Your assumptions are no longer valid.
Kansas State entered the weekend as the most balanced team in college football. Through 11 weeks, Baylor ranked 120th in yards allowed and 118th in points allowed. But last night in Waco, the Wildcats were unable to do much of anything on offense. Collin Klein had never thrown more than one interception in a game in his career; he threw 3 against the Bears. Kansas State was averaging 213 rushing yards per game, but Baylor limited them to just 76 rushing yards. The Wildcats hadn’t allowed more than 30 points in a game this year; Baylor scored 52 points in the first three quarters and ended the game with 580 yards of offense. The most balanced and consistent team in the country was demolished by one of the most one-dimensional teams in college football.
Who needs Andrew Luck?
In their first years in the post-Andrew Luck and post-Robert Griffin III, the Stanford and Baylor programs dominated the college football headlines on the most important weekend of the season. For the first time in five years, the #1 and #2 teams in the BCS fell on the same day, rendering all of our national championship game assumptions moot.
This much is clear: if Notre Dame defeats USC at the Coliseum on Saturday, the Fighting Irish are going to the BCS National Championship Game. The winner of the SEC Championship Game is going there as well, barring an upset by Georgia Tech in Athens this weekend. [1]No, we’re not getting into hypotheticals that involve Auburn beating Alabama. I maintain that Georgia is far less deserving of its spot in Atlanta than Florida, who has the most impressive trio of wins this year by defeating LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina. Georgia lost to South Carolina but beat Florida, which gave them the tiebreaker and the division crown. But the real key for Bulldogs was that they faced Mississippi and Auburn in the West, not LSU and A&M; as a result, they are the SEC East Champions.
But now is the time for more relevant debates. Assuming an upset — either by USC, or by Georgia Tech coupled with a Georgia upset against Alabama — who is next in line? At that point, four teams will have legitimate claims for the other golden ticket: Florida, Florida State, Oregon, and Kansas State. Fortunately, the Gators and Seminoles play each other on Saturday, which would leaves us with just three promising candidates.
If they defeat Florida State, Florida is the clear “next team up” following a slip-up by Notre Dame or in the event of a two-loss SEC Champ. The computers would love them due to their strength of schedule, and the voters should love them for the same reason and the bump they would get for defeating Florida State.
If FSU wins, their case is much weaker. The computers hate them, and for good reason: they haven’t beaten any good teams. Defeating the Gators would give them a big bump, and they’ll get a chance to beat mediocre team in the ACC Championship Game, but consider: Outside of 10-1 Clemson, each of FSU’s other 9 victories have come against ACC, Big East, or FCS schools that have at least 5 losses. And how good is Clemson? Yes, they have a nice record, but their 10 wins have come against Ball State (#64 in the SRS), and ACC, SEC, or FCS teams with at least five losses.
According to the SRS, North Carolina is the 3rd best team in the conference and they rank 45th. FSU lost to a bad N.C. State team, while while Oregon (in particular) and Kansas State have much more palatable losses. FSU’s argument would be two parts “we lost earliest” and one part “we beat Florida and Clemson, even if Clemson hasn’t beaten anybody.” Florida State’s overall strength of schedule is far inferior to that both Oregon’s and Kansas State’s. In my opinion, even with a win over Florida, the Seminoles likely do not jump both Oregon and Kansas State in the BCS, nor should they.
And consider: if Stanford defeats UCLA this weekend, the Cardinal — and not Oregon — would win the Pac-12 North, which would deal a significant blow to Nike University. Kansas State still needs to get by Texas, but tonight might not end up being a season killer. At this point, they need to root for USC and Florida State, which is historically not a bad position to be in. My guess is Kansas State is next in line after an undefeated Notre Dame, a one-loss SEC Champ, and a one-loss Florida team. It’s possible only one of those three exist by the end of the season.
Let’s take a look at the SRS ratings after 11 weeks. As always, thanks to Dr. Peter R. Wolfe. [2]In the interest of time, I called the Oregon State-Cal game at 55-14, the score early in the fourth quarter. The final score was 62-14.
