College football Week 12 preview: Five best games to watch this weekend-ZoomTech News

Similar to that, we’ve reached Week 12 of the faculty soccer season, and there are a number of matchups which have each convention championship and School Soccer Playoff implications that we have to preserve a detailed eye on Saturday.

Probably the most anticipated showdown is No. 7 Tennessee’s go to to No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night time. Will the Volunteers have their beginning quarterback? Can the Bulldogs’ offense discover a rhythm and keep away from a 3rd SEC loss?

Elsewhere, the Large 12 has six groups which can be nonetheless one way or the other within the operating to make the title recreation. This week, No. 17 Colorado hopes to knock off a Utah staff that may nonetheless be reeling from final week’s emotional loss. Later, No. 6 BYU will attempt to keep undefeated when it hosts a Kansas staff that’s coming off an necessary win over Iowa State. At the moment, Colorado and BYU are on a collision course to fulfill in Dallas for the Large 12 Championship Sport, however each groups have to preserve successful — and there’s nonetheless time within the season for one thing wild to occur.

That stated, listed below are the highest 5 video games to observe this weekend:

Utah at No. 17 Colorado (midday ET)

Colorado must preserve successful in an effort to make it to the Large 12 title recreation, plain and easy. Standing within the Buffs’ method this week is Utah, which has received the previous 11 of 12 conferences between these two applications. 

Nonetheless, the Buffaloes could also be catching the Utes on the proper time. Utah is coming off a tough loss to archrival BYU final week wherein a defensive holding penalty prolonged the Cougars’ game-winning drive. To make issues worse, head coach Kyle Whittingham’s quarterback drawback has gotten much more difficult. He misplaced starter Cam Rising for the season a month in the past and changed him with true freshman Isaac Wilson. Nonetheless, the backup QB’s efficiency pressured Whittingham to make one other change. Final week in opposition to BYU, third-string Brandon Rose received the beginning, however then he suffered a season-ending leg damage. Whittingham will possible revert to Wilson, who additionally occurs to be banged up.

Issues might worsen for Utah’s offense as a result of Colorado, which is on a three-game successful streak, leads the Large 12 with 29.0 sacks. The Utes must control defensive lineman Arden Walker, who had two sacks for the Buffs in final week’s 41-27 win over Texas Tech. To not point out, the protection might want to account for Colorado’s offensive star energy in QB Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter — who’s within the midst of one of many extra distinctive seasons in current faculty soccer historical past — in addition to an improved operating recreation.

Nebraska at USC (4 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports activities app)

Each groups enter this convention tilt after main offensive adjustments.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule changed offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield with former West Virginia and Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen had just lately joined the Huskers’ workers as an offensive marketing consultant, however Rhule made the choice to advertise him to attempt to inject some power into the unit. Holgorsen will work with freshman signal-caller Dylan Raiola, who received off to an thrilling begin in his first season however has had a tough go in Large Ten play (six interceptions up to now 4 video games). He additionally enters this recreation not absolutely wholesome after struggling a again damage vs. UCLA two weeks in the past. 

At USC, head coach Lincoln Riley benched starter Miller Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from UNLV final offseason. Moss has thrown 9 interceptions up to now seven video games, 5 of which have been in losses by seven factors or fewer. Maiava began 14 video games final season as a redshirt freshman with the Rebels, passing for 3,085 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. We’ll see how Riley’s QB experiment performs out, and Trojans followers must hope it really works as a result of after this weekend, USC has two video games left in opposition to rivals UCLA and Notre Dame to finish the season. They will have to win two out of three to turn into bowl eligible.

No. 23 Missouri at No. 21 South Carolina (4:15 p.m. ET)

Given what transpired final week, Missouri is coming into this matchup scorching. The Tigers shocked Oklahoma, 30-23, after scoring two touchdowns within the remaining minute of the sport. Down 23-16 with two minutes left, backup QB Drew Pyne led a scoring drive to tie the sport with a couple of minute remaining. On the following possession, DE Zion Younger returned an OU fumble 17 yards to the home with 22 seconds left to seal the win. It was an emotional second, and one which units the Tigers up properly for this week’s showdown.

Missouri will journey to the opposite Columbia city within the SEC, the place it’s going to face a South Carolina staff that’s driving a three-game successful streak (which included an enormous victory over then-No. 10 Texas A&M on Nov. 2). The Gamecocks will lean on RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who has rushed for 270 yards and 4 scores up to now two video games, and DE Kyle Kennard, who has essentially the most tackles for loss (13.5) and second-most sacks (9.5) within the SEC this season, to attempt to get one other win over a top-25 staff.

No. 7 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia (7:30 p.m. ET)

There’s no different solution to say this: Georgia’s CFP hopes hinge on the result of this recreation. The Bulldogs are nonetheless within the hunt with a win, however a loss makes issues very tough. Would the choice committee embrace Georgia with three losses? It’s definitely attainable, however Georgia would like to not depart this sort of factor as much as likelihood and can enter this matchup on the lookout for revenge after being embarrassed by Ole Miss on the street final Saturday. As a way to win, although, Georgia will want extra from QB Carson Beck, who has thrown 12 interceptions up to now six video games and was sacked 5 instances final weekend.

Tennessee, in the meantime, is dealing with some uncertainty. QB Nico Iamaleava has been listed as questionable after struggling an damage in final week’s win over Mississippi State. He has reportedly been in concussion protocol this week. Iamaleava has been integral to the Vols’ success this yr, throwing for 1,879 yards with 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. If he can’t play, head coach Josh Heupel must depend on backup Gaston Moore, who has seen motion in 5 video games this season, passing for 201 yards with two scores and two interceptions.

Kansas at No. 6 BYU (10:15 p.m. ET)

Each week, the faculty soccer world holds its breath to see if BYU can stay unbeaten. The Cougars had a detailed name final week in opposition to rival Utah, after which a defensive holding penalty saved the day and helped them come out with a 1-point win within the recreation’s remaining seconds. Utah’s athletic director Mark Harlan was not pleased about the call and harshly criticized the officials in a post-game press conference, however that’s one other story. BYU now has a transparent path to the Large 12 title recreation and the CFP. All it has to do is beat its remaining opponents in Kansas, Arizona State and Houston, after which win the convention championship to clinch a spot within the 12-team subject.

Kansas hopes to foil these plans and is able to doing so. The Jayhawks could also be 3-6, however 5 of these losses have been by six factors or fewer. They need to be coming into this convention matchup feeling assured after a 45-36 win over then-No. 17 Iowa State final weekend. QB Jalon Daniels went 12 of 24 for 295 yards with two touchdowns, and he added 68 dashing yards and one other rating. RB Devin Neal ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Kansas has to win its final three video games to turn into bowl eligible, and something appears attainable on this wacky convention.

Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA In the present day and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Comply with her at @LakenLitman.

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