Five games in Week 12 have Playoff implications for both teams.
How many of them would have had those stakes in the four-team College Football Playoff format? Well, none of them.
This delight should be heralded every week in November, as it is the best perk of the 12-team Playoff and too often overlooked.
College football Week 12 preview and betting news
- Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh
- South Florida vs. Navy
- Oklahoma vs. Alabama
- Virginia vs. Duke
- Texas vs. Georgia
Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh
In the four-team format, neither the Notre Dame Fighting Irish nor the Pittsburgh Panthers would have had the faintest Playoff hopes. Notre Dame’s would have effectively been dead after two games, while Pittsburgh’s never would have recovered from a Week 3 loss to West Virginia that has not been laughed about enough.
Instead, the Irish should have a Playoff berth locked up with a win this weekend. No one realistically expects Syracuse or Stanford to upset Notre Dame. Say what you will about Marcus Freeman’s early-season upsets — Marshall, Stanford, Northern Illinois, and even Texas A&M this year — it warrants noting that they have all come in the first half of the year.
The Irish get better as the season goes along under Freeman.
And the Panthers are two wins away from reaching the ACC title game, where a third straight win would send Pittsburgh into the Playoff. To that degree, this weekend does not matter, as Pat Narduzzi already said too loudly.
NEW: Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi on whether Notre Dame game is a ‘must-win’:
— On3 (@On3sports) November 10, 2025
“Absolutely not, It is not an ACC game. I’m glad you brought that up. It’s not an ACC game. I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110-10 in that game. They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two… pic.twitter.com/7mA3xmxMrM
But wait, does that mean this does not have Playoff implications for Pittsburgh?
Narduzzi may have been a bit too dismissive. If Notre Dame wins this handily, then Pittsburgh might have to worry a bit about Sun Belt champion James Madison jumping it. That would be unlikely, but at 12-1, the Dukes would have an argument.
Expect the Panthers to try to keep this within 20 points, even if that lessens their overall chance at winning this weekend.
South Florida vs. Navy
Obviously, the four-team Playoff never had time for Group of Five teams with any losses, let alone two apiece. Now, though, it certainly looks like the American champion is guaranteed the No. 12 seed in this year’s Playoff, perhaps even the No. 11.
Both with one loss in the conference, the Navy Midshipmen and South Florida Bulls have clear paths to the American championship game — and the chaos lover here marvels at the idea of Navy winning the conference, making the Playoff, and then losing to Army in the week between the conference championship game and the Playoff’s first round.
The Midshipmen have one remaining challenge, heading to Memphis in two weeks, while the Bulls have only two doormats remaining, offense intended to UAB and Rice, mostly to UAB.
The NCAA Tournament, also known as March Madness, consists of 64 teams and six rounds. This South Florida vs. Navy game can effectively be viewed as a first-round game in a six-round tournament, likely propelling the winner to the American championship game as a second-round game in a six-round tournament.
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Win and you’re in, Oklahoma Sooners. Well, win and then also beat Missouri and LSU — both home games for Oklahoma — and you’re in.
This is not outlandish. The Sooners have a clear path to the Playoff. In a four-team era, their dreams would have died with their 34-26 loss to Mississippi a few weeks ago.
The idea of the best defensive front in the country reaching the playoffs with a playmaker like John Mateer at quarterback is something all college football fans should be grateful for and hoping for.
For the Alabama Crimson Tide, this always would have had Playoff implications, but a loss now would drop the Tide into a morass atop the SEC and lessen their chances of a first-round bye in the Playoff, Georgia possibly having more of a claim to that luxury despite losing to Alabama.
Virginia vs. Duke
The winner of this ACC contest will have a direct line to the ACC title game. Yes, the 5-4 Duke Blue Devils could make the ACC championship game and stake a claim to a Playoff bid.
Obviously, that never would have happened in the four-team era.
For that matter, the Virginia Cavaliers losing to Wake Forest would have been too disgraceful for any Playoff bid to have survived in the four-team era. That always would have been a tall task for the Cavaliers, recovering from a September loss to North Carolina State, eventually finishing 12-1 and hoping the four-team Playoff still would have had space.
But it would have been possible.
That loss to the Demon Deacons ruined that hypothetical. Now, Virginia can only dream like this because of the 12-team era.
The biggest question is Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris’s availability. If he is cleared, expect this spread to fall within four points, though Duke will remain a home favorite.
Sources: Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris is progressing toward returning to play on Saturday, and there’s optimism he’ll start for Virginia (8-2, 5-1) at Duke (5-4, 4-1). Morris continues to clear protocols, and a final decision on his status isn’t expected until game time. pic.twitter.com/FVIc87zwDa
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 14, 2025
Texas vs. Georgia
Here is a hot take: The Georgia Bulldogs could still miss the College Football Playoff. No, really.
If the Bulldogs lose a second home game, they will have impressive wins against Tennessee and Mississippi, with Georgia Tech looming to end the season. A loss would drop Georgia to 9-3 and put them on the brink of missing the Playoff.
A 9-3 thought might be the Texas Longhorns’ ideal, needing to top either the Bulldogs or Texas A&M to even get to 9-3.
This is not a Playoff eliminator for both teams, but it may be for Texas, and a loss would likely cost Georgia home-field advantage in the first round of the Playoff.
I have pondered this, from the perspective of Notre Dame trying to host a Playoff game.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) November 14, 2025
Would 9-3 Texas — with a win at Georgia or giving A&M its only loss — jump 10-2 Notre Dame? https://t.co/EjmlmHXr1j
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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