WEEK 12 GAMES TO WATCH
Friday night brings us a game I’m sure ESPN thought was going to be a lot better when they made TV selections over the summer. Clemson travels to #20 Louisville in what is a far cry from the Deshaun Watson-Lamar Jackson duels years ago. Louisville will once again be without star RB Isaac Brown, but they’ve found life in Keyjaun Brown who rushed for 134 yards on just 14 carries in their upset loss to Cal last week. Is this game going to be about a Clemson midseason revival, or will Louisville get back on track as they try to lock up Jeff Brohm to a long-term extension and keep fighting for an ACC Championship berth? It’s a jalapeno popper of an appetizer for the weekend – decent on paper but we don’t want too many of them. Also in this window, we’ve got Minnesota traveling to #8 Oregon in what should be a beatdown, but Oregon played with their food against Wisconsin, barely escaped Iowa last week, and has not shown the death star ability on offense that we expect out of national title contenders. 10/10 game to fall asleep to by the fire on your Friday evening.
Saturday’s noon slate features the College GameDay game with #9 Notre Dame traveling to #22 Pittsburgh, who is suddenly a war machine after making a midseason switch to QB Mason Heintschel. How big of a game is this for Pittsburgh? Don’t ask us, ask head coach Pat Narduzzi, who said the following after being asked if this is a must-win, “It is not an ACC game. I’m glad you brought that up. It’s not an ACC game. I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110-10 in that game. They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.” These comments aren’t that surprising given Pat Narduzzi is one of the most blunt coaches out there, but pretty brutal if you’re a fan of the sport (or Pitt) who’d expect your head coach to be jacked up for one of the biggest games in recent program history.
On a second screen in the noon slate, we advise a cursory look at #24 USF heading to Navy. The Bulls and QB Byrum Brown have the inside path to a playoff bid, but there might be some service academy tomfoolery going on here if Navy QB Blake Horvath plays. If not, USF should run roughshod here, and the Bulls might hang 60. Bobby Petrino is 0-4 in his attempt to gain a single win as the Arkansas interim coach, but has a good opportunity against an LSU team that seemingly has no interest in playing the sport of football for the remainder of the year. Arizona @ Cincinnati and West Virginia @ Arizona State should be entertaining at a minimum if the Notre Dame game is a dud. Wisconsin heads to Indiana after showing a sign of life for the first time in 4 years last weekend by beating Washington, but now they get presumed buzzsaw Indiana in Bloomington. Is #2 Indiana fading after their Happy Valley escape? Probably not, but we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here. We promise bangers are coming.
#11 Oklahoma traveling to Tuscaloosa is the filet mignon of the afternoon slate. #2 Alabama has the offensive playmakers in WRs Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard to put the nail in the coffin for Oklahoma’s playoff chances. The question is, will the OL give Ty Simpson enough time to get the ball out? Oklahoma’s defense is outstanding and Alabama doesn’t have a run game to speak of. The Sooners punked Alabama last year in Norman, but Simpson is not Jalen Milroe. The ground chuck of the afternoon, of course, involves two ACC matchups. #19 Virginia heads to Duke in what’s an ACC Championship and playoff elimination game for both teams. Duke is coming off a loss to UConn, but controls their own destiny to Charlotte should they win out. Virginia doesn’t have a passing TD in their last 10 quarters, and that’s not likely to change with their backup QB still in after Chandler Morris isn’t likely to play after being knocked out against Wake. Further down the sewer, you can find #15 Miami hosting NC State. No clue who’s winning this one, but one thing is for certain: society will not advance with these two programs playing.
#17 USC is still in playoff contention, but a loss to the visiting #20 Hawkeyes will knock them out completely. USC probably isn’t a legitimate playoff threat, given they head to Eugene next weekend, but their DNR order might last for one more week. Additionally, don’t be surprised if we’re talking about ECU this time next week. They’re 4-1 in conference, host Memphis, can score a ton of points, and aren’t completely out of the AAC race. Worth monitoring.
On Saturday evening, the crème de la crème of the evening is Texas @ Georgia and you can find that preview below. Elsewhere, Florida heads to #7 Ole Miss who can lock up a playoff spot if they win out. Maybe Lane Kiffin is facing his future employer in this spot. Florida State hosts Virginia Tech, and while Mike Norvell is definitely not getting fired during the season, if he loses to Virginia Tech with an interim coach, he should start packing and send his family to the Tetons for protection. The football and television overlords have heard our pleas, our yearning, and consternation over the lack of quality late-night viewing options. This weekend, we’re presented with two great matchups. San Diego State hosts Boise State, and if you’re not on the Aztec bandwagon yet, you’re running out of time. They’re 7-2 on the season, and if they win here, they have a massive matchup against San Jose State next weekend. #12 BYU hosts TCU in Provo one week after getting smoked by Texas Tech and are out of playoff contention, but what’s the point of watching football if you’re only worried about playoff contention? What are you? A fair-weather Clemson fan? These games will be bangers, and while we’re at it, check out Louisiana Tech at Washington State and Wyoming at Fresno State. You’ll miss these Saturday nights in February, we guarantee it.
