Eight college football teams under the most pressure in Week 12

Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) passes against the Texas Tech Red Raiders last week. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Very few teams still contending for anything of note can afford to weather a loss at this point of the season, which means there were plenty of candidates for the list this week.

But these are the eight college football teams under the absolute most pressure in Week 12.

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1. BYU

Could BYU go from 8-0 and ranked in the top 10 to out of the College Football Playoff picture entirely in the span of eight days? It's possible.

The Cougars (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) had a very favorable schedule in the first half of the season, and to their credit, they handled business week after week, going from unranked in the preseason to one of the last remaining unbeaten teams in college football.

They also scored a key 24-21 win over a ranked rival, Utah, at home and avoided a letdown the next week by winning at Iowa State, landing at No. 7 in the initial CFP rankings last week.

Then they went to Lubbock ...

Facing only their second-ranked opponent of the season, BYU was rolled over 29-7 in a top-10 showdown with Texas Tech. The Cougars managed just 255 yards and were simply unable to rally from a sizable deficit, which has been a concern for a team that relies so heavily on its rushing attack.

Well, this week BYU plays TCU, and on the right day, the Horned Frogs and veteran QB Josh Hoover (2,690 yards, 23 TDs, 8 INTs) can light up the scoreboard with the best of them.

BYU's defense is legit, but the last time these teams met, in 2023, Hoover threw for 439 yards and 4 touchdowns.

BYU is a 4.5-point favorite, but there is upset potential here, and a second loss could be hard to overcome for the Cougars. They'd be in a potential glut of two-loss Big 12 teams trying to get into the conference championship game, depending on tiebreaker scenarios, and would absolutely need to win that (a likely rematch with Texas Tech if they did make it) to have a shot at the CFP.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian observes the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

2. Texas

What a crazy season it's been for Texas -- to go from preseason No. 1 to out of the rankings entirely and all the way back into the top 10 is ... something.

However, the reality for the No. 10 Longhorns (7-2, 4-1 SEC) is simple: they must win out to secure a spot in the playoff. No three-loss team earned an at-large berth last season, and the SEC has too many teams in the mix for the CFP as is.

That's a tall task going on the road Saturday to No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1) and closing out the schedule in two weeks vs. No. 3 Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0), but that's the cost of dropping that game at Florida last month.

Texas is a 6.5-point underdog in Athens but is riding the momentum of QB Arch Manning's two best games of the season, the last two times out -- 346 passing yards, 3 TDs (plus 1 rushing TD, 1 INT vs. Mississippi State and 328 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs in the win over Vanderbilt.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (10) looks for an open receiver during the NCAA college football game against Tennessee on November 1, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Oklahoma

Similarly, Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC) would look to be in a nice position at No. 11 in the CFP rankings, but it couldn't be more tenuous for the Sooners.

They go on the road Saturday at No. 4 Alabama (8-1, 6-0), and there will be no mercy afforded for even a competitive loss to a top-5 opponent. Oklahoma used up all its leeway in the losses to Texas and Ole Miss and, like the rival Longhorns, needs to win out to have any shot at the playoffs.

Oklahoma had as daunting a closing stretch of schedule as any team in the country, starting with that home loss to Ole Miss, followed by a 33-27 win at Tennessee two weeks ago, before a much-needed bye. After going into Tuscaloosa to tussle with the Tide this week, the Sooners still have games with Missouri and LSU to get through.

Oklahoma is a 5.5-point underdog with its back against the wall, needing to pull the upset against an Alabama team that has won eight straight and already knocked off four ranked SEC opponents. Now, that's pressure.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal talks to an official during a timeout in a game against the Syracuse Orange during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

4. Miami

Truth be told, No. 15 Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC) may not even have a path to the playoffs at this point, but to have any shot, the Hurricanes need to win out (and maybe win with style points).

The problem for the Hurricanes is that entering this weekend, there are five teams with just one ACC loss -- Georgia Tech, Virginia (its Week 2 loss to NC State actually counted as a non-conference game), Pittsburgh, SMU and Duke -- and Louisville is also at two ACC losses. The Mustangs and Cardinals hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami as well.

The point being, there's almost no way to envision the Hurricanes making the ACC championship game, which means their postseason fate will rest with the CFP selection committee. And the only reason the ACC got even one at-large berth into the CFP last year was because a three-loss Clemson team beat SMU in the conference championship game for the automatic berth, with the 11-win Mustangs also making it.

Miami closes with NC State, at Virginia Tech and at No. 22 Pittsburgh. If it can reach 10-2 and if Pitt (which plays No. 9 Notre Dame this week and at No. 16 Georgia Tech next week) is highly ranked entering that matchup, then there is at least a shot.

But counting on Mario Cristobal to win in November has proven to be a perilous proposition.

