1 question to be answered in each Power 5 title game

The regular season is done and dusted, and it's officially conference title game weekend.

For the first time in the CFP era, four Power 5 conference title games will feature an undefeated team - something that could lead to chaos in the final rankings that decide the four-team field on Sunday.

Here is one question to be answered in each of the Power 5 title games.

Oregon vs. Washington - Are the oddsmakers right?

The weekend starts with a Vegas blockbuster that doubles as the only rematch in any of the Power 5 conference title games. Oregon and Washington played one of the best games of the season in what was a narrow Huskies 36-33 home win in Week 7, so why have the oddsmakers installed the Ducks as a 9.5-point favorite for the return bout?

While both teams have gone undefeated since that contest, they have looked very different in accomplishing that goal. Oregon has run over everybody in its path on the schedule, steamrolling opponents by an incredible 252-96 margin. Washington, on the other hand, has been flirting with disaster on almost a weekly occasion, outscoring opponents just 190-151 over the same span.

The biggest change for the Huskies is the prolific passing attack led by Michael Penix. The Indiana transfer seemed like a lock for the Heisman Trophy after the Oregon win, leading the nation in passing at that point with some gaudy numbers. He's still produced solid statistics since then, but the numbers pale in comparison to how he started the year.

• First 6 games: 383.5 YPG, 20 TD, 3 INT, 72% completion, 192.3 rating
• Last 6 games: 266.3 YPG, 12 TD, 5 INT, 58.9% completion, 136.5 rating

As the weather worsened down the stretch in the Pac-12, Penix and the passing game dropped off significantly. That won't be an issue indoors in Las Vegas on Friday. He will need to perform like he did at the beginning of the season if Washington is to hang with its opponents in the desert.

Washington won both games over Oregon after Kalen DeBoer took the Huskies job and Dan Lanning was installed as the Ducks' head coach. Will Lanning and Oregon prove the oddsmakers right with an emphatic victory on Friday, or will the Huskies make it a clean sweep and return to the CFP for the first time since 2016?

Texas vs. Oklahoma State - Can Ollie Gordon star?

Oklahoma State essentially has one path to victory to keep the Big 12 title out of Texas' hands in the Longhorns' final season with the conference. Simply put, Ollie Gordon must play out of his mind. The star running back was incredible in the team's nine wins this season, averaging a whopping 158 yards on the ground per game with 21 total touchdowns. But that number falls off a cliff to just 52 yards per game with no touchdowns in the three losses on the year. Saturday's task will be the toughest of the season for Gordon, as he has to get the job done against the nation's fifth-best rush defense.

Teams have had an easier time moving the ball through the air than on the ground versus Texas this season, but Alan Bowman has more interceptions on the season than touchdown passes.

Can the Cowboys turn this game into a defensive battle and slug out a win? That would be a terrible idea considering Oklahoma State's defense ranks 116th in the country in yards allowed per play - the worst of any team in a conference title game by a significant margin.

Oklahoma State has plenty of intriguing parts but has operated like a successful rock band all season. The lead singer must be the star of the show. Otherwise it's just a bunch of a dudes playing instruments. We'll see which version of the band shows up to play on Saturday in Texas' Big 12 finale.

Georgia vs. Alabama - Can Crimson Tide keep up?

In 2021, Alabama entered the SEC title game off an improbable comeback win over a 6-6 Auburn team to face an undefeated Georgia program. Bryce Young turned in one of the best performances we've ever seen, throwing for 421 yards and hanging 41 points on a defense that had allowed less than seven per contest. The result was a stunning upset that gave Nick Saban another conference title.

The legendary coach will be hoping for a repeat on Saturday, with Jalen Milroe playing the role of Young in Atlanta. A win won't just clinch the SEC title, but it will stop the Bulldogs' unbelievable 29-game winning streak, with their last loss coming in this game two years ago.

It seems borderline unbelievable that a team that was incredibly lucky to beat Auburn last week can turn it around and beat Georgia, but a look back at Week 5 reminds us that it can be done. The Bulldogs similarly struggled in their trip to Jordan Hare Stadium, needing a Brock Bowers touchdown with under three minutes to play to secure a narrow win. That contest was the closest game Georgia had all season.

One thing seems fairly certain on Saturday - there will be points, and plenty of them. Georgia surrendered at least 20 points in six of its last eight games and has allowed an opening-drive touchdown by the opposition in six straight. The Crimson Tide allowed at least 20 points in the last six SEC games - a span of almost two full months. With both offensive units ranking inside the top 15 nationally in scoring, the scoreboard will surely be getting a workout.

Louisville vs. FSU - Can offense work with Rodemaker?

Quick trivia question: Who was the only top-five team in last week's CFP rankings to post a two-score victory in the final week of the regular season? The answer is Florida State. It was the furthest thing from pretty, but the Seminoles took a backup quarterback into The Swamp and charged past Florida in a rivalry game to remain undefeated.

Now that we've covered the good, let's get into the bad for the ACC leaders. The opposition this week will not feature a backup quarterback in his first collegiate start, will not be a team that failed to win enough games to make a bowl, and will not field the nation's 12th-worst defense. Louisville certainly isn't two-time defending champion Georgia, but the Cardinals will be a significantly harder test for Tate Rodemaker and Florida State.

Rodemaker completed just 48% of his passes for 134 yards against Florida. While it was expected the offense would dip without star Jordan Travis, the Seminoles totaled just 224 total yards against a Gators defense that had been overwhelmed by virtually everyone else on the schedule. Louisville's rush defense is 12th best in the nation, a sign that Rodemaker will actually have to make some plays through the air to get the offense moving on Saturday.

While Travis is down, the rest of the Seminoles' weapons remain in tact for Rodemaker in the passing attack. The Swamp is one of the toughest places in the country for a road quarterback, but the neutral site in Charlotte on Saturday shouldn't be an overly intimidating environment for the backup passer.

Michigan vs. Iowa - Can Wolverines pitch a shutout?

The biggest point spread on championship weekend can be found in the Big Ten, where Michigan is an enormous 21.5-point favorite over Iowa. It's yet another indictment on why divisions are silly at this point for college conferences. Ohio State and Penn State are worthier Big Ten opponents than the Hawkeyes.

However, that's how the rules are written and Saturday's game must be played with Iowa standing very little chance of pulling off the upset. In fact, oddsmakers are expecting the Hawkeyes to struggle mightily just to score any points, with the team total set under a touchdown at 6.5.

The Hawkeyes beat up on the Big Ten West and the worst teams in the East. The only team to win at least six Big Ten games on the slate for Iowa this year was Penn State - a 31-0 loss that saw the Hawkeyes outgained 397-76. They now face a Michigan team that is leading the country in scoring defense.

There are 133 teams in the nation at the FBS level, and Iowa will be the seventh offense Michigan plays this year that ranks outside the top 100 in scoring. The Wolverines allowed an average of five points per game against the other six teams. The same Penn State team that piled up almost 400 yards of offense on Iowa couldn't crack the 240 mark in a loss to the Wolverines.

The last time Iowa faced Michigan in the Big Ten title game was 2021, a resounding 42-3 Wolverines victory en route to the CFP semis. Expect a similar result on Saturday night, with Iowa's quest for points representing the biggest drama of the evening.