Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies are the underdogs on the road against Oregon State. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
The penultimate week of the college football season is here and there is still a lot to decide.
With five undefeated teams and four more with a loss, the College Football Playoff race can go in many directions. There are also conference title races on the horizon and more than 20 teams are close to bowl eligibility.
Week 12 didn’t bring many surprises, but there were some game-changing wins. No. 3 Michigan started early in the day and held off Maryland in a nervy affair, securing the 1,000th win in program history. Of course, it happened without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline. Louisville later made history of its own with a win over Miami, securing a spot in the ACC title game for the first time in program history.
Appalachian State then defeated previously undefeated James Madison and New Mexico State pulled off a surprise win over Auburn to spice up the day.
Rivalry week is just around the corner and the coaching carousel is already in full swing, meaning we’re in for an eventful end to the season.
Here’s what we’ll be watching on Saturday night (scroll for live updates):
Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: OSU -2.5 | Overall: 63.5
Washington continues to find ways to win and can secure a spot in the Pac-12 title game with a road win against Oregon State. The Huskies improved to 10-0 with a 35-28 win over Utah last Saturday and star QB Michael Penix Jr. was outstanding. While the final Pac-12 season is sadly coming to an end, Oregon State still has a chance to clinch its first outright conference title since 1956 with a win over Washington and then Oregon next week. The Beavers have a record of 16-1 in their last 17 home games and are actually the favorites over the undefeated Huskies.
Time: 8 p.m. | TV: Fox | Line: UT -7.5 | Overall: 47.5
Texas is still firmly in the CFP hunt and can clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game with a road win over Iowa State. The Longhorns got QB Quinn Ewers back from injury for the game, but lost star running back Jonathon Brooks to a knee injury. Iowa State is also active in the Big 12 title hunt. The Cyclones are 6-4 overall but 5-2 in conference play over the last two weeks and will need to upset Texas to keep their conference championship hopes alive.