| Rk | Team | Conf | Conf Rk | G | MOV | SOS | SRS | REC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | SEC | 1 | 11 | 23.1 | 41.7 | 64.8 | 10-1 |
| 2 | Oregon | P12 | 1 | 11 | 23.5 | 41.1 | 64.6 | 10-1 |
| 3 | Texas A&M | SEC | 2 | 11 | 17.5 | 43.2 | 60.7 | 9-2 |
| 4 | Kansas St | B12 | 1 | 11 | 16.6 | 43.3 | 59.9 | 10-1 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | B12 | 2 | 10 | 15.3 | 43.5 | 58.8 | 8-2 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | IND | -- | 11 | 15 | 42.9 | 57.9 | 11-0 |
| 7 | Florida | SEC | 3 | 11 | 13 | 44.3 | 57.4 | 10-1 |
| 8 | Georgia | SEC | 4 | 11 | 16.9 | 40.3 | 57.1 | 10-1 |
| 9 | Oregon St | P12 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 46.9 | 55.9 | 8-2 |
| 10 | Stanford | P12 | 3 | 11 | 9.9 | 45.7 | 55.5 | 9-2 |
| 11 | LSU | SEC | 5 | 11 | 11.5 | 44 | 55.5 | 9-2 |
| 12 | Florida St | ACC | 1 | 11 | 23.5 | 31.8 | 55.3 | 10-1 |
| 13 | Oklahoma St | B12 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 41.2 | 55.2 | 7-3 |
| 14 | South Carolina | SEC | 6 | 11 | 12.5 | 41.8 | 54.2 | 9-2 |
| 15 | Southern Cal | P12 | 4 | 11 | 9.7 | 44.1 | 53.8 | 7-4 |
| 16 | Texas | B12 | 4 | 10 | 9.8 | 43.8 | 53.6 | 8-2 |
| 17 | Clemson | ACC | 2 | 11 | 17.6 | 35.7 | 53.4 | 10-1 |
| 18 | UCLA | P12 | 5 | 11 | 11.3 | 41.6 | 52.9 | 9-2 |
| 19 | Ohio State | B10 | 1 | 11 | 14.3 | 38.5 | 52.8 | 11-0 |
| 20 | Utah St | WAC | 1 | 11 | 16.7 | 34.9 | 51.6 | 9-2 |
| 21 | Arizona St | P12 | 6 | 11 | 9.1 | 42.1 | 51.2 | 6-5 |
| 22 | Michigan | B10 | 2 | 11 | 10.4 | 40.5 | 50.9 | 8-3 |
| 23 | Nebraska | B10 | 3 | 11 | 10.7 | 39.9 | 50.5 | 9-2 |
| 24 | Baylor | B12 | 5 | 10 | 4.7 | 45.8 | 50.5 | 5-5 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | B10 | 4 | 11 | 8.8 | 41.3 | 50.1 | 7-4 |
| 26 | Arizona | P12 | 7 | 11 | 3.5 | 45.6 | 49.1 | 7-4 |
| 27 | Fresno St | MWC | 1 | 11 | 15 | 34 | 49.1 | 8-3 |
| 28 | Brigham Young | IND | -- | 11 | 9.9 | 38.9 | 48.8 | 6-5 |
| 29 | Texas Tech | B12 | 6 | 11 | 5.4 | 42.5 | 47.9 | 7-4 |
| 30 | Penn State | B10 | 5 | 11 | 9.5 | 37.9 | 47.4 | 7-4 |
| 31 | Mississippi St | SEC | 7 | 11 | 7.9 | 39 | 46.9 | 8-3 |
| 32 | Iowa St | B12 | 7 | 11 | 1.8 | 45.1 | 46.9 | 6-5 |
| 33 | San José St | WAC | 2 | 11 | 13.2 | 33.5 | 46.7 | 9-2 |
| 34 | Boise St | MWC | 2 | 11 | 14.3 | 32.4 | 46.6 | 9-2 |
| 35 | Washington | P12 | 8 | 11 | 0.5 | 45.9 | 46.4 | 7-4 |
| 36 | Northern Illinois | MAC | 1 | 11 | 18 | 28.1 | 46.1 | 10-1 |
| 37 | Vanderbilt | SEC | 8 | 11 | 7.4 | 38.2 | 45.7 | 7-4 |
| 38 | Northwestern | B10 | 6 | 11 | 5.7 | 39.9 | 45.7 | 8-3 |
| 39 | TCU | B12 | 8 | 10 | 5.9 | 39.6 | 45.5 | 6-4 |
| 40 | Mississippi | SEC | 9 | 11 | 0 | 44.8 | 44.8 | 5-6 |
| 41 | Louisiana Tech | WAC | 3 | 11 | 13.5 | 31.1 | 44.7 | 9-2 |
| 42 | Missouri | SEC | 10 | 11 | -1.3 | 45.9 | 44.6 | 5-6 |
