Week 12 was certainly a crazy one in college football.
It looked like we were gearing up for absolute madness when South Carolina jumped out to a 30-3 lead on No. 3 Texas A&M, but the Aggies remained unbeaten after pulling off the largest comeback win of the season so far. Still, there was plenty of chaos to be found.
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The SEC title race took a major turn with Alabama falling at home to Oklahoma, whose playoff chances suddenly look fairly strong. Texas, meanwhile, is no longer in contention for the CFP after a blowout loss to Georgia.
We got some more clarity on the chaotic ACC race, and now, it’s the Group of Five playoff race that looks about as wide-open as it could be with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Here are the winners and losers from Week 12 in college football.
Winner: Oklahoma’s massive road win keeps its playoff hopes alive
Nov 15, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners celebrate after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images
It hasn’t always been pretty this year for Oklahoma, and it certainly wasn’t on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. The Sooners totaled just 212 yards of offense and were nearly doubled up in yardage by Alabama, but it was Brent Venables’ team that eked out a one-point win.
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The OU defense, once again, deserves its flowers. The unit forced a fairly inefficient day from Heisman hopeful Ty Simpson and generated three turnovers, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The Sooners also bottled up Alabama’s struggling run game, allowing just 2.4 yards per carry on 33 attempts.
Is this a replicable result? Perhaps not. But Oklahoma has survived quite a few games like this in 2025, and as it moves to 8-2 on the season, its playoff hopes are very much alive. All Venables’ squad needs to do is win out in these final two weeks against Missouri and LSU, and it’s in the CFP.
The only question is whether John Mateer and the offense can do enough to win those games.
Loser: Alabama’s deficiencies finally rear their head
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 15: Ty Simpson #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts as he walks off the field agaisnt the Oklahoma Sooners during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Tide were on an eight-game winning streak after a Week 1 loss to Florida State that is hard to wrap one’s head around in hindsight, but it’s not like there weren’t signs of problems.
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Alabama had two glaring weaknesses that felt like they could ultimately cost them in January: It can’t run the ball, and it can’t stop the run, either. Well, at least one of those issues caught up with the Crimson Tide earlier than we thought.
The run game just didn’t get the job done against Oklahoma, and that put even more pressure on Simpson and the passing game against a stingy OU defense. Though Simpson eclipsed 300 yards, it took him 42 attempts to do so, and he was held to just one touchdown.
The Tide had to get one-dimensional, and it cost them in this one. Defensively, Alabama played well enough to win the game. The Sooners, who struggle perhaps even more than ‘Bama in the run game, had about as efficient a day on the ground as Kalen DeBoer’s team did. Mateer, who threw for less than 150 yards, wasn’t much better.
But in a low-scoring game, it came down to the margins, and the turnovers proved to be the difference in this one. Alabama is likely still heading to the playoff, but now, DeBoer will face Auburn in the Iron Bowl in two weeks under tremendous pressure with an SEC title berth and CFP bid on the line.
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Winner: Notre Dame dominates in ranked showdown on the road
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 15: Jeremiyah Love #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with Adon Shuler #8 as they walk off the field following a 37-15 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers during the game at Acrisure Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Though Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi made it clear that he didn’t care at all about what happened in Saturday’s showdown in the Steel City, this one was an important one for Notre Dame, which entered with two losses and couldn’t afford another if it wanted to keep its CFP hopes alive.
It was never in doubt as the Fighting Irish dominated from start to finish in a 37-15 win, and their defense made things tough on true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, who was held 126 yards with no touchdowns and threw a pick-six that allowed Notre Dame to go up 14-0 early in the first quarter.
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Jeremiyah Love had another huge day on the ground, pacing a 175-yard rushing performance from the Irish with 147 yards himself. It wasn’t all perfect for the Notre Dame offense as CJ Carr tossed a pair of interceptions, but it was still a dominant performance on the road against a ranked foe.
Though there were questions earlier in the season, it’s become clear that a 10-2 Notre Dame team will be playing in the CFP. With remaining games against Syracuse and Stanford, it would be legitimately shocking if that doesn’t happen.
