3 biggest games in Week 12 based on College Football Playoff implications

The College Football Playoff rankings are now on a weekly cycle. And with it, each slate of games become more and more important. Which teams are vying to one of the 12 spots? Which ones are looking to make their presence known in the CFP conversation?

All those questions get asked and sometimes answered each week. And with conference realignment shifting power around, each game this late in the season seems more important than the last. 

This week’s slate features four games that have major College Football Playoff implications. And as the conversation around which teams deserve a spot – even ones that have three losses – amplifies, here are the games you need to keep an eye on in Week 12 of the season. 

4 biggest games in Week 12 based on College Football Playoff implications

1) No. 7 Tennessee (8-1) at No. 3 Georgia (7-2), 7:30 p.m. (ET, ABC)

This game is probably the biggest of the weekend. If Georgia loses, is it possible that even with 12 teams vying for a spot, the Bulldogs find themselves on the outside looking in? 

That will be the biggest conversation about what happens with three-loss teams. Because on one hand, a team that lost three times, doesn’t play in the conference championship game AND doesn’t win the conference championship shouldn’t be considered. 

But the monster that the SEC is, Georgia’s losses to Alabama, which was the No. 1 team at the time, Ole Miss and now Tennessee, wouldn’t really be bad losses. Would honestly be the best losses of any three-loss team at the end of the season. 

And in the same tone, if Tennessee loses as a two-loss team, what happens with them? They’d have a bad loss to Arkansas, but a loss to Georgia doesn’t look as bad. And if they don’t reach the SEC championship game, are they out altogether? 

Man, it’s good not being on the CFP committee and making these decisions. You’re hated one way or the other. 

2) Kansas (3-6) at No. 9 BYU (9-0) 10:15 p.m. (ET, ESPN)

This game is big because BYU escaped Salt Lake City with a controversial win over Utah that included a walk-off field goal. And Kansas? They just knocked off Iowa State, effectively ending their CFP playoff hopes. 

So yeah, my guess is BYU is on a massive upset alert. Not saying Kansas is good enough to pull off back-to-back upsets. But the Big 12 is already chaotic and whatever happens with that wild conference, BYU losing just fits into all the chaos. 

Keep an eye on this game too as a BYU loss doesn’t knock them out of the Big 12 game, but it does open the door for them to potentially miss the playoff if they lose in the title game as well. 

The good thing for BYU is that a loss doesn't implode their CFP hopes. With a loss, they’d be tied with Colorado with just one loss in conference. All signs would point to them meeting in the Big 12 title game.

If BYU wins out, I could see the Big 12 getting two teams in if Colorado beats BYU for a conference title. Otherwise, BYU is the conference’s only hope for a CFP bid. A loss this week just makes everything more confusing for the Big 12. Which would be fun for fans, but not fun if you have to make the decisions. 

3) Utah (4-5) at No. 20 Colorado noon (ET, FOX)

The Buffaloes were able to avoid an upset in Lubbock last week, but Texas Tech did make it interesting. This week, Utah will be coming into Boulder emotional and ready to spoil Colorado’s playoff chances. 

The Utes felt they were robbed after the loss to BYU. The only thing tougher than winning a conference game is doing it over a team that is mad. Colorado is as talented as it gets. They have been the Big 12’s best chance to get into the playoff, in my opinion. 

They have a good chance to beat BYU in the title game if they meet and honestly have had a better season. BYU does have a good win over Kansas State from earlier in the year, but last week showed the Cougars may be pretenders rather than contenders. 

And Utah is looking to shatter those hopes. This could be Utah’s revenge at not getting the win they felt they deserved last week. If they did win, it would absolutely scramble the Big 12.