Another week of the college football regular season is in the books, and with it, another round of our winners and losers.
Here is the best and worst from Week 12.
College Football Playoff No. 11 Oklahoma’s odds of making the 12-team field increased substantially with its 23-21 road win at No. 4 Alabama (8-2, 6-1 in SEC). The Crimson Tide out-gained Oklahoma by nearly 200 yards, 406-212, but the Sooners (8-2, 4-2 in SEC) stayed in the game by forcing three turnovers, including a pick-six, and sacking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson four times. Alabama also had more three-and-outs (four) than scoring drives (three).
Oklahoma has back-to-back impressive road wins against No. 23 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 in SEC) and Alabama, plus a significant out-of-conference win versus No. 18 Michigan (8-2, 6-1 in Big Ten), bolstering its resume for an at-large playoff berth. With wins in their next two home games against Missouri (7-3, 3-3 in SEC) and LSU (6-4, 3-4 in SEC), the Sooners will punch their first CFP ticket since 2019.
It’s been all downhill for South Carolina since reaching No. 10 in the Associated Press top 25 poll at the end of Week 1, its highest ranking since 2014. The Gamecocks hit another level of futility on Saturday, blowing a 27-point halftime lead at No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 in SEC) in a 31-30 loss.
South Carolina (3-7, 1-7 in SEC) benefited from several miscues when building a 30-3 lead, including two missed Texas A&M field goals and four drops. But once the Aggies stopped playing junior college football in the second half, it was game over. The Gamecocks allowed touchdowns on A&M’s first four offensive drives to easily give up the lead. They were out-gained 371-76 over the game’s final 30 minutes.
South Carolina’s second-half collapse should mark the end of the Shane Beamer era. The defeat was emblematic of the Gamecocks’ lost season, one that began with so much potential but fell apart at the first sign of adversity.
Winner: Heisman Trophy pandering
On a day Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza may have given himself an insurmountable lead in the Heisman race, No. 6 Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 in Big 12) kept things interesting by showcasing linebacker Jacob Rodriguez’s all-around game in a 48-9 win over UCF (4-6, 1-6 in Big 12).
In addition to notching his fourth interception, the dark horse Heisman candidate, who had a team-high nine tackles, scored a rushing touchdown, adding another clip to his “For Your Consideration” reel.
