Pac-12 headlines the five biggest college football games to watch in Week 12

The college football season is nearing its conclusion, but there is still plenty yet to be decided as we head into Week 12. 

The Pac-12 takes center stage with a pair of night-time showdowns that will go a long way toward determining the participants in the league championship game two weeks hence. Several other playoff contenders will be in action throughout the day as well.

We offer these five contests for your prioritization, though we acknowledge that No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State are playing on the road. We don’t expect anything unusual to unfold at those venues, but keep an eye on the scoreboard just in case. With that standard disclaimer out of the way, here are our weekly recommended viewing options ranked by entertainment potential.

No. 6 Southern California at No. 16 UCLA

Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

Why watch: Last week’s results in the Pac-12 complicated matters a bit, but the two headliners this week might still turn out to be de facto semifinals with the winners set to square off for the title in early December. The potential for total chaos does exist, including one scenario that would result in a five-way tie at the top, but the Trojans could remove that from the equation and punch their own ticket with a win here in Pasadena. A victory for the Bruins wouldn’t guarantee them a spot in the final, but a loss would eliminate them. UCLA isn’t likely to be slow out of the gate this time, but the Bruins’ inability to contain Arizona’s Jayden de Laura doesn’t bode well with Trojans QB Caleb Williams coming to the Rose Bowl. USC did lose RB Travis Dye to a season-ending leg injury in last Friday’s romp past Colorado, so it will be up to Austin Jones to provide ground support for Williams. The UCLA veteran backfield tandem of QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and RB Zach Charbonnet can certainly keep up the scoring pace, but the USC defense compensates for giving up yards with takeaways.

Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t. Both teams can put up a ton of points and aren’t exactly lights out on the defensive side. About the only way this could get away from either team is a barrage of turnovers, but a back-and-forth track meet seems far more likely. Enjoy the ride.

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No. 10 Utah at No. 13 Oregon

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Why watch: The winner of this all-important nightcap will still have to win one more time next week to lock up a championship game spot. That will not in any way reduce the intensity level, however, as neither team wants to be on the short end and be left hoping for league-wide craziness. The main concern during the week for Ducks’ fans is the status of QB Bo Nix, who missed some key snaps in the loss to Washington last week. He was on the field for the final series, but it remains to be seen if there will be any lingering impact. Whether or not Nix is a full go, the matchup between standout Oregon WR Troy Franklin and Utah CB Clark Phillips III will be worth watching. The Utes, meanwhile, didn’t have to work nearly as hard last time out in an easy jaunt past Stanford, but QB Cameron Rising will find the sledding significantly tougher against DE Brandon Dorlus and the Oregon front.

Why it could disappoint: Utah’s game is establishing RB Tavion Thomas in its punishing ground attack. If the Utes can accomplish this and dominate the clock, they’ll take the air out of Autzen Stadium. This seems unlikely, however, given the stakes. The Ducks should do enough on the field to keep the crowd energized throughout.

No. 4 TCU at Baylor

Saturday, noon ET, Fox

Why watch: Last week’s victory against Texas in Austin assured the Horned Frogs a place in the Big 12 championship game and might have been their biggest remaining obstacle to an undefeated regular season. The Bears could still have something to say about TCU’s bid for perfection, though Baylor was surprisingly noncompetitive last week on this same field against Kansas State. TCU’s triumph over the Longhorns was spurred by a strong defensive performance led by LB Johnny Hodges. That could be bad news for Baylor, as QB Blake Shapen and the Bears’ offense must find answers quickly. Nevertheless, LB Dillon Doyle and his friends on the Baylor defense will do their best to keep Horned Frogs’ QB Max Duggan and RB Kendre Miller in check.

Why it could disappoint: We should know fairly early if the Bears have rediscovered their groove. We’ve seen TCU stage comebacks on numerous occasions, but if it’s the Horned Frogs who build a first-half cushion, there might be little excitement at the finish.

Illinois at No. 3 Michigan

Saturday, noon ET, ABC

Why watch: With the long-awaited showdown with Ohio State on deck, the Wolverines’ final home contest had all the makings of a classic trap game. While that still might be the case, the Fighting Illini enter on a two-game skid that has endangered their chances of winning the Big Ten West. Illinois does still boast the nation’s second stingiest defense, featuring LB Isaac Darkangelo and DL Jer’Zhan Newton, that could make Wolverines QB J.J. McCarthy and RB Blake Corum earn their yards. But Michigan’s defense is the one that gives up even fewer yards than that of Illinois. Illini RB Chase Brown is exceptional, but he might still find it difficult to get by Michigan LBs Junior Colson and Michael Bennett without some air cover from QB Tommy DeVito.

Why it could disappoint: As Michigan passing game is not exactly explosive, a few teams have managed to hang with the Wolverines for a half. but there has been no fourth-quarter suspense for the Jim Harbaugh's team, and that will again be the case if Illinois is unable to bank points early.

No. 5 Tennessee at South Carolina

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Why watch: Tennessee can’t win the SEC, so all the Vols can do is keep winning impressively as they did in last week’s home finale against Missouri and hope the playoff committee likes their at-large resume. The bowl-eligible Gamecocks have a unique opportunity to shake up the playoff picture as the traditional season finale against Clemson will follow this final conference clash with Tennessee. The Gamecocks have not fared especially well against top-tier competition, having been nearly shut out by Georgia in September and with a fake punt providing the lone bright spot in last week’s loss at Florida. But QB Spencer Rattler might be able to find some targets against the Vols’ secondary that is not the team’s strong suit.

Why it could disappoint: The potent Tennessee aerial attack directed by QB Hendon Hooker, however, is the team’s calling card, and the Gamecocks aren’t likely to slow it down. The Vols will keep their collective foot on the gas for as long as possible to accumulate style points, which we’re told don’t exist but we know better.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football games to watch: USC-UCLA, Oregon-Utah lead Week 12