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College football scores, rankings, highlights: Oregon closes in on Pac-12 Championship Game with win over Utah

A busy night in the Pac-12 produced exciting results as the conference title race becomes clearer

A year after getting dominated twice by Utah, No. 12 Oregon secured revenge and showed program growth with a gritty 20-17 win over the No. 10 Utes on Saturday in a late-night Pac-12 showdown. The win puts the Ducks on the precipice of reaching Pac-12 Championship Game under first-year coach Dan Lanning.

After the disappointment of a rivalry loss to Washington last week that knocked Oregon out of College Football Playoff contention, the Ducks had to soldier through some injuries to outlast the Utes. Most notably, quarterback Bo Nix was clearly hobbled after suffering a leg injury late in last week's game. The Auburn transfer looked far less than 100% healthy, but threw for 287 yards anyway and came up with a huge first-down run to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.

If Oregon beats rival No. 23 Oregon State next week, it will match up with No. 7 USC in the Pac-12 title game. The Trojans were among a handful of CFP hopefuls to survive scares on Saturday and remain in the national title hunt as they outlasted No. 16 UCLA 48-45. 

The only team in the top seven of this week's CFP Rankings that didn't lose or get pushed to the brink of defeat on Saturday was No. 6 LSU. The Tigers beat visiting UAB 41-10 and improved to 9-2 ahead of their regular-season finale with Texas A&M next week. With No. 5 Tennessee losing at South Carolina, the Tigers are likely to move up in next week's CFP Rankings as they seek to become the first-ever two-loss team to make the CFP field.

College football scores, schedule: Week 12

No. 3 Michigan 19, Illinois 17 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 4 TCU 29, Baylor 28 --Takeaways, recap
No. 8 Alabama 34, Austin Peay 0 -- Recap
No. 18 Notre Dame 44, Boston College 0 --Recap
No. 1 Georgia 16, Kentucky 6 --  Takeaways, recap
No. 9 Clemson 40, Miami 10 -- Recap
No. 2 Ohio State 43, Maryland 30 --  Takeaways, recap
No. 11 Penn State 55, Rutgers 10 -- Recap
Texas 55, Kansas 14 -- Recap
South Carolina 63, No. 5 Tennessee 31 -- Recap
Arkansas  42, No. 14 Ole Miss 27 -- Recap
Oklahoma 28, No. 22 Oklahoma State 13 -- Recap
No. 7 USC 48, No. 16 UCLA 45 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 6 LSU 41, UAB 10 -- Recap
No. 12 Oregon 20, No. 10 Utah 17 -- Recap
Check out the entire Week 12 scoreboard 

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Notre Dame rolls

Notre Dame 44, Boston College 0

On a snowy Saturday, the Fighting Irish had no problems with Boston College as they forced five turnovers. Notre Dame led 37-0 at the half and took its foot off the gas in the second half ahead of next week's showdown with No. 7 USC. Logan Diggs led the way for Notre Dame with 122 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Audric Estime added two scores on the ground as well.
 

Ohio State in trouble

Halftime: Maryland 13, Ohio State 10

Ohio State looked like it had something going on its last possession of the half but stalled out near midfield. Terps held their previous possession to a field goal in the red zone. On the other side, Jim Knowles has some adjustments to make as Taulia is 16 of 18 for 180 yards. This Maryland team was lifeless the last couple weeks. Impressive performance here, and they get the football to start the second half.
 

Penn State's weird start

Mid 2Q: Penn State 21, Rutgers 10

The Nittany Lions have three touchdowns, but none of them have come on offense. First, it was a 100-yard kickoff return from Nick Singleton. Then, it was a 14-yard fumble return by Kobe King. Then, it was a 25-yard interception return from Johnny Dixon. Rutgers is playing well enough defensively that it deserves to be winning. But nothing else is going right for the Scarlet Knights.
 

Clemson dominating 

Mid 2Q: Clemson 21, Miami 0

Miami's dreadful play continues as the Hurricanes have looked lifeless so far against Clemson with just one first down on their first three possessions. DJ Uiagalelei is off to a nice start for the Tigers with 11 of 14 completions for 95 yards and two TDs. Seems like the 'Canes may have thrown in the towel. Relative to other Year 1s around the country, this one has been rough for Mario Cristobal and Co.
 

Ohio State looks uninspired

End 1Q: Ohio State 7, Maryland 6

The Buckeyes took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards for a quick touchdown but have looked bad since then with consecutive three-and-outs and a couple of iffy defensive series possessions. Taulia Tagovailoa is 9 of 9 through the air for the Terps. Buckeyes starting a new drive at their own 10 to begin the second.

 

Notre Dame dominating

Late 2Q: Notre Dame 30, Boston College 0

Notre Dame continues to demonstrate its improvement as the season goes along following a couple of particularly ugly losses to Marshall and Stanford early this season. Logan Diggs is already over 100 yards rushing and the Fighting Irish have picked off two passes. Fighting Irish may be able to rest some starters in the second half ahead of next week's showdown with USC.
 

