2018 Week 12 Preview

We are nearing the end of the college football regular season. Last week saw a couple of upsets, but not really any that caused major chaos. Alabama shut out Mississippi State and Clemson dealt with Boston College. We almost had an upset in Bedlam, but it wasn’t to be. This week has a couple big games, but doesn’t look to have the makings of another upset week. It’s cupcake week in the SEC, but there are other conferences that are still up for grabs with important matchups. Maybe we’ll get an early Christmas present and Syracuse will knock off Notre Dame. Week 12, here we come.

Notable Games
12Syracuse vs 3Notre Dame (Yankee Stadium)
This is the marquee game of the weekend. Syracuse has a chance to knock Notre Dame out of playoff contention. Since Ian Book took over at QB, the Irish have looked great. Syracuse has been one of the biggest surprise teams of the season. I am hopeful that they can take down ND, but unfortunately, they are really good. This game will be played in Yankee Stadium and I expect there to be a lot of points. Syracuse’s defense will be the determining factor of the game.
I am picking Notre Dame

9West Virginia at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State nearly upset Oklahoma in Bedlam last weekend. The Cowboys came up a 2-point conversion short of the win. West Virginia had no struggles as they took on TCU last week. OKST has been really up and down this season. They can hang with most teams but have been unable to consistently get the win. West Virginia needs to make sure they don’t overlook this game since they are playing Oklahoma next week. This game has the potential to be a typical pointsy Big 12 game.
I am picking West Virginia

24Cincinnati at 11UCF
This is a major matchup in the American Conference. UCF is looking to continue their winning streak and make a statement with a win over a ranked team. The Knights had a bit of a close one against Navy last week, only winning by 11. Cincinnati got a nice win over a struggling USF team last week as well. GameDay will be at this game so expect the UCF fans to be salty and angry about just about everything the gang has to say. The signs should be good, and the crowd should be loud. I expect UCF to get win number 23 in a row this weekend.
I am picking UCF

16Iowa State at 15Texas
This is a very important game in the Big 12 title race. Both of these teams are still in the hunt for a spot in the championship if either Oklahoma or West Virginia stumbles. Iowa State likes to pull the upset. I think this game is going to be very close, but I think Texas comes away with the win. Their defense has to get better quick if they are going to have a shot to play in the Big 12 title game. I think this game will be very fun to watch and very back and forth. Texas is at home and I think that is the reason they pull it out. Their new and improved home field advantage will be needed for this game.
I am picking Texas

Missouri at Tennessee
Tennessee is riding a two-game win streak and is just one win away from bowl eligibility. The Volunteers got a big win over 11th ranked Kentucky last week and may be able to carry that momentum over to this week. The Tigers have also won two in a row, taking down then 11Florida and Vanderbilt respectively. Missouri’s offense has been great this season and Tennessee has struggled. I think Mizzou will just score too many points for Tennessee to keep up with. This will be an interesting game.
I am picking Missouri

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
We all know that Ole Miss can score, and we also know they don’t have a defense. Vanderbilt has been competitive this season but has struggled to get over the hump. They need to win their final two games to go to a bowl and I think they have a good chance to do that. Ole Miss can’t go to a bowl this season, so they are playing for pride which means they have nothing to lose. Mentality will play a huge roll in this game.
I am picking Vanderbilt

Arkansas at 21Mississippi State
The Hogs played well last week in their loss to LSU. They finish up the season with two road games. The first coming this week in Starkville before heading to Mizzou for their season finale. Mississippi State is coming off a loss to Alabama where they were shutout. I think they will have a bounce back week, but it will be interesting to see if they are looking ahead to the Egg Bowl. Hopefully the Hogs will come out and play hard in these last two games.

Top 25
The Citadel at 1Alabama
Duke at 2Clemson
12Syracuse vs 3Notre Dame (Yankee Stadium)
Indiana at 4Michigan
Massachusetts at 5Georgia
Kansas at 6Oklahoma
Rice at 7LSU
Arizona at 8Washington State
9West Virginia at Oklahoma State
10Ohio State at Maryland
24Cincinnati at 11UCF
Idaho at 13Florida
14Penn State at Rutgers
16Iowa State at 15Texas
Middle Tennessee at 17Kentucky
Oregon State at 18Washington
19Utah at Colorado
20Boston College at Florida State
Arkansas at 21Mississippi State
22Northwestern at Minnesota
23Utah State at Colorado State
24Boise State at New Mexico (Friday)

Other Games
FAU at North Texas (Thursday)
Memphis at SMU (Friday)
USF at Temple
Colgate at Army
ULM at Arkansas State
Wisconsin at Purdue
Virginia at Georgia Tech
USC at UCLA
UAB at Texas A&M
Stanford at California
San Diego State at Fresno State
Arizona State at Oregon