quickly. Additionally, Carson Beck was defeated three times in the first meeting and Texas still lost by double digits at home. Beck has been significantly better in the last few weeks. At no point this season have I been impressed with Texas. A road win in College Station is nice, but the Texas offense kept trying to put the game away in the final 30 minutes and A&M simply refused to take it. I think we’re getting a Kirby Smart special here and Georgia looks like Georgia again. SELECTION: Georgia

IT: It’s hard to beat a team twice, and Carson Beck struggled mightily in the first game. I trust the Longhorns defense more than the Georgia offense. CHOICE: Texas

Marshall, Louisiana (-5.5)

SD: Louisiana will have a backup QB in this game, but Chandler Fields has been the man for a few weeks and he has played great. I also have to wonder if there are any distractions for Marshall with the reports about Charles Huff and the job as Southern Miss. SELECTION: Louisiana

Ph: Louisiana is impressively balanced on both sides of the ball. In this case there will be no thundering of the flock. SELECTION: Louisiana

DP: Give me Louisiana. SELECTION: Louisiana

IT: Louisiana has the advantage almost everywhere and did well against a fringe Top 25 Tulane squad. I really like the Cajuns in this scenario at home. SELECTION: Louisiana

Penn State vs. Oregon (-3.5)

SD: I fought for Penn State all season, and the Nittany Lions largely proved me right. Their statistical profile is elite in every possible area and their only blemish is a 7-point loss to perhaps the most talented squad in the country. I have real doubts about Drew Allar can get by against elite defenses, but I have no choice but to hold back while I make that choice. PICK: Penn State

Ph: I don’t think a match against the No. 1 team in the country is the moment James Franklin bucks his trend against top-10 opponents. But I expect this game to be a little lower scoring than some might expect, and that could keep this game close well into the fourth quarter. Still, Dan Lanning’s group has the wherewithal to put this problem out of reach late. CHOICE: Oregon

DP: Oregon has shown us who they are all season long. Penn State has been showing us who it is for years. I think Oregon has the team speed to at least get Tyler Warren going, but no one else in this PSU offense scares me if I’m Oregon. I also trust Dan Lanning more than James Franklin in the heat of the moment. CHOICE: Oregon

IT: Penn State has another chance to prove itself against an elite opponent! CHOICE: Oregon

Clemson vs. SMU (-2)

SD: Clemson basically did nothing all year against anyone who had more than 7 wins. The Tigers are 0-3 in such games while averaging well under 5 yards per play. The defense hasn’t been great either, with Clemson giving up an average of 6.25 yards per game to teams with winning records (83).approx national). I think SMU has some weaknesses, but honestly this game shouldn’t be close if the Mustangs are anywhere near as good as their No. 8 ranking. SELECTION: SMU

Ph: I definitely like SMU’s work more than Clemson’s, but in a game where it’s a matter of life or death, things change. Why not show off the chaos again before Selection Sunday? PICK: Clemson

DP: Clemson’s offense shrinks against a good defense and SMU has a great defense. SELECTION: SMU

IT: Clemson can’t bounce around all year and come away with the 3-seed. I refuse to believe it. The Tigers have been extremely disappointing in big games this year. Eliminated by Georgia, beaten at home by South Carolina, beaten at home by Louisville. Why should I believe that they are changing this trend now? SELECTION: SMU