NO. 7 OREGON HOSTS RESTED MINNESOTA ON FRIDAY NIGHT
In an unusual scheduling quirk, Minnesota has a four-game winning streak when playing on Friday nights.
So certainly the Golden Gophers (6-3,-4-2 Big Ten) are hoping to continue the tradition this weekend in Eugene, and at the same time topple No. 7 Oregon (8-1, 5-1, No. 8 College Football Playoff).
Minnesota is coming off a bye week following a 23-20 overtime win at home over Michigan State that made the Gophers bowl eligible for the fifth straight season.
The victory was also Minnesota’s sixth straight at home. The problem for the Gophers is the road, where they’re 0-3 this season.
“We’ve played some really good football at home and on the road. We’ve also played some really good teams on the road. So we just got to find a way to be a little bit better each week, have a little more attention to detail in the things that we do — especially in our preparation — to go out there and play our best game of the year,” coach P.J. Fleck said.
Oregon staged a comeback 18-16 win on the road against Iowa last Saturday that might be one of the Ducks’ most notable victories when the season is all over.
Oregon went into the game against the Hawkeyes without a pair of key receivers, freshman Dakorien Moore and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, and lost Gary Bryant Jr. to an apparent foot injury in the first quarter. And it was played in horrendous weather.
But in the end, quarterback Dante Moore led a 10-play, 54-yard drive to set up Atticus Sappington’s game-winning 39-yard field goal with three seconds left.
“I thought our guys had great composure. And each guy had to do their part. It was one of those games where every phase mattered. They all contributed,” coach Dan Lanning said.
Dakorian Moore, a freshman, has caught 28 passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns this season, while Sadiq has 22 catches for 311 yards and five scores. Bryant has pulled down 25 passes for 299 yards and four TDs.
As is his custom, Lanning wasn’t revealing much about the status of his injured played for Minnesota.
“If they’re ready, they’ll play,” he said.
Moore’s Moment
Lanning was surprised to learn that Moore had never led a game-winning final drive like the one against the Hawkeyes.
“I didn’t realize this, but this was Dante’s first opportunity to actually come back from being down in a two minute drive. He said that to me, in his career, not just in this game, but in his career, which I think is pretty, pretty awesome for him to have that moment, but he’s cool, calm and collected, executed at a high level,” Lanning said.
Moore threw for 112 yards and an interception in the challenging weather in Iowa. Overall, he’s thrown for 1,884 yards and 19 TDs with only five interceptions.
Lindsey to the rescue
Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey had his own late-game heroics in the Gophers’ last outing, rushing for the game-tying touchdown in regulation against Michigan State and then adding a 3-yard TD run in overtime to win it.
Fleck said starting an inexperienced quarterback comes with the acknowledgment that there will be highs and lows. It’s part of the maturation process.
“He’s played really well, then maybe inconsistent at times, and then bang — when we needed him most, he was there,” Fleck said about the latest performance.
Lindsey has thrown for 1,743 yards with 10 scores and six interceptions. He’s also run for six touchdowns.
Rankings watch
Oregon moved up a spot in the College Football Playoff rankings this week to No. 8 following the victory over No. 20 Iowa. It was the Ducks’ first win over a ranked team this season.
Of the three remaining games on Oregon’s schedule, only one is against a CFP-ranked team, No. 17 USC on Nov. 22.
Should the Ducks win out, they should earn one of the at-large spots in the 12-team playoff. Undefeated Ohio State and Indiana, sitting atop the CFP rankings, are likely to meet in the Big Ten championship game.
RYAN DAY WARNS AGAINST COMPLACENCY AHEAD OF TOP-RANKED OHIO STATE’S GAME AGAINST UCLA
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With two weeks remaining before its schedule gets tougher, top-ranked Ohio State looks to continue its dominating season when it hosts UCLA on Saturday night.
The Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) — who are favored by 31 1/2 points to beat the Bruins (3-6, 3-3), according to BetMGM Sportsbook — have dominated their six Big Ten games, winning by an average of 26.2 points. That includes a pair of 24-point victories the past two weeks against Penn State and at Purdue.
The one person not buying into the hype, though, is coach Ryan Day.
“And so it’s one thing to say, ‘OK, we’ve done X, Y, and Z up until this point,’ but that means absolutely nothing, like zero. We’ve done nothing,” he said following Wednesday’s practice. “So I understand everyone’s gonna talk about those things, but none of that has anything to do with what we’re doing moving forward. So if we think that has anything to do with this weekend or where we’re going, then we’re dead wrong. So we have to make sure we all understand that.”
