College football schedule: Week 12 games you should be watching
With just two regular season games left before Championship Saturday and College Football Playoff selection, there's still a lot to sort out.
For the moment, the top four may seem secure, but one of the second- or third-ranked teams will lose eventually, and the No. 4 isn't a sure thing, either.
Ohio State and Michigan appear set to meet each other as undefeated rivals, with the winner also considered the favorite to win the Big Ten title and make the playoff, while TCU is facing some critical tests to see if it belongs, too.
Tennessee is hanging around at one loss and, though it can't play in the SEC Championship Game, it can take advantage of changes at the top of the rankings.
Clemson seemed out of contention after losing at Notre Dame, but could finish the season as a one-loss ACC champion and move within striking distance, too. Provided, of course, it doesn't lose again.
Here's your look at the most important games you should have on this weekend.
College football TV schedule: Week 12 games you should be watching
All times Eastern
No. 4 TCU at Baylor. Ten games into this thing and Baylor is still a real mystery. Seemingly back in the Big 12 title chase with wins over Oklahoma and Texas Tech, the Bears fell flat on their face in a four-TD loss to Kansas State. At just the right time for TCU, which comes into a second-straight road game holding on to the No. 4 CFP ranking by their fingernails with the committee itching for any reason to drop them and put a bigger "brand" in their place. Max Duggan leads the nation's 12th total offense and its 8th best scoring attack with a mandate to stay perfect. 12 p.m. on Fox and fuboTV (Try for free)
Place your bets: College football picks against the spread for Week 12
Miami at No. 9 Clemson. Coming in at 5-5, nobody really expects the Hurricanes to win this game, but the selection committee will be watching Clemson's performance with some interest. Having already booked a spot in the ACC title game and already at one loss, the Tigers are two steps behind in the playoff chase and have no margin for error. Clemson needs some style points, which may prove difficult as this offense has struggled with DJ Uiagalelei at the helm. Win out and get some movement at the top of the rankings and Clemson could sneak in. 3:30 p.m. on ESPN and fuboTV (Try for free)
Who's in? College football bowl eligibility tracker this week
No. 5 Tennessee at South Carolina. Likewise for the Vols, whose loss at Georgia dropped them out of the top four, but are still within striking position of the playoff, waiting out the OSU/Michigan loser or for TCU to drop one, while themselves looking ahead to very winnable games here and then against Vanderbilt in the finale. UT averages 26.5 points on the road, compared to over 55 at home, and goes against the SEC's second-worst run stop, but a secondary that has performed well, averaging 4th in the SEC against the pass, allowing under 200 yards per game. 7 p.m. on ESPN and fuboTV (Try for free)
Computer picks: Week 12 picks, predictions by football computer model
No. 7 USC at No. 16 UCLA. College Football Playoff access is hanging on by a thread in the form of USC, which is without lead rusher Travis Dye, now injured and lost for the year, and playing behind a defense that, despite its early season aggressiveness, has kept too many of these league games closer than they should have been. Now the Trojans line up against a solid Bruins attack that can stack up 200 yards on the ground and is dynamic at quarterback. USC doesn't have a quality win on its schedule, and this is a big litmus test for how well Lincoln Riley's first season will be graded by the committee heading into the finale against a resurgent Notre Dame. 8 p.m. on Fox and fuboTV (Try for free)
Going bowling? College football bowl predictions ahead of Week 12
No. 10 Utah at No. 12 Oregon. Coming in, these teams are tied for second in the Pac-12 at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in conference games, and the winner has a chance to inch closer to the league title game, especially if USC loses at the Rose Bowl. Neither of these teams are in the playoff race anymore, but they can still affect it if the winner goes on to play a one-loss CFP-adjacent USC for the Pac-12 championship. 10:30 p.m. on ESPN fuboTV (Try for free)
College Football Playoff Rankings
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- TCU
- Tennessee
- LSU
- USC
- Alabama
- Clemson
- Utah
- Penn State
- Oregon
- North Carolina
- Ole Miss
- Kansas State
- UCLA
- Washington
- Notre Dame
- Florida State
- UCF
- Tulane
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon State
- NC State
- Cincinnati
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams