College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 12.
Texas was surprisingly ranked just out of the College Football Playoff in the initial committee rankings. They need to keep winning, but that may be hard with their schedule, as they play at Georgia this week. The Longhorns have lost to Ohio State and Florida, both on the road this season. While their offense has been average this season, their defense has been of great quality, as they have allowed just 16.4 points per game.
Georgia has one loss, which has them in a good spot for the CFP, but another loss could make things murkier. They have a good offense that scores 32.5 points per game as a result of some decent balance. This defense won’t be confused for the ones of a few seasons ago, but they are solid, as they allow 19.6 points per game. Expect a lower-scoring game in this one, but the drama and CFP implications surrounding it should make it an exciting watch nonetheless.
Oklahoma, like Texas, was ranked just outside the CFP with two losses. They have a tougher schedule down the stretch, which includes this game at Alabama. The Sooners have a great defense leading the charge, as they give up 14.7 points per game. They’ll have their hands full in this one, but the offense is getting better the more John Mateer heals from his hand injury.
Alabama has won a lot of tough games since losing their opener and this would qualify as another one. While the Crimson Tide haven’t exactly played up to their potential, they are getting big wins. Ty Simpson’s emergence as a star at quarterback has helped the team overcome a bad rushing attack. Their defense has been solid, conceding 18.3 points per game. If Alabama doesn’t play their best game, Oklahoma could pull off the upset.
Notre Dame has just two losses on the season, which came in their first two weeks of the season. They are on an eight game winning streak, but likely have to win out ot make the CFP. The Fighting Irish have a balanced offense that passes for 274 yards and rushes for 187.6 yards per game. Notre Dame’s defense has been decent, giving up just under 20 points per game.
Pittsburgh had their season change for the better when they turned to freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. They have won five straight games and now sit at 7-2 and very much alive in the ACC. Heintschel has the Panthers passing for 302.6 yards and scoring 39.7 points per game. Defensively, Pitt allows 21.8 points per game. Pitt has this game at home and Heintschel has brought some life to the team, which could cause problems for Notre Dame’s plans to make the CFP.
The American Conference has a good possibility of having a team in the CFP. They could have the fifth (or even fourth) highest-ranked conference champion, which would get them an autobid. There are currently five teams with just one conference loss so far this season, which could leave some crazy tiebreaker scenarios. This week features a couple of games that could shake things up atop the American Conference.
Barring any huge upsets, two games could give more clarity to the American Conference. Navy and USF are squaring off in the only matchup featuring two teams with just one loss in the conference. South Florida will be favored, but Navy will be at home and the triple option can be tricky. East Carolina has just one loss and they are matching up with Memphis this week. Memphis has two conference losses, so they need to win out and hope for some help to make the conference championship game. Both of these games should be good to watch, but the results will also have a lot to say about who could be in the CFP.
Week 11 was not great for the ACC. The CFP committee didn’t rank teams in the conference very highly and they had some of their top contenders lose games they were favored in. That has opened up quite the race in the ACC to finish the season. Five teams have just one conference loss, much like the American.
Georgia Tech is the frontrunner to make the CFP now, but they should be able to handle business against Boston College. Pitt has the nonconference game with Notre Dame, which won’t impact the ACC standings. Other games will have a huge say in how things shake out. Virginia and Duke play in a game of some the teams who only have one conference loss. Louisville has two conference losses, but still have a shot at the conference championship if they get a lot of help and they play Clemson. The ACC race will be one to watch down the stretch.
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