Here are Week 12’s school soccer video games with the largest Playoff implications

The Athletic has stay protection of Notre Dame vs. Pitt and Texas vs. Georgia from Saturday’s school soccer motion.

With solely three weeks remaining within the common season, convention title races and the College Football Playoff bracket are coming into focus, together with must-win conditions for plenty of groups.

Here are the highest 10 video games of Week 12, and the way they issue into the Playoff dialogue, beginning with a couple of honorable mentions and counting down.

Honorable Mention: Clemson at No. 20 Louisville (Fri.), Minnesota at No. 8 Oregon (Fri.), South Carolina at No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 18 Michigan at Northwestern, North Texas at UAB, UCF at No. 6 Texas Tech, App State at JMU, Memphis at ECU, Florida at No. 7 Ole Miss

(All level spreads are courtesy BetMGM. All kickoff occasions are Eastern and on Saturday until in any other case famous.)

10. Arizona (6-3) at No. 25 Cincinnati (7-2), Noon, FS1

This one is usually about establishing subsequent week’s matchup between Cincinnati and BYU. A win for the Bearcats — coming off a bye and blowout loss at Utah, their first in convention play — would hold them controlling their very own future to the Big 12 championship sport, with the Cougars and at TCU remaining. Arizona has been a lot better in Year 2 underneath Brent Brennan, however must battle time zones and physique clocks for a midday Eastern kickoff.

Line: Cincinnati -6

9. NC State (5-4) at No. 15 Miami (7-2), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

How ridiculous is the ACC? Miami is the convention’s highest-ranked staff within the eyes of the CFP committee at No. 15, but sits seventh within the league standings. There are 5 groups with one convention loss, all forward of two-loss Miami, in addition to two-loss Louisville. There’s fleeting hope for the Hurricanes to succeed in the Playoff — The Athletic’s projection mannequin places the percentages at 7 p.c. Even the non-conference win over Notre Dame has carried out them little good, ranked six spots under the Irish with the identical variety of losses. Beyond the ACC consuming its personal and sneaking the Canes into the ACC championship sport — which shouldn’t be dominated out! — Miami must win out and hope for continued ACC chaos.

Line: Miami -14.5

8. No. 13 Utah (7-2) at Baylor (5-4), 7 p.m., ESPN2

The Utes have a blowout loss to Texas Tech, a detailed loss to BYU, a blowout win over Cincinnati and little else of observe on the resume. But that’s sufficient to be No. 13 within the eyes of the CFP committee. The Utes end at Baylor, dwelling for Kansas State and at Kansas — three winnable video games. What occurs if Utah wins out and the groups close to it within the rankings slip up? It’s uncertain the Utes will make the Big 12 title sport, and The Athletic’s projection offers them a 22-percent likelihood on the CFP … however may 10-2 be sufficient to sneak in as an at-large?

Line: Utah -7.5

7. No. 24 South Florida (7-2) at Navy (7-2), Noon, ESPN2

Entering the weekend, the winner of the American Conference nonetheless appears almost certainly to nab that fifth automated bid to the 12-team Playoff. USF is tops amongst Group of 5 faculties in The Athletic’s projections with a 34-percent likelihood to make the CFP, adopted by North Texas with a 23-percent likelihood after which James Madison within the Sun Belt (21 p.c). After a 7-0 begin, Navy has been thumped its final two video games in opposition to North Texas and Notre Dame, however the Mids are the hardest remaining regular-season take a look at for the Bulls, who’ve at UAB and residential in opposition to Rice on deck. A win on Saturday would set the desk for USF to succeed in the convention title sport in a still-crowded American race.

Line: USF -10

6. No. 19 Virginia (8-2) at Duke (5-4), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Among the various peculiarities of the ACC is the truth that 5-4 Duke, recent off a loss to UConn, is 4-1 in convention and within the hunt for an ACC championship. The Blue Devils went 1-3 in non-conference however have solely misplaced to Georgia Tech in league play. Also bizarre: Virginia, 5-1 within the ACC, has two losses total, one among which is a non-conference sport in opposition to … NC State, a fellow ACC member. Now each groups are combating to remain within the combine for probably the most wide-open energy convention. Of the 5 present groups with one loss in convention play, the one remaining matchup except for this one is Pitt at Georgia Tech subsequent weekend. Get able to bust out the tiebreaker situations.

