What’s on the line for the other Power 5 conferences heading into bowl season?

When the College Football Playoff was introduced and only four teams would be invited when there are five major conferences, you knew that conference superiority was going to become an immediate factor.

Last year, it was the Big 12 that got left out and did they ever holler. This year it’s the Pac-12, and they’ve been silent and gracious because it was too obvious that they weren’t getting a team in this year.

But heading into bowl season, reputations are at stake and the prizes are huge. Here’s what the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 are looking to accomplish:

Atlantic Coast Conference

Biggest story line: It’s a conference that’s been dominated by Florida State recently, so all eyes are on the No. 1-ranked Clemson Tigers, the only team in the four-team College Football Playoff that’s still undefeated. The Tigers get Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and it’s a great opportunity for the league to make a statement.

Biggest game: No doubt, it’s the Clemson-Oklahoma battle. It’s huge for the ACC because they need a team to carry the banner on the national level besides Florida State. The Seminoles won a national title in 2013 and made the playoffs last year. The perception of the league isn’t great beyond FSU, and this would go a long way in making the league more relevant. A playoff run makes Dabo Swinney one of the hottest coaches in the country.

Other games that matter: Florida State still got a New Year’s Six game, and it’s a curious matchup in the Peach Bowl with Houston. The Cougars had a great year under first-year coach Tom Herman, going 12-1 and winning the American Athletic Conference. Their only loss was 20-17 to a very average Connecticut team that finished 6-6, and that was a head-scratcher. Jimbo Fisher knows how to win bowl games, and they’d like to end the season on a high note and set the stage for a 2016 title run again.

Hero in the making: Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State. Having a few weeks to get 100 percent healthy might lead to a massive night for the Florida State star. He was ignored in the Heisman Trophy race this season despite rushing for 1,658 yards and 18 touchdowns. Don’t be surprised if he goes for 200-plus here and stakes his claim as the Heisman frontrunner in 2016.

Big Ten Conference

Biggest story line: This league has been all about Ohio State lately, and it’s going to be interesting to see if the Buckeyes show up for the Notre Dame matchup in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. There was a near-mutiny after Ohio State lost its only game to Michigan State on Nov. 21. They did bounce back against Michigan, but it’s going to be interesting to see what their motivation factor is going to be, especially so far away from home. It helps that Notre Dame is the opponent. No love lost there.

Biggest game: Michigan State vs. Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, the semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Beating Ohio State and then undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten title game set the stage for a playoff run, something that was expected of the Spartans in the preseason. They’ve had a bunch of injuries that limited their effectiveness all year, and they have a huge challenge on their hands with Alabama. Can they shut down Derrick Henry and pull off the surprise?

Other games that matter: Indiana vs. Duke. This one should be fun. It’s two iconic basketball schools playing a football game in an iconic baseball stadium (Yankee Stadium in New York). Indiana has made one bowl trip in the past 22 years – they lost to Oklahoma State 49-33 in the 2007 Insight Bowl in Arizona –  so this is a huge game for Indiana. Watch this one and enjoy Nate Sudfeld, the fine senior QB at Indiana. If you haven’t watched him, you’re missing out. He’ll be playing on Sundays.

Hero in the making: Iowa QB C.J. Beathard. Iowa ran the table during the regular season, going 12-0 before losing to Michigan State in a tight game for the Big Ten title. The junior QB might have to put it up in the air a little more than he’d like in the Rose Bowl against Stanford. It’s been a magical season for the Hawkeyes under Kirk Ferentz, and a big day at the Rose Bowl will secure Beathard’s legacy with the Iowa faithful.

Big 12 Conference

Biggest story line: The Big 12 was the only conference left out of the playoffs in 2014, so there’s been a lot of attention paid to the league all year to see who would emerge as a viable playoff candidate. It was TCU and Baylor early, but Oklahoma ran the table late and is considered by many as the team to beat in the playoff. The Sooners need to win to give the league some credibility.

Biggest game: Boomer Sooner rolls into the Orange Bowl to take on Clemson, and it’s an environment that’s been good to Oklahoma in the past. Clemson may be the No. 1 seed and Oklahoma is the four, but it’s the Sooners who are favored in Vegas, and they have a team that matches up well athletically with the Tigers. Baker Mayfield has been great all year, now he needs to finish the deal on the grandest of stages.

Other games that matter: Baylor vs. North Carolina would have been a heck of a matchup if the Bears were healthy. National title contenders until QB Seth Russell got hurt, the Bears have struggled since with the backups, losing twice. Coach Art Briles said Chris Johnson will start the Dec. 29 game in Orlando, but they’re also still hoping that true freshman Jarrett Stidham, the future at QB, will be healthy enough to play by game time. Stidham has a broken bone in his foot.

Hero in the making: Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine. If you haven’t seen much of Oklahoma the past two years, then you’re missing out on something special. The running back had a second great outstanding season, rushing for 1,251 yards and 15 TDs. He had 485 yards in the past three games when it mattered the most against Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State in their back-loaded schedule. He’s very capable of having a huge night on the ground, and that can happen against Clemson. Perine, don’t forget, ran for an FBS-record 427 yards and five touchdowns IN ONE GAME last year. Sure, it was Kansas, but that’s still one heck of a night. Look for him to shine in the playoff.

Pac-12 Conference

Biggest story line: Talk about being forgotten about all year. Just about all the playoff discussion from the first College Football Playoff poll release completely ignored the Pac-12 in favor of the other four major conferences. It’s understandable. They were beating each other up in league play and had some bad losses outside the conference. They’re on the outside looking in now that the playoff starts, and they don’t like that one bit. It’s critical for the league to have a huge bowl season.

Biggest game: Stanford vs. Iowa in the Rose Bowl. The Cardinal was the best team in the league, winning the conference title game over USC. They get the biggest stage outside the playoffs to strut their stuff at the Rose Bowl against the Hawkeyes in Pasadena. A win vs. Iowa helps restore some league credibility, but only to a certain degree since not everyone has bought into Iowa this year anyway. Still, it’s the Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of them all, and a win there is always special for every Pac-12 team.

Other games that matter: USC vs. Wisconsin in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30. A lot of people are surprised that USC gave Clay Helton the head coaching job on a permanent basis. After losing the Pac-12 title game to Stanford, the last thing the Trojans need to be doing is ending the season on a two-game losing streak. It’s critical to take some momentum into the offseason, and a win over a decent Badgers team could provide that.

Hero in the making: Kevin Hogan, Stanford QB. Hogan has had an up-and-down career but at least the Rose Bowl provides a grand stage to go out in style. Look for him to have a big game against Iowa and get a win that will mean a lot.

Tom Brew

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.