Don’t take it for granted. He has just two college football weekends left until the conference title game. There are several notable games this Saturday, some with the potential to have a significant impact on league title contention and the College Football Playoff standings, and others that are simply entertaining and on the coaching merry-go-round. There are some games that are energizing.
So let’s power-rank the top 10 games of Week 12 and count down, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Honorable mention: Appalachian State James Madison, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Houston, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin.
(All point spreads are from BetMGM. Click here) here For live odds. All kickoff times are Saturday Eastern Time unless otherwise noted. All rankings are from the College Football Playoff.)
10. UCLA (6-4) at USC (7-4), 3:30 p.m., ABC
This is the last game of the regular season for USC, and for quarterback Caleb Williams, who will likely opt out of the bowl game, given that they are already out of Pac-12 title contention with four losses. will be the last match. Win or lose, this means a bitter ending for the reigning Heisman winner, with no back-to-back wins, no league title, no chance to make the playoffs, and no chance of even returning to the New Year’s Six Bowl. Can not. It was a disappointing turn of events for USC, but Bruins coach Chip Kelly has been in the spotlight, and there are rumors that he could leave the team after the USC game, win or lose.
Line: USC-6.5
9. No. 20 North Carolina (8-2) vs. Clemson (6-4), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Tar Heels coach Mack Brown may not be in the spotlight, but like Williams and the University of Southern California, UNC is eyeing up the possibility of losing Drake Maye, the NFL’s top quarterback prospect. However, there are few results commensurate with that. The Heels must win to stay in the ACC Championship race, but they will still need help. And a loss could force Brown to reshuffle his staff. Clemson is a touchdown favorite and has an impressive 2-0 record since head coach Dabo Swinney’s rant on the radio, but his full response when asked about Texas A&M’s opener is Since this cannot be said to be a complete denial, it will likely continue to be the subject of scrutiny.
Line: Clemson -7
8. UNLV (8-2), Air Force (8-2), 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
A week after Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, superintendent of the Air Force Academy, was named the next executive director of the College Football Playoff, the Falcons will take on red-hot UNLV for first place in the Mountain West. Welcome home. The Athletic I still predict that AAC will ultimately take the G5 New Year’s Six spot, but whoever wins this time will at least be in the conversation. For UNLV, this is a chance to eclipse his eight-win mark for the third time in program history and the first since 1984.
Line: Air Force-3
7. SMU (8-2) Memphis (8-2), noon, ESPN2
SMU ranks among the top 10 in the nation in scoring and is currently tied for first place in the AAC with Tulane and UTSA. The Mustangs will avoid both of these opponents in the regular season, with the remaining two facing each other in the final week. That means SMU could face either side with an undefeated conference record in the AAC title game, with the winner guaranteed a berth in NY6. Memphis, which lost to the Green Wave last month, is slumping at 5-1 in the conference race, and as the home underdog, an upset could significantly shake up the AAC standings.
Line: SMU -7.5
6. No. 7 Texas (9-1) vs. Iowa State (6-4), 8 p.m., Fox.
Folks, there’s a tie-break controversy brewing. Oklahoma State lost to UCF last weekend, dropping it to a tie for second place with Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Iowa State. The tie-break scenario is confusing. Iowa State beat Oklahoma State, lost to Oklahoma State, and will play Kansas State next weekend. Oklahoma State defeated Oklahoma State and Kansas State. K-State and the Sooners will not play. However, Berry Tramel of Sellout Crowd reported this week: Confusion regarding current tiebreaker wording The Big 12 led the league’s athletic directors to present a clear version on Wednesday. What could make things even more interesting is Saturday’s upset of Iowa State in Ames. The Longhorns have lost three of their past four road trips. Texas remains in the lead for a Big 12 Championship Game appearance (and a possible CFP appearance), but may still need a win to secure a spot in Arlington.
Line: Texas -7.5
5. No. 22 Utah (7-3) vs. No. 17 Arizona (7-3), 2:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network.
It’s a shame this game was banished to the Pac-12 Network. Arizona has been one of the beloved teams this season, winning three games in the top 25 and closing in on the Pac-12 standings just two seasons after going 1-11 in 2021. A lot of credit goes to Jed Fisch and his rebuilding efforts in Tucson. This match is also an example of what I wrote about this week. Neither of these teams is likely to compete for, let alone win, the Pac-12 title. They’re not going to make the four-team playoffs. But based on recent history, he has had a commendable season, especially in Arizona, and deserves recognition for that. And with the 12-team playoff format, the Wildcats will have a chance to sneak in from the outside. I think there’s value in that. I also want to watch this match.
Line: Arizona -1
4. No. 10 Louisville (9-1) at Miami (6-4), noon, ABC.
The Cardinals advanced to the ACC Championship with a win on Saturday, but the Hurricanes are proving to be a tough battle, as evidenced by their point differential and last week’s performance against ACC favorite Florida State. A berth in the conference title game would be a hard-earned reward for a Louisville team that arrived well ahead of schedule in its first year under head coach Jeff Brohm.Seminoles are clear favorites, Cards upset likely knocks ACC out of playoffs – ESPN tipster predicts Louisville The probability is 2%. But if Tyler Van Dyke, who returns to starting quarterback, can lead Miami to a victory, it could be an eventful final weekend for the ACC.
Line: Miami -1
3. No. 21 Kansas State (7-3) vs. No. 25 Kansas State (7-3), 7 p.m., FS1
Hopefully one of the sport’s underrated rivals will be in the top 25 of this year’s Sunflower Showdown, one of four future rivals protected by the Big 12’s new scheduling matrix. I hope both teams can get the attention they deserve. The Jayhawks lost to Texas Tech last week, losing to a third-string freshman walk-on QB, but coach Lance Leipold is optimistic second-string backup Jason Beane will be healthy enough to play against the Wildcats. I’m watching. If K-State wins, it will play a home game against Iowa State next weekend and remain in contention for the Big 12 title.
Line: Kansas -8.5
2. No. 1 Georgia (10-0) vs. No. 18 Tennessee (7-3), 3:30 p.m., CBS
It’s a matchup that’s too good not to be ranked this high, but I can’t believe if any of these teams can keep up with the Bulldogs, who regained the top spot in this week’s CFP rankings. Ta. The Vols could probably stay home, but it seems like they’d be better off fast-forwarding to the SEC Championship tilt against Alabama. At least I’m thankful that these teams let us watch a legitimate SEC game in a week where Bama, Ole Miss, and LSU were scheduled to buy games. Now, let’s see if Tennessee can make this game closer than two touchdowns.
Line: Georgia -10.5
1. No. 5 Washington (10-0) vs. No. 11 Oregon State (8-2), 7:30 p.m., ABC
Washington deserves a No. 4 spot in this week’s CFP rankings. The win is considered by the committee to be the best in the nation over No. 6 Oregon State, as well as back-to-back victories over USC and Utah. Florida State still holds the No. 4 spot, though it’s by no means out of the question, but if the Huskies beat the Beavers, they could leapfrog the Seminoles team that will eventually face North Alabama. You have to think enough is enough. And if Oregon State (which actually has home advantage) wins, it could cause some confusion in the playoff rankings next week. And if the Bees can turn it around, they’ll even have a chance to crash the Pac-12 title game. They will play Oregon next week. Either way, the result of this game could boost the playoff race.
Line: Oregon -2.5
(Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
