College Football: Top 5 Games to Watch in Week 12
Week 12 of the 2014 college football season features important matchups with division title hopes on the line. The big game on Saturday, which could serve as a College Football Playoff de facto game, will include a heavyweight SEC matchup in Tuscaloosa between No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 5 Alabama.
The Big Ten will have two important contests between ranked teams. No. 8 Ohio State will look to stay in the playoff discussion when it makes the trip to Minneapolis to face a pesky No. 25 Minnesota team. The other Big Ten game to pay attention to will be No. 16 Nebraska at No. 20 Wisconsin. If Minnesota loses, this could be the game that decides the West Division.
The ACC will feature No. 19 Clemson and No. 22 Georgia Tech, while the SEC’s other ranked matchup consists of No. 9 Auburn hoping to bounce back at No. 15 Georgia in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
As the College Football Playoff picture and division title projections become more and more heated, here are the top five games to watch this week.
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 25 Minnesota
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No. 8 Ohio State at No. 25 Minnesota, noon ET, ABC
The Buckeyes proved that they were more than capable of capturing their first outright Big Ten title since 2009 with a must-win over then-No. 8 Michigan State 49-37 last Saturday night. Now they’ll need teams in front of them to lose if there is any chance of cracking the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Ohio State has been dangerous offensively for a majority of the season, as it has averaged 46 points per game (fourth in the country). It was the first time the Spartan defense had given up that many points since a loss at Penn State in 2008.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett put on one of his best performances of the season against Michigan State by racking up 300 passing yards, 86 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Barrett continues to prove that he can be a game-changer and step up in the national spotlight.
Help from a receiving corps consisting of Devin Smith and Michael Thomas has helped lead a potent Ohio State offense, which has given secondaries problems this season. Smith and Thomas combined for 220 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State.
With hype surrounding head coach Urban Meyer’s squad now despite its loss in the second game of the season against current 4-5 Virginia Tech at home, it must now go on the road for a second straight week and knock off a newly ranked Minnesota team.
The Golden Gophers continue to keep themselves in the Big Ten West Division picture with their heavy ground attack, led by running back David Cobb (1,205 yards, eight TDs).
The offense put on a scoring spree at home against Iowa last week by blowing out the Hawkeyes 51-14. Now it must face a physical Buckeyes defensive line and rely more on quarterback Mitch Leidner to get the ball in the hands of tight end Maxx Williams, who had 46 yards and three touchdowns last week.
A Minnesota defense averaging 335 total yards per game will have the challenge of keeping Ohio State out of the end zone. If it can at least contain the Buckeyes and keep the offense in the game, there is a chance the Golden Gophers could upset them for the first time since 2000.
Head coach Jerry Kill’s team will hang with Ohio State for most of the game, which will be played in cold temperatures at TCF Bank Stadium, but Barrett will lead his team to a win and keep the Buckeyes in the national title picture.
Prediction: Ohio State 38, Minnesota 26
No. 19 Clemson at No. 22 Georgia Tech
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No. 19 Clemson at No. 22 Georgia Tech, noon ET, ESPN
Clemson is currently on a six-game winning streak since losing to Florida State 23-17 in overtime on Sept. 20, despite not having freshman phenom quarterback Deshaun Watson for the last three games. In those three games, the offense averaged only 22.3 points, while the Tigers defense, led by defensive end Vic Beasley, brought opponents down to an average of 13 points.
The Tigers are in need of a win Saturday to stay in the Atlantic Division race, as is 22nd-ranked Georgia Tech, which currently has two conference losses and needs a win to stay in contention for a Coastal Division title.
With an always dangerous triple-option offense, the Yellow Jackets are on a three-game winning streak and are averaging 38.8 points per game this season. It will be sophomore quarterback Justin Thomas, who leads the team in both passing and rushing, who will need to cause problems against a stingy Tigers defense. Thomas has accounted for 1,294 passing yards, 781 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
With Clemson needing to focus on Georgia Tech’s offense, Watson will be back at center for the Tigers, which will give the offense a much-needed boost. Watson has passed for 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. He’ll look to freshman wide receiver Artavis Scott, who recorded 122 yards and two touchdowns against Wake Forest last week, along with senior Mike Williams.
Clemson has won three of the last four meetings against Georgia Tech. It should be able to take care of business and stay alive in the ACC title picture with Watson running the offense and the defense continuing to give opposing offenses problems.
Prediction: Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 35
No. 1 Mississippi State at No. 5 Alabama
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No. 1 Mississippi State at No. 5 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
College Football Playoff implications are on the line when No. 1 Mississippi State travels to No. 5 Alabama, where it has not won since 2006.
Both teams control their destiny, and the loser of this SEC West showdown will find itself out of the top four. The Bulldogs could lose this game and manage to find a way back into the playoff picture, but a loss for the Crimson Tide would more than likely eliminate it from any national championship plans it may have had.
Mississippi State heads in undefeated with Heisman contender Dak Prescott looking to take his team to its first national championship. Prescott, who has 2,231 passing yards, 779 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns, will lead the SEC’s best offense against a Crimson Tide defense that is the best in the SEC.
