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.
LSU lost to Texas in Week 11, taking away their chances to make the CFP. They still have plenty of room to play spoiler and could do so for Tennessee. The Tigers rank in the top 20 in both points scored and points allowed per game with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Lane Kiffin will be going up against one of his former teams, which is an added storyline.
Tennessee is coming off a win over Texas A&M on the road. It was a game in which Faizon Brandon came into the game at quarterback and led the team to victory. The defense has been the real star this season, as they gave up just seven points to Texas A&M and are allowing 14.3 points per game overall this season. Tennessee may be able to afford a loss and stil make the CFP, but it would put them on the cut line, so a win would be really impactful.
Georgia looks like the best team in the country and is ranked that way in the CFP rankings. They have a top-10 scoring offense and defense and will hope that they can travel to South Carolina. The Bulldogs have a relatively balanced offense, and the defense has plenty of playmakers who look capable of making a run in the CFP.
South Carolina was without quarterback LaNorris Sellers and they lost to Arkansas. The Gamecocks have shown to be inconsistent and if Sellers is able to play, maybe they can challenge Georgia. Sellers’ ability to use his arm and his legs could create issues. Georgia is the best team, but they did lose to Auburn, so they will want to stay locked in this week.
Ohio State stopped a two-game skid to USC and Oregon by defeating Northwestern. While they would need a lot of help to make the CFP, there is still a lot to play for and going to Nebraska is a game that can really put things on the right track. The Buckeyes haven’t had the best offense with Luke Fahey in for the injured Julian Sayin, while the defense has been leaky at times. They still have plenty of talent, but more is needed on both sides of the ball.
Nebraska is 6-4 this season and will want to get a win over Ohio State to be the marquee moment of their season. A win could help Matt Rhule have more job security as well. Nebraska’s defense is a top-10 unit in the country in points allowed per game. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea is signed on for next season too, with almost 3,000 yards of total offense. An upset could really make things uncomfortable in Columbus, Ohio.
UCLA is undefeated this season and is almost a lock to make the CFP. They have a tough road trip to Michigan this week. UCLA’s offense is without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but Ty Dieffenbach has filled in well. They score 32.4 points per game, which is solid, but the defense really stands out. They allow 14.1 points per game, setting this up to be a defensive slugfest.
Michigan has fallen to 5-5 this season. The offense hasn’t shown any signs of growth and is one of the worst units in the country. They score just 18.3 points per game, having scored more than that just twice in Big Ten play. The defense will be tasked with keeping this game close. They allow just 17.7 points per game and could turn it into a chance for an upset.
There aren’t many great games this week, as conferences have set up the schedule for a good finale. These weeks usually produce some crazy results, so there will be plenty helping with CFP implications. There will be plenty of conference championship races that are either decided or are heading that way after the results of this weekend. Upsets will surely happen as well.
One thing to watch this week is how many top-ranked teams have to play on the road right before rivalry week. Georgia plays at South Carolina and UCLA plays at Michigan. In the Big 12, Texas Tech plays at Baylor, while BYU is on the road against Kansas and Utah plays TCU. Wake Forest plays at Georgia Tech in the ACC. Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State also have road games, which should be won, but crazy things happen in college football.
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