It had been 19 years since a major collegiate football program was shut down. 

That streak ended earlier this week, when the University of Alabama-Birmingham ended months of speculation and shut down its football program.

UAB wasn’t a powerhouse by any means. But it had just achieved bowl eligibility for the first time since 2004 after several seasons of ineptitude. 

The school is the little sister school of Alabama, and as a result, the Alabama Board of Trustees has the final say in many important manners on the Birmingham campus. Various reports and interviews have said UAB often suffers from a lack of resources compared to the big school in Tuscaloosa.

Most notably, the Board, led by Paul “Little Bear” Bryant Jr., son of famed coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, struck down an offer in 2006 that would have seen then-LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher become the Blazers head coach.

This is the same Fisher who has one national championship to his name after succeeding Bobby Bowden at Florida State.  

The board’s argument is that UAB’s athletic department is losing too much money and the school system can no longer support it. UAB reported an athletic department deficit of $17.5 million, which isn’t the highest amongst schools in the Group of Five (the five non-power conference schools). 

In fact, an NCAA study released in August revealed that Division I universities’ expenses, growing at 10.6 percent, are outpacing the growth of revenue. Only 20 FBS schools reported otherwise. That means that 105 Division I athletic departments are losing money.

So why did UAB football shut down? Opponents of the shutdown have ranged from past UAB players to Alabama politicians to the governor of the state.  

Some have said Bryant Jr. has it out for the school. Maybe so, but Bryant Jr. and the rest of the Board better be well aware of the consequences of the decision. Not only are they ending a football program, they are also making the lives more difficult for UAB players, who now have no idea what to do. The players are being punished for perceived financial mismanagement and bureaucratic struggles that are out of their control.

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The news of UAB has been the main talking point for the early week, but come Saturday, all eyes turn to the conference championship games. Here are the games in order of importance, and my projected winners.

1. No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Wisconsin 

A Badgers’ win denies the Big Ten any hope of sending a team to the College Football Playoff. You think Jim Delany is secretly rooting for the Buckeyes? Probably, but their road to victory is much more difficult with starting quarterback J.T. Barrett now sidelined with a broken ankle. Expect Cardale Jones to struggle against the third-ranked Badgers defense and look for a heavy dose of Melvin Gordon, who needs 369 more rushing yards to break Barry Sanders record for most in a single season.

Wisconsin 28 

Ohio State 17

2. No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 7 Arizona (Friday)

A good ol’ fashioned revenge game. These teams met in early October, and the Wildcats defeated the Ducks 31-24 on Oregon’s field. Oregon, led by Marcus Mariota, has rolled through its competition since then. The Ducks will be better prepared for the Pac-12 title game. Am I being too optimistic thinking Mariota will account for a minimum of six touchdowns?

Oregon 42

Arizona 21

3. No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech

Florida State has played extremely close games this entire season as it attempts to repeat as national champions. But the Seminoles will struggle to stop the Golden Jackets rushing attack, which averages 333.8 yards per game. Jameis Winston is also going through university discipline proceedings, which will no doubt create a distraction. But even if the distraction does not play a huge role, Winston is a shell of his 2013 Heisman-winning self, as he has turned the ball over multiple times this year. 

Georgia Tech 28

Florida State 24

4. The Big 12 games

The Big 12 does not have a conference championship game. But with No. 3 TCU hosting Iowa State and No. 6 Baylor hosting No. 9 Kansas State, there is plenty to be gained and lost this week. TCU will most likely be in the playoffs with a win. Baylor is favored against K-State, however, Baylor QB Bryce Petty is recovering from a concussion, so Bill Snyder’s team may create chaos. 

TCU 31

Iowa State 7

Baylor 45

Kansas State 17

5. No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Missouri

The SEC, last? How? Why? Well, because Alabama is going to win. The Iron Bowl was a slugfest, cementing the notion that the Crimson Tide can either score at will or grind out defensive wins. This will be a mixture of the two, as Mizzou’s defense, though ranked 20th, will have trouble containing Amari Cooper. This is actually a return trip to Atlanta for the Tigers, who won a weak SEC East division in both of the past two seasons. It’ll be close, but no upset. 

Alabama 27

Missouri 20

Let Championship Weekend begin. Hold on to your butts.

Erik is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @e_prada.