What happened: College football's conference championship races are coming into focus as the regular season enters its final stretch. Contenders across the FBS are finalizing positions to secure berths in upcoming conference title games.

Why it matters: Conference championship outcomes directly determine automatic bids and positioning for the postseason bracket. A single defeat down the stretch can knock a program out of title game contention and alter the playoff field.

What to watch: Programs will complete their regular-season schedules this week before advancing to conference championship weekend.