College Football Week 12 preview and predictions: What to watch for

Here’s a look at what college football fans can expect during Week 12 of the 2016 season, including predictions for the Top 25 teams.

Just when you thought the 2016 college football season was safe, last week’s action took place and threw everything for a loop. For the first time in over three decades, the second, third and fourth ranked teams all lost at the same time – and the College Football Playoff was going to be shaken up as a result.

That was, until Tuesday when two of the teams that lost still found themselves in the top four – as Clemson and Michigan both get the benefit of the doubt since their losses were by a combined three points. Still, with just two weeks in the regular season, the margin for error has become extremely small for any team trying to make it into – or stay in – the top four.

Here’s a look ahead at Week 12 of the 2016 college football season.

Game of The Week – No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia

It wasn’t all that long ago that fans of college football were burying the Big 12 and saying there was no chance that the league’s champ would get into the College Football Playoff field. Fast forward to the end of November, and there is a distinct chance that last year’s champ – the Sooners – could be making a return trip.

If Oklahoma can win out be beating the Mountaineers this week and No. 11 Oklahoma State next weekend, it is not outside the realm of possibility to think that the Sooners would be back in the four-team system considering who still has to play each other ahead of them.

At the same time, the worst thing that could happen to the Big 12 would be for WVU to pull off the upset at home. A win by the men in blue and yellow would effectively knock the conference out of consideration for one of those spots – so we know that league officials are going to be pulling hard for Baker Mayfield, Joe Mixon and company this weekend to keep them in the running.