Just a month ago, Oklahoma and Texas met in another annual edition of the Red River Rivalry, and the Longhorns emerged with a win that, at the time, kept them alive for the College Football Playoff, but not necessarily feeling more confident about their chances. The Sooners left the Cotton Bowl battered, knowing that a loss made their situation far more difficult with a brutal five-game stretch to close the season.
Fast forward and the two rivals still have a fighting chance to sneak into the playoff field, but only if they earn it. Week 12 presents an opportunity for both Oklahoma and Texas to do exactly that as the Sooners travel to take on Alabama and the Longhorns make their way to play Georgia. Debates over what the ramifications will be of each outcome can wait for later. In the meantime, just enjoy four of the best teams—not only in the SEC, but in the country—duking it out on the field.
Elsewhere, Notre Dame goes for an eighth straight win, but this could be the Fighting Irish’s toughest matchup since a Week 3 loss to Texas A&M. Plus, two Big 12 matchups promise explosions on offense.
Here’s more on each of those games and a few others to keep your eyes glued to this weekend:
No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7–2) at No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers (7–2)
Saturday, noon ET, ABC
If there’s a team left on the schedule that could solve the Irish defense (which has allowed more than 20 points just once since September), it’s likely Pittsburgh. The ACC’s top offense belongs to the Panthers, but it wasn’t always that way. Since making a surprising switch at quarterback to true freshman Mason Heintschel after four weeks, Pitt went from averaging 25.5 points in two games vs. Power 4 opponents to scoring 40 points per game across a five-game conference winning streak. It should be noted that those wins came against five of the six bottom teams in the ACC standings thus far and the time for cupcakes is over. After Notre Dame, the Panthers play at No. 16 Georgia Tech and at home against No. 15 Miami—both games that Pat Narduzzi seems more concerned with than this Saturday’s matchup with the Irish. Keep an eye on whether or not Pitt goes all out for this game or tries to give its top players a breather before the ACC stretch run.
No. 24 South Florida Bulls (7–2) at Navy Midshipmen (7–2)
Saturday, noon ET, ESPN2
We’ve been tracking the race to make the American Conference championship game for a number of weeks now, and yet we still have five teams with only one loss alive to earn a possible automatic bid. But that changes this week! Look no further than South Florida, the first Group of 5 team to find its way into the College Football Playoff rankings, and its trip to Annapolis, Md., to play Navy. Provided that Midshipmen starting quarterback Blake Horvath returns from last week’s injury absence against Notre Dame, this game features a battle between perhaps the two most impressive field generals in the conference. Byrum Brown lines up behind center for the Bulls after playing a nearly perfect game last week in a rout of UTSA (14 of 15 for 239 yards and two touchdowns, plus nine carries for 109 yards and a rushing touchdown).
Arizona Wildcats (6–3) at No. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats (7–2)
Saturday, noon ET, FS1
The prospective championship game field in the Big 12 is getting smaller every week and has a chance to thin out even further this weekend. Cincinnati still boasts just a single league loss, the same as front-runners Texas Tech and BYU, but has one of the toughest finishes in the conference. It didn’t help the Bearcats to get completely manhandled against Utah two weeks ago, giving up 45 points and allowing the Utes to hold the ball for over 40 minutes of a 60-minute contest. Arizona is no slouch either, having played both BYU and Houston closely this season. Both teams like to throw the ball around the yard, with the Wildcats being led by junior Noah Fifita (2,200 yards, 23 touchdowns to four interceptions) and the Bearcats leaning heavily on Brendan Sorsby (2,064 yards, 21 touchdowns to two interceptions). Anticipate a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair.
No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (7–2) at No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (8–1)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
In the first of two marquee SEC games, the Sooners travel to Tuscaloosa to play the Tide. Oklahoma scored its most important win of the season two weeks ago at Tennessee, as Brent Venables’s defense was finally able to make an SEC team hurt itself, forcing three turnovers from the Volunteers. Such a task will prove more difficult against Alabama as it is tied for the third-fewest giveaways in the country (six) and ranks fourth in the nation in turnover margin (+1.11 per game). A win for Bama puts Kalen DeBoer comfortably back in the CFP for the first time since his run to the national championship game with Washington during the 2023 season—and frankly a loss wouldn’t be the end of the world. For Oklahoma, this is a must win with no wiggle room left over the final three games. If you like watching athletic defenses, both of which rank in the top three in the SEC, this is the game for you.