Miami is a 14.5-point favorite on Saturday against NC State and knows it's playing for its season, but let's remember that the Wolfpack has two wins over currently ranked teams — No. 19 Virginia and No. 16 Georgia Tech. Dave Doeren is a good coach with a talented young quarterback in CJ Bailey. This is no sure thing for the Hurricanes.

Virginia is hopeful to have quarterback Chandler Morris (concussion protocol) available Saturday with a pivotal ACC clash with Duke. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

5. Virginia

Speaking of Virginia ...

The No. 19 Cavaliers (8-2, 5-1 ACC) have seemed like a house of cards for a month now, from their narrow 22-20 win at home over lowly Washington State, followed by the 17-16 overtime win at North Carolina and then holding a three-point lead late at Cal before a pick-6 sealed it.

Playing with fire week after week finally burned the Cavs last week in a 16-9 loss to Wake Forest.

They will surely have to win the ACC championship and the conference's automatic playoff bid to secure a spot in the 12-team bracket now, and as mentioned earlier, that will likely come down to tiebreaker scenarios. Virginia can knock out one of its challengers, though, as it clashes with Duke (5-4, 4-1) on Saturday.

The Cavaliers are hopeful that starting quarterback Chandler Morris is cleared through concussion protocol and able to play in that game.

Duke is a 5.5-point favorite at home, though, and could dash Virginia's surprising playoff push for good.

No. 9 Notre Dame faces one of its toughest tests of the season Saturday vs. No. 22 Pittsburgh. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

6. Notre Dame

No top-10 team has done less to earn that stature than No. 9 Notre Dame (7-2), which lost its two biggest games to open the season (at Miami and home vs. Texas A&M in Weeks 1-2) while playing only one other ranked opponent since (a 34-24 win last month over now-No. 17 USC).

Needless to say, the Fighting Irish have to be on thin ice when it comes to their CFP hopes, and their toughest remaining obstacle comes Saturday vs. No. 22 Pittsburgh (7-2).

The Panthers have won five straight games and have been transformed since turning to true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel (302.2 passing yards per game in his five starts). Aside from a close call with Florida State, they've won the other four games in that stretch by 15 or more points.

It's a little surprising Notre Dame is a 12.5-point favorite given all of that.

USC has a tough test Saturday against Iowa. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

7. USC

The No. 17 Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) have everything in front of them in what could be a true statement season for fourth-year coach Lincoln Riley and the trajectory of his program after a two-year lull.

But this could just as easily turn into a continuation of unmet expectations for one of college football's highest-paid coaches if USC doesn't seize this opportunity.

With No. 21 Iowa and No. 8 Oregon the next two weeks before closing against rival UCLA, the Trojans can absolutely play their way into a CFP at-large berth (with the Big Ten championship likely off the table).

Riley hasn't yet shown that he can consistently win the big game at USC, though. The Trojans have one ranked win this season, over now-No. 18 Michigan, while losing to Notre Dame and to Illinois (which was ranked at the time).

USC fans were running out of patience with Riley after finishes of 8-5 and 7-6 the last two years (following an 11-win debut with the program), and that frustration will return in full if the Trojans lose at home this week -- as a 7.5-point favorite -- and see their CFP hopes dissipate before even getting to Eugene, Oregon, next week.

No. 5 Georgia hosts No. 10 Texas in the SEC's game of the week Saturday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

8. Georgia

The reality is that this Georgia team doesn't appear to be on the same level as Kirby Smart's best teams, even though the Bulldogs are 8-1, No. 5 in the CFP rankings, in the thick of the SEC championship race and firmly in control of their postseason path.

The 43-35 win over Ole Miss absolutely legitimizes the resume and the top-5 ranking, but look closer at the Bulldogs and what also stands out is needing overtime to beat a good but certainly not great Tennessee team, the loss at home to Alabama, having a controversial goal line fumble call keep them from being down 17-0 at Auburn and trailing Florida late in the fourth quarter before rallying.

All of that is to say that Georgia looks vulnerable as it hosts No. 10 Texas on Saturday night, and while a second loss doesn't take the Bulldogs out of the CFP picture, it could complicate things.

A loss Saturday would effectively take the Bulldogs out of the SEC race, so they'd need an at-large berth into the playoffs, which gets potentially tricky depending on how the rest of the dominoes fall in the SEC.

As a hypothetical, it's possible that Texas A&M, Alabama, and Ole Miss end the regular season with one loss (if the Aggies lose to Texas to close it out) and Texas finishes with two losses (and wins over Georgia and Texas A&M). In that scenario, the Bulldogs are the fifth SEC team and probably still make it in if they beat Georgia Tech in their regular-season finale, but with no margin for error in that game.

But what if the Texas scenario (beating Georgia and winning out) comes to fruition, and No. 11 Oklahoma beats Alabama this week, then closes strong against Missouri and LSU to finish 10-2? Then, Georgia might be the sixth SEC team hoping for an invite to the playoffs.

Regardless, if Georgia expects to be a national contender it should beat this Texas team at home.