Week 11 gave us the crumbling of many playoff contenders. Week 12 ratchets up the pressure as the season enters the final stretch and we find out who really has what it takes to make the cut and get into the playoff. Let’s break it all down.
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GAME OF THE WEEK: BAYLOR @ OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State is the last undefeated team remaining in the Big 12. The Pokes get Baylor in Stillwater this weekend, and all the pressure is on Mike Gundy and the Cowboys. The last time the pressure was this high on the Cowboys they folded in Ames four years ago. Now they’ll get another try at glory. A win on Saturday, compounded by a win a week later in Bedlam, will assuredly get Oklahoma State a spot in the Playoff. Of course, Baylor would love to play spoiler.
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UPSET SPECIAL: NORTH CAROLINA @ VIRIGNIA TECH
Don’t look now, but the Tar Heels are 9-1 and in the driver’s seat in the ACC Coastal division. After the tumult of the last few years in Chapel Hill, Larry Fedora has built the program back up into a national player, and that’s no small feat. In front of them this weekend is the Virginia Tech and the last ever game in Blacksburg for legendary coach Frank Beamer. Emotion is a powerful object in college football, and the Hokies will leave it all out there for the coach who single-handedly built the program from nothing at all to one of the best in the country.
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UNIMPORTANT GAME OF IMPORTANCE: TOLEDO @ BOWLING GREEN
This could very easily be a preview of the MAC title game. Toledo is tied atop the West division with Northern Illinois, but the Huskies own the tiebreaker over the Rockets. Bowling Green has steamrolled the East division and a win over Toledo would put a bow on its regular season. Expect lots of points from two of the MAC’s best teams deep into the Ohio night.
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NERDOUT OF THE WEEK: USC @ OREGON
Back in September this was circled as a must-see, can’t-miss game. Both teams were ranked in the top seven and all signs pointed to this being a classic Pac-12 rock fight. Instead it’s now two teams simply trying to finish their seasons strong. Both teams stumbled to 3-3 starts but have since won their last four games. USC has found its stride under Clay Helton, and the Ducks have rebounded despite some stop-start offensive performances. No national implications in this one, but it’s still USC-Oregon. That’s always a fun night out.
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ODDITY OF THE WEEK: HOUSTON @ CONNECTICUT
Houston is rolling. The Cougars’ come-from-behind win over Memphis was nothing short of miraculous, and UH is now 10-0 on the season as it travels to Connecticut. It’ll be the first time Houston has played in New England since they lost at Boston College in 1962. The weather is expected to drop near freezing so don’t expect a cakewalk for the cougars.
