CBS Sports expert gives six-pack of college football predictions in Week 12

Week 12 of college football is almost here. There are quite a few intriguing matchups on the weekend slate of games that could have major implications on the College Football Playoff. CBS Sports has released six predictions for the Week 12 slate of games, including a pair of very important top 25 matchups.

The six CBS predictions for Week 12

No. 7 Ohio State at No. 4 Michigan State: CBS tabs Ohio State at Michigan State as one of two Week 12 Games of the Week. The Buckeyes are a whopping 19-point favorite in the contest. CBS has Michigan State covering the spread in their Week 12 predictions, but picks Ohio State to come away with a 38-24 victory. The game is a huge one for both teams, as the loser is likely out of the College Football Playoff picture while the winner gets a massive resume booster in the penultimate week of the regular season.

No. 3 Oregon at No. 23 Utah: Oregon at Utah is the second Game of the Week for CBS. Utah is a three-point favorite at home over the College Football Playoff hopeful Ducks. Utah is a very good team that could present issues for Oregon. The Ducks need to win to stay alive in the CFP race, and CBS predicts that they will do just that with a 27-24 victory.

UCLA at USC: USC is trending in the wrong direction with three losses in the last four games. The only win was a close one against 1-9 Arizona. USC also lost star receiver Drake London with an injury. UCLA has had an up and down season and enter the matchup at 3.5-point favorites. This is the CBS Lock of the Week, and they predict the Bruins to win 38-31.

Iowa State at No. 13 Oklahoma: Oklahoma lost to Baylor last week to suffer its first loss of the season. Now, the path to the College Football Playoff is very cloudy for the Sooners. This week, Oklahoma takes on an Iowa State team that has played well late in the season. Oklahoma is a 3.5-point favorite, but the CBS Week 12 predictions tab Iowa State as the Underdog of the Week. CBS predicts that Oklahoma wins 30-28, but the Sooners don’t cover the spread.

Virginia Tech at Miami: Virginia Tech and Miami are two teams that have been incredibly inconsistent in the ACC this season. The Hokies defeated Duke last week but fired head coach Justin Fuente days later. With two inconsistent offenses in a tough matchup to predict, CBS picks this game as the Under of the Week. The over/under is set at 56, and CBS is calling the under with a 31-23 Miami win.

No. 10 Wake Forest at Clemson: This ACC matchup is a battle between two very different offensive teams. Wake Forest has one of the nation’s best offenses while Clemson’s has struggled mightily all season despite massive expectations. Clemson has a good defense, but Wake Forest is good enough to put plenty of points on the board. Wake Forest’s defense, though, is suspect, giving the Tigers an opportunity to score as well. This is the CBS Over of the Week with an over/under set at 56.5. The prediction has Clemson taking down Wake Forest 35-31 in Week 12.