College football power rankings: 6 best games of the Week 12 schedule

4. SMU Mustangs (8-2) at No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats (10-0)

If the Cincinnati Bearcats want any hope of getting into the College Football Playoff as a Group of Five team, they need to throttle the SMU Mustangs at home. This is the last decent opponent Cincinnati will play during the regular season. While they need the Houston Cougars to keep winning before they meet in the AAC Championship, all eyes will be on Cincinnati at Nippert.

3. No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks (7-3) at No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1)

This has trap game written all over it. Alabama has national title aspirations with presumably two big dates after this with Auburn in the Iron Bowl and Georgia in the SEC Championship. However, this isn’t your same, ole Arkansas team from yesteryear. Sam Pittman’s Hogs are feisty and could possibly stun the Crimson Tide if Nick Saban’s bunch aren’t careful. Arkansas did beat Texas A&M.

2. No. 3 Oregon Ducks (9-1) at No. 23 Utah Utes (7-3)

This game in Salt Lake is intriguing for two reasons. One, Oregon has to win if the Pac-12 wants any hope of getting a team into the playoff. And two, this feels like a precursor to what will be the Pac-12 Championship game being played out in Las Vegas in a few weeks. Oregon is playing with a ton of momentum under Mario Cristobal, but the same can be said for Kyle Whittingham’s Utes.

1. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (9-1) at No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1)

If there is any game worth watching in Week 12 across the college football landscape, it has to be the one being played out in The Horseshoe between Michigan State and Ohio State. These bitter Big Ten East rivals are playing a playoff elimination game. The loser will have two losses on the year. As for the winner, that team will be in the driver’s seat to get to Indianapolis out of the East.

Be sure to tune into these six games to not miss a second of some exciting Week 12 action.

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