| 43 | Michigan St | B10 | 7 | 11 | 1.5 | 43.1 | 44.6 | 5-6 |
| 44 | Central Florida | CUS | 1 | 11 | 12.1 | 32.4 | 44.5 | 8-3 |
| 45 | North Carolina | ACC | 3 | 11 | 11.4 | 33.1 | 44.5 | 7-4 |
| 46 | Utah | P12 | 9 | 11 | -1 | 45.3 | 44.4 | 4-7 |
| 47 | Cincinnati | BgE | 1 | 10 | 11.4 | 32.6 | 44 | 7-3 |
| 48 | West Virginia | B12 | 9 | 10 | -1.8 | 45.5 | 43.7 | 5-5 |
| 49 | Rutgers | BgE | 2 | 10 | 12.2 | 31.3 | 43.5 | 9-1 |
| 50 | San Diego St | MWC | 3 | 11 | 9.1 | 34 | 43.1 | 8-3 |
| 51 | Tulsa | CUS | 2 | 11 | 11 | 31.7 | 42.7 | 9-2 |
| 52 | Miami FL | ACC | 4 | 11 | 0.9 | 41.8 | 42.6 | 6-5 |
| 53 | Louisville | BgE | 3 | 10 | 8.5 | 33.7 | 42.2 | 9-1 |
| 54 | Syracuse | BgE | 4 | 11 | 2 | 40.1 | 42.1 | 6-5 |
| 55 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 5 | 11 | 6.5 | 35.5 | 42 | 6-5 |
| 56 | Louisiana-Monroe | Sun | 1 | 11 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 7-4 |
| 57 | Tennessee | SEC | 11 | 11 | -2 | 42.3 | 40.3 | 4-7 |
| 58 | Arkansas St | Sun | 2 | 11 | 7.6 | 32.6 | 40.2 | 8-3 |
| 59 | Kent St | MAC | 2 | 11 | 10.8 | 29.1 | 39.9 | 10-1 |
| 60 | Louisiana-Lafayette | Sun | 3 | 10 | 5.2 | 34.8 | 39.9 | 6-4 |
| 61 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 6 | 11 | 0.9 | 38.4 | 39.3 | 5-6 |
| 62 | Arkansas | SEC | 12 | 11 | -5.5 | 44.5 | 39 | 4-7 |
| 63 | North Carolina St | ACC | 7 | 11 | 2.2 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 6-5 |
| 64 | Ball St | MAC | 3 | 11 | 4.5 | 34.4 | 38.8 | 8-3 |
| 65 | California | P12 | 10 | 12 | -8.8 | 47.5 | 38.7 | 3-9 |
| 66 | Toledo | MAC | 4 | 11 | 5.2 | 33.3 | 38.4 | 8-3 |
| 67 | Purdue | B10 | 8 | 11 | -1.7 | 40 | 38.4 | 5-6 |
| 68 | Pittsburgh | BgE | 5 | 10 | 3.3 | 34.5 | 37.7 | 4-6 |
| 69 | Iowa | B10 | 9 | 11 | -3.6 | 41 | 37.4 | 4-7 |
| 70 | Minnesota | B10 | 10 | 11 | -1.2 | 38.3 | 37.1 | 6-5 |
| 71 | Middle Tennessee St | Sun | 4 | 10 | 3.9 | 32.3 | 36.2 | 7-3 |
| 72 | Western Kentucky | Sun | 5 | 11 | 2.9 | 33.2 | 36.1 | 6-5 |
| 73 | SMU | CUS | 3 | 11 | 1.5 | 34.2 | 35.7 | 5-6 |
| 74 | Navy | IND | -- | 11 | 2.3 | 33.2 | 35.4 | 7-4 |
| 75 | Nevada | MWC | 4 | 11 | 4.4 | 31 | 35.4 | 7-4 |
| 76 | Duke | ACC | 8 | 11 | -2.3 | 37.6 | 35.2 | 6-5 |
| 77 | Auburn | SEC | 13 | 11 | -7.3 | 42.5 | 35.2 | 3-8 |
| 78 | Indiana | B10 | 11 | 11 | -3 | 38.2 | 35.2 | 4-7 |
| 79 | South Florida | BgE | 6 | 10 | -4.4 | 39 | 34.6 | 3-7 |
| 80 | Bowling Green | MAC | 5 | 11 | 7 | 26.8 | 33.8 | 7-4 |
| 81 | Kansas | B12 | 10 | 11 | -14.4 | 48.1 | 33.7 | 1-10 |
| 82 | Troy | Sun | 6 | 11 | -0.3 | 33.5 | 33.2 | 5-6 |
| 83 | East Carolina | CUS | 4 | 11 | 0.9 | 32 | 32.9 | 7-4 |
| 84 | Kentucky | SEC | 14 | 11 | -12 | 44.5 | 32.5 | 2-9 |
| 85 | Ohio U. | MAC | 6 | 11 | 7.4 | 24.7 | 32.1 | 8-3 |
