No. 1 Michigan owns the top spot and will travel to the Rose Bowl to play No. 4 Alabama in a Citrus Bowl rematch from 2019. 

READ: Michigan-Alabama, Washington-Texas headline CFP field

On the flip side, No. 2 Washington won the Pac-12 Conference Championship and will travel to the Sugar Bowl to play No. 3 Texas, which made the CFP for the first time in program history. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from conference championship weekend. 

Dillon Johnson, Washington 

The Huskies are Pac-12 champions for the first time since 2018, doing so by beating Oregon 34-31 for the second time this season. 

Many expected a quarterback duel between Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix, and while the pair matched up head to head and pound for pound, the ground game arguably dictated the conference title game. 

Huskies running back Dillon Johnson rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. 

It was an efficient outing for Johnson, whose 152 rushing yards are the second-most in his career. 

Neither Washington nor Oregon had more than 60 rushing yards in the first half. 

Johnson converted five first downs in the first half and four in the second, scoring a touchdown in each. 

Johnson is third in the Pac-12 with 1,063 rushing yards this season. He and the Huskies will take on No. 3 Texas on New Year’s Day for a spot in the CFP National Championship. 

Jalen Milroe, Alabama 

The Crimson Tide are back in the CFP for the first time since 2021 after clinching the Southeastern Conference Championship over Georgia. 

READ: No. 8 Alabama hangs on, beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC Championship

Alabama rode to a 27-24 victory thanks to another fine performance turned in by quarterback Jalen Milroe. 

Last week, it was converting on 4^th and 31. 

This week, it was about converting and capitalizing. 

Milroe threw for 192 yards on 56.5% completion. It wasn’t his best game, but it was one where he made the plays that mattered most. 

The first-year starting quarterback tossed two touchdown passes in the game, doing so for a fourth-straight contest, and Milroe eclipsed more than 200 scrimmage yards for a 12^th-straight game. 

Milroe had a big second quarter to separate Alabama from the Bulldogs. He found receivers Jamarion Miller and Jermaine Burton from 28 and 15 yards out, respectively, to put the Crimson Tide ahead 17-7. 

Alabama now has 11-consecutive wins, and Milroe received the game’s Most Valuable Player recognition for his efforts. Now, Milroe and the Crimson Tide will face No. 1 Michigan for a chance to get back to the national championship. 

Will Reichard, Alabama 

Alabama kicker Will Reichard appeared in the Stat Pack once this season already, and this time he’s back making more history. 

Reichard became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with his first field goal of the SEC Championship. He notched point No. 530 to move past Keenan Reynolds on his 43-yard field goal to begin the scoring for the Crimson Tide in the conference title game. 

Reichard now has 539 points in his five-year career. He was originally a three-star recruit from the class of 2019, according to Rivals. 

READ: Michigan lands atop AP Poll

Reichard went on to drill three extra points and two field goals to tally nine points in the SEC Championship game. His career-best is 14 points, coming after Reichard made eight extra points and two field goals against New Mexico State in September 2019. 

Kaidon Salter, Liberty 

No. 23 Liberty earned a New Year’s Six bowl game berth with a 49-35 shootout victory over New Mexico State. 

The Flames are one of four remaining unbeaten teams in college football, along with the Wolverines, Huskies and No. 5 Florida State. 

Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter had a career game on one of the biggest stages on which his team needed him the most. 

Salter tied Penix for the second-most yards this week, going for 319 yards on 80% completion, a career-high. 

Both Liberty and New Mexico State matched on another through the first three quarters 35-35. Something had to give — Liberty ran for two touchdowns in the final quarter — and Salter positioned his team to have a chance going into the final 15 minutes. 

Salter had at least 132 passing yards in both halves. His most productive quarter came in the second when he threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. 

Salter’s touchdown in the second quarter was his first of three in the game. He connected with receiver Noah Frith on a 26-yard scoring throw to give the Flames a brief 21-14 lead with 27 seconds left in the second quarter. 

Salter found CJ Daniels for a 20-yard passing touchdown in the third quarter. 

The third-year quarterback ran in a 35-yard score for insurance points midway through the fourth quarter, and Salter finished the game helping Liberty go on to face No. 8 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. 

Kimani Vidal, Troy 

Among other Group of 5 conference championships determined last weekend included the Sun Belt Championship, which Troy claimed 49-23 over Appalachian State. 

Troy running back Kimani Vidal exploded for 233 rushing yards and five touchdowns. It seemed there was no stopping the fourth-year running back. 

READ: No. 7 Texas routs No. 18 Oklahoma State to win Big 12 Championship

Vidal only had 15 yards after the first quarter. 

In the second, he was hard to stop. Vidal had four rushes of more than 10 yards, all coming on his final four carries of the first half. 

Two of those carries went for touchdowns. Vidal had scoring runs of 49, 36, 7, 6 and 2 yards. 

Vidal’s five rushing touchdowns are a Troy program record as he became the first player to ever rush for five scores in a Football Bowl Subdivision conference championship game. 

Vidal was the only ball-carrier to top 200 yards during conference championship week. With the focus now toward bowl season, Vidal and Troy will find themselves in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23 against Duke. 

The post Stat Pack: Week 14  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Bulldogs had won 45 of their previous 46 games, dating back to the 2021 SEC Championship in which they lost to the same Crimson Tide team.

PODCAST: Will Championship Week create chaos or clarity?

Georgia struck first.

Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton ran in a 17-yard score on their first drive of the game to go up 7-0.

Alabama kicker Will Reichard became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with his first field goal of the game, a 43-yarder with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

Then, Milroe turned it on.

The first-year Crimson Tide starting quarterback threw two touchdowns in the second quarter, giving Alabama a lead it wouldn’t relinquish after passes of 28 and 15 yards to Jamarion Miller and Jermaine Burton.

Georgia got within three points twice in the fourth quarter after quarterback Carson Beck and Milton ran in 1-yard scores.

READ: No. 7 Texas routs No. 18 Oklahoma State to win Big 12 Championship

Milroe went 5-for-5 in the final quarter to will Alabama to victory. He led a nine-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in running back Roydell Williams punching in a 1-yard touchdown that proved to be the difference.

Milroe finished with 192 passing yards and two touchdowns on 57% completion.

Beck completed 72% of his passes for 243 passing yards.

It will be interesting to see where the College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranks both Georgia and Alabama on Sunday. The SEC has had at least one team make the Playoff in each of the nine seasons of the CFP era.

The post No. 8 Alabama hangs on, beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC Championship appeared first on Saturday Glory.