It's Week 12, and it's really the first time it feels safe to get Colorado referenced in the thread title. It also means less games are important, even though there's more than usual due to the Expanded College Football Playoff, which has been a boon to all these SEC on ABC games. They're even beating most of the Colorado games. The lineup seems soft this week, so we'll see if who carries the day in the ratings.
There's already stuff going on of course, as the Weeknight MACtion continues. Buffalo pulled out a 51-48 OT win against Ball State, so no matter what happens on Sunday, the city will at least have 1 win this week. Sabres f***ing gave up 7 to Montreal at home on Monday.
There's really nothing important before Saturday, but there are 4 games on Friday, all from different conferences, and channels.
Wyoming @ Colorado State (-10), 8pm EST on CBSSN
North Texas @ UTSA (+1), 8pm ESPN2
UCLA @ Washington, 9pm Fox College Football Friday
Houston @ Arizona, 10:15pm, FS1 After Dark
Nobody's laughing right now at Coach Prime and the #17(!) Colorado Buffaloes, who control their destiny within the Big 12 and getting a bye in the Expanded College Football Playoff after their 41-27 win last week at Texas Tech. Something nobody thought after last season's bravado turned into a collapse, weird off-season, transfer portal machinations, shaky start to the season, and a stroke of luck vs. Baylor. They are 7-2, winners of 6 of 7, and 11.5-point favorites (line started at 10) for the now-annual Rumble in the Rockies against Utah, and they have earned their spot with the Big Noon Kickoff crew coming to town. The Utes were the favorites to win the Big 12, but injuries and misfortune have them at 4-5, and their AD was mouthing off about officials after last week's loss to BYU. Probably the first time we're wondering where the opponents of Colorado's heads are at. Now, it is the Big Noon game, which is a 10am local start. Gus Johnson will be a little more interested I reckon, he's got to get around to giving Travis Hunter a frivolous nickname.
Not to be outdone, two 7-2 ACC teams do battle at noon on ESPN. But it's the ACC, decidedly the 4th of the AQ conferences. #20 Clemson goes to unranked Pitt, losers of 2 in a row, likely out of the conference title mix. Clemson are 10-point favorites, and ready to step in for Miami if they foul up again. ESPN actually lists Clemson 2nd within the conference standings, but this is their last conference game.
#3 Texas gets the noon SEC on ABC slot again. It worked out nicely beating the brakes off of Floris 49-17, they go on the road to Arkansas. The Razorbacks had been playing teams tough, but they lost by 24 to LSU and gave up 63 to Ole Miss. The line is Texas -13.5
#2 Ohio State, in the news this week because of what their fans think of their schedule. They will have six straight noon games to end the season - this one on Big Ten Network. They're going to get to play at Wrigley Field against Northwestern, which never would've been a night game anyways. What was revealed, or at least made better known, is that they (and Michigan) have a special clause in the Big Ten media rights deal that they don't have to play any night game they don't want to, in the final three weeks of the regular season. Further throwing a wrench into the long-held desire of some very specific people on this website demanding that their annual capital-g Game against Michigan be played in prime time. OSU -28.5
Into the late afternoon, and it gets kinda weak here
#4 Penn State makes the trip to 1-8 Purdue, and CBS took it, so...I guess the best ratings will come out of my home commonwealth. Penn State beat Washington 35-6 last week. Think the faculty can take an in-service day here. PSU -28.5
#8 Notre Dame plays 5-4 Virginia on NBC, who took advantage of Pitt's burst bubble 24-19 last week. Nice win for them, but Notre Dame -23...yuck. Maybe we'll get lucky and ND will look ahead to their prime time game against Army next week
#14 SMU doesn't need help to win the ACC - they are in first place, despite being on the outside of the Expanded College Football Playoff bracket. Their only loss is to BYU, who is ahead of them and undefeated, and right now stands as a better loss than any of Tennessee, Notre Dame, Miami, or Alabama have right now based on the rankings. They're 19.5-point favorites to Boston College at home on ESPN.
The nature of the rankings is such that one of the two ranked matchups this week goes to SEC Network, since it's the 6th and 8th placed teams in the SEC, so this is a game that really doesn't mean anything unless a lot of crazy shit happens, and it's not even any kind of a rivalry #23 Missouri @ #21 South Carolina (-13).
Moving into prime time, #13 Boise State is knocked down from #12, but doesn't matter as long as they keep pace ahead of Wazzu in the Group of 5. They've got the best loss of all, their only one is to top ranked Oregon, but playing in the Mountain West, you can get penalized for only winning by 1 score to a 3-8 team, which Nevada was. This week they go to 6-3 San Jose State as 13.5-point favorties.
Keep an eye on #16 Kansas State, they stand to benefit from a Colorado slip-up. First, they're one spot ahead of them, but they have one more loss in the Big 12 despite beating them in their field. They will be 8.5-point favorites to 7-2 Arizona State, who they can't sleep on.
Big Ten Saturday Night on NBC brings #1 Oregon to 5-4 Wisconsin. Dillon Gabriel is very much in the mix for the Heisman, it seems kind of understated. Maybe because no one from the SEC is in the mix. They're 14-point favorites, and in a double bye year, will take one next week before playing their rivals from Washington.
College GameDay takes to Athens for the SEC on ABC night game, and it's probably the actual most interesting game of the week, even though it's a 10-point line. The favorites, #12 Georgia, don't think many people thought they'd have 2 losses right now, especially after beating Texas, but a loss to #7 Tennessee puts them on perilous ground to make the Expanded College Football Playoff, as it doesn't feel like a 3-loss team will get in. Tennessee only has 1 loss, but this is their first road game since their loss to Arkansas. And their offense doesn't really have the same juice it had earlier in the season - when they weren't playing SEC teams. They even had more trouble against Mississippi State than they would've liked. However, they are currently listed atop the SEC standings, but I'm not sure how that all works, 3 teams have 1 loss in the conference.
On to After Dark, #18 Washington State has crept up into the second spot in the G5, but their loss is to Boise State, who they need to lose, and maybe twice. They're road favorites (-10.5) in New Mexico, on FS1 at 9:30 EST.
#6 BYU got away with one, 22-21 in the Holy War in Utah. All 21 points they gave up were in the second quarter, and they are one of four teams in FBS, and three among the AQ's that remain undefeated. I don't think that'll change against 3-6 Kansas, but they nearly shocked K-State three weeks ago, and did shock Iowa State last week, so they are capable. And BYU has a tough road game against Arizona State, which ESPN likes enough to put in the afternoon. Looks like the books think they could look ahead, because they're only 2.5-point favorites - very odd for a home team with 6 more wins than their opponent. Tread carefully. 10:15p on ESPN
Just in case you can't sleep, UNLV (-20.5) hosts San Diego State in the latest game, 10:30 on CBSSN.
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