Can Stanford shock the world and knock off Oregon?
College football's Week 12 schedule is highlighted by two huge battles in the Pac-12. Stanford visits Oregon in a game that likely will decide the South Division champion, while USC makes the short trip to UCLA for the game of the year in the South.
Friday
No. 109 FIU at No. 17 FAU
FAU is showing signs of life late in Carl Peliniâs first season as the head coach. The Owls have won two of three, highlighted by a 37â28 win at Western Kentucky last weekend. The offense, which scored 20 points or fewer in each of the first six games, has scored 34 or more in three of the past four.
FAU 28â20
No. 121 Hawaii at No. 95 Air Force
Five years ago, Hawaii played in a BCS bowl. Two years ago, the Warriors won 10 games. Now, under first-year coach Norm Chow, this is one of the worst teams in the nation.
Air Force 38â3
Saturday
No. 14 Stanford at No. 1 Oregon
Itâs a testament to Oregonâs dominance that the Ducks are favored by nearly three touchdowns against the second-best team in the Pac-12 North â and maybe the second-best team in the entire league.
Oregon 48â28
No. 2 Kansas State at No. 42 Baylor
Kansas State has given up 16 touchdowns in seven Big 12 games. Baylor has given up 38 in six games. Go with the team that allows fewer touchdowns.
Kansas State 44â28
No. 84 Wake Forest at No. 3 Notre Dame
Wake Forest was held to 185 total yards in a 37â6 loss at NC State last week. That same NC State team gave up 446 yards to Virginia the previous week. The Notre Dame defense should dominate.
Notre Dame 24â6
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 25 Wisconsin
Ohio State has a two-game lead on Wisconsin in the Leaders Division but is not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions. The Badgers will go in their stead after clinching a spot with an emphatic 62â14 win at Indiana on Saturday.
Ohio State 24â20
Western Carolina at No. 5 Alabama
The biggest mismatch of the weekend has to be Western Carolina vs. Alabama. The Catamounts are 1â9 and are allowing 519.8 yards and 40.0 points per game. Itâs a safe bet that Alabama will bounce back from its only loss of the season with a comfortable win.
Alabama 41â0
Georgia Southern at No. 6 Georgia
Georgia true freshman Todd Gurley is closing in on 1,000 yards. He has 973 yards while sharing time with fellow rookie Keith Marshall, and is only 41 yards behind SEC leader Johnny Manziel.
Georgia 44â13
Jacksonville State at No. 7 Florida
Jacksonville State is the last school from the FCS ranks to beat an SEC school. The Gamecocks defeated Ole Miss in Oxford 49â48 on the opening week of the 2010 season.
Florida 31â7
No. 38 Ole Miss at No. 8 LSU
Ole Miss has played well in recent trips to Baton Rouge: The Rebels are 4â4 in their last eight at Tiger Stadium with three of the losses coming by three points or fewer and the other by seven points.
LSU 37â21
Sam Houston State at No. 9 Texas A&M
This should be a fun game. Sam Houston State leads the FCS in scoring offense (46.2 ppg) and ranks sixth in total offense (490.3 ypg).
Texas A&M 48â20
Wofford at No. 10 South Carolina
South Carolina takes on a solid Wofford team that is 8â2 overall and 6â2 in the SoCon. The schools have met twice in the past seven years, with Carolina winning 27â20 in 2006 and 23â13 in â08.
South Carolina 31â13
No. 11 Florida State at No. 83 Maryland
Marylandâs season has been derailed by injuries, most notably at the quarterback position. The Terps have averaged 14.5 points during their four-game losing streak.
Florida State 41â0
No. 56 NC State at No. 12 Clemson
In case you havenât been paying attention, Clemson has been on quite a roll. Since losing at Florida State in late September, the Tigers have won six straight by an average margin of 25.2 points.
Clemson 37â21
No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 35 West Virginia
This was expected to be one of the marquee games in the Big 12 this season. But that was before we knew just how bad West Virginia would be at preventing their opponents from gaining yards and scoring points. In league play, the Mountaineers are giving up an average of 517.8 yards and 51.0 points per game.