Line: Duke -4

5. No. 21 Iowa (6-3) at No. 17 USC (7-2), 3:30 p.m., BTN

A USC win retains its at-large CFP hopes alive — presently 20 p.c, in response to our mannequin — with a possible Playoff elimination assembly at Oregon subsequent Saturday. At 5-1 in Big Ten play, the Trojans are nonetheless trying up at Ohio State and Indiana, however a victory over Iowa would bode properly for a two-loss winner of USC at Oregon on Nov. 22 to make it as an at-large, if Oregon beats Minnesota this week. Getting there gained’t be a simple activity for the Trojans, as Iowa showcased in opposition to the Ducks final week, shedding 18-16 on a last-second subject aim.

Line: USC -6.5

4. TCU (6-3) at No. 12 BYU (8-1), 10:15 p.m., ESPN

A “Big 12 After Dark” nightcap to shut the loop. A BYU victory, paired with a Cincinnati win earlier within the day, would arrange a ranked BYU-at-Cincinnati conflict subsequent weekend with enormous Big 12 title stakes. The Cougars obtained bottled up (solely 255 whole yards) on the highway at Texas Tech for his or her first lack of the season, however nonetheless management their path to the Big 12 championship sport. The first problem is a TCU squad coming off a loss to Iowa State but prime 10 in passing offense at 300-plus yards a sport. A BYU loss would put the league’s hopes of a number of CFP groups in jeopardy.

Line: BYU -3.5

3. No. 9 Notre Dame (7-2) at No. 22 Pittsburgh (7-2), Noon, ABC

Allow us to introduce probably the most influential staff within the CFP rat race: Pitt! Winners of 5 straight and the highest scoring offense within the ACC (39.7 factors per sport), the Panthers have Notre Dame, at No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 15 Miami the remainder of the best way. Pitt’s greatest likelihood to make the CFP is successful the ACC crown, which has nothing to do with Saturday’s non-conference showdown, as Pat Narduzzi (hilariously) acknowledged this week. However, taking down Notre Dame widens the trail for the ACC and everybody else — the Irish are a close to lock for the Playoff with a win, however their odds drop to 30 p.c with a 3rd loss, in response to our mannequin.

Line: Notre Dame -12.5

2. No. 11 Oklahoma (7-2) at No. 4 Alabama (8-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC

The first of two blockbuster SEC video games that might reshape the Playoff. This one is a must-win for Oklahoma, presently the “first team out” of the 12-team subject. The Athletic’s projection mannequin offers the Sooners a 22-percent likelihood to succeed in the CFP; a win bumps that as much as 52 p.c, with Missouri and LSU left to play, however a loss plummets them to three p.c. Oklahoma’s protection, sixth in FBS at 4.2 yards per play allowed, relented a bit within the loss to Ole Miss and highway upset over Tennessee, however the staff ought to be well-rested coming off a bye. For Alabama and Heisman hopeful quarterback Ty Simpson, a win basically locks down a CFP spot.

Line: Alabama -6

1. No. 10 Texas (7-2) at No. 5 Georgia (8-1), 7:30 p.m., ABC

The Longhorns have an uphill climb to succeed in the Playoff, and it begins with one other must-win on Saturday. An upset would increase Texas’s CFP possibilities from 8 to 35 p.c in The Athletic’s mannequin, with dwelling video games in opposition to Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M to complete out the common season. A loss drops these odds to 2 p.c. Quarterback Arch Manning seemed just like the participant we anticipated to see this season within the win over Vanderbilt (25 of 33, 328 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT), the protection remains to be formidable (34 sacks, plus-8 turnover margin), and Texas has gained 4 in a row to scratch again into the highest 10. But that ugly October loss to Florida will possible doom the Horns until they will topple Georgia, which is managing simply nice with Gunner Stockton behind heart.

Line: Georgia -6.5