After facing UCLA, Ohio State will host Rutgers next Saturday, leading up to its Nov. 29 showdown at Michigan. This could set up a Dec. 6 matchup against second-ranked Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, followed by a potential College Football Playoff appearance.
“We said this from the beginning, we wanna be the first (Ohio State) team ever to be back-to-back. And that’s a tall task. It’s easy to say, but it’s another thing to do. And so we’re in the middle of it right now, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and we gotta continue to stay focused on what matters,” Day said.
Day’s more immediate focus is making sure quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith remain concentrated on the present, rather than thinking about potential Heisman Trophy considerations.
Sayin leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in completion percentage (80.9%) and passer rating (192.6). Smith is second with 10 receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions (65) and receiving yards (862).
“Our guys understand that if you win as a team, then everybody’s going to do well. I think you can see that with Jeremiah. You can see it with Julian. They both are pulling for each other. If I started to feel like it was becoming an individual thing, then yeah, we’d probably put a stop to it,” Day said.
The Bruins have lost their last two, including a 56-6 setback at Indiana on Oct. 25. Interim coach Tim Skipper is 3-3 since replacing the fired DeShaun Foster.
“It’s always going to come back to us just doing what we’re supposed to do. The big message from that game to this one will be starting fast. We have to take care of us. We can’t worry about who we were playing and things like that,” Skipper said.
Welcome back, Nico
Nico Iamaleava returns to Ohio Stadium, albeit in different circumstances.
The UCLA sophomore was Tennessee’s starting quarterback during the Volunteers’ 42-17 loss to the Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff first-round game last December. Iamaleava was 14-of-31 passing for 104 yards and had a career-high 20 rushing attempts for 47 yards.
“He takes hits, but he’ll get back up and do his thing. You just got to be aware of his feet, him on the ground and in the air because he can hurt you both ways,” defensive tackle Eddrick Houston said.
Even though Iamaleava is the leader of a 3-6 squad, Day knows how dangerous he can be. He is second in the Big Ten among quarterbacks with 474 rushing yards.
“He played tough in the playoff game here, and I’m watching him play the last few weeks, and man, he’s physical, he runs hard,” Day said.
Tate’s status
Ohio State could be without Carnell Tate for a second straight game. Day did not have an update on the junior wide receiver after he was held out of the Purdue game due to precautionary reasons.
Tate has 39 catches, 711 yards, and seven touchdowns this season.
On guard
Ohio State’s biggest lineup question going into the game is who will start at right guard? Josh Padilla is coming back from injury after missing last week at Purdue.
The Buckeyes are still likely to go with a rotation of Padilla, Tegra Tshabola, and Ethan Onianwa, as no one has emerged as a clear starter.
Moving on up
A win would give Day his sixth season of at least 10 victories, moving him past Woody Hayes and John Cooper.
Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel share the mark with seven.
NO. 4 ALABAMA, WHICH HAS WON 8 IN A ROW, HAS EXTRA MOTIVATION AGAINST NO. 11 OKLAHOMA
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — No. 4 Alabama stopped short of calling Saturday’s showdown against No. 11 Oklahoma a revenge game, but the Crimson Tide admit they haven’t forgotten last year’s outcome.
The Sooners beat the Tide 24-3 in Norman, Oklahoma. It was a shocking result considering the Sooners had lost four of five and Alabama was on the verge of securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. That letdown surely will provide extra motivation for Alabama (8-1, 6-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 4 CFP) in the rematch.
“There are (new) players that didn’t experience that,” Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said. “The ones that did certainly better remember and understand, more importantly, that you’re facing a really good program that obviously we went to their place and got beat up pretty good last year, and that’s who’s coming to town this week.”
A loss Saturday in Tuscaloosa wouldn’t derail Alabama’s playoff chances, but it could knock the Tide out of the SEC title game in Atlanta.
It’s a must-win game, however, for Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2, No. 11 CFP) and its playoff hopes. The Sooners are 2-2 over their last four games, with losses to Texas and Mississippi and wins against South Carolina and Tennessee.
“We all know,” Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer said. “We have a chance to determine our own destiny and keep it right in front of us. So that’s our goal.”
Oklahoma’s defense is the class of the SEC this season, leading the conference in yards and points allowed. It will need to have a memorable performance against Alabama, which has won eight in a row and has the longest home winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 17 games. The Tide’s average margin of victory during their home streak is 40-11.
“They’ve got a really good roster,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “They’re playing really well on both sides of the ball. Their defense leads the SEC in turnovers caused and turnover margin, and offensively they’ve been just incredibly efficient.”
One thing to watch from each QB
Mateer averaged 303.8 yards passing, with six touchdowns and three interceptions in four games before having thumb surgery. In four games since, he’s averaging 183.5 yards passing, with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He bounced back a bit against Tennessee, rushing for 80 yards and a score. Finding his rhythm against Alabama, which leads the SEC with 16 takeaways, should be key.
