As the 2023 college football season nears the finish line, the number of opportunities to radically alter the national championship picture as we know it is growing vanishingly small.
There aren’t likely to be many true surprises on the Week 12 schedule, but there should be some games worth watching just the same. We’ll rate our top six choices, with the usual disclaimer that viewers should always keep an eye on the scoreboard for possible surprise developments elsewhere.
The lineup includes a top-10 showdown that is the clear top choice as Week 12’s can’t-miss contest. There’s a second Top 25 matchup that will probably be less suspenseful, so we actually rate it third behind a more important contest in the crowded Big 12. In the interest of full disclosure, there is a third ranked encounter between No. 16 Utah and No. 22 Arizona in Tucson, which has tremendous entertainment potential but is alas only available on the largely invisible Pac-12 Network.
With all that out of the way then, let’s get on to the matchups.
No. 5 Washington at No. 10 Oregon State
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC.
Why watch: Washington ga mes have been appointment viewing of late. The Huskies, not unlike TCU a year ago, keep finding ways to win close contests. They’re probably in for another one here in Corvallis, where the Beavers look to throw the Pac-12 race into chaos. There’s no doubting QB Michael Penix Jr.’s ability to deliver in the clutch, but his INT count is up to seven on the season as he has been forced into must-score mode on a weekly basis. The Beavers have multiple takeaway threats with a total of 12 picks among them, but LB is the unit’s centerpiece. Oregon State QB D.J. Uiagalelei hasn’t been as accurate as Penix, but he does have RB Damien Martinez to help him exploit the Huskies’ defensive front that has been…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12-sec-showdowns-headline-112952238.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2023-11-17 11:29:52
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