College Football Odds Week 12: Picks, Score Predictions for Top 25 Teams
If you're looking for college football matchups shrouded in intrigue that will affect the College Football Playoff, you're going to have to wait until Week 13.
Week 12 features one game between two ranked teams, while the rest of the docket is prime for blowouts.
Even before Week 12 ends, they'll be pundits and announcers proclaiming how amazing Week 13 will be, but before we can reach the slate full of rivalry games, we have to get through a disastrous mix of contests this weekend.
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Here's a look at what the best games of the weekend may be as well as predictions for each contest involving a team in the Top 25.
No. 24 Michigan at No. 5 Wisconsin (-8.5)
The only game that could throw a wrench into the College Football Playoff rankings in Week 12 involves the team knocking on the door of the Top Four despite a superior record to Clemson and Oklahoma.
The Wisconsin Badgers proved in Week 11 they can dominate a ranked foe in Iowa, and they'll have to do the same on Saturday against Michigan and in the Big Ten Championship to lock up a spot in the playoff.
Paul Chryst's team has impressed the playoff selection committee the most with its defense, per Jason Galloway of the Wisconsin State Journal:
The Wisconsin defense has only given up 20 or more points once in Big Ten play, and that was in the conference opener against Northwestern on September 30.
Leading the charge on offense for Wisconsin is freshman running back Jonathan Taylor, who has put up quite the list of achievements in his first collegiate season, as the team's official Twitter account noted:
Since the Michigan Wolverines fell flat on their face against Penn State on October 21, they've beaten up on Rutgers, Maryland and Minnesota. In order to have any chance of playing spoiler on Saturday, and against Ohio State next Saturday, the Wolverines need to keep up their consistency on offense. The Wolverines have scored 35 points in each of their last three wins.
However, the Wolverines have not performed well in games against the Big Ten's best in 2017. They managed to put up just 23 points combined in defeats to Michigan State and Penn State.
Prediction: Wisconsin 31, Michigan 16
UCLA at No. 11 USC (-15)
At the beginning of the season, everyone had the clash between UCLA and No. 11 USC circled a few times on their calendar.
The showdown in Los Angeles was supposed to be a battle between Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold for the Heisman Trophy and the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
While both star quarterbacks are out of the running for the Heisman, they're still being looked at by NFL teams as two of the top prospects at their position despite their respective struggles.
Darnold and USC still have something left to play for with the Pac-12 Championship on the horizon and a potential late run at the College Football Playoff in motion.
After throwing an interception in six straight games to start the season, Darnold has settled into his role in the pocket and thrown for 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in his last five games.
Rosen and the Bruins enter the Coliseum on Saturday with losses in three of their last five games. The junior quarterback is coming off one of his better performances in Pac-12 play, as he recorded 381 passing yards against Arizona State in Week 11.
No matter how well Rosen plays on Saturday, he'll need help from his supporting cast, and the same can be said for Darnold. USC has the better group surrounding its quarterback and the most dynamic non-quarterback on offense in Ronald Jones II, who has run for 140 yards or better in each of his last three games.
USC will have one eye on the Pac-12 Championship since it has a bye in Week 13, but it should have enough firepower to finish off the Bruins and earn a double-digit win. The big question is whether the Trojans will cover the 15-point spread.
Prediction: USC 45, UCLA 28
Remaining Top 25 Predictions
No. 1 Alabama 52, Mercer 6*
No. 2 Clemson 49, The Citadel 7*
No. 3 Miami (FL) 24, Virginia (+17) 17
No. 4 Oklahoma (-34.5) 59, Kansas 16
No. 6 Auburn (-37) 55, UL-Monroe 10
No. 7 Georgia 31, Kentucky (+24) 17
No. 8 Notre Dame (-18.5) 41, 14
No. 9 Ohio State (-38) 56, Illinois 10
No. 10 Penn State (-23) 45, Nebraska 21
No. 12 TCU (-7) 34, Texas Tech 21
No. 13 Oklahoma State (-17.5) 49, Kansas State 21
No. 15 UCF (-13.5) 31, Temple 17
No. 16 Mississippi State 27, Arkansas (+11.5) 20
No. 17 Michigan State (-17) 31, Maryland 10
No. 18 Washington 31, Utah (+17.5) 17
No. 19 NC State (+3.5) 27, Wake Forest 24
Tennessee (+14) 17, No. 20 LSU 16
No. 21 Memphis 35, SMU (+11) 27
No. 22 Stanford (-17.5) 40, Cal 13
No. 23 Northwestern 16, Minnesota (+6.5) 10
No. 25 Boise State 34, Air Force (+17) 20
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
All odds via Oddsshark.com.
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