| 86 | Virginia | ACC | 9 | 11 | -6.6 | 38.7 | 32.1 | 4-7 |
| 87 | Air Force | MWC | 5 | 11 | 2.9 | 28.6 | 31.5 | 6-5 |
| 88 | Washington St | P12 | 11 | 11 | -13.5 | 45 | 31.5 | 2-9 |
| 89 | Rice | CUS | 5 | 11 | -0.9 | 32.2 | 31.3 | 5-6 |
| 90 | Boston College | ACC | 10 | 11 | -9 | 40 | 31 | 2-9 |
| 91 | Temple | BgE | 7 | 10 | -5.3 | 36.2 | 31 | 4-6 |
| 92 | Connecticut | BgE | 8 | 10 | -1.7 | 32.4 | 30.8 | 4-6 |
| 93 | Maryland | ACC | 11 | 11 | -6.4 | 36.7 | 30.4 | 4-7 |
| 94 | Wyoming | MWC | 6 | 11 | -5.9 | 35.1 | 29.2 | 4-7 |
| 95 | Marshall | CUS | 6 | 11 | -2 | 31 | 29 | 5-6 |
| 96 | Western Michigan | MAC | 7 | 12 | -1.8 | 30.8 | 29 | 4-8 |
| 97 | Houston | CUS | 7 | 11 | -5.6 | 34.3 | 28.7 | 4-7 |
| 98 | Texas St-San Marcos | WAC | 4 | 10 | -7.1 | 35.7 | 28.6 | 3-7 |
| 99 | UTEP | CUS | 8 | 11 | -7.5 | 35.8 | 28.3 | 3-8 |
| 100 | Wake Forest | ACC | 12 | 11 | -9.8 | 37.9 | 28.1 | 5-6 |
| 101 | Florida Atlantic | Sun | 7 | 11 | -8 | 36 | 28.1 | 3-8 |
| 102 | Florida Int'l | Sun | 8 | 11 | -6.6 | 34.3 | 27.7 | 3-8 |
| 103 | New Mexico | MWC | 7 | 12 | -4.6 | 32 | 27.4 | 4-8 |
| 104 | Colorado St | MWC | 8 | 11 | -10 | 37.1 | 27.1 | 3-8 |
| 105 | UNLV | MWC | 9 | 12 | -9 | 36.1 | 27 | 2-10 |
| 106 | North Texas | Sun | 9 | 11 | -6.9 | 33.8 | 26.9 | 4-7 |
| 107 | Illinois | B10 | 12 | 11 | -13.5 | 39.9 | 26.4 | 2-9 |
| 108 | Central Michigan | MAC | 8 | 11 | -6 | 31.5 | 25.5 | 5-6 |
| 109 | Buffalo | MAC | 9 | 11 | -6.3 | 31.7 | 25.4 | 4-7 |
| 110 | Alabama-Birmingham | CUS | 9 | 11 | -7.4 | 32 | 24.6 | 3-8 |
| 111 | Memphis | CUS | 10 | 11 | -8 | 32.4 | 24.4 | 3-8 |
| 112 | Texas-San Antonio | WAC | 5 | 11 | 2.2 | 21.5 | 23.7 | 7-4 |
| 113 | Miami OH | MAC | 10 | 11 | -9.8 | 32.8 | 23 | 4-7 |
| 114 | Army | IND | -- | 11 | -12 | 34.7 | 22.7 | 2-9 |
| 115 | Colorado | P12 | 12 | 11 | -23.4 | 45.8 | 22.4 | 1-10 |
| 116 | South Alabama | Sun | 10 | 11 | -9.9 | 31.8 | 21.9 | 2-9 |
| 117 | Eastern Michigan | MAC | 11 | 11 | -12.8 | 34 | 21.2 | 2-9 |
| 118 | Tulane | CUS | 11 | 11 | -15.1 | 35.4 | 20.2 | 2-9 |
| 119 | Akron | MAC | 12 | 11 | -10.1 | 29.8 | 19.7 | 1-10 |
| 120 | Southern Miss | CUS | 12 | 11 | -18 | 36.5 | 18.5 | 0-11 |
| 121 | Hawai`i | MWC | 10 | 10 | -19 | 37.3 | 18.3 | 1-9 |
| 122 | New Mexico St | WAC | 6 | 10 | -16.2 | 32.8 | 16.7 | 1-9 |
| 123 | Idaho | WAC | 7 | 11 | -21 | 36.9 | 15.9 | 1-10 |
| 124 | Massachusetts | MAC | 13 | 11 | -22.1 | 33.8 | 11.7 | 1-10 |
And the weekly results:
| Rank | Date | Tm_Conf | PF | Opp | PA | H/R | W/L | Diff | MOV | Opp_Conf | SOS | SRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11-17-2012 | Baylor_B12 | 52 | Kansas St | 24 | Home | Win | 28 | 24.5 | B12 | 59.9 | 84.4 |
| 2 | 11-17-2012 | Oklahoma St_B12 | 59 | Texas Tech | 21 | Home | Win | 38 | 29.5 | B12 | 47.9 | 77.4 |
