College football Week 12: Schedule, College Football Playoff rankings, preview

Heading into a packed Week 12 slate of college football, only three teams remain undefeated — No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana and No. 3 Texas A&M. All three are in action this weekend against unranked conference opponents.

Here are their matchups: 
*All times are ET

• No. 1 Ohio State vs. UCLA, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15
  • Since it's seven-point win over Texas in Week 1, the Buckeyes have won every game since by at least three scores. Julian Sayin and his elite wide receiver room have been dominant accompanied by what could be the best defense in the nation. There is room for speculation around this team as Ohio State has only played two ranked teams all season, but it has handled almost every opponent in its path. However, a Week 14 matchup still lingers with the Buckeye's rival up north. 
• No. 2 Indiana vs. Wisconsin, 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15
  • The Hoosiers were a toe-tap away from being knocked off this list last weekend as Curt Cignetti's squad escaped with a win against Penn State. But nevertheless, Indiana remains perfect as it heads into a matchup with Wisconsin. The Badgers and Purdue are all that stands in the way of a perfect regular season for the No. 2 team. 
• No. 3 Texas A&M vs. South Carolina, 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15
  • After close call against unranked foes in Auburn and Arkansas, the Aggies have calmed some doubt with convincing ranked road wins over LSU and Missouri in back to back games. TAMU returns home against the Gamecocks this weekend, host Samford next weekend before their biggest game of the season in Austin against the Longhorns in Week 14. 

👉 Click or tap here for a full breakdown of the undefeated FBS teams 

Here is what the 12-team College Football Playoff would look like if the season ended today. While of course this doesn't carry that much weight with three regular season weeks and conference championships still to go, it is important to understand where teams fall after certain committee requirements are met.

Five conference champions must be represented in the playoff, so right now, No. 15 Miami and No. 24 South Florida would be bumped up into the field, knocking out No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 12 BYU. 

Unlike last season, the four highest-ranked teams receive first round byes instead of the four highest-ranked conference champions, which is why we see two Big Ten and two SEC teams in the top four. The matchups still work the same, with No. 5 vs. No. 12, No. 6 vs. No. 11 and so forth. 

🏆 Click or tap here to see the full breakdown of the CFP bracket based on current committee rankings

Welcome to Week 12 — and one of the best college football slates of the season. With just three weeks left in the regular season, this weekend has the potential to send shockwaves through the CFP rankings while also ending many teams' postseason hopes. Here are some of the top game to watch on Saturday that could have some serious implications on the College Football Playoff:

The noon slate kicks off with some pivotal action as No. 22 Pittsburgh hosts No. 9 Notre Dame. The Panthers still have some control over their ACC championship aspirations, only holding one conference loss. This game won't effect those goals, but a win over the Irish will catapult Pitt up the standings and would likely end Notre Dame's payoff hopes. 

The afternoon slate is where the action heats up with No. 4 Alabama hosting No. 11 Oklahoma. The Sooners will treat this matchup like a playoff game, already holding two losses. But if Alabama can roll on, the Tide really have just Auburn left on the schedule to guarantee a SEC championship spot. In the Big Ten, No. 17 Southern Cal has a date with No. 21 Iowa. The Trojans are still in the hunt for a spot in the Big Ten championship, and will need a win this weekend to stay in that conversation. It's worth noting that the three highest-ranked ACC teams all play at 3:30 against unranked opponents, so keep an eye on that action as well. 

The night slate is reserved for the the game of the week as No. 5 Georgia welcomes No. 10 Texas to Athens for the first time ever in a rematch of the 2024 SEC championship. The conference championship matchup last season is where Gunner Stockton received his first meaningful minutes as a Bulldog, but the Longhorns will be out for revenge after the Dawgs knocked them down twice last season. 

Here are the times and TV channels for some of the biggest games of the week:
*All times Eastern

• No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 22 Pittsburgh, 12 p.m. on ABC
• No. 24 South Florida vs. Navy, 12 p.m. on ESPN2
• No. 15 Miami (Fla.) vs. NC State, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
• No. 17 Southern Cal vs. No. 21 Iowa, 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
• No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 11 Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
• No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 10 Texas, 7:30 p.m. on ABC

👉 Click or tap here for the complete top 25 schedule

The CFP selection committee released their second College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night. Here are the full rankings and some key takeaways as we head into Week 12:

Key takeaways  

Chaos in the ACC. The two highest-ranked ACC teams in the first CFP poll, Virginia and Louisville, both fell in Week 11, pushing Miami and Georgia Tech in front of them. Right now, No. 15 Miami is the highest-ranked ACC team, but the Canes do not have a clear path to the ACC championship with two conference losses. No. 16 Georgia Tech sits on the heels of Miami but are in complete control of their ACC championship aspirations. Keep a close eye on this conference in the final three weeks. 

New Group of Five school. After Memphis fell to Tulane, the Tigers opened the door for a new highest-ranked G5 school. But unlike last week, the fifth highest-ranked conference champion is actually ranked as South Florida slides in at No. 24. The Bulls lost to Memphis earlier this season, but wins over North Texas, Florida and Boise State outweigh the Tigers' best wins. However, the race for the fifth AQ spot is far from over, and if things get weird enough in the ACC, we could see two G5 schools make the bracket come December. 

Top five stands still. There was speculation that Texas A&M could make the jump to No. 2 after cruising past Missouri on the road while Indiana needed a miracle to walk out of Happy Valley with a win. But the committee stuck to their guns, leaving the entire top five in place. It is safe to say, barring a loss from one of those five, we could see almost no shift from the committee as they wait to let conference championship weekend decide some things for them.