Copyright Athlon Sports
Another round of relevant games is on tap in the College Football Playoff race this week. There are four games between teams ranked in both the CFP and AP Top 25 that stand to solidify some teams’ postseason cases and threaten others. The game of the week is in the Steel City, where No. 23 Pittsburgh is set to host No. 9 Notre Dame with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town. The Panthers are one of a handful of teams in the mix for a spot in the ACC championship game. The Fighting Irish need a win on the road to stay in the CFP field. Keep an eye on the SEC on Saturday as well with two titanic clashes on deck. No. 11 Oklahoma is on the playoff bubble and on the road at No. 4 Alabama. You might remember the Sooners upsetting the Crimson Tide a season ago, effectively knocking them out of the CFP. ‘Bama can return the favor this time around. College Football Playoff Bubble: Who’s on the Cusp? No. 11 Texas heads to Athens to face No. 5 Georgia for a rematch of last year’s SEC Championship. The Bulldogs won both meetings in 2024, and the Longhorns are holding onto the last at-large spot. Also watch out for No. 25 South Florida on the road against Navy. The Bulls are the projected American conference champion. However, the Midshipmen can shake up the Group of 5 race with a win at home. No. 20 Virginia at Duke is also of importance in the ACC picture. The weirdest possible outcome would be a four-loss Blue Devils team winning the conference and throwing a wrench into the CFP race. After a tight loss to Oregon, Iowa takes on No. 17 USC in a clash of play styles in the Big Ten. Week 12 has a little bit of everything, and the stakes keep getting higher. Athlon Sports’ writers made against-the-spread selections for all the games featuring a top-25 team and shared their best bets below. (Rankings are from the latest AP Top 25.) Steven Lassan: UCF at No. 8 Texas Tech – Texas Tech -23.5 This is a hefty bit of points at 23.5, but Texas Tech has won all nine of its games by 20-plus points this season. UCF is also dealing with a couple of injuries at quarterback and lost all three of its road games this season. A shorthanded Knights’ team facing a Red Raiders’ squad that’s on a roll after last week’s win at BYU is a tough spot for coach Scott Frost. Thomas Neumann: No. 25 South Florida at Navy — USF -10.5 The Midshipmen, already stinging from a 39-point loss to Notre Dame, are still without quarterback Blake Horvath. Navy has the home field, but the weather should be mild. Look for USF QB Byrum Brown to lower his shoulder on the run at least once in this pivotal American Conference matchup. Kyle Wood: UCF at No. 8 Texas Tech — Texas Tech -23.5 The Red Raiders, who have been favored by 20-plus points four times this season, are an FBS-best 9-1 against the spread this season. Texas Tech has won three in a row by 22 or more, including last week’s game against BYU, and is an especially tough out at home. The Knights, on the other hand, are winless away from Orlando. This could be another Red Raiders rout.