| 3 | 11-17-2012 | Stanford_P12 | 17 | Oregon | 14 | Road | Win | 3 | 7 | P12 | 64.6 | 71.6 |
| 4 | 11-17-2012 | Oregon St_P12 | 55 | California | 14 | Home | Win | 41 | 31 | P12 | 38.7 | 69.7 |
| 5 | 11-17-2012 | Mississippi St_SEC | 45 | Arkansas | 14 | Home | Win | 31 | 26 | SEC | 39 | 65 |
| 6 | 11-17-2012 | Arizona St_P12 | 46 | Washington St | 7 | Home | Win | 39 | 30 | P12 | 31.5 | 61.5 |
| 7 | 11-17-2012 | Iowa St_B12 | 51 | Kansas | 23 | Road | Win | 28 | 27.5 | B12 | 33.7 | 61.2 |
| 8 | 11-17-2012 | Georgia_SEC | 45 | Georgia Southern | 14 | Home | Win | 31 | 26 | fcs | 34.8 | 60.8 |
| 9 | 11-17-2012 | UCLA_P12 | 38 | Southern Cal | 28 | Home | Win | 10 | 7 | P12 | 53.8 | 60.8 |
| 10 | 11-17-2012 | Miami FL_ACC | 40 | South Florida | 9 | Home | Win | 31 | 26 | BgE | 34.6 | 60.6 |
| 11 | 11-17-2012 | Vanderbilt_SEC | 41 | Tennessee | 18 | Home | Win | 23 | 20 | SEC | 40.3 | 60.3 |
| 12 | 11-17-2012 | Ohio State_B10 | 21 | Wisconsin | 14 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | B10 | 50.1 | 60.1 |
| 13 | 11-17-2012 | Michigan_B10 | 42 | Iowa | 17 | Home | Win | 25 | 22 | B10 | 37.4 | 59.4 |
| 14 | 11-17-2012 | Nebraska_B10 | 38 | Minnesota | 14 | Home | Win | 24 | 21 | B10 | 37.1 | 58.1 |
| 15 | 11-17-2012 | Notre Dame_IND | 38 | Wake Forest | 0 | Home | Win | 38 | 29.5 | ACC | 28.1 | 57.6 |
| 16 | 11-15-2012 | North Carolina_ACC | 37 | Virginia | 13 | Road | Win | 24 | 25.5 | ACC | 32.1 | 57.6 |
| 17 | 11-17-2012 | Florida St_ACC | 41 | Maryland | 14 | Road | Win | 27 | 27 | ACC | 30.4 | 57.4 |
| 18 | 11-17-2012 | Arizona_P12 | 34 | Utah | 24 | Road | Win | 10 | 13 | P12 | 44.4 | 57.4 |
| 19 | 11-17-2012 | Memphis_CUS | 46 | Alabama-Birmingham | 9 | Road | Win | 37 | 32 | CUS | 24.6 | 56.6 |
| 20 | 11-17-2012 | San José St_WAC | 20 | Brigham Young | 14 | Home | Win | 6 | 7 | IND | 48.8 | 55.8 |
| 21 | 11-17-2012 | Penn State_B10 | 45 | Indiana | 22 | Home | Win | 23 | 20 | B10 | 35.2 | 55.2 |
| 22 | 11-17-2012 | Texas A&M_SEC | 47 | Sam Houston St | 28 | Home | Win | 19 | 16 | fcs | 39.2 | 55.2 |
| 23 | 11-17-2012 | Utah St_WAC | 48 | Louisiana Tech | 41 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | WAC | 44.7 | 54.7 |
| 24 | 11-17-2012 | Rice_CUS | 36 | SMU | 14 | Home | Win | 22 | 19 | CUS | 35.7 | 54.7 |
| 25 | 11-14-2012 | Ball St_MAC | 52 | Ohio U. | 27 | Home | Win | 25 | 22 | MAC | 32.1 | 54.1 |
| 26 | 11-17-2012 | Rutgers_BgE | 10 | Cincinnati | 3 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | BgE | 44 | 54 |
| 27 | 11-17-2012 | Washington_P12 | 38 | Colorado | 3 | Road | Win | 35 | 31 | P12 | 22.4 | 53.4 |
| 28 | 11-17-2012 | Kentucky_SEC | 34 | Samford | 3 | Home | Win | 31 | 26 | fcs | 26.3 | 52.3 |
| 29 | 11-17-2012 | LSU_SEC | 41 | Mississippi | 35 | Home | Win | 6 | 7 | SEC | 44.8 | 51.8 |
