College Football Picks Week 12: Odds, Predictions, Schedule, Rankings for Top 25 – Bleacher Report
Chaos reigned supreme throughout the latest weekend of college football, leaving a slew of wreckage that had pollsters scratching their heads when putting together a Top 25 for Week 12 action.
Just days ago, a large chunk of programs called themselves serious contenders for the College Football Playoff. But the second weekend of November proved to be a time to separate the contenders from the pretenders, seeing a number of would-be CFP hopefuls lose their shot at making a national semifinal.
Although the weekend is just in the books, it’s never too early to take a look forward to the next one. So let’s break down a fresh Top 25 before diving into the Week 12 slate.
Week 12 Top 25 Schedule, Odds and Predictions
| Time (ET) | Matchup (Spread) | TV | Winner |
| Noon | Florida Atlantic at No. 8 Florida (-31) | SEC Network | Florida |
| Noon | No. 12 North Carolina (-7.5) at Virginia Tech | ESPN | UNC |
| Noon | Purdue at No. 6 Iowa (-17) | ESPN2 | Iowa |
| Noon | No. 14 Michigan (-5) at Penn State | ABC | Michigan |
| 3 p.m. | Chattanooga at No. 16 Florida State (N/A) | ESPN3 | Florida St. |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 13 Houston at Connecticut (N/A) | ESPNU | Houston |
| 3:30 p.m | No. 17 LSU at No. 25 Ole Miss (-4.5) | TBD | LSU |
| 3:30 p.m. | Wake Forest at No. 1 Clemson (-29) | ESPN2 | Clemson |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 18 Utah at UCLA (-2) | TBD | UCLA |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 20 Northwestern at No. 21 Wisconsin (-10.5) | TBD | Wisconsin |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Ohio State (-13) | ABC | Ohio State |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 22 USC at No. 23 Oregon (-2.5) | ESPN | USC |
| 4 p.m. | Charleston Southern at No. 3 Alabama (N/A) | SEC Network | Alabama |
| 7 p.m. | No. 19 Navy (-9.5) at Tulsa | TBD | Navy |
| 7:30 p.m. | Boston College at No. 5 Notre Dame (-16) | NBC | Notre Dame |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 10 Baylor at No. 4 Oklahoma State (Even) | TBD | Oklahoma State |
| 7:30 p.m. | California at No. 15 Stanford (-12.5) | ESPN | Stanford |
| 8 p.m. | No. 11 TCU at No. 7 Oklahoma (N/A) | ABC | Oklahoma |
| 10:45 p.m. | Colorado at No. 24 Washington State (-15.5) | ESPN2 | Washington State |
Odds Shark
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Top Matchup to Watch
No. 9 Michigan State at No. 2 Ohio State
BRADLEY LEEB/Associated Press
If it feels like the college football world has been waiting all season long for this star-studded matchup between the Big Ten elite, well, that’s because it has.
The Ohio State Buckeyes took last year’s national title in scintillating fashion, but once that happened, folks knew it may be a long time before they would be seriously tested by one of the nation’s top teams. A soft schedule allowed the Buckeyes to cruise through 2015, although they made it difficult on themselves at times.
Michigan State can’t say as much about itself, rising above Oregon in a big early-season clash before finding a way to pull off a last-second stunner against in-state rivals Michigan. The Spartans slipped up big time a few weeks back against Nebraska but still eye a berth in the CFP.
Of course, taking care of business Saturday in Columbus, and doing so rather convincingly, will be needed for the one-loss Spartans. Having quarterback Connor Cook in the game will also be a must after he was injured last week against Maryland, as Spartan legend Magic Johnson noted:
Spartan Nation, let’s hope QB Connor Cook does not have a serious injury and will be ready for the game against Ohio State.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 15, 2015
Michigan State’s entire program awaited word on whether Cook could finish out the season and be ready for Ohio State, but he answered that himself. Cook told Kyle Austin of MLive.com the following: “I’ll be fine to go next week. I’ll be good.”
The Spartans better hope he is good, and he’ll probably have to be better than good Saturday against the Buckeyes. Cook might have to be at his best ever, going up against a stiff Ohio State pass rush that gets after quarterbacks and forces the ball out quick.
Michigan State has a boisterous front of its own, but it hasn’t seen anything quite like the Ohio State offense—with versatility at all levels and a number of ways to beat you.
When it comes down to it, Ohio State has been looking ahead to this matchup all season long. Honestly, it’s shown in a number of dud performances the Buckeyes have put up.
But that won’t hurt them Saturday, and if anything, the extra attention paid to Sparty should allow the Buckeyes to take care of business to begin what is a brutal late-season schedule.
Prediction: Ohio State 34, Michigan State 24
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