College Football Scores: Teams That Will Benefit Most from Week 12

Three teams stand above all others in Week 12 for having made the biggest gains in their postseason hopes. This has as much to do with what others did, as it does with what they accomplished this week.

Here are the week's big winners.

No. 11 Houston

Week 12 Score: Houston 37, SMU 7

Houston kept their dream undefeated dream season going. While they have no shot at playing in the championship game, they do have a very realistic chance at playing in a BCS bowl game.

If they did so, they would be the first Conference USA team to make a BCS game.

Houston is being held back by their strength of schedule, but the path is clearing to earn them a BCS spot.

Houston needs some help to get into one of the high profile bowl games. They can cross one team off their list. No. 7 Clemson was destroyed 37-13 by North Carolina State. They will certainly fall below Houston.

They also got a big boost when Oklahoma State lost. While the Cowboys will still likely be ranked ahead of them, they may not be next week after they play Oklahoma.

If Houston can keep winning, they now have an excellent shot of leap frogging the loser of the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game. And that will be enough to get them in a BCS game.

No. 4 Oregon

Week 12 Score: In progress vs. USC

Obviously, Oregon needs to win their game to stay on this list. But with a matchup against No. 18 USC, they are in a position to impress voters. And that is more than Alabama can say. 

With the Cowboys loss, LSU's opponent in the title game will come down to Oregon or Alabama. That outcome not only eliminated the Cowboys from championship game contention, but it also meant that Oklahoma will not get as big of a boost should they beat the Cowboys.

Alabama entered the week .025 points ahead of Oregon. Alabama played an unranked Georgia Southern squad, and while they won by 24 points, the 21 scored by Georgia Southern and over 300 yards in rushing, will not impress voters.

If Oregon wins by a big enough margin, they may pass Alabama this week. And just a win will help them close the gap. A gap that they will be in a position to eliminate after they play in the Pac-12 championship game while Alabama sits idle.

No. 15 Michigan State

Week 12 Score: Michigan State 55, Indiana 3

Michigan State secured their spot in the Big Ten championship game with this victory, and the Big Ten's spot in the Rose Bowl is theirs to lose.

With Michigan taking down Nebraska in Week 12, the Spartans secured their spot in the championship game.

They will now face the winner of next week's Wisconsin-Penn State matchup. The Spartans have already beaten Wisconsin once this year, and they matchup favorably with Penn State.