Simpson, a Heisman frontrunner, will have a similarly hard time against Oklahoma. The question for him and Alabama is whether they can create explosive pass plays to mitigate its struggling run game. Last week against LSU, Simpson connected on four passes that gained 30 or more yards, but he also left several big plays on the field that could’ve broken the game open.
“The low-hanging fruit there is complete the big, open ones,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “I think there’s a little bit of carryover there from the previous (weeks), just getting the ball out earlier and on time and making sure that we give our guys a chance at the football down the field.”
The stat to watch
Turnover margin has been Alabama’s catalyst all season. The Tide rank fourth nationally at plus-10 and have only six turnovers in nine games. On the other side, Oklahoma ranks 110th nationally at minus-five in turnover margin. The Sooners have seven takeaways and 12 turnovers.
The red zone will be a factor
The game features two of the better red-zone offenses in the nation. Oklahoma is the No. 1 red-zone offense in the country, scoring on all 28 trips inside the 20-yard line this season. Alabama, meanwhile, ranks 16th. Where the teams differ is defensively, where Alabama ranks eighth in red-zone defense and Oklahoma ranks 66th.
NO. 25 SOUTH FLORIDA VISITS NAVY IN ANOTHER MATCHUP WITH MAJOR AAC TITLE IMPLICATIONS
A quarterback duel between Byrum Brown and Blake Horvath — with potential playoff hopes on the line — is enough to make South Florida’s matchup with Navy one of the most significant games of the weekend.
There is, however, the rather large matter of Horvath’s health.
“I feel good,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said earlier this week. “I think he’s made an improvement every day. He’s starting to feel better and better.”
The Midshipmen could certainly use Horvath at full strength Saturday when they host No. 25 USF in another big inflection point in the American Athletic Conference title race. There are five teams with one loss in conference play, and these are two of them.
The champion of the AAC has a decent shot at earning a bid to the College Football Playoff. That’s what made Tulane’s win over Memphis last week so important. Navy (7-2, 5-1), South Florida (7-2, 4-1), North Texas (8-1, 4-1), Tulane (7-2, 4-1) and East Carolina (6-3, 4-1) are jockeying for spots in the league title game.
Navy faces USF and Memphis in its final two conference games. The Midshipmen have dropped two in a row after winning their first seven. Horvath was scratched from last week’s loss to Notre Dame because of an injury.
Assuming he’s back, this is a clash between two outstanding dual-threat quarterbacks. Brown is the only player in the FBS who has reached 2,000 yards passing and 700 rushing this season. Horvath has even more yards rushing (926 with 13 touchdowns) while operating Navy’s Wing-T offense.
In addition to moving into the AP Top 25, South Florida also received the No. 24 spot in the most recent CFP rankings, which is important since that ranking is the AAC’s top tiebreaker after head-to-head record.
“The biggest message to our guys right now is: Elite teams find a way to improve as they go here in November,” South Florida coach Alex Golesh said. “Elite teams find a way to stay focused.”
Tough to catch
Navy has won 77 consecutive home games when leading after three quarters. Its most recent defeat in such a situation was back in 1999.
More on Brown
The South Florida quarterback is the third FBS player in the last 30 seasons with at least 2,200 yards passing, 19 passing TDs and 700 yards rushing through nine games. The others were Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in 2019 and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in 2016.
Brown also has a chance to reach 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing. Only 11 players in FBS history have done that — most recently LSU’s Jayden Daniels in 2023 — and eight of them finished in the top three in the Heisman Trophy vote.
More on Horvath
His career pass efficiency rating of 164.9 makes him one of only 34 quarterbacks since 1956 with a rating of 164 or better. He’s 30th on that list, right between two No. 1 overall draft picks — Bryce Young of Alabama and Alex Smith of Utah.
Horvath threw for 339 yards and ran for 130 in a win over Air Force last month. The 469 yards of total offense broke the school record.
Series history
These teams have met only five times, beginning with a Navy victory in 2015 and alternating wins since then. The Midshipmen won 28-7 at USF last season, rushing for 321 yards. Brown missed the game with a leg injury.
South Florida won 44-30 at Navy in 2023, with Brown throwing for three touchdowns and Horvath throwing for two.
Wide margins
South Florida has 10 wins by at least 25 points since the start of last season. Only Indiana (12) and Ohio State (11) have more.
NO. 8 TEXAS TECH, WITH UCF NEXT, MAY NOT BE PLAYING LAST GAME AT HOME THIS YEAR IN PLAYOFF PUSH
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — This might not be the last game No. 8 Texas Tech plays at home this year, even though for now it is the last one on the schedule.
The Red Raiders (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) play their regular-season home finale Saturday, a week after easily getting past BYU there in the Big 12’s first conference matchup of top-10 teams in four years. They have given coach Joey McGuire no reason to be concerned about a potential letdown as an overwhelming favorite against UCF (4-5, 1-5).
