CFB: Week 12 Preview
Top-10 Rankings:
1. Alabama (10-0, 100)
2. Clemson (10-0, 95)
3. Notre Dame (10-0, 93)
4. Michigan (9-1, 88)
5. Georgia (9-1, 84)
6. Oklahoma (9-1, 80)
7. Washington State (9-1, 73)
8. West Virginia (8-1, 72)
9. Ohio State (9-1, 52)
10. LSU (8-2, 48)
Review: There wasn't a lot of movement in the top-10 rankings as the top six teams remained unchanged in our rankings. The next four teams stayed the same, but were mixed up, besides LSU staying at the 10th ranked spot. Washington State (+2) was our biggest riser after defeating Colorado, 31-7, sending the Buffaloes to their fifth consecutive loss after an undefeated start. Colorado got off to a 7-0 lead, before QB Gardner Minshew took over from there on out. He finished with 335 yards and two touchdowns, and will now get ready to play Arizona with a chance to continue moving up the ranks. Ohio State (-1) suffered due to the Cougars' rise, despite their 26-6 win over Michigan State. The Buckeyes outscored them 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
Weekly Standings:
Caleb Henderson: 40-15
Charles Post: 44-11
Chinedum Wejinya: 45-10
Tyler Taylor: 33-22
Consensus Picks:
No. 3 Notre Dame @ Syracuse
No. 8 West Virginia @ Oklahoma State
Indiana @ No. 4 Michigan
Arizona @ No. 7 Washington State
UAB @ Texas A&M
Review: The 3rd ranked Fighting Irish will go to New York to face Syracuse in Yankee Stadium, prior to their annual meeting with USC to close the season. Notre Dame is favored by 10 points in that game. 8th ranked West Virginia will finish the year with games against the two Oklahoma schools, beginning with Oklahoma State this weekend. The Cowboys are just 5-5, but are expected to compete in this game (as they did against Texas just a few weeks ago). 4th ranked Michigan and 7th ranked Washington State host a pair of 5-5 teams with bowl eligibility on their minds. In the SEC, Texas A&M hosts 9-1 UAB on Saturday. We're picking Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Washington State, and Texas A&M to win these games.
Heisman Standings:
1. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama, 20)
2. Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 11)
3. Will Grier (West Virginia, 7)
4. Travis Etienne (Clemson, 5) 5. Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State, 4)
Review: QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for less than 200 yards for the first time in his last five games, compiling 164 yards and one touchdown on 66.7 percent passing. He also threw his second interception of the year. There is still a wide gap between Tagovailoa and runner-up QB Kyler Murray, though. Murray went off against his rival Oklahoma State, totaling 349 yards, one score, and a 75.3 QBR. It wasn't his best game, but Murray has looked like the clear cut second choice if Tagovailoa slips up. QB Will Grier re-enters our standings after 343 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-10 win over TCU at home. RB Travis Etienne is our only back in the discussion following 78 yards on 11 carries. QB Dwayne Haskins rounds out our top five.
Photo Credit: YouTube.