| 30 | 11-17-2012 | West Virginia_B12 | 49 | Oklahoma | 50 | Home | Loss | -1 | -7 | B12 | 58.8 | 51.8 |
| 31 | 11-17-2012 | Temple_BgE | 63 | Army | 32 | Road | Win | 31 | 29 | IND | 22.7 | 51.7 |
| 32 | 11-17-2012 | Northwestern_B10 | 23 | Michigan St | 20 | Road | Win | 3 | 7 | B10 | 44.6 | 51.6 |
| 33 | 11-17-2012 | Syracuse_BgE | 31 | Missouri | 27 | Road | Win | 4 | 7 | SEC | 44.6 | 51.6 |
| 34 | 11-17-2012 | Boise St_MWC | 42 | Colorado St | 14 | Home | Win | 28 | 24.5 | MWC | 27.1 | 51.6 |
| 35 | 11-17-2012 | Oklahoma_B12 | 50 | West Virginia | 49 | Road | Win | 1 | 7 | B12 | 43.7 | 50.7 |
| 36 | 11-17-2012 | Georgia Tech_ACC | 42 | Duke | 24 | Home | Win | 18 | 15 | ACC | 35.2 | 50.2 |
| 37 | 11-17-2012 | Clemson_ACC | 62 | North Carolina St | 48 | Home | Win | 14 | 11 | ACC | 38.9 | 49.9 |
| 38 | 11-17-2012 | Louisiana-Monroe_Sun | 42 | North Texas | 16 | Home | Win | 26 | 23 | Sun | 26.9 | 49.9 |
| 39 | 11-17-2012 | Mississippi_SEC | 35 | LSU | 41 | Road | Loss | -6 | -7 | SEC | 55.5 | 48.5 |
| 40 | 11-17-2012 | Oregon_P12 | 14 | Stanford | 17 | Home | Loss | -3 | -7 | P12 | 55.5 | 48.5 |
| 41 | 11-17-2012 | Alabama_SEC | 49 | Western Carolina | 0 | Home | Win | 49 | 35 | fcs | 11.9 | 46.9 |
| 42 | 11-17-2012 | Southern Cal_P12 | 28 | UCLA | 38 | Road | Loss | -10 | -7 | P12 | 52.9 | 45.9 |
| 43 | 11-14-2012 | Northern Illinois_MAC | 31 | Toledo | 24 | Home | Win | 7 | 7 | MAC | 38.4 | 45.4 |
| 44 | 11-17-2012 | Sam Houston St_fcs | 28 | Texas A&M | 47 | Road | Loss | -19 | -16 | SEC | 60.7 | 44.7 |
| 45 | 11-17-2012 | Tulsa_CUS | 23 | Central Florida | 21 | Home | Win | 2 | 0 | CUS | 44.5 | 44.5 |
| 46 | 11-17-2012 | South Carolina_SEC | 24 | Wofford | 7 | Home | Win | 17 | 14 | fcs | 29.9 | 43.9 |
| 47 | 11-17-2012 | Kent St_MAC | 31 | Bowling Green | 24 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | MAC | 33.8 | 43.8 |
| 48 | 11-17-2012 | Arkansas St_Sun | 41 | Troy | 34 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | Sun | 33.2 | 43.2 |
| 49 | 11-17-2012 | Florida_SEC | 23 | Jacksonville St | 0 | Home | Win | 23 | 20 | fcs | 23.2 | 43.2 |
| 50 | 11-17-2012 | Louisiana-Lafayette_Sun | 31 | Western Kentucky | 27 | Home | Win | 4 | 7 | Sun | 36.1 | 43.1 |
| 51 | 11-17-2012 | Wisconsin_B10 | 14 | Ohio State | 21 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | B10 | 52.8 | 42.8 |
| 52 | 11-17-2012 | Central Florida_CUS | 21 | Tulsa | 23 | Road | Loss | -2 | 0 | CUS | 42.7 | 42.7 |
| 53 | 11-17-2012 | North Carolina St_ACC | 48 | Clemson | 62 | Road | Loss | -14 | -11 | ACC | 53.4 | 42.4 |
| 54 | 11-17-2012 | Louisiana Tech_WAC | 41 | Utah St | 48 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | WAC | 51.6 | 41.6 |
| 55 | 11-16-2012 | Florida Int'l_Sun | 34 | Florida Atlantic | 24 | Road | Win | 10 | 13 | Sun | 28.1 | 41.1 |