Like points?

Halftime: Kansas State 41, West Virginia 25

If you're a fan offense, find the Kansas State-West Virginia game, where nine touchdowns and two field goals were scored in the first half. Among the big plays were pick-sixes for each side. Garrett Greene has thrown for 134 yards and three TDs in the first half as he steps in JT Daniels. Sam James caught all three of his TD throws. Will Howard has thrown for 215 yards for Kansas State.
 

Michigan pulls it out

Final: Michigan 19, Illinois 17

Jake Moody just drilled a 35 yarder with 9 seconds left to lift Michigan to a comeback win over Illinois. It was his third field goal of the fourth quarter. Disaster avoided for the Wolverines as the Illini suffer a heartbreaking defeat. Michigan will enter next week's rivalry game against Ohio State 11-0, though the status of star running back Blake Corum will loom large after he barely played in the second half following an apparent injury.
 

What a finish

Final: TCU 29, Baylor 28

That was some of the strangest clock management you'll ever see in such a pivotal moment. The Horned Frogs ran the football on third down, leaving their special teams unit little time to scramble onto the field. Nonetheless, Griffin Kell drilled the field goal as time expired from 40 yards out. Major redemption for Kell, who missed a PAT earlier in the game. The Horned Frogs' storybook season continues.
 

Alabama cruises 

The No. 8 Crimson Tide just finished off Austin Peay for a 34-0 win leading into next week's Iron Bowl showdown with Auburn. Alabama played three QBs and was led in rushing by Jase McClellan's 156 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Jermaine Burton had a big game as well with seven catches for 128 yards and two scores.

 

Big fourth quarter

Two undefeated teams are in trouble as the noon wave hits crunch time. No. 3 Michigan trails Illinois 17-10 at home and No. 4 TCU trails Baylor 28-20. Among those watching with joy at these two potentially landscape-altering upsets are Tennessee, LSU and USC. Going to be a fun 45 minutes or so as these games wind down. Michigan could lose and theoretically still make the CFP with a win over Ohio State next week and a win in the Big Ten title game. But a loss makes their path tougher. TCU could hypothetically still have a chance at the CFP as a one-loss Big 12 champion, but the Horned Frogs would likely need a lot of help elsewhere to pull that off if they can't rally today.
 

NC State down two QBs

NC State true freshman quarterback MJ Morris will miss the Wolfpack's matchup against Louisville, per the Fayetteville Observer. Morris suffered a lower body injury in a 22-21 loss to Boston College a week ago. With Morris out, Charleston Southern transfer Jack Chambers is expected to start. The 25-year-old senior has completed 52.6% of his passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in relief. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is also out. 

 

Navy upsets No. 20 UCF

FINAL: Navy 17, UCF 14

UCF laid an egg on Saturday -- one week after its big win over Tulane. The Knights managed just 314 yards and was 3 of 12 on third down in what was a remarkably stagnant performance by a team that was squarely in the mix to make a New Year's Six bowl berth. The Midshipmen threw just one pass (incomplete) against a defense that simply could not stop the triple option.

 

Michigan in a battle

Half: Michigan 7, Illinois 3

The Wolverines got the football first and promptly marched down the field for a touchdown to open the game. They have been into Illini territory twice again since then but have failed to produce points. This play was particularly concerning for Michigan, not only because it was a costly fumble but — much more importantly — because of what happened to Blake Corum. He left the game and went to the locker room. He is the heartbeat of this Michigan team.
 

Big stand

Halftime: TCU 14, Baylor 14

TCU is fortunate to be tied at halftime after Baylor drove the length of the field late in the second quarter with the scored tied at 14. Blake Shapen took a shot to the end zone that would have left enough time for a FG attempt if it had merely fallen incomplete. But TCU's Bud Clark intercepted it for a touchback, sending us to halftime deadlocked. The Bears have out-gained TCU 319-190 and more than doubled up TCU in time of possession. But the Horned Frogs get the football to start the third quarter.
 

Alabama's defense pitching a shutout

HALF: No. 8 Alabama 17, Austin Peay 0

It hasn't been the prettiest day for the Crimson Tide offense, but their defense has held the Governors in check throughout the first 30 minutes of play. They have given up just 129 yards and allowed just two third-down conversions on six tries. Tide quarterback Bryce Young is 11 of 14 for 99 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon.

 

Vandy recovers fumble in the end zone

HALF: Vanderbilt 14, Florida 6

Vanderbilt is giving Florida a challenge in Nashville, and part of the reason why is its special teams. Florida's Jason Marshall Jr. touched a punt at the 5-yard line and it rolled into the end zone. Vanderbilt long-snapper Wesley Schelling recovered in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Commodores the 14-6 lead over the Gators. The only other team that has held the Gators without a first-half touchdown was Georgia back in November. 
 

