How We See it After Week 12 in College Football

Week 12 was a week where some teams began to flex their muscles and show us they belong in the playoffs. Ohio State and Cincinnati made big-time statements with their impressive performances. Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma State are nipping at their heels. And, in the SEC it is becoming more and more likely, we are heading for a showdown between Alabama and Georgia. This week will decide who will emerge as the favorite in the Big-10 and the Big-12, and whether Cincinnati will survive another week. It’s also rivalry week, which means there are a bunch of very exciting matchups.

WHAT THE FOURTH COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF POLL SHOULD LOOK LIKE:
1. Georgia 10-0: They are just about a lock to make the playoffs. Our current percentage of them making it to the Final Four is 98%.
2. Alabama 9-1: They have one game left against an Auburn team that is slumping without their starting quarterback. About 3 weeks ago, we were giving them a chance to maybe knock off the Tide, but not so much now. However, Alabama doesn’t look like a team that will beat Georgia.Their percentage to get in is at 25%.
3. Cincinnati 10-0: The Bearcats got the impressive win they needed, plus Oregon lost, and their chances are trending up from last week. They still have a tough road ahead, with a dangerous game at East Carolina to close out the regular season, and the American Conference championship game against a very good Houston team. Their percentage is back up to 40%.
4. Ohio State 9-1: The Buckeyes chances are very simple: Beat Michigan this week and whoever comes out of the West in the Big-10 Championship game. Easier said than done. Playoff percentage is 50%.
5. Michigan 9-1: The Wolverines chances are simple: Beat Ohio State this week and whoever comes out of the West in the Big-10 Championship game. Sound familiar? Playoff percentage is 50%
6. Notre Dame 10-1: They took care of Georgia Tech and should wallop Stanford to close out their season. They will more than likely be passed by a one-loss Big-12 team. Playoff percentage is 15%
7. Oklahoma State 10-1: This team will be favored in the Bedlam game against Oklahoma. If they can beat them, and everything goes as predicted, they would play Baylor for the Big-12 championship, and would dodge having to beat OU twice. This is a very good football team and if they win out, and Georgia beats Alabama, I think they are in. Playoff percentage is 25%
8. Oklahoma 10-1: The Sooners miraculously, still have a chance to get into a playoff. Their road is pretty much the same as Oklahoma State. They have to win this week in Stillwater, and then turn around and beat them again in Arlington the very next week for the Big-12 Championship. Win those two, and hope Georgia beats Alabama and they might sneak in. Stranger things have happened. Playoff percentage is 10%
9. Houston 10-1: They won’t be anywhere near this high, but what the Hell. And what happens if they beat Cincinnati for the American Conference Championship and some other chaotic things occur? They would be 12-1 and have a win over the Bearcats. Playoff percentage is 2%
10. NOBODY 0-0 At this point no one else has a chance at making it into the Final Four.

BEST WINS OF THE WEEK:
Cincinnati 48 SMU 14: The Bearcats got a lopsided win over a pretty good SMU team. This, coupled with the Oregon loss, greatly improved their playoff chances.
Ohio State 56 Michigan State 7: Just a total whooping put on a team that was 9-1. Enough said.
Michigan 59 Maryland 18: The Wolverines avoided looking ahead to this week and showed Ohio State that they can put up points also.
UTSA 34 UAB 31: The Roadrunners scored with three seconds left and kept their unbeaten season alive. They have a tough regular season game left at North Texas and a difficult opponent for the C-USA Conference Championship, to head into the bowls at 13-0. It doesn’t matter what level you are playing at; going undefeated is damn hard to do.
Clemson 48 Wake Forest 27: Yeah, I know the ACC is weak as usual, but this may be one of Dabo Swinney’s best coaching jobs. This was a preseason national championship contender, who stumbled and bumbled their way to a 4-3 start. Now, they have won 4 straight and if things bounce right, they could still win the ACC Championship.

WORST LOSSES OF THE WEEK:
Oregon: Everyone, but the buffoons on the College Football Playoff Committee, knew the Ducks were a fraud, and Utah sure proved it. Bye bye Ducks and the PAC-12’s playoff chances.
Michigan State: It’s no disgrace to lose to Ohio State, but when you are 9-1 and you get beat by 49 points, that is another story.
Florida: How the mighty have fallen!! The Gators slipped to 5-6 after a 24-23 overtime loss to Missouri. Will they be patient with Dan Mullen?
Texas: Six straight losses for the Longhorns and counting. They could finish 4-8 in the weak Big-12. The other SEC teams are begging them to come into their league as soon as possible.
USC: This is a train wreck in LA. The Trojans were embarrassed by archrival UCLA 62-33 and fell to 4-6. They better nail this next coaching hire.

BIGGEST GAMES WITH PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS THIS WEEK:
Ohio State at Michigan: There are a lot of big games this holiday week, but this is the biggest. Ohio State has dominated in the last 20 years.
Cincinnati at East Carolina: This one has upset written all over it. Tremendous pressure on the Bearcats to win and the Pirates ain’t bad with a 7-4 record. This game is on Friday afternoon.
Alabama at Auburn: A couple of weeks ago, the Tigers realistically had a shot at beating Alabama. But, that was before quarterback, Bo Nix, fractured his ankle. Now, it is hard to imagine Alabama losing.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: The loser is out of the playoff hunt but the winner still has a good chance to get into the Final Four. Can the Cowboys get over the hump against the Sooners?
Georgia at Georgia Tech and Notre Dame at Stanford: These two games should be laughers for the Bulldogs and the Irish.

OTHER CLASSIC GAMES TO WATCH:
Thanksgiving Night: Mississippi at Mississippi State This will be a great game to enjoy after a big day with the family.
Friday 11/26:
North Carolina at NC State The Wolfpack still is in the hunt in the ACC
Washington State at Washington Believe it or not, the Cougars have a chance to get into the PAC-12 title game.
Iowa at Nebraska Big game for Iowa’s chances to win the West division.
Boise State at San Diego State This is a big game in the Mountain West
Saturday 11/27:
Florida State at Florida There is nothing on the line here unless you count, if Florida State loses they might fire their coach just like Florida did.
Oregon State at Oregon This is the Civil War in Oregon and there is a lot on the line for both teams.
Wisconsin at Minnesota This is a big rivalry and if the Badgers win, they will play Ohio State or Michigan for the Big-10 championship.
Kentucky at Louisville These two hate each other. The winning team gets part-ownership in a great thoroughbred race horse.