Oklahoma 55â30
No. 80 California at No. 15 Oregon State
Calâs season will come to an end this Saturday in Corvallis. The question is: Will this also be the end of the Jeff Tedford era?
Oregon State 31â17
No. 21 USC at No. 16 UCLA
USC has been arguably the most disappointing team in the nation in 2012. UCLA has been one of the biggest surprises. The result: UCLA is one-half game up on its cross-town rival in the Pac-12 South and controls its own destiny to play in the league title game.
USC 41â34
No. 65 Minnesota at No. 17 Nebraska
Hereâs an odd stat about Minnesota. The Gophers have scored either 13 points or 17 points in six of their last seven games. The exception was in a 44â28 win over Purdue three weeks ago.
Nebraska 31â17
No. 74 Iowa at No. 19 Michigan
Iowa is trying to avoid its first five-game losing streak since 2000, when Kirk Ferentzâs second Hawkeye team opened the season 0â5 en route to a 3â9 season.
Michigan 30â17
No. 48 Utah State at No. 20 Louisiana Tech
Itâs the game of the year in the WAC. Louisiana Tech has received more national pub, but Utah State is having an outstanding season as well. The Aggies are 8â2, with a two-point loss to Wisconsin and a three-point loss to BYU.
Utah State 31â27
No. 22 Texas Tech at No. 27 Oklahoma State
These two teams have something in common: They both struggled to beat Kansas. The Cowboys topped KU 20â14 in Lawrence in mid-October. Last week, Texas Tech needed double-overtime to beat Kansas 41â34 in Lubbock.
Oklahoma State 34â30
No. 23 Arizona at No. 63 Utah
This is a huge game for a Utah program that needs two wins to become bowl-eligible for a 10th-straight season. The Utes are 4â1 at home with the only loss coming by 10 points to USC. Arizona, however, has too much firepower.
Arizona 31â17
No. 26 Rutgers at No. 37 Cincinnati
Rutgers coach Kyle Flood has to be a bit concerned about his teamâs performance of late. The Knights lost at home to Kent State two weeks ago and then struggled with Army this past weekend. Rutgers was outgained 337-to-252 and didnât hold its first lead until midway through the fourth quarter.
Cincinnati 27â17
No. 46 Arkansas at No. 28 Mississippi State
Thereâs one stat that best illustrates Arkansasâ struggles in 2012. And itâs quite simple: The Razorbacks arenât scoring enough touchdowns. Last year, with Bobby Petrino calling the plays, Arkansas scored 32 touchdowns in eight SEC games. This year, the Hogs have scored 16 touchdowns in six league games.
Mississippi State 31â24
No. 29 Washington at No. 100 Colorado
Coloradoâs defense has been unbelievably bad over the past five games. The Buffs have given up 51, 50, 70, 48 and 56 points in consecutive weeks.
Washington 51â7
No. 71 Indiana at No. 31 Penn State
Indiana must bounce back from a sobering 62â14 loss at home to Wisconsin. The Hoosiers can still become bowl-eligible but must beat Penn State and Purdue on the road. Thatâs not likely to happen.
Penn State 37â27
No. 32 Northwestern at No. 33 Michigan State
Northwestern is 7â3 overall and has had double-digit leads in the second half of all three losses â at Penn State, vs. Nebraska and at Michigan. This team could easily be in the thick of the Legends Division race.
Northwestern 24â16
No. 52 Tennessee at No. 34 Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt, 4â3 in the SEC, has won more than two league games for only the third time since the league expanded to 12 teams in 1992. With a win on Saturday, the Commodores will have a winning SEC record for the first time since 1982.
Vanderbilt 30â27
No. 36 Iowa State at No. 87 Kansas
Kansas has yet to beat an FBS team in 2012, but the Jayhawks have been relatively competitive â at least for a bad team. They lost by 14 to TCU, by seven at Northern Illinois, by six to Oklahoma State, by four to Texas and by seven in double-overtime at Texas Tech.
