Games to Watch – Week 12

Matthew Caldwell, Associate Sports Editor

No. 10 Utah @ No. 12 Oregon

Both Utah and Oregon head into Week 12 with the same overall and conference records, 8-2 and 6-1 respectively. With just two regular season games left, the winner of this battle will be in prime position to go to the Pac-12 Championship game. Utah handily beat Oregon twice last season, with one win coming from the Pac-12 title game that sent the Utes to the Rose Bowl. The two teams both feature elite quarterbacks in junior Cameron Rising and senior Bo Nix, so expect this one to be an offensive slugfest.

 

No. 7 USC @ No. 16 UCLA


The UCLA Bruins were one of the most surprising teams in the country, with playoff hopes for Chip Kelly’s squad. However, UCLA suffered an upset loss to Arizona last week, essentially ending its playoff bid. The 9-1 USC Trojans led by sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams, who joined former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley in Los Angeles. This will be the first time the crosstown rivals square off with both of them being ranked since 2014, where UCLA won 38-20. 

 

No. 24 Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma

It’s rare for Bedlam to feature an unranked Oklahoma team, but with the departure of Williams and Riley, the Sooners are in a bit of a rebuild under new head coach Brent Venables. No. 24 Oklahoma State started the season hot, finding themselves in the top 10 at one point and as potential playoff contenders, but have since cooled off and lost three of their last five games.

Nevertheless, this historic in-state rivalry could play a role in deciding who will meet No. 4 TCU at AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 Championship game.

 

Navy @ No. 17 UCF

Navy travels to Orlando, Florida, to take on No. 17 UCF this weekend after almost taking down No. 18 Notre Dame last weekend. Although the Midshipmen come in with a record of 3-7, this game is important for bowl purposes. UCF is hoping to win out and secure an at-large bid to the Cotton Bowl, but Navy has not been an easy out in the three times the teams have met. Each game has been within 11 points, and Navy was able to pull out a win in last year’s matchup. A win for UCF could secure its current standing as the top team in the AAC.