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CFB Week 12 winners, losers
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. David Leong-Imagn Images

CFB Week 12 winners, losers: Oklahoma, Georgia appear formidable after statement Top 25 wins

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated Nov 16, 2025 9:03 AM ET

Another week of the college football regular season is in the books, and with it, another round of our winners and losers.

Here is the best and worst from Week 12.

Winner: Oklahoma Sooners

College Football Playoff No. 11 Oklahoma's odds of making the 12-team field increased substantially with its 23-21 road win at No. 4 Alabama (8-2, 6-1 in SEC). The Crimson Tide out-gained Oklahoma by nearly 200 yards, 406-212, but the Sooners (8-2, 4-2 in SEC) stayed in the game by forcing three turnovers, including a pick-six, and sacking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson four times. Alabama also had more three-and-outs (four) than scoring drives (three).

Oklahoma has back-to-back impressive road wins against No. 23 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 in SEC) and Alabama, plus a significant out-of-conference win versus No. 18 Michigan (8-2, 6-1 in Big Ten), bolstering its resume for an at-large playoff berth. With wins in their next two home games against Missouri (7-3, 3-3 in SEC) and LSU (6-4, 3-4 in SEC), the Sooners will punch their first CFP ticket since 2019.

Loser: South Carolina Gamecocks

It's been all downhill for South Carolina since reaching No. 10 in the Associated Press top 25 poll at the end of Week 1, its highest ranking since 2014. The Gamecocks hit another level of futility on Saturday, blowing a 27-point halftime lead at No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 in SEC) in a 31-30 loss.

South Carolina (3-7, 1-7 in SEC) benefited from several miscues when building a 30-3 lead, including two missed Texas A&M field goals and four drops. But once the Aggies stopped playing junior college football in the second half, it was game over. The Gamecocks allowed touchdowns on A&M's first four offensive drives to easily give up the lead. They were out-gained 371-76 over the game's final 30 minutes.

South Carolina's second-half collapse should mark the end of the Shane Beamer era. The defeat was emblematic of the Gamecocks' lost season, one that began with so much potential but fell apart at the first sign of adversity.

Winner: Heisman Trophy pandering

On a day Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza may have given himself an insurmountable lead in the Heisman race, No. 6 Texas Tech (10-1, 7-1 in Big 12) kept things interesting by showcasing linebacker Jacob Rodriguez's all-around game in a 48-9 win over UCF (4-6, 1-6 in Big 12).

In addition to notching his fourth interception, the dark horse Heisman candidate, who had a team-high nine tackles, scored a rushing touchdown, adding another clip to his "For Your Consideration" reel.

We applaud the blatant attempt to curry support for his Heisman pursuit. We also can't wait for Rodriguez to kick a winning 50-yard field goal at the buzzer next Saturday. Anything less will be a disappointment.

Loser: Two Group of Five CFP teams

Duke's 34-17 loss to No. 19 Virginia (9-2, 6-1 in ACC) erases a doomsday scenario for the ACC. The Blue Devils, despite losing three non-conference games, controlled their destiny regarding winning the ACC entering Saturday, which would have paved the way for two Group of Five conference winners to be among the five highest-ranked title-game champs and receive automatic CFP berths. 

With Duke no longer a factor, a potential one-loss Sun Belt champion, James Madison, will compete with the wide-open American Conference winner for the last bid. North Texas and Tulane are the favorites, but Navy (8-2, 6-1 in American), which defeated No. 24 South Florida (7-3, 4-2 in American), 41-38, can't be counted out even though its season doesn't end until the annual Army-Navy game on Dec. 13, six days after the CFP field is set and six days before the first-round kicks off.

Winner: Not-so-meaningless rivalry trophies

Amid lost seasons in which both programs fired their head coaches, Penn State (4-6, 1-6 in Big Ten) and LSU found something to celebrate with rivalry wins to secure two of the more majestic (some may argue obnoxious) trophies in college football.

Penn State secured the Land Grant Trophy, a 76.2-pound behemoth that one former Nittany Lions equipment manager suggested should go to the loser "because it was such a pain to haul around," with a 28-10 win over Michigan State (3-7, 0-7 in Big Ten). Meanwhile, LSU defeated Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 in SEC), 23-22, to keep the Golden Boot trophy, a 24-karat gold outline of the Arkansas and Louisiana borders, in Baton Rouge for the fourth consecutive season. In our championship-or-bust climate, rivalry trophies have lost their relevance. But they still mean something. Just ask Penn State and LSU.

Loser: Almost upsets

Chaos was in the air on Saturday, but rationality prevailed. In addition to South Carolina's almost-stunner, several other ranked teams survived scares against unranked opponents.

Michigan responded to squandering a 21-9 fourth-quarter lead against Northwestern (5-5, 3-4 in Big Ten) at Wrigley Field with a walk-off field goal in a 24-22 win. No. 16 Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1 in ACC) erased an 11-point deficit to Boston College (1-10, 0-7 in ACC) in a 36-34 win, and No. 7 Ole Miss capped the day beating Florida (3-6, 2-4 in SEC), 34-24, after entering the fourth quarter trailing 24-20.

Saturday was nearly filled with unimaginable upsets. Maybe next week.

Winner: Georgia Bulldogs

No. 5 Georgia (9-1, 7-1 in SEC) played its most complete game of the season, likely eliminating No. 10 Texas (7-3, 4-2 in SEC) from the CFP discussion with a 35-10 win. The Bulldogs need help to make it to Atlanta the first weekend of December for the SEC title game, but they looked closer to a national champion contender than they have all season. 

Georgia won in the trenches, out-rushing Texas, 132-19. The defense had seven tackles for loss, including three sacks, along with an interception and a forced fumble. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton was remarkably efficient, finishing 24-of-29 for 229 yards, five total touchdowns and an interception. For the first time this season, the Bulldogs played up to their potential for four quarters. That's bad news for the rest of college football.

Eric Smithling
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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