Kansas 24â20
No. 101 Washington State at 39 Arizona State
Arizona State was once 3â0 in the Pac-12. Now, the Sun Devils are 3â4. The problem? Defense. ASU gave up 17 points or fewer in its first three league games but has allowed 36 or more in each of its four losses.
Arizona State 34â17
No. 41 Syracuse at No. 51 Missouri
Missouri won its first SEC road game last week â 51â48 in four overtimes at Tennessee â despite giving up 432 passing yards. That has to be a concern for Gary Pinkel and his staff. Syracuse has been on a roll offensively.
Missouri 30â27
No. 112 Colorado State at No. 43 Boise State
Boise State can secure no worse than a tie for the Mountain West title in its last season in the league by beating Colorado State this week and struggling Nevada in Reno the following week. For the Broncos to win the title outright, San Diego State will have to lose at Wyoming next week.
Boise State 38â10
No. 55 Duke at No. 60 Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets rushed for 380 yards and seven touchdowns and threw for 208 yards and one score (on only seven completions) in a 68â50 win at North Carolina on Saturday. This is not a good matchup for a Duke team that ranks 85th in the nation in rushing defense and has given up an average of 43.8 points in its last four games.
Georgia Tech 44â30
No. 77 South Florida at No. 45 Miami (Fla.)
South Florida snapped a six-game losing streak by beating UConn 13â6 last week at home. The Bulls need to win their final three games to become bowl eligible. Not going to happen.
Miami 27â14
No. 59 UCF at 47 Tulsa
These two teams likely will meet again in the Conference USA title game in a few weeks, with the winner serving as the host. Neither team has lost to a non-AQ conference opponent in 2012.
UCF 31â27
No. 50 Kent State at No. 76 Bowling Green
Itâs a huge game in the MAC East between 6â0 Kent State and 5â1 Bowling Green. Kent will clinch a spot in the league title game with a win; Bowling Green would still need to beat Buffalo next week to secure a trip to Detroit.
Kent State 34â24
No. 54 Virginia Tech at No. 93 Boston College
This figures to be the final home game for Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani, who has been on the Eaglesâ staff since 1997. BC is 2¬â8 overall and 1â5 in the ACC.
Virginia Tech 23â13
No. 57 BYU at No. 64 San Jose State
San Jose State is 8â2 overall and ranks second or third in the WAC in every key offensive and defensive statistic. Itâs a bit of a surprise that the Spartans are a 3-point underdog at home.
San Jose State 28â21
No. 66 Arkansas State at No. 82 Troy
Things are clicking for Gus Malzahnâs offense in the latter half of the season. The Red Wolves have won five straight and are averaging 40.4 points during that span.
Arkansas State 47â30
No. 105 North Texas at No. 67 ULM
ULM played its way into the national spotlight in September by beating Arkansas and losing by three to Auburn and by five to Baylor. But the Warhawks have fallen on hard times, with consecutive losses to UL Lafayette and Arkansas State. The once-explosive offense has struggled since quarterback Kolton Browning went down with an injury against UL Lafayette.
ULM 27â17
No. 69 Middle Tennessee at No. 122 South Alabama
Middle Tennessee needs to win its next two games â at South Alabama and vs. Troy â to set up a winner-take-all Sun Belt showdown at Arkansas State on Dec. 1.
Middle Tennessee 37â10
No. 111 Texas State at No. 70 Navy
Texas State scored 55 points and rolled up 577 yards of offense last week in a seven-point loss to Louisiana Tech. Not bad for a team in its first season in the FBS ranks.
Navy 30â24
No. 72 Purdue at No. 99 Illinois
Illinois ranks last in the Big Ten in total offense in league play, averaging only 267.0 yards per game and 4.07 yards per play. Last week, the Fighting Illinois lost at home to Minnesota 17â3.