Just moments after the 29-7 win over BYU, one of the first players McGuire saw in the locker room was Jacob Rodriguez after his 14 tackles and two takeaways stirred up some Heisman Trophy buzz for the senior linebacker.
“I go over there and give him a hug and he goes, ‘Coach, this wasn’t our goal, other than to go 1-0. It wasn’t about beating BYU, it was about what we have in front of us’,” McGuire said, relaying the conversation. “That’s why you preach and preach and preach that 1-0, and what’s next, and you hope that holds up.”
At No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the Red Raiders would be in line to host a first-round CFP game on campus — those games go to the Nos. 5-8 teams in the final CFP rankings on Dec. 7, the day after the Big 12 championship game. They could get a first-round bye and move directly to a New Year’s Six game if they finish in the top four.
Tech has an open date after playing the Knights, then finishes the regular season at West Virginia on Nov. 29.
J-Rod takeaways
Rodriguez struck a Heisman Trophy pose after a highlight interception against BYU, when he reached out and tipped the ball to himself. He later added a fumble recovery.
While maybe coerced by teammates to do that pose, Rodriguez does deserve to at least be in the conversation for college football’s highest individual award.
He has a national-leading seven forced fumbles to go with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The only other FBS player since 2005 with at least five forced fumbles, three interceptions and two recoveries in the same season was Khalil Mack for Buffalo in 2013. Mack is now a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rodriguez and banged-up quarterback Behren Morton will be among more than 20 seniors recognized before kickoff Saturday.
Road woes
The Knights have lost five of six games since a 3-0 start. They are 0-3 on the road, including a 30-3 loss at Baylor two weeks ago, and in coach Scott Frost’s return are far from the 13-0 season they had in 2017 before he left for Nebraska.
“You’ve got to go through the hard to get to the good. We’re having fun, even though we’re going through the hard,” Frost said. “To think it’s just going to be easy, I don’t think it’d be worth it when we got there. It isn’t like I was going to show up and we were going to go undefeated.”
Hello, old friend
Lee Hunter is the 6-foot-4, 330-pound starting nose guard in the middle of the Texas Tech defensive front that leads the nation allowing only 73.7 yards rushing per game, and has given up only five touchdowns on the ground. He played for UCF the past three seasons.
Triple picks
Phillip Dunnam last week became the first UCF player in school history with three interceptions in the same game, and returned one for a touchdown in the loss to Houston. The senior cornerback’s first picks this year matched his season totals for both 2023 and 2024. The Big 12 leader has four.
Big wins and going for 10
All nine of Tech’s wins are by at least 20 points, already matching the most in school history. The wins have been by an average margin of 33.2 points.
The Red Raiders are seeking their first 10-win season since 11-2 with coach Mike Leach in 2008. The other 10-win seasons were in 1932, 1937, 1953, 1973 and 1976.
NO. 6 OLE MISS AIMS TO AVOID A REPEAT OF COSTLY LOSS TO FLORIDA A SEASON AGO
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — No. 6 Mississippi is quick to brush off any references to last season’s 24-17 loss at Florida that cost the Rebels a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“We’re a whole new team from last year and it’s a whole new season,” Ole Miss offensive tackle Diego Pounds said.
Asked if revenge might be a factor, Pounds said: “I don’t think so.”
Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC, No. 7 CFP) rebounded from last year’s playoff snub to finish No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 poll with a lopsided 52-20 win over Duke in the Gator Bowl.
And this season has unfolded in opposite directions for each team.
Florida (3-6, 2-4), after a 4-0 finish in 2024 that built preseason optimism, has lost of six of eight, leading to the firing of coach Billy Napier on Oct. 19. The Gators have lost 19 straight road or neutral-site games against ranked opponents since a win in Jacksonville over Georgia in 2020.
In last week’s 38-7 loss at Kentucky, interim coach Billy Gonzales lifted quarterback DJ Lagway, although the sophomore is expected to start against the Rebels. Lagway has passed for 1,762 yards and 11 touchdowns, but has thrown 12 interceptions.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been a breakout performer after starting the season in a reserve role. Chambliss has passed for 2,356 yards while rushing for 434 yards, accounting for 19 touchdowns and only three turnovers.
The Rebels are 7-0 at home with a lineup that includes 18 new starters.
A win over Florida would give Ole Miss at least 10 wins for the fourth time in five seasons.
Rebels coach Lane Kiffin has been linked to nearly every head coaching vacancy at the NFL and college level, but especially to the Florida vacancy.
Gonzales recognizes the interest surrounding Kiffin nationally, as well as from Florida partisans.
“Absolutely, yes sir,” Gonzales said. “Do I read them? I’m aware of it, absolutely. But no, we’ve just got to prepare.”
Postseason implications
Despite Florida’s struggles, an upset win over the Rebels would keep postseason hopes alive with impending visits from No. 21 Tennessee and Florida State to close the season.
