College Football Playoff picks after Week 12
Ohio State gets to Taulia Tagovailoa and picks up the loose ball for a touchdown. (0:38)
Escape was the theme on Saturday.
College football’s final four unbeaten teams each got a test, and each passed heading into the final week of the regular season.
For TCU and Michigan it took last-minute field goals to win close games against Baylor (29-28) and Illinois (19-17), respectively.
How will Saturday’s top games affect the College Football Playoff chase? What are the current odds for the top four? The Allstate Playoff Predictor has the answers. Check back every week as the odds are updated following that week’s games.
Ohio State found itself trailing at halftime against Maryland, but a blocked punt to start the third quarter and a scoop-and-score in the final 10 seconds flipped the game just enough for a 43-30 win ahead of next week’s showdown against the Wolverines.
Georgia never trailed at Kentucky, but the Bulldogs nearly found themselves in a one-score game with less than 5 minutes remaining before Kentucky missed a field goal attempt. Georgia walked away with a 16-6 victory.
With a highly entertaining 48-45 win over UCLA in the late window, USC also jumped onto our list.
There is only one week left in the regular season — and strange things tend to happen during Rivalry Week. Then it’s on to the conference championship games and the final decision from the College Football playoff selection committee. So there’s plenty of time for more upsets, shakeups and controversies.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at how ESPN’s college football reporters see the current playoff picture.
Blake Baumgartner: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Bill Connelly: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Heather Dinich: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Michigan
David Hale: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Michigan
Chris Low: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. USC
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Alex Scarborough: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Michigan
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. TCU 4. Michigan
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU
Dave Wilson: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. TCU