Seminoles start hot

Start 2Q: Florida State 21, Louisiana 0

Florida State ran wild in the first quarter, racking up 165 yards on the ground with five different players contributed 10 yards or more. Jordan Travis scored twice with his feet and Treshaun Ward took one 36 yards to the house. But Trey Benson is actually the leading rusher with 43 yards. No looking ahead here for the Seminoles, who close the regular season against rival Florida next week.
 

Bears come out strong

2Q: Baylor 7, TCU 7

The Bears have come out strong in the first quarter against No. 4 TCU and outgained the Frogs 171-77. Baylor marched down the field on its first drive and missed a makeable field goal to let TCU tie the game behind chunk plays from Max Duggan to Quentin Johnston. One stat to keep an eye on: The Bears have run 21 points to TCU's 10 in the first quarter. Baylor will try and limit possessions to sideline TCU's explosive offense, and they're having success controlling the matchup so far. 

 

Alabama leads Austin Peay

End Q1: No. 8 Alabama 7, Austin Peay 0

This might seem like a close score on paper, but it hasn't been on the actual football field. Alabama scored on its first drive thanks to a Jase McClellan 1-yard touchdown run. Austin Peay went three-and-out on its first possession of the game, but a punt bounced off an Alabama defender and was recovered by the Governors. Alabama's defense held strong on fourth-and-goal on the 1-yard line to give the Crimson Tide the ball back. However, Alabama's Isaiah Bond fumbled with 37 seconds left in the quarter to give his squad a chance 

 

Upset brewing at the Bounce House

HALF: Navy 14, No. 20 UCF 6

UCF got a big win last week at Tulane to jump into the thick of the New Year's Six race, but has come out very hungover against Navy. The Knights have given up 166 rush yards against the triple-option offense, including 97 to Daba Fofana, and trail at the break. It's always difficult to prepare for the triple option and it appears the Knights might have spent too much time patting themselves on the back rather than getting ready for the Midshipmen.

 

Week 12 Expert picks

Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let's take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 12.
 

Palm's Best Bets

From Jerry Palm: "Each week, I will use this space to tell you what I think are a few of the best bets heading into the weekend. I will also throw in an upset of the week, which will be a team that is at least a touchdown underdog that I am picking to win outright. I will also give you picks on other games involving potential College Football Playoff teams."
 

Fornelli's Six Pack

"If we just keep stacking winning weeks, we'll finally get ourselves out of the hole we dug to start the year. That's what I've been telling myself to do, and that's what we've done over the last few weeks. Not only did we go 4-2 last week, but one of our four wins was the North Carolina (+150) upset. So, not only did we inch closer to .500 on the season, but I can see a profit not too far off in the distance!"
 

Week 12 upset picks

The lottery hit two weeks in a row as Upset Alerts delivered back-to-back major wins. Washington shocked Oregon on the road to ruin the Ducks' College Football Playoff hopes, while TCU took care of business to beat Texas as touchdown underdogs on the road. Even Ole Miss came up just short against Alabama and Hawaii gave Utah State a late scare. Here are five games that jump out to us in Week 12 for money line upsets. 
 

Big Ten picks

It's dress rehearsal week for No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan as the Big Ten East rivals make their final preparations for their all-important showdown next week. The Buckeyes travel to Maryland as 27.5-point favorites while the Wolverines host Illinois as 18-point favorites in a game that, unfortunately, has lost some of its luster over the last couple of weeks. There are seven games to play in the Big Ten this week, and we've got picks for each of them.
 

SEC Picks

We have reached the penultimate week of the college football regular season. Where does the time go? With the conclusion of the 2022 campaign on the horizon, Week 12 provides SEC fans with a nice little warm-up for what should be a great slate of pivotal rivalry games next week. Let's take a spin around some of the bigger storylines in the SEC before making picks against the spread for Saturday's action.
 

JT Daniels benched

West Virginia opted to make a quarterback change in Week 12 as redshirt sophomore Garrett Greene will replace senior JT Daniels in the lineup against No. 15 Kansas State, per ESPN. The Tallahassee, Florida, native entered against Oklahoma and rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns to power the Mountaineers to their first win over the Sooners since joining the Big 12. Daniels, a transfer from Georgia, completed just 15 of 34 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions over the past two weeks before getting benched against OU. 

 

Week 12 Viewer's Guide

The penultimate Saturday of the college football regular season is upon us, and with it comes plenty of intriguing games that could have a massive impact on the landscape of the sport heading into rivalry and championship weekends. No. 1 Georgia is looking to keep its unblemished record alive Saturday against a reeling Kentucky team in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week, while No. 4 TCU will look to do the same in the early window at Baylor. It'll be a busy Saturday across the country, so here's a handy viewer's guide to help you navigate the action.
 

ACC quarterbacks out

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham will not play in Week 12 with injuries, per reports. Miami will start freshman Jacurri Brown, who threw for three touchdowns in a win over Georgia Tech against Clemson. Junior Brock Domann, a transfer from Independence Community College, will start for Louisville against NC State. He threw for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception against Clemson. 

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