While Prescott will be the main focus for a defense holding opponents to 13.9 points per game this season, the Bulldogs offense will need help from its threat in the backfield: Josh Robinson. Robinson has been an important asset for the Bulldogs by already racking up 984 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Alabama comes in off of a hard-fought 20-13 overtime road victory over hated rival LSU. It will be tested for a second straight week—this time against the first-ranked team in the country—and will need to be able to keep up on the scoreboard with a Mississippi State offense scoring 39.8 points per game.
Quarterback Blake Sims continues to show maturity as the season progresses. He displayed poise as he moved the offense down the field against LSU and helped tie the game with three seconds remaining in regulation.
In the Crimson Tide’s last three games, Sims has passed for 763 yards and seven touchdowns. As usual, he’ll look to the best wide receiver in the nation, Amari Cooper. The question will be how dangerous running back T.J. Yeldon will be after he suffered an ankle sprain at the end of the game against LSU.
There will be a lot riding on quarterback play in this contest, but the game will come down to Alabama’s defensive play. Head coach Nick Saban’s defense is currently surrendering 275 total yards per game and just 89.8 rushing yards per game this season. If it can contain Prescott the entire game, the Crimson Tide will take control of the division and make its way into the next top-four rankings.
Prediction: Alabama 28, Mississippi State 24
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No. 16 Nebraska at No. 20 Wisconsin
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No. 16 Nebraska at No. 20 Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
A matchup between Nebraska and Wisconsin could eventually decide who represents the West Division in the Big Ten title game. Both teams have one conference road loss that came by six points or less. The last time the Huskers visited Madison in 2011, they were manhandled by a Russell Wilson-led offense 48-17.
The big stories heading into Saturday consist of Heisman-contending running back Melvin Gordon, who leads the nation with 1,501 yards and 19 touchdowns, as well as the health of star Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah (1,250 yards, 17 TDs).
Abdullah, who suffered an MCL sprain to his left knee in the first quarter against Purdue on Nov. 1, has been practicing with a brace on and is expected to play on Saturday. If Abdullah was unable to go, it would likely present problems for quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and the offense to move down the field against a physical Wisconsin defense.
The Badgers are shutting down opponents to a nation-best 251 total yards per game and 14.3 points per game (third in the country). They should give a Huskers offense averaging 280.7 rushing yards per game and 40.4 points per game this season one of its toughest tests yet.
Head coach Gary Andersen’s squad has been vastly underrated this season and has not been in any discussions regarding a Big Ten Championship title. Gordon has been the face of an offense with a two-quarterback system consisting of starter Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy.
The pass game has been dismal this season, ranking 117th in the country, while the ground attack ranks among the best in the country with 325.7 yards per game (fifth in the country). The Badgers offense will need to at least establish some sort of pass game if it is going to have success against a Nebraska defense led by defensive end Randy Gregory.
This key Big Ten West matchup will be a battle of the running backs and will likely be a defensive struggle. The Huskers will keep the game tight, but the Badgers will hold on to defeat them for a second consecutive time and control their destiny of winning the division.
Prediction: Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 24
No. 9 Auburn at No. 15 Georgia
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No. 9 Auburn at No. 15 Georgia, 7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Not only are both teams likely eliminated from the College Football Playoff, but a loss for either team would ruin any hope it had of winning its respective division title.
Auburn lost a heartbreaker to an unranked Texas A&M team at home 41-38 because of two fumbles that occurred in Aggie territory with under three minutes left in regulation. Georgia bounced back in a big way after losing to Florida with a 63-31 rout of Kentucky.
The Tigers escaped last year’s game with the Dawgs on an incredible Hail Mary touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis with less than a minute left in regulation to win 43-38. Besides a win last year and another in 2010, Auburn has struggled in the series as of late by losing six of the last eight meetings.
Marshall leads a potent rush attack averaging 286.4 rushing yards per game and will look to have success against a Georgia defense giving up 152 rushing yards per game this season. Running back Cameron Artis-Payne continues to be key for the Tigers offense and rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Texas A&M.
The pass game could be affected this week with team-leading wide receiver D’haquille Williams listed as doubtful with a sprained MCL.
Much like Auburn, Georgia has been dangerous on the ground, averaging 256.3 yards per game this season. The Dawgs will now be even more lethal in the backfield with talented freshman Nick Chubb, who racked up 671 yards in the last four games, and the return of the one of the best running backs in the country: Todd Gurley.
Gurley missed the last four games because of a suspension due to taking $3,000 for autographed memorabilia as well as other items.
Besides Georgia's dynamic run game, quarterback Hutson Mason has played well, as he’s passed for 1,515 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has just three interceptions the entire season and hasn’t thrown one since Oct. 4 against Vanderbilt.
In the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry on Saturday night, expect both teams to be solid offensively and try to wear down each other's defenses. Whichever team wins the turnover battle and comes up big late on defense will come out a winner. With home-field advantage, the Dawgs keep themselves in the SEC title discussion with help from Gurley.
Prediction: Georgia 45, Auburn 38
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