NCAA College Football Week 12 Picks - Late Games
NCAA Week 12 Late Games
All times Eastern
3:30 pm #7 Cincinnati (-5 1/2, 63 1/2) at UCF - This may be the stiffest test yet for the defensive-minded Bearcats, but that's probably been said at least three other times this season and Cincinnati has won every game, improving to 7-0 with a 55-17 throttling of East Carolina.
The Bearcats have the third-best scoring defense in the nation, checking in at a stingy 12.4 points per game. Only Marshall and Wisconsin are better. UCF is having its worst season in years, losing two games (they usually go undefeated through the regular season) to Tulsa and Memphis, though they've rebounded with wins over Tulane, Houston, and Temple. while the Knights are still a quality squad, Cincinnati's defense is dictating the conference and will be the deciding factor.
Coin Flip: UCF
Prediction: Bearcats 38 Knights 21
They are facing the 4-0 Wildcats, who have wins over Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska and Purdue, so they've proven themselves capable. It's difficult to predict just how good Wisconsin is, since Michigan has proven to be a clawless Wolverine this season. That said, the Badgers can clamp down defensively and it's doubtful the Northwestern defense can hold up an entire four quarters
Coin Flip: Northwestern
Prediction: Badgers 34 Wildcats 20
The Crimson Tide, as usual, has done little to suggest they aren't deserving of the nation's #1 ranking, and the defense appears to be coming around at the right time, blanking Mississippi State in their October 31 outing, 41-0.
An extra two weeks of practice (their November 14 game at LsU was postponed) gives the Crimson Tide a real leg up even though the Kentucky defense is one of the better ones in the SEC (21.3 ppg). In three of its four losses, Kentucky has scored a total of 26 points. An inability to keep Alabama's offense on the sidelines is a decided deficit.
Coin Flip: Kentucky
Prediction: Crimson Tide 54 Wildcats 10
Despite the Wildcats having lost their last two games, the 37-10 loss at west Virginia can be forgiven after nearly upending Oklahoma State November 7, in a 20-18 loss. Look for K-State to get back on track and keep the margin here razor close. Iowa State is in for a defensive struggle here.
Coin Flip: Kansas State
Prediction: Wildcats 22 Cyclones 20
Auburn's two losses in six starts have both come on the road, at Georgia (27-6) and South Carolina (30-22), but their most recent triumph, a 48-11 no-doubter over LSU on October 31 has the team looking good at the right time. After this game, the Tigers play at Alabama, then host Texas A&M. If they can avoid looking past this game, they should take it handily.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Prediction: Tigers 38 Volunteers 13
Losses to both Iowa State and Kansas State leave the Sooners in an unenviable position per Big 12 leadership, but they have the tools to get the job done at home. If they can handle Oklahoma State's offense, they should be able to parlay that to a win.
Coin Flip: Oklahoma
Prediction: Sooners 38 Cowboys 27
The Wildcats also had their opening week game cancelled at Utah, and played USC close, eventually giving up a lead and falling, 34-30, but they didn't look bad doing it and may be better than expected. It's a short season in the PAC-12, and, if anything, there don't seem to be any easy games. Arizona QB Grant Grunell threw for 3 TDs and 286 yards against the Trojans and should find his receivers open often against the Huskies.
Coin Flip: Arizona
Prediction: Wildcats 31 Huskies 24
USC hasn't dominated anybody yet, coming back in dramatic fashion in their two wins over Arizona State and Arizona. They have looked shaky and unfocused in both games. Utah's defense won't allow any easy scores and this could go either way, per the short line, but if Utah is anything even close to the team that went 11-3 in 2019, they should handle the visitors rudely.
Coin Flip: USC
Prediction: Utes 36 Trojans 23
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Week 12 Early Games
3:30 #10 Wisconsin (-7 1/2, 45 1/2) at #19 Northwestern - Wisconsin has played just two games, but they've looked pretty dominant n both, whipping Illinois in their opener, and, after having games against Nebraska and Purdue cancelled, hammering Michigan, 49-11 on the road.
4:00 pm Kentucky at #1 Alabama (-31, 58 1/2) - Alabama took over the #1 spot two weeks ago after Notre Dame upended Clemson, dropping the Tigers to #4.
4:00 pm Kansas State at #17 Iowa State (-11, 46) - In conference play, the Cyclones are 5-1, the Wildcats, 4-2, so this is a game that will have ripple effects in Big 12 standings. Both teams can get the ball up and down the field and have signature wins this season, Kansas State having knocked off Oklahoma, 38-35, while Iowa State also downed the Sooners, 37-30.
7:00 pm Tennessee at #23 Auburn (-10 1/2, 49 1/2) - After promising wins over South Carolina and Missouri to open the season, the Volunteers have fallen apart, losing four straight in very uncompetitive fashion, the latest a 24-13 defeat at Arkansas which left the starting quarterback job up in the air. The Vols have had two weeks to sort things out (Nov 14 game vs. Texas A&M postponed), but the defense also looks very shaky.
7:30 pm #14 Oklahoma State at #18 Oklahoma (-7, 59) - The annual "bedlam" game may not be as compelling a saga as in prior years, but both teams are in the mix for the lead in the Big 12. 5-1 Oklahoma State has looked the better of the two most of the season, but the 5-2 Sooners appear to be on the rise with four straight wins, even though the last three were against the lower rung teams in the conference: TCU, Texas Tech, and Kansas.
8:00 pm Arizona at Washington (-11 1/2, 53 1/2) - After their season opener at Cal was cancelled, the Huskies defeated Oregon State, 27-21, and are 1-0 hosting Arizona.
10:30 #20 USC (-3, 57 1/2) at Utah - Utah hasn't played a game yet, their outings against Arizona and UCLA cancelled, but they are at home, which should give them an edge.