Loser: It’s officially a failed season for Texas
Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Steve Sarkisian has Texas in the best spot the program has been in since the Mack Brown era began to wane in the early 2010s. His 32 wins and pair of CFP appearances in the last three years attest to that.
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Still, there’s no escaping the fact that this year’s team has been a complete failure. Texas began the year with a preseason No. 1 ranking, but it’s now effectively eliminated from the playoff race after a 35-10 loss at Georgia that dropped it to 10-2.
Losses to Georgia and Ohio State are understandable, but it’s the road loss to Florida with a lame-duck head coach in the Swamp that really stings and could ultimately prove to be what kept Texas out of the playoff.
As we evaluate what went wrong in Austin this year, much of the conversation will center around Arch Manning, who had his moments but has largely been disappointing for a former No. 1 recruit who began the year as the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman. While that’s fair, it doesn’t tell the full story.
Namely, it’s the lines of scrimmage where Texas failed to live up to expectations the most. The offensive line has been a problem all season, and against the Bulldogs, the Longhorns totaled just 23 rushing yards on 17 carries. Defensively, Texas fared a bit better but still allowed 357 yards to UGA.
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The final score is a bit misleading here as Georgia ran away late in a game that was 14-10 entering the fourth quarter, but Kirby Smart’s team eventually wore Texas down. For a team as talented as the Longhorns, that shouldn’t happen.
Does this mean much for Steve Sarkisian’s future at Texas? Definitely not, or at least, it shouldn’t. But this was a trendy preseason national title pick, and after missing the playoff entirely, it will certainly be a tough offseason of evaluations for Sark and the gang.
Quick Hitters
Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Gabe Harris Jr. (0) celebrates during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Loser: Louisville
The train has completely fallen off the tracks at Louisville, and the Cardinals’ ACC hopes came to an end on Friday night with a home loss to Clemson.
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Loser: South Carolina
I don’t know what else to even say. Just an absolutely brutal way to lose a football game and be eliminated from bowl contention.
Winner: Georgia
The Bulldogs are really hitting their stride in November. I don’t think this is a matchup anyone wants to see in the playoff.
Loser: TCU
Despite being just three years removed from a national title appearance, it seems fans in Fort Worth are souring on Sonny Dykes. A blowout loss to BYU is not going to remedy the situation.
Winner: Utah
Utah absolutely bullied Baylor en route to a 55-28 win, but it will need some help in the form of a BYU loss to either Cincinnati or UCF to get another shot at Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game.
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Loser: Baylor
I’m not sure Baylor wants to join a crowded coaching market. Still, a Dave Aranda-coached defense being this bad is completely inexplicable.
Loser: Boston College
It was an absolutely heartbreaking Saturday for Boston College, which fell to 1-10 after squandering a 28-17 fourth-quarter lead against ACC-leading Georgia Tech.
Winner: USC
The Trojans battled through one of the rare rainy fall days in Los Angeles to earn a gutsy win over Iowa and remain in contention for the CFP.
Winner: Virginia
The Hoos shrugged off a tough loss to Wake Forest to beat Duke convincingly on the road and stay in the ACC driver’s seat.
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Loser: Duke
So much for our dreams of a four-loss ACC champion.
Winner: Navy
The Mids shocked South Florida on Saturday, and now, they have a very real path to a College Football Playoff bid.
Loser: South Florida
Meanwhile, the crystal clear path for the Bulls is now murky, and they’re going to need quite a bit of help just to reach the American title game.
Winner: Arizona State
It’s been a rough season for the injury-plagued Sun Devils, but even without Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, they continue to find ways to win and sit at a respectable 7-3 after holding on to beat West Virginia.
Loser: Michigan State
In a battle between two teams winless in Big Ten play, it was the Spartans that fell to 3-7 after losing to an interim head coach. I don’t know if Michigan State really wants to be looking for a coach right now, but this is starting to feel like an untenable situation for Jonathan Smith.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: College football winners and losers from Week 12: Oklahoma’s statement
