Watching College Football: Week 12 2024
Down to brass tacks.
No one knows where the phrase “let’s get down to brass tacks” came from.
It could come from the furnishing industry, a saying by upholsterers referring to stripping back a piece of furniture down to its bottom layer, which had brass tacks.
Or it’s an American allusion to tacks hammered into a tailor’s counter to give them measuring points.
Or (most hilariously) it may be a Cockney mispronunciation of “hard facts.”
I have no idea. All I know is that I need to get down to brass tacks with this week’s newsletter. See, I’m on a trip and I’ve got limited time to spare.
Thankfully, this college football season waits for no one either. So let’s go!
FREE SLATE
Middle
Not a ton that’s truly impactful happening in this time slot, so take in a matinee movie or go on an adventure with someone you love!
EARLY SLATE
Big Screen
Clemson at Pitt
12:00pm/11:00am (ESPN)
Two teams playing to stay in the Playoff hunt. Clemson followed up an early embarassment against Georgia with a tear through an abysmally weak ACC, faltering only when they played someone reputable like Louisville. Pitt is no pushover. The Tigers must keep the good times rolling. To do that, the defense must be much better than it has been. Unlike Clemson’s championship-winning editions from previous years, this one’s meh across the board.
Pitt shouldn’t be here, contending. No one thought they would be. But they’ve ridden Eli Holstein’s arm and a stingy run defense to the top of the conference. Sadly, they’re on a two-game slide and Holstein was banged up last week. If he can go, and the indicators are favorable on that count, the Panthers can do the unthinkable and knock off mighty Dabo’s crew.
Small Screen
Texas at Arkansas
12:00pm/11:00am (ABC)
Clemson/Pitt has to get top billing because it’s got two ranked teams playing, but if you ask me, this is the best game of this Slate. Why? Simple: for a top-tier team, Texas has some notable flaws. They rely too much on their defense, which occasionally has issues stopping the run, and they can’t really run the ball themselves. Oh, and they don’t have a top-25 win.
The Razorbacks need to turn a thing or two around to have a shot here. The offense can keep up with Texas on the scoring front. It’s balanced, brutal, and dangerous. But while the front seven’s fantastic on defense, Arkansas lacks a secondary. They’re 125th in the nation in pass defense. That unit must step up this week, and if it does Sam Pittman’s squad might show us something really special.
Watch The Score
Utah at Colorado (12pm/11am, FOX)
Tulane at Navy (12pm/11am, ESPN2)
MIDDLE SLATE
Big Screen
LSU at Florida
3:30pm/2:30pm (ABC)
With last week’s drubbing at Alabama’s hands, the Bayou Bengals are out of Playoff contention, and looking to obliterate someone. They still have the passing attack to do it, boasting a diverse cadre of receivers and Garrett Nussmeier slinging the ball all around the gridiron. Thanks to that attack, they hold the ball for long periods of time, which is a good thing because their defense is not great!
Florida is not built to take advantage of this opportunity. Phenom DJ Lagway is about a 50/50 shot to play as of this writing. When he’s on the field, Florida’s passing game’s competent. He adds an offensive spark that’s otherwise missing from this lackluster squad. It doesn’t help when your AD gives your embattled head coach the dreaded “vote of confidence” before the season’s even over. Gators fans are tuned out and dissatisfied. Their team could do a lot toward making amends with a win here.
Small Screen
Baylor at West Virginia
4:00pm/3:00pm (ESPN2)
Hear me out. I know I’m zagging where I usually zig, but I solemnly swear that I have a good reason: this one’s for bowl eligibility. The Bears have proven they’re better than their record. They started 2-4, but those losses were to Utah, Colorado (on an insane Hail Mary), juggernaut BYU, and solid Iowa State. Baylor could do better at holding the ball longer on offense (they are literally the worst team in America at this), but otherwise they’re on the rise and rounding into a vulnerable back half of their schedule, riding a three-game win streak.
Baylor’s near-exact clone is West Virginia. Same record, same proficiencies across the board…except the Mountaineers are sizably worse at stopping big pass plays. They went 1-2 in out of conference tilts, dropping contests against Playoff chasers Penn State and Pitt, but otherwise they’ve looked just fine. They should match up very well against Waco’s finest, and this should be a great game.
Watch The Score
Boston College at SMU (3:30pm/2:30pm, ESPN)
Missouri at South Carolina (4:15pm/3:15pm, SEC Network)
Virginia at Notre Dame (3:30pm/2:30pm, NBC)
NIGHT SLATE
Big Screen
Tennessee at Georgia
7:30pm/6:30pm (ABC)
Biggest game of the weekend. Hands down. If you told me the Vols would have the better record rounding into this matchup at the beginning of the year, I would have laughed at you. But they do, and while Nico Iamaleava gets all the media attention under center, Dylan Sampson rolls over opposing defensive fronts and Tennessee’s large orange wrecking crew stifles opposing attempts to score. A victory over the Dawgs would bolster their Playoff credentials and knock Georgia out of contention.
Yeah, speaking of the Dawgs, they’re not what they were. Ole Miss made sure to show that off last week, shutting down anything resembling a run and making Carson Beck see ghosts. Sure, Georgia’s defense is still top-flight and will keep them in every contest, but that’s only half the battle, and when your offense can be made one-dimensional, that creates a significant problem.
Small Screen
Oregon at Wisconsin
7:30pm/6:30pm (NBC)
The Quack Pack is back, jack! (I workshopped that for a while in my head.) Oregon’s undefeated and deserving of college football’s top spot. They do everything very well except run the ball. That they do only moderately well. (Gasp!) It’s been enough to garner victories over everyone, including Playoff near-certainties like Ohio State and Boise State.
They could trip on some Badgers here, though. Wisconsin is interesting. They’re not elite on offense by any stretch, but their defense is oppressive, and their secondary especially. It holds opposing QBs under 160 yards on average per game, and on that metric at least ranks within the top 10 in college football. A low-scoring game where Dillon Gabriel makes too many mistakes, and Wisconsin could give the nation’s number one team a fright.
Watch The Score
Arizona State at Kansas State (7pm/6pm, ESPN)
Cincinnati at Iowa State (8pm/7pm, FOX)
Boise State at San Jose State (7pm/6pm, CBS Sports Network)
LATE SLATE
Kansas at BYU
10:15pm/9:15pm (ESPN)
The Jayhawks are the best 3-6 team I’ve ever seen. They’ve figured out the formula: let Devin Neal cook. He’s a brilliant running talent, and when he’s on, things just fall into place. Coming off a victory over Iowa State, Kansas would love to add another high-flying Big 12 team to their trophies, and because this conference is determined to devour itself whole this year, they just might pull it off.
The Cougs are just glad to be out of Rice-Eccles Stadium, meanwhile. The Holy War came down to a controversial call, but Utah, if you have to rely on the refs then you didn’t do enough to win. BYU soldiers on, hoping to put that nastiness behind them. They’re the Big 12’s best Playoff hope, and they don’t have a stellar offense to show, but their defense limits big plays (especially through the air).