“It would mean a lot to us, but we have to worry about what’s going on here, prepare the right way for this game,” running back Jadan Baugh said. “I just want it to be a good game, get our players back healthy and be ready to play.”
Impressive movements
Kiffin acknowledged Florida’s uneven results, but shifted his focus to the high spots as opposed to last week’s disappointing performance at Kentucky.
“This is the same team that was ahead of Georgia in the fourth quarter. This is the same team that outplayed Texas and beat Texas,” Kiffin said. “They’re as talented as anybody with elite talent on both sides of the ball.”
Injury update
Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman William Echoles are expected to return after leaving with minor injuries in last week’s 49-0 win over Citadel. Cornerback Antonio Kite remains questionable after missing two games.
Florida receivers Eugene Wilson III and Dallas Wilson are out from season-ending ankle surgery and a broken foot, respectively. The Gators had 13 players sidelined against Kentucky last week.
NO. 17 USC TRIES TO KEEP PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE AGAINST IOWA IN BIG TEN’S SPOTLIGHT GAME THIS WEEK
Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference:
Game of the week
Iowa (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten, No. 21 College Football Playoff ) at No. 17 Southern California (7-2, 5-1, No. 17 CFP), 3:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)
Iowa’s playoff hopes likely disintegrated last week when they lost 18-16 to No. 7 Oregon (No. 8 CFP) on Atticus Sappington’s 39-yard field goal with 3 seconds left, but USC still has a shot at reaching the 12-team field.
USC ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision teams in yards per game (503.2) and is tied for seventh in points per game (39.6). Iowa’s defense is fifth in points allowed per game (13.7) and fourth in yards allowed per game (250.2).
BetMGM Sportsbook has USC as a 6 1/2-point favorite.
The undercard
No. 18 Michigan (7-2, 5-1, No. 18 CFP) vs. Northwestern (5-4, 3-3) at Wrigley Field, Chicago, 12:10 p.m. ET (Fox)
Michigan still has hopes of reaching the playoff if it wins the rest of its regular-season games, including a Nov. 29 home matchup with No. 1 Ohio State (No. 1 CFP). Northwestern has lost two straight and must win one of its last three games to become bowl eligible.
Michigan is an 11 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM.
Impact players
— Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson has an FBS-leading 1,431 total yards from scrimmage, though Jacksonville State’s Cam Cook is ahead of him in yards from scrimmage per game (151.2 to 143.1). Johnson had 129 yards rushing and 103 yards receiving in Nebraska’s 28-21 victory over UCLA, becoming the first Cornhusker ever to have at least 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game.
— Wisconsin LB Mason Posa had 11 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in Wisconsin’s 13-10 upset of then-No. 24 Washington. Posa set up Wisconsin’s only touchdown with a strip sack that gave the Badgers the ball at Washington’s 7-yard line. He also recorded a fourth-down sack to clinch Wisconsin’s victory.
— Rutgers RB Antwan Raymond rushed for 240 yards in the Scarlet Knights’ 35-20 victory over Maryland. Ray Rice is the only Rutgers player ever to rush for more yards in a single game. Raymond’s 41 carries tied Rutgers’ single-game record.
Inside the numbers
USC is on pace to become the first Big Ten team to average at least 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing since Indiana in 2013. The last Bowl Subdivision team to do it was LSU in 2023. … Six of the 13 finalists for the Maxwell Award given to college football’s top player are from the Big Ten: Johnson, USC WR Makai Lemon, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Oregon QB Dante Moore, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith. … Wisconsin LB Cooper Catalano’s 19 tackles against Washington were the most by a Badgers player since Mike Taylor had 22 against Ohio State in 2011. They were the most tackles in a single game by a Wisconsin freshman since at least 1995. … Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith had his 25th career touchdown catch in his 25th game, making him the fastest Buckeyes player ever to reach that mark. David Boston got his 25th touchdown catch while playing his 30th career game in 1998. … Oregon’s offense ranks second in plays of 20-plus yards (66), and its defense has allowed the fewest plays of 20-plus yards (15) of any FBS team.
Get to know him
TJ Lateef is Nebraska’s starting quarterback now that Dylan Raiola is out for the season with an injury to his lower right leg. In his first collegiate start, Lateef went 13 of 15 for 202 yards with three touchdown passes against UCLA. Lateef was named the Big Ten’s co-freshman of the week.
2025 WEEK 12 FOOTBALL RELEASE
• With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, 16 Big Ten teams will take the field this week. The action kicks off with a Friday night matchup between Minnesota and Oregon in Eugene at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on FOX. Nebraska and Rutgers will enjoy byes this week, with the complete schedule appearing to the right.
