Week 11 almost brought more questions than answers as we inch closer to the conference championships. We saw multiple contenders in the Big 12 go down last weekend, opening up the race for several more teams. This weekend, the Pac-12 has a chance for a massive shake-up and the ACC conference championship game could be determined. Here are the top five college football matchups of week 12.
5. No. 10 Louisville (9-1) at No. Miami (6-4)
When: Saturday, 12:0pm ET
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
Where to watch: ABC
Spread: Miami (-1)
Louisville will have a chance to reach the ACC championship against FSU if they handle their business on the road against Miami. A loss will open the door for North Carolina to creep in if they can win out. The Cardinals have never won a game in Miami (0-6-1), but I think this will be the year they do it. For the Canes, there is not much to play for other than pride. They’ve already clinched a bowl game, and I don’t think they will bring the same intensity after giving everything they had against FSU the week before. Louisville has a lot more to play for including their first 10-win season since 2013.
4. No. 22 Utah (7-3) at No. 17 Arizona (7-3)
When: Saturday, 2:30 pm ET
Where: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Where to watch: Pac-12 Network
Spread: Arizona (-1)
Arizona has been one of the biggest surprises in college football this year. It’s all thanks to their Freshman quarterback Noah Fifita, who took over six weeks ago against Washington. At that time, Arizona played a gauntlet of ranked opponents in Washington, USC, Washington State, Oregon State, and UCLA. They went 3-2 in those games. They lost games to Washington and USC, but only by a single possession. Most recently, they took down Colorado 34-31 on the road. In those six games, Fifita has racked up over 1700 passing yards 16 passing touchdowns. It’s really impressive to see a team like them thrive in such a loaded conference. Fifita will face his biggest test yet as he goes up against one of the premier defenses in the Pac-12.
3. No. 21 Kansas State (7-3) at No. 25 Kansas (7-3)
When: Saturday, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS
Where to watch: FS1
Spread: Kansas (-9.5)
The last time Kansas and Kansas State both won at least seven games in the same season was 1995. The Wildcats have won 14 in a row in the series and 26 of the past 30. But this would be the perfect time for the Jayhawks to turn the tables. A win here will kill any chance of Kansas State defending their Big 12 title. Kansas will need their quarterback Jason Bean to be available after suffering an injury last weekend. The backup quarterback has performed exceptionally well after Jalon Daniels went down.
2. No. 1 Georgia (10-0) at No. 18 Tennessee (7-3)
When: Saturday, 3:30 pm ET
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Where to watch: CBS
Spread: Georgia (-10.5)
Tennessee got smacked by Missouri last weekend in a game where Cody Schrader rushed for over 200 yards. That’s extremely impressive when you consider they were near the top of the country in rush defense before that game. Now they’ll have to turn around and face Georgia who seems to be peaking at the perfect time. Although Georgia has already booked their ticket to the SEC championship, their playoff hopes are still on the line this weekend if they were to lose. Tennessee has not looked so hot on the road, but they have won 14 straight at home, with their last loss at the hands of none other than Georgia in 2021. Personally, I don’t believe they have shot since the Vols lost to every ranked team they’ve faced this season. Georgia will be one step closer to making history and securing their third straight National Championship.
1. No. 5 Washington (10-0) at No. 11 Oregon State (8-2)
When: Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
Where to watch: ABC
Spread: Oregon State (-1.5)
While these two schools fight legal matters off the field, the Beavers and Huskies will face off on the field with tons on the line. For Washington, an undefeated record and potential College Football Playoff trip is at stake. For Oregon State, there still is a path to the Pac-12 title. Nothing would be sweeter for the Beavers than to upset both Washington and Oregon in back-to-back games to ruin both opponents’ playoff chances and secure a place in the conference championship game. I think the Beavers will take down Washington this weekend. The Huskies have been on the ropes for the past six weeks, playing every team very closely. Oregon State is coming off a dominant victory over Stanford and have the offense to hang around with Michael Penix Jr.
Honorable Mentions:
No. 7 Texas (9-1) at Iowa State (6-4)
Florida (5-5) at No. 9 Missouri (8-2)
No. 20 North Carolina (8-2) at Clemson (6-4)
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All point spreads taken from DraftKings Sportsbook