College Football

USC-Utah, Michigan-Purdue: Championship Week by the numbers

Updated Nov. 30, 2022 4:38 p.m. ET

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It's Championship Week, as the best of the best meet to determine college football conference titles across the nation.

In addition to league hardware, some of the games could determine spots in the College Football Playoff, especially the Pac-12 title game between No. 4 USC and No. 11 Utah, and the Big 12 final between No. 3 TCU and No. 10 Kansas State.

With so much at stake, it's time to drill down into the numbers.

Here are the key stats to know for the marquee matchups in Championship Week:

FRIDAY

Pac-12: No. 11 Utah (9-3) vs. No. 4 USC (11-1)
8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app

13-8: USC holds a 13-8 all-time record vs. Utah, but is only 6-5 since the Utes joined the Pac-12.

4,063: USC quarterback Caleb Williams has compiled 4,063 total offensive yards this season, trailing only Sam Darnold (4,225 in 2017) on USC's all-time list.

1.92: USC leads the nation in average turnover margin (1.92). It has committed only four this season, the fewest in the nation.

1.04: USC's Tuli Tuipulotu leads the Pac-12 and is No. 2 in the nation in sacks per game (1.04). His 12.5 sacks are the most by a USC player since Kenechi Udeze set the school record with 16.5 in 2003.

19: Utah has returned at least one interception for a touchdown for 19 straight seasons.

17: Cameron Rising’s 17 wins as a quarterback at Utah is the sixth-most in school history.

111.2: Utah has the best rushing defense in the Pac-12, allowing 111.2 yards per game on the ground.

SATURDAY

Big 12: No. 10 Kansas State (9-3) vs. No. 3 TCU (12-0)
Noon ET 

8-8: The all-time series between these teams is tied. TCU's win last season ended a three-game skid vs. K-State.

2010: TCU is 12-0 for the third time. The last was in 2010 when the Horned Frogs went 13-0 en route to winning the Rose Bowl. Sonny Dykes is the first head football coach in TCU and Big 12 history to be 12-0 in his first season.

5: TCU’s five victories over ranked opponents is tied with Tennessee for the most in the nation.

50+: TCU is tied with Tennessee atop the FBS with 13 offensive touchdowns of at least 50 yards.

4: K-State is making its fourth appearance in the Big 12 Championship game and first since the 2003 season.

40.2: K-State ranks first in the Big 12 in scoring offense over the last five weeks, averaging 40.2 PPG.

170.2: Wildcats QB Will Howard enters the Big 12 Championship with a season passing efficiency mark of 170.2, which is currently the top mark in school history (minimum 100 attempts).

SEC: No. 14 LSU (9-3) vs. No. 1 Georgia (12-0)
4 p.m. ET

14: Georgia is looking to capture its 14th SEC title.

495-136: Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 459-136 this season, including 244-60 in the opening half.

97%: Georgia has scored on 64 of 66 trips to the red zone (a nation-leading 97% rate), with 43 touchdowns and 21 field goals.

26%: Georgia is allowing teams to convert on third downs only 26% of the time, which ranks third nationally.

18-13-1: LSU leads the all-time series 18-13-1, including 2-0 in the Kirby Smart era.

3,390: LSU QB Jayden Daniels’ 3,390 yards of total offense rank No. 2 in LSU history behind only Joe Burrow (6,093 in 2019).

2-15-1: This is LSU's record when facing the nation's No. 1 team. The wins came in 1997 vs. Florida, and in the 2007 season against Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game.

Big Ten: Purdue vs. No. 2 Michigan
8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app 

44: Michigan looking to capture its league-leading 44th Big Ten Championship and second in as many seasons.

45-14: Michigan leads the all-time series 45-14 and has victories in eight of the past 10 meetings.

12-0: Michigan has achieved its first 12-0 season under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The program also won 12 or more games in 1905, 1997 and 2021.

+27.2: Michigan leads the country in scoring differential (+27.2). Georgia (+26.4) and Ohio State (+25.3) are the only other teams in the country with average scoring margins above +25 PPG.

1: This is Purdue's first appearance in the Big Ten championship game since it was instituted in 2011. No West division team has won the Big Ten title game since Wisconsin went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

5: Purdue has only won five of its 28 games against Michigan since 1980.

7: Purdue has won seven of its last nine games, including six of its last eight vs. Big Ten opponents.

ACC: No. 9 Clemson (10-2) vs. No. 23 North Carolina (9-3)
8 p.m. ET

7: Clemson's six-year streak of ACC titles ended in 2021, the Tigers will attempt to reclaim the conference crown and earn their seventh title in eight years. Clemson attempting to become the first program to win 21 ACC titles.

38-19-1: Clemson has dominated the all-time series with North Carolina, including four straight victories.

2: Clemson's Will Shipley is one of only two players in the nation with at least 1,000 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards and 200 kickoff return yards, along with Texas A&M's Devon Achane.

40: Clemson is the nation's only program with at least 40 sacks in each season of the College Football Playoff era. The Tigers currently have 36.

6-0: North Carolina is 6-0 on the road for the first time in school history. UNC and TCU are the only schools in the country with six road wins.

320.6: UNC QB Drake Maye is currently averaging 320.6 passing yards per game and leads UNC in rushing with 629 yards (52.4 YPG). The last two QBs who averaged over 300 passing yards per game while leading their team in rushing were Patrick Mahomes in 2016 and Johnny Manziel in 2013.

The only ACC player in the last 15 years with more TD responsible for through 2 games than Maye’s 10 was Lamar Jackson in 2016 with 13

North Carolina has recorded 500-plus yards of total offense 23 times in 50 games dating back to the start of the 2019 season, including five of the 12 games in 2022

 North Carolina's offense has scored 30 or more points in 32 of the last 50 games

North Carolina has scored 40 or more points 18 times since the start of the 2019 season

Read more:

• USC can carry Pac-12 banner into CFP, but Utah is in the way
• CFP rankings: Ohio State drops to No. 5, but still has a path
• Harbaugh recruits or fit and development, not star rating
• Michigan, USC, TCU carve very different paths to success
• Big Ten Power Rankings: Michigan takes top spot after handling Ohio State
• ‘A locker room of heroes’: Michigan wins with toughness again
• Ryan Day, Ohio State, will face scrutiny after loss to rivals
• Michigan's Minters: Father-son combo drive Wolverines' defense
• C.J. Stroud had visions of greatness, and a mother's support

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