• The Big Ten had six teams included in the College Football Playoff’s second rankings of the season on Nov. 11: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 8 Oregon, No. 17 USC, No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa. The CFP will release its next top 25 rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
• Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AP or US LBM Coaches Polls, announced on Sunday. The AP poll includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 7 Oregon, No. 17 USC, and No. 18 Michigan, with Iowa and Illinois receiving votes. At No. 1, Ohio State leads eight Big Ten teams in the coaches’ poll (No. 2 Indiana, No. 6 Oregon, No. 17 Michigan, and No. 18 USC); Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska also received recognition.
• The Big Ten has two of the remaining three undefeated teams in the FBS heading into week 12: Ohio State (9-0) and Indiana (10-0). Both teams host home games this weekend as the Buckeyes take on UCLA and the Hoosiers face Wisconsin.
• The Big Ten announced its Football Players of the Week, presented by IFS.ai on Monday, with Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson earning Offensive Player of the Week. Johnson totaled 232 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in Nebraska’s 28-21 win over UCLA. Johnson became the first player in the Big Ten in at least 30 years to have more than 125 rushing yards, more than 100 receiving yards, a rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns in the same game.
• Wisconsin’s Cooper Catalano garnered Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 19 tackles (11 solo) and one sack in Wisconsin’s victory over No. 23 Washington. The freshman had the most tackles for a Big Ten player in a win since 2022, helping the Badger defense hold the Washington offense to its lowest passing output of the season.
• Oregon’s Atticus Sappington won Special Teams Players of the Week. The senior kicker made a game-winning, 39-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give Oregon an 18-16 win in a top-20 showdown at Iowa. He matched a career high by going 3-for3 on field goals, also hitting from 46 yards and 40 yards earlier in the game.
• Nebraska’s TJ Lateef and Wisconsin’s Mason Posa shared Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Lateef became the fifth true freshman to start at quarterback since 1950 for Nebraska and led the Huskers to a victory over UCLA with 205 passing yards and three touchdowns. Posa recorded 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and forced and recovered the same fumble in Wisconsin’s win over No. 23 Washington.
• Seven Big Ten teams rank among the top 25 nationally in Relative Scoring Offense, the statistic most closely correlated with winning over the last ten years. Indiana leads the nation and the conference (183.12%), followed by USC at No. 2 (161.50%), No. 7 Ohio State (156.13%), No. 8 Oregon (175.08%), No. 16 Illinois (150.94%), No. 20 Washington (132.40%) and No. 24 Penn State (162.20%).
• Five Big Ten players were named semifinalists for the Maxwell Award. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, and USC’s Makai Lemon were named to the shortlist of 13 players.
• Entering week 12, USC claims the nation’s second-best total offense (503.2 yards per game) while Iowa holds the nation’s fourth best total defense (250.2 yards per game). The two go head-to-head on Saturday in Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. PT on BTN.
• The Big Ten paces the A4 in total defense, as three additional teams rank in the top five nationally. Ohio State leads the nation (211.6 yards per game), followed by Oregon (3rd, 239.3) and Indiana (5th, 250.2).
• Ohio State currently holds the longest win streak in the country with 13 consecutive wins, the fourth 10-plus winning streak for Ryan Day with 16 consecutive wins in 2018-19, 13 consecutive wins this year, 12 in 2021-22, and 11 consecutive wins in 2023.
• Indiana is 10-0 to start a season for the second time in program history, and the second time in as many years, after its 27-24 win at Penn State in Week 12. The then wins ties for the most wins a season in program history (10; 2024). The Hoosiers’ 7-0 start in Big Ten play marks the second time in program history an Indiana team started with an unblemished mark through at least seven conference games (7-0; 2024).
• Through 11 weeks, seven Big Ten quarterbacks are in the top 25 for passing efficiency, which is the most of any conference. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin currently leads the nation with a 192.6 passer rating, while Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is second with a 178.6.
• The Big Ten claimed back-to-back national championship titles for the first time since 1942 last season as Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 34-23, in the 2024 College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Buckeyes brought home their sixth national championship to the Horseshoe in Columbus and first since the inaugural CFP National Championship in the 2014-15 season.
• The 2025 Discover Big Ten Championship Game will be held on Saturday, December 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will be broadcast by FOX. The winner will represent the conference as the Automatic Qualifier (AQ) to the College Football Playoff.
• Abbott and the Big Ten Conference are kicking off Season 2 of the We Give Blood drive. Students, fans, alumni and communities across the country are backing their favorite Big Ten schools by donating blood. Every donation can help save up to three lives – and bring your school one step closer to winning $1 million to advance student or community health. The top school will be announced at the 2025 Discover® Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 6, 2025.
NO. 20 VIRGINIA’S TRIP TO DUKE TOPS ACC’S WEEKLY SLATE AS CRITICAL PAIRING OF 1-LOSS LEAGUE TEAMS
Things to watch this week in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
No. 20 Virginia (8-2, 5-1 ACC) at Duke (5-4, 4-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
The Cavaliers had lost at N.C. State in an unusual nonconference matchup between longtime ACC teams, but they suffered their first official loss in the standings with Saturday’s home stumble against Wake Forest. The game saw starting quarterback Chandler Morris sidelined early by a hit to the head area, which could lead to some uncertainty about his status or effectiveness leading into Saturday.
