Week 12 Football: What to Watch

A huge game this week with NC State travelling to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. Both teams are coming off their respective best performances of the year, so it’s a big time game in a big time atmosphere. Saturday afternoon should be great, even if nerve-wracking. Before then there are a slew of other games, so get ready.

Another week where I robbed you all of some Tuesday MACtion. While not all three of those games this week ended up being as close as the ones last week, two of them still went down to the wire, including one overtime game. Fret not, there is more in store Wednesday night.

The ACC takes center stage on Thursday night since, well, it’s the only FBS game of the night. Pitt hosts Boston College in a game that is sure to not move the needle much, but BC will be looking to rebound after getting shellacked by VT last week. A win would also secure a winning season record - and at least a .500 ACC mark - for the Eagles. Pitt just needs something positive, and an end to an ugly four-game losing streak would do just that.

Friday night has some late games, if you’re interested. Alex Golesh has already secured more wins in his first season at USF than the Bulls scored over Jeff Scott’s entire three year run before Golesh arrived in Tampa. A win would put them in their first bowl game since 2018. UTSA needs a win to setup their game with Tulane next week as a winner-to-the-title-game affair.

Also Friday is a matchup of two 1-6 Pac12 teams. Watch that AAC game instead.

In the Saturday noon slot, Louisville can clinch their ACC title game berth with a win over Miami. A Hurricanes loss would also ensure a losing ACC campaign for them (ouch).

SMU (6-0 AAC) and Memphis (5-1) are both still alive in the AAC title hunt, and that game is going to have some serious intensity to it because of that fact. Memphis’ only conference loss is to Tulane (6-0).

App State still has a shot at the Sun Belt title thanks to James Madison not being eligible for the title game (dumb, NCAA), but they need to beat JMU and hope for a Coastal Carolina loss to the Dukes next week. If JMU can win both of those games, they’ll finish 2023 undefeated. No more than three teams will be able to claim that at the end of the year.

Utah-Arizona is going to be great, even if it likely won’t have any impact on the Pac12 title race.

We already mentioned NC State at Virginia Tech, but this is a huge game. Go State!

Also in that 3:30pm slot, Georgia looks to stay perfect against Tennessee and Clemson looks to continue their Dabo hate-filled destruction run as they host North Carolina. UCLA-USC meanwhile might be the highest scoring game of the week.

New Mexico State probably isn’t going to beat Auburn, but it’s worth calling out that NMSU is 8-3 and Auburn is 6-4. Impressive.

Into the evening, Washington at Oregon State is the big game. The Beavers are the favorites despite having two losses on the year while the Huskies are undefeated. Pac12 football, folks! Oregon State could be an amazing wrench into everything considering they play Washington this week and Oregon next week.

There are also conference championship game hopes on the line in the Texas vs Iowa State game. An Iowa State win could set up a five-way tie atop the Big XII. That, of course, means to root for the Cyclones.

The winner of Syracuse-GT will be bowl bound.

Late night, check out the battle of San _____ State schools. Winner take all!

Go Wolfpack!

Rankings for SP+ Ratings and Sagarin Ratings listed, respectively, ahead of each team’s name.

Wednesday

122/117 Central Michigan @ 77/87 Ohio - 7:00pm - ESPNU

113/128 Buffalo @ 64/84 Miami (OH) - 7:00pm - ESPN2

Thursday

76/85 Boston College @ 78/82 Pittsburgh - 7:00pm - ESPN

Friday

106/125 South Florida @ 48/51 UTSA - 9:00pm - ESPN2

79/65 Colorado @ 56/54 Washington State - 10:30pm - FS1

Saturday

1/1 Michigan @ 35/45 Maryland - 12:00pm - FOX

21/22 Louisville @ 26/37 Miami - 12:00pm - ABC

28/32 SMU @ 60/72 Memphis - 12:00pm - ESPN2

59/67 Appalachian State @ 25/39 James Madison - 2:00pm - ESPN+

22/18 Utah @ 32/33 Arizona - 2:30pm - PAC12N

33/36 Duke @ 97/88 Virginia - 3:00pm - CW

42/40 NC State @ 62/52 Virginia Tech - 3:30pm - ACCN

2/4 Georgia @ 16/15 Tennessee - 3:30pm - CBS

74/83 Wake Forest @ 12/12 Notre Dame - 3:30pm - NBC

18/23 North Carolina @ 20/20 Clemson - 3:30pm - ESPN

23/35 UCLA @ 24/19 USC - 3:30pm - ABC

63/70 UNLV @ 46/61 Air Force - 3:30pm - CBSSN

66/108 New Mexico State @ 30/28 Auburn - 4:00pm - SECN

90/94 Marshall @ 61/81 South Alabama - 5:00pm - ESPN+

FCS/197 North Alabama @ 7/10 Florida State - 6:30pm - CW

67/59 California @ 108/95 Stanford - 6:30pm - PAC12N

11/7 Kansas State @ 39/31 Kansas- 7:00pm - FS1

9/13 Washington @ 14/16 Oregon State - 7:30pm - ABC

44/46 Florida @ 17/21 Missouri - 7:30pm - ESPN

8/8 Texas @ 36/25 Iowa State - 8:00pm - FOX

65/74 Syracuse @ 70/76 Georgia Tech - 8:00pm - ACCN

126/162 New Mexico @ 50/63 Fresno State - 10:30pm - FS1

110/112 San Diego State @ 73/57 San Jose State - 10:30pm - CBSSN