The College Football Anarchist's Guide To Week 12

We've been caught up all week in the start of college basketball, but the dripping craziness of a loaded Saturday of college football still looms large.  #2 Oregon has the week off, but the other five teams in the top six are all in action.  Four of them are on the road and not all of them are favored to win.

As always, all times are Central and all lines are courtesy of Bovada.

#1 Mississippi State (9-0) at #5 Alabama (8-1)

When: 2:30pm on CBS
Line: Alabama -9
Chances Of Losing: Someone has to.
Possible Chaos Level: Absolute.

Ok, I get that Alabama's pretty good, and I get that Alabama just won at LSU last week.  But how are the Crimson Tide favored by more than a touchdown?  Yeah, it's in Tuscaloosa, but the Bulldogs have been the consensus #1 team in the country for a while now.  Then again, that's just the gambling line, and Alabama fans are not known for their relatively stable attitudes towards their team.

If Alabama loses, their shot at the playoff is over.  Even after the win over LSU, they couldn't crack into the top 4, and they definitely won't do that with two losses and an Iron Bowl win over an Auburn team that's also not in contention.  If Mississippi State loses, they'll likely stay in the picture, if not the actual top four.  But at that point, the idea as to who the top team is will be a complete crap shoot.  Really, if you want things to go crazy, there's no downside to this game.

#3 Florida State (9-0) at Miami (6-3)

When: 7pm on ABC
Line: Florida State -3.5
Chances Of Losing: Medium High
Possible Chaos Level: Very High

Florida State is undefeated, but they're only the #3 team according to the CFP committee.  It would seem that if they were to lose to the Hurricanes, their chance of staying in the top four spots will be about zero, or at the very least, dependent on someone else losing.

I'm not sure what's causing the lack of interest in the Seminoles, nor do I understand the low line here.  I get that it's a road game, but it's not like Miami has been impressing this season.  FSU didn't destroy Virginia last week, but they were never really in any danger, either.  The Canes are undefeated at home this season, picking up wins against UNC, Duke, Cincinnati, Arkansas State, and Florida A&M.  That's not exactly a murderer's row, although it is Duke's only loss of the season.

#4 TCU (8-1) at Kansas (3-6)

When: 2pm on Fox Sports 1
Line: TCU -29
Chances Of Losing: Very Low
Possible Chaos Level: Very High

The Horned Frogs are probably not going to lose this game.  In fact, I'd wager that there's a better chance that TCU finds a way to top their 82-27 win over Texas Tech in this one.  Yes, it's a road game.  No, I don't think that has any impact on the final score.

#6 Arizona State (8-1) at Oregon State (4-5)

When: 9:45pm on ESPN
Line: Arizona State -8
Chances Of Losing: Medium High
Possible Chaos Level: Very Low

The national picture won't change all that much if the Sun Devils lose.  They're the #6 team for a reason. But the stakes are incredibly high for ASU.  This is their chance to prove that they belong in the top four by crushing the Beavers underneath their cleats.  Let's be honest: TCU's in the four pack right now because they destroyed Texas Tech, not just for their consecutive wins over ranked teams.  Oregon State has lost five of six, and Arizona State can't afford to make this game even stay close.  This is the first time we've talked about ASU all season, and I'd love to see them stay in the discussion the rest of the season.