The Blue Devils are coming off a loss at UConn, which had followed their thrilling win at Clemson. But that didn’t impact the race for a spot in the league title game. This one will, though, with Virginia and Duke among the five one-loss teams in the ACC standings.
The undercard
N.C. State (5-4, 2-3) at No. 16 Miami (7-2, 3-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Hurricanes have gone from looking well positioned for a trip to the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff to looking up at the jumbled group of one-loss teams ahead of them in the ACC standings. They’re still in the chase, but can’t afford a loss to the Wolfpack — who rode a dominating offensive performance to stun then-unbeaten Georgia Tech before heading into last week’s open date.
Clemson (4-5, 3-4) at No. 19 Louisville (7-2, 4-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Cardinals squandered their own strong footing in the ACC race with last week’s home stumble in overtime to California. They’re set to host a Clemson team that opened the year as preseason ACC favorite but is battling just to ensure bowl eligibility.
Impact players
— Pittsburgh QB Mason Heintschel. The freshman is 5-0 as a starter and has sparked the 23rd-ranked Panthers’ rise. Next comes a visit from No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday.
— Georgia Tech QB Haynes King. He’s had a week off to regroup from the loss at N.C. State, which came despite King accounting for 511 yards of total offense and four TDs. The Yellow Jackets return to action Saturday at one-win Boston College.
Inside the numbers
The league has four teams in the AP Top 25 poll with No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 16 Miami, No. 19 Louisville, No. 20 Virginia and No. 23 Pittsburgh. … North Carolina’s defense has had a turnaround from a woeful opening month. Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels have 18 sacks in the past three weeks, according to Sportradar. They had nine last weekend against Stanford and visit the Demon Deacons on Saturday. … Florida State hosts Virginia Tech on Saturday having gone 2-12 in ACC play since the start of the 2024 season. That’s at least two wins fewer than every other league team. … California, SMU, Stanford and Syracuse have an open week.
NO. 15 UTAH LOOKS TO CONTINUE PUSH FOR SHOT AT BIG 12 TITLE GAME, NO. 12 BYU LOOKS FOR REBOUND WIN
Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
Game of the week
No. 15 Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12, No. 13 CFP) at Baylor (5-4, 3-3), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Utah’s four Big 12 wins are by an average margin of nearly 36 points, and its only losses are to No. 8 Texas Tech and at No. 12 BYU. The Utes need to keep winning and will need some help to get into the Big 12 championship game. With dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier, Utah is second in the league averaging 477 total yards and 39.6 points per game. Standout pass rusher John Henry Daley (9 1/2 sacks) and the defense are second in the Big 12 allowing 301 yards and 14.2 points a game.
Kyle Whittingham is in his 21st season at Utah, making him the second longest-tenured active FBS coach — behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz in his 27th season. Sixth-year Baylor coach Dave Aranda needs another strong finish. A six-game winning streak at the end of the 2024 regular season took some heat off Aranda, but the Bears are 22-25 since winning a Big 12 title in 2021, the coach’s second season. They are coming off an open date after a 30-3 home win over UCF, but lost back-to-back games before that.
The undercards
— TCU (6-3, 3-3) at No. 12 BYU (8-1, 5-1, No. 12 CFP), Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYU looks to bounce back from its first loss to Texas Tech. After getting to 9-0 last year, the Cougars had consecutive losses that kept them out of the Big 12 title game after a four-team tiebreaker. TCU won three of its four games in October and was coming off an open date before last week’s home loss to Iowa State, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
— Arizona (6-3, 3-3) at No. 22 Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1), Saturday, noon ET (FS1)
The Bearcats had won seven games in a row before the 45-14 loss at Utah on Nov. 1 in their last game before an open date. They need to rebound without looking ahead to another home game next week against BYU.
Impact players
— Texas Tech running back Cameron Dickey has a Big 12-high 11 rushing touchdowns and is second in the league with 86.7 yards per game for the Red Raiders (9-1, 6-1, No. 6 CFP), who host UCF. Dickey ran for 121 yards last week against BYU while league-leading rusher LJ Martin was held to 35 yards in that game.
— Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson is still the Big 12 leader at 309 yards passing per game, even while being held to 404 yards total the last two games. He threw five TDs in those games and shares the national lead at 26 with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Inside the numbers
West Virginia (4-6, 2-5), which has won its last two games and has to win out to be bowl eligible, plays Arizona State (6-3, 4-2) for the first time as Big 12 opponents. They last met in the 2015 Cactus Bowl that the Mountaineers won 43-42. … Kansas State has averaged 34.2 points over their past five games, but lost two of them. The Wildcats (4-5, 3-3) play at Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6). … Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, Texas Tech and Utah all have already exceeded their win totals from last season.