Purdue 28â14
No. 85 Western Kentucky at No. 75 UL-Lafayette
Western Kentucky has played its way out of the Sun Belt race. After opening the conference slate with quality wins at Arkansas State and Troy, the Hilltoppers have lost three of four, including two at home (Middle Tennessee and FAU).
UL-Lafayette 31â23
Alabama A&M at No. 78 Auburn
Alabama A&M is 7â3 overall but plays in one of the weakest FCS leagues (SWAC). Auburn should roll with ease.
Auburn 37â10
No. 81 East Carolina at No. 115 Tulane
East Carolina still has an outside shot at the MAC East title. The Pirates must beat Tulane and Marshall and hope UCF loses at Tulsa (possible) and at home vs. UAB (not likely).
East Carolina 41â24
No. 86 Temple at No. 110 Army
Templeâs offensive woes continued last week at home vs. Cincinnati. The Owls recorded only 267 yards of offense in a 34â10 loss. They have failed to score more than 17 points in each of their last five games.
Army 27â17
No. 88 SMU at No. 96 Rice
Garrett Gilbert, the former Texas Longhorn and one-time prep All-American, has thrown 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions
in his first season at SMU. He ranks 10th in C-USA in passing efficiency.
SMU 31â21
No. 89 Nevada at No. 108 New Mexico
Nevadaâs slump continues. The Wolf Pack lost their third-straight game last weekend, dropping a 52â36 decision at home to Fresno State. The offense has done its part, scoring 31 points or more in all three losses. The defense, however, has not cooperated. The Pack rank 91st nationally in total defense and 101st in scoring defense.
Nevada 34â31
No. 118 Eastern Michigan at No. 90 Western Michigan
After breaking through with a 4â4 record last fall, Eastern Michigan is staring at a winless MAC season. The Eagles are 0â6 with a trip to Western Michigan and a home date with Northern Illinois. Ron English could be in trouble.
Western Michigan 31â20
Samford at No. 91 Kentucky
Joker Phillips will coach his last game in Lexington on Saturday against Samford. It will be an emotional day for a man who has spent the majority of his adult life at the University of Kentucky. The Franklin, Ky., native played for the Cats from 1981-84 and served on the UK staff in some capacity for 19 of his 25 years in coaching.
Kentucky 24â10
No. 94 Houston at No. 92 Marshall
Itâs safe to say that Tony Levineâs first season as a head coach has not gone well. Houston is 4â6 overall and 3â3 in C-USA â one season after winning 13 games.
Marshall 41â37
No. 114 Memphis at No. 97 UAB
Neither team has won many games this season, but itâs clear that both UAB and Memphis have improved under the direction of their first-year coaches â Garrick McGee (UAB) and Justin Fuente (Memphis).
UAB 27â23
No. 102 Buffalo at No. 119 UMass
UMass broke through with its first victory of the season last week, holding on to beat Akron 22â14 on the road. With home games remaining against Buffalo and Central Michgan, the Minutemen have an opportunity to end the season on a three-game winning streak.
UMass 27â20
No. 98 Miami (Ohio) at No. 106 Central Michigan
Central Michigan tailback Zurlon Tipton has rushed for 100 yards or more in four straight games, highlighted by a 243-yard, three-touchdown effort against Akron three weeks ago.
Central Michigan 34â28
No. 103 Wyoming at No. 113 UNLV
Wyoming is 2â0 since Dave Christensenâs return from his one-game suspension for calling Air Force coach Troy Calhoun a âflyboyâ â among (many) other things.
Wyoming 28â20
No. 104 UTEP at No. 117 Southern Miss
Southern Miss has two more opportunities to pick up its first win of the Ellis Johnson era. The Golden Eagles are a 3.5-point dog at home this week and then travel to Memphis for the finale next weekend.
UTEP 27â13
No. 116 UTSA at No. 123 Idaho
Idaho is limping to the finish line under interim head coach Jason Gesser. The Vandals rank last in the nation in scoring offense (15.4 ppg) and 118th in scoring defense (43.0 ppg).
UTSA 21â20
Last week: 41â12
Season: 482â142