Canzano: Thoughts, picks, and predictions for Championship Week
MW, Big 12, SEC, ACC, and Big Ten title games.
Last summer in Indianapolis I bumped into University of Oregon coach Dan Lanning in the middle of the football field at Lucas Oil Stadium. It was Big Ten Conference Football Media Days. Lanning and I were scheduled for a 1-on-1 interview, and I walked over to meet him at the 50-yard line.
Oregon’s football coach was fresh off an energized appearance on the main stage. He’d just talked about his expectations for the upcoming season and fielded questions. Before we started, I asked Lanning to pose for a quick photo, thinking it would be something I might use should Oregon get to the conference championship game.
“Get in a three-point stance,” I joked.
He waved me off and laughed.
Instead, Lanning buttoned his sports coat and stood in front of a giant “B1G” logo the conference set up in the middle of the field. I snapped the picture. Then, we sat down for a candid talk about the upcoming season.
Lanning told me that day: “Everybody’s got ice cream in front of them, whatever your favorite ice cream is. What I don’t want to do is get caught looking at everybody else’s ice cream while mine melts.”
On Saturday at the same football stadium in Indianapolis, No. 1-ranked Oregon will play Penn State for the Big Ten championship. It feels like a full-circle moment in Oregon’s first Big Ten season.
I went 8-4 against the spread last week and finished 9-3 picking games straight up. I’m locked in and focused on finishing above 53 percent with my season record against the spread. I’ll continue to pick the bowl games and handicap the College Football Playoff matchups.
My 2024 record vs. the spread: 84-81-1 (.509)
My record picking games straight up: 120-46 (.723)
This week, I took a deep look (and picked winners) in the championship football games for the Mountain West, Big 12, SEC, ACC, and Big Ten.
My thoughts, picks, and predictions for championship week…