As the College Football Playoff race intensifies, three pivotal matchups—Texas at Georgia, Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, and South Florida at Navy—will shape the postseason picture. Each game features ranked contenders with playoff aspirations, broadcast in key national time slots.
Georgia Hosts Texas in a Primetime SEC Showdown
The marquee matchup of Week 12 pits the No. 10 Texas Longhorns against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs at 7:30 PM ET on ABC, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. Georgia, fresh off a dominant 41–21 win over Mississippi StateUniversity of Georgia Athletics, looks to solidify its top-five standing. Quarterback Gunner Stockton, a Maxwell Award semifinalist, leads a balanced Bulldogs offense that averages 34.8 points per game.
Texas, meanwhile, enters with momentum after a 34–31 win over Vanderbilt. Arch Manning has thrown for over 2,000 yards this season, and the Longhorns boast a top-15 defense. A win in Athens would mark Texas’ third top-15 victory and keep them in control of their playoff destinyCBS Sports.
Notre Dame and Pitt Clash in a Noon ACC Thriller
At 12:00 PM ET on ABC, No. 9 Notre Dame visits No. 22 Pittsburgh in a game with major CFP implications. Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer will call the action. The Fighting Irish have surged with seven straight wins, including a 49–10 rout of Navy last weekfightingirish.com. Running back Jeremiyah Love and linebacker Benjamin Morrison are semifinalists for national awards, and Marcus Freeman’s defense ranks top-10 in points allowed.
Pitt counters with freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, who has led the Panthers to a 5–0 record since taking over midseason. With College GameDay in town and a raucous Acrisure Stadium expected, this ACC clash could be a playoff eliminator.
South Florida Eyes Statement Win at Navy
Also at noon, No. 24 South Florida travels to Navy on ESPN2, with Roy Philpott and Sam Acho in the booth. The Bulls, led by quarterback Byrum Brown—now a Davey O’Brien semifinalist—are 7–2 and second in the American Athletic ConferenceUSF Athletics. Their offense ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 42.0 points per game.
Navy, though unranked, has a history of disrupting playoff hopefuls with its triple-option attack. A win would vault USF into serious CFP consideration and set up a potential conference title run.
Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus
These three games—spanning noon to primetime—will serve as bellwethers for the 12-team College Football Playoff field. Georgia and Texas are both top-10 SEC powers with elite resumes. Notre Dame and Pitt represent the ACC’s best shot at a playoff berth. And USF, a Group of Five dark horse, could crash the party with a strong finish.
With College GameDay in Pittsburgh and national broadcasts across ABC and ESPN networks, Week 12 promises clarity—and chaos—in the playoff race.
