While the first few weeks didn't produce many wins in this column, my fortune turned quickly. After a winning Saturday last week, I'm 30-18 in my previous 48 plays, which means I'm hitting at a 63% rate over the past seven weeks. Let's try to stay hot in the regular season's final three weeks, including a consequential Week 12 slate.
👉 Check out all college football Week 12 lines on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here
Game time: 12 p.m. ET
🏈 Pick: Notre Dame (-12.5)
Pittsburgh is having an impressive season, winning its last five games and sitting at 7-2. However, it hasn't faced any daunting competition and certainly not anyone comparable to Notre Dame's level. Aside from a loss to Louisville in late September, the Panthers have yet to prove themselves against a legitimate opponent.
Notre Dame has a different class of talent. Although it hasn't played the best competition either, it has dominated since losing to Miami and Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish will be in the College Football Playoff if they win out.
Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi acknowledged that this game holds no significance for the team's playoff chances, as it's a nonconference contest. Pitt must win its final two ACC outings to make the conference championship. However, Notre Dame's playoff hopes will be killed with a loss.
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
🏈 Pick: USC (-6.5)
This matchup pits Iowa's defensive, run-heavy scheme against USC's pass-heavy offense. The Trojans score the second-most points per game in the Big Ten, while the Hawkeyes allow the third-fewest.
USC averages the conference's most passing yards per contest and has been much better at home, where they average 52 points and remain undefeated. Iowa relies too much on a run-heavy scheme, which faces a challenge against the Trojans' solid defense. While the Hawkeyes' defense will earn occasional stops, USC's attack is too prolific for it to hang around.
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
🏈 Pick: Alabama (-6.5)
Alabama owns the SEC's third-best scoring defense and passing offense. Following an opening loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide have ripped off eight straight wins, including over Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and LSU. They're 6-2-1 against the spread and playing as well as any team in the nation.
Facing Alabama to cap a brutal five-game stretch on its schedule, Oklahoma is 2-2 in its last four games. The Crimson Tide are the more talented team, and this game is being played in Tuscaloosa. All signs point to the Tide.
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
🏈 Pick: Texas (+6.5)
Arch Manning isn't the same player he was in early September. While everyone was quick to bash him because of his last name and the absurd hype surrounding him, those same people have ignored how great he's been the last couple of weeks. Manning has thrown for over 300 yards in each of the past two games and has six touchdowns to one interception in wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Texas has won four straight, and its offense has scored at least 34 points in the last two contests. Georgia has also won five consecutive contests against impressive competition, but its defense has been subpar this season, especially against pass-heavy offenses. The Longhorns are in a desperate spot, as they need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They should score enough against a suspect defense to stay within a touchdown.
👉 Check out all college football Week 12 lines on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here
Game time: 4:30 p.m.
🏈 Pick: North Carolina (+6.5)
For all the clowning Bill Belichick and North Carolina have received - most of it justified - the Tar Heels are playing solid football over the last month. They defeated Stanford and Syracuse in the past two weeks and lost by a combined four points to California and Virginia in the weeks preceding those victories. Wake Forest is the more talented team, but it's coming off its marquee win of the season over a ranked Virginia team, which made the Demon Deacons bowl eligible. In a letdown spot for Wake Forest, North Carolina should keep it close.
Game time: 7 p.m.
🏈 Pick: Washington (-16.5)
This is a bounce-back spot for Washington, a solid team that suffered an upset loss to Wisconsin last week. Purdue, on the other hand, is downright awful. They're winless in the Big Ten (0-7), including losses to Rutgers, Minnesota, and Northwestern. One team is still competing for bowl positioning, while another is counting down the days until the season concludes.
Game time: 10:15 p.m.
🏈 Pick: BYU (-4.5)
This is another bounce-back situation for a talented BYU team that's being undervalued at home. The Cougars have quality wins against Utah and Iowa State. TCU has been wildly inconsistent, defeating inferior programs and losing to superior ones. The Horned Frogs beat Baylor, West Virginia, and Colorado and lost to Kansas State, Arizona State, and Iowa State. TCU is the definition of mediocre. Meanwhile, BYU is in the upper echelon of the Big 12. The Cougars are also much better at home, where it's 4-0 overall and 3-1 against the spread.
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