The first season of major conference expansion produced an intriguing series of championship games this week, and not just because they will determine which teams get automatic bids and byes in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Four of the nine games on Friday and Saturday are against teams that have already faced each other in the regular season. The Texas-Georgia matchup in Southeastern Conference play in Atlanta is one such rematch and also one of two games featuring teams in the top five of the standings. The Associated Press College Football Poll.

Each of the Power Four games will include a team that was not in that conference last season. Three of the newcomers played in their previous league’s championship game last year: Oregon (Pac-12), Texas (Big 12) and SMU (American).

And not surprisingly, with so much change in the college sports landscape, there will be a few early meetings: Arizona State-Iowa State in the Big 12 and SMU-Clemson in the ACC.

All championship games will be Saturday, except American Athletic, Conference USA and Mountain West, which will be played Friday.

No. 1 Oregon (12-0) can secure the CFP top seed with a victory over No. 3 Penn State (11-1) in Big Ten play in Indianapolis. The Ducks went undefeated in the regular season for the second time – they also did it in 2010 – and will meet the Nittany Lions for the first time since the 1995 Rose Bowl.

No. 2 Texas (11-1) gets another chance against No. 5 Georgia. beat the no of then. 1 Longhorns 30-15 in Austin on October 19. Winner will receive automatic CFP offer from SEC; the loser will likely be an at-large selection. This could lead to a third meeting of the teams.

No. 12 Arizona State (10-2) faces No. 16 Iowa State (10-2) in the Big 12 game in Arlington, Texas. The Sun Devils, first-year members of the Big 12 and picked to finish last in the 16-team league in the preseason poll, have won seven more games than they did a year ago under second-year coach Kenny Dillingham. Iowa State won 10 games for the first time in its program’s 133-year history.

No. 8 SMU (11-1) faces No. 18 Clemson in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference title last year and went undefeated in league play in its first season in the ACC. Clemson (9-3) advanced to the championship game with help from Syracuse, which upset Miami on Saturday.

There are three rematches in the Group of Five championship matches.

No. 19 UNLV (10-2) faces No. 10 Boise State (11-1) on the blue turf of Boise, Idaho. The reigning champion The Broncos won 29-24 in Las Vegas on October 25.

Ohio (9-3) faces defending champion Miami (Ohio) (8-4) in Mid-American Conference play in Detroit. THE RedHawks beat Ohio 30-20 on October 19 and have won seven in a row after a 1-4 start. The Bobcats have won five in a row.

Jacksonville State (8-4) and Western Kentucky (8-4) will play for the second time in seven days when they meet in Conference USA play in Jacksonville, Alabama. Western Kentucky won 19-17 on Lucas Carneiro’s 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining Saturday.

Army (10-1) hosts Tulane (9-3) in AAC play at West Point, New York. The teams will play for the first time since 2020. Tulane, last year’s conference runner-up, has won four straight and is 13-9-1 all-time against the Black Knights, who are in their first year as a footballer. sole member of the AAC.

Marshall (9-3) travels to Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2) for the Sun Belt game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won the only two previous meetings, in 2021 and ’22.

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Dallas contributed to this report.

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