No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes (6–3) at No. 17 USC Trojans (7–2)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
This game had all the makings of being the battle for third in the Big Ten when Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski scored late in a raucous and rainy Kinnick Stadium to take a lead over Oregon with 1:51 remaining. But Dante Moore had other ideas, powering the Ducks into field goal range and closing out a game that was reminiscent of the ones we used to cherish in the since-defunct Big Ten West. No matter: Iowa now has a chance to muddy the waters for the rest of the conference, beginning this weekend in Los Angeles. USC, fresh off a fake-punt scandal, has a real shot at the CFP for the first time under Lincoln Riley and won’t want to play its way out of the running before next week’s trip to Oregon. These couldn’t be more differently styled programs: the Trojans with their air-raid offense and first-round caliber receivers, the Hawkeyes with their power run game and a whopping six passing touchdowns in nine games this season. USC ranks first in the Big Ten in passing yards per game, Iowa ranks dead last. That’s exactly the kind of clash we’re eager to watch on Saturdays.
IT'S A FAKE PUNT 🫨
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025
Punter Sam Johnson throws it for a @uscfb first down! pic.twitter.com/eRMSo0gQ2m
No. 19 Virginia Cavaliers (8–2) at Duke Blue Devils (5–4)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
The ACC is hanging on for dear life after a dreadful Week 11, but the conference championship game race is as lively as ever, with seven teams still alive entering this weekend. Honestly, not much can get solved this Saturday with SMU on a bye and Pitt playing Notre Dame, so let’s turn our focus to the one matchup that really matters: Virginia at Duke. The Cavaliers, after playing with fire for about four weeks, finally succumbed to the trap game, falling at home to Wake Forest in a contest that featured no offensive touchdowns and an early injury to starting quarterback Chandler Morris. It’s unclear if UVA will have the North Texas transfer back for this week’s trip to Durham, N.C., but it’s obvious that the Hoos need someone who can go toe-to-toe with Duke’s Darian Mensah, who leads the top-ranked passing offense in the ACC. The Blue Devils seem to have embraced the modern playoff structure that reserves automatic bids for conference champions, considering they dropped three nonconference games in favor of competing for a league trophy. Sure to play angry after a head-scratching loss at UConn, the Blue Devils may have a real chance at sneaking into the title game with a win this weekend.
No. 13 Utah Utes (7–2) at Baylor Bears (5–4)
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Utah finds itself in a rather unique situation entering Week 12 as the highest-ranked, two-loss, non-SEC/non–Notre Dame team. Yet the two losses have come at BYU and vs. Texas Tech, making the Utes’ strength of schedule among the most formidable in the Big 12—and with a relatively easier slate to close out the regular season. Beware this trip to Waco, Texas, however. Baylor’s offense is formidable, ranking third in the Big 12. Because of the Bears’ defensive woes, we haven’t spoken much about senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who’s tied for the most touchdowns in FBS with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and is third in passing yards per game. His only issue? He’s not as efficient, ranking 47th in the country in passing efficiency (146.26) and 68th in completion percentage (62.8%). That’s a recipe for Utah’s stout defense to force him into mistakes, just like TCU did when it came up with three interceptions in a 42–36 win a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, Baylor will put points on the board, as will Utah, making what should be another Big 12 barnburner in Week 12.
No. 10 Texas Longhorns (7–2) at No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (8–1)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Last, but certainly not least, is Arch Manning’s biggest game in burnt orange. Though we’re all still somewhat unclear how, the Longhorns have climbed their way back into the top 10 thanks to well-regarded wins over Oklahoma and Vanderbilt and survival tests at Kentucky and Mississippi State. Does this actually feel like a different Texas team? Maybe not, but this weekend in Athens will tell us a lot. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are riding a five-game winning streak of their own, one that has featured far more confident wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State, along with a top-five victory over Mississippi. Gunner Stockton is playing inspired football of late and though the defense isn’t what we’re used to under Smart, the unit has played much better since the start of October, which included shutting out a high-powered Ole Miss team in the fourth quarter. This is the game of the week, and could be the defining moment for both programs for the rest of the regular season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as SEC Slugfests Take Center Stage in Best College Football Games to Watch in Week 12.