| 56 | 11-17-2012 | Virginia Tech_ACC | 30 | Boston College | 23 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | ACC | 31 | 41 |
| 57 | 11-17-2012 | Wofford_fcs | 7 | South Carolina | 24 | Road | Loss | -17 | -14 | SEC | 54.2 | 40.2 |
| 58 | 11-17-2012 | Auburn_SEC | 51 | Alabama A&M | 7 | Home | Win | 44 | 32.5 | fcs | 7.3 | 39.8 |
| 59 | 11-17-2012 | Brigham Young_IND | 14 | San José St | 20 | Road | Loss | -6 | -7 | WAC | 46.7 | 39.7 |
| 60 | 11-14-2012 | Toledo_MAC | 24 | Northern Illinois | 31 | Road | Loss | -7 | -7 | MAC | 46.1 | 39.1 |
| 61 | 11-17-2012 | Michigan St_B10 | 20 | Northwestern | 23 | Home | Loss | -3 | -7 | B10 | 45.7 | 38.7 |
| 62 | 11-17-2012 | Eastern Michigan_MAC | 29 | Western Michigan | 23 | Road | Win | 6 | 9 | MAC | 29 | 38 |
| 63 | 11-17-2012 | Jacksonville St_fcs | 0 | Florida | 23 | Road | Loss | -23 | -20 | SEC | 57.4 | 37.4 |
| 64 | 11-17-2012 | Nevada_MWC | 31 | New Mexico | 24 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | MWC | 27.4 | 37.4 |
| 65 | 11-17-2012 | Navy_IND | 21 | Texas St-San Marcos | 10 | Home | Win | 11 | 8 | WAC | 28.6 | 36.6 |
| 66 | 11-17-2012 | Utah_P12 | 24 | Arizona | 34 | Home | Loss | -10 | -13 | P12 | 49.1 | 36.1 |
| 67 | 11-17-2012 | Missouri_SEC | 27 | Syracuse | 31 | Home | Loss | -4 | -7 | BgE | 42.1 | 35.1 |
| 68 | 11-17-2012 | Wyoming_MWC | 28 | UNLV | 23 | Road | Win | 5 | 8 | MWC | 27 | 35 |
| 69 | 11-17-2012 | Central Michigan_MAC | 30 | Miami OH | 16 | Home | Win | 14 | 11 | MAC | 23 | 34 |
| 70 | 11-17-2012 | Cincinnati_BgE | 3 | Rutgers | 10 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | BgE | 43.5 | 33.5 |
| 71 | 11-17-2012 | Purdue_B10 | 20 | Illinois | 17 | Road | Win | 3 | 7 | B10 | 26.4 | 33.4 |
| 72 | 11-17-2012 | Western Kentucky_Sun | 27 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 31 | Road | Loss | -4 | -7 | Sun | 39.9 | 32.9 |
| 73 | 11-17-2012 | Middle Tennessee St_Sun | 20 | South Alabama | 12 | Road | Win | 8 | 11 | Sun | 21.9 | 32.9 |
| 74 | 11-17-2012 | Illinois_B10 | 17 | Purdue | 20 | Home | Loss | -3 | -7 | B10 | 38.4 | 31.4 |
| 75 | 11-17-2012 | Georgia Southern_fcs | 14 | Georgia | 45 | Road | Loss | -31 | -26 | SEC | 57.1 | 31.1 |
| 76 | 11-17-2012 | Troy_Sun | 34 | Arkansas St | 41 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | Sun | 40.2 | 30.2 |
| 77 | 11-17-2012 | Bowling Green_MAC | 24 | Kent St | 31 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | MAC | 39.9 | 29.9 |
| 78 | 11-17-2012 | Western Carolina_fcs | 0 | Alabama | 49 | Road | Loss | -49 | -35 | SEC | 64.8 | 29.8 |
| 79 | 11-17-2012 | Minnesota_B10 | 14 | Nebraska | 38 | Road | Loss | -24 | -21 | B10 | 50.5 | 29.5 |
| 80 | 11-16-2012 | Air Force_MWC | 21 | Hawai`i | 7 | Home | Win | 14 | 11 | MWC | 18.3 | 29.3 |
| 81 | 11-17-2012 | Boston College_ACC | 23 | Virginia Tech | 30 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | ACC | 39.3 | 29.3 |
| 82 | 11-17-2012 | Houston_CUS | 41 | Marshall | 44 | Road | Loss | -3 | 0 | CUS | 29 | 29 |
| 83 | 11-17-2012 | Iowa_B10 | 17 | Michigan | 42 | Road | Loss | -25 | -22 | B10 | 50.9 | 28.9 |
| 84 | 11-17-2012 | Marshall_CUS | 44 | Houston | 41 | Home | Win | 3 | 0 | CUS | 28.7 | 28.7 |
| 85 | 11-17-2012 | Wake Forest_ACC | 0 | Notre Dame | 38 | Road | Loss | -38 | -29.5 | IND | 57.9 | 28.4 |
| 86 | 11-17-2012 | Maryland_ACC | 14 | Florida St | 41 | Home | Loss | -27 | -27 | ACC | 55.3 | 28.3 |
| 87 | 11-17-2012 | East Carolina_CUS | 28 | Tulane | 23 | Road | Win | 5 | 8 | CUS | 20.2 | 28.2 |
| 88 | 11-17-2012 | Texas St-San Marcos_WAC | 10 | Navy | 21 | Road | Loss | -11 | -8 | IND | 35.4 | 27.4 |
| 89 | 11-17-2012 | Indiana_B10 | 22 | Penn State | 45 | Road | Loss | -23 | -20 | B10 | 47.4 | 27.4 |
| 90 | 11-17-2012 | Duke_ACC | 24 | Georgia Tech | 42 | Road | Loss | -18 | -15 | ACC | 42 | 27 |
| 91 | 11-17-2012 | Kansas St_B12 | 24 | Baylor | 52 | Road | Loss | -28 | -24.5 | B12 | 50.5 | 26 |
| 92 | 11-17-2012 | Texas-San Antonio_WAC | 34 | Idaho | 27 | Road | Win | 7 | 10 | WAC | 15.9 | 25.9 |
| 93 | 11-17-2012 | Texas Tech_B12 | 21 | Oklahoma St | 59 | Road | Loss | -38 | -29.5 | B12 | 55.2 | 25.7 |
| 94 | 11-17-2012 | Tennessee_SEC | 18 | Vanderbilt | 41 | Road | Loss | -23 | -20 | SEC | 45.7 | 25.7 |
| 95 | 11-17-2012 | UTEP_CUS | 34 | Southern Miss | 33 | Road | Win | 1 | 7 | CUS | 18.5 | 25.5 |
| 96 | 11-17-2012 | New Mexico_MWC | 24 | Nevada | 31 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | MWC | 35.4 | 25.4 |
| 97 | 11-17-2012 | South Alabama_Sun | 12 | Middle Tennessee St | 20 | Home | Loss | -8 | -11 | Sun | 36.2 | 25.2 |
| 98 | 11-17-2012 | California_P12 | 14 | Oregon St | 55 | Road | Loss | -41 | -31 | P12 | 55.9 | 24.9 |
| 99 | 11-17-2012 | Tulane_CUS | 23 | East Carolina | 28 | Home | Loss | -5 | -8 | CUS | 32.9 | 24.9 |
| 100 | 11-17-2012 | Buffalo_MAC | 29 | Massachusetts | 19 | Road | Win | 10 | 13 | MAC | 11.7 | 24.7 |
| 101 | 11-17-2012 | Colorado St_MWC | 14 | Boise St | 42 | Road | Loss | -28 | -24.5 | MWC | 46.6 | 22.1 |
| 102 | 11-17-2012 | Southern Miss_CUS | 33 | UTEP | 34 | Home | Loss | -1 | -7 | CUS | 28.3 | 21.3 |
| 103 | 11-17-2012 | Washington St_P12 | 7 | Arizona St | 46 | Road | Loss | -39 | -30 | P12 | 51.2 | 21.2 |
| 104 | 11-17-2012 | UNLV_MWC | 23 | Wyoming | 28 | Home | Loss | -5 | -8 | MWC | 29.2 | 21.2 |
| 105 | 11-17-2012 | Arkansas_SEC | 14 | Mississippi St | 45 | Road | Loss | -31 | -26 | SEC | 46.9 | 20.9 |
| 106 | 11-16-2012 | Hawai`i_MWC | 7 | Air Force | 21 | Road | Loss | -14 | -11 | MWC | 31.5 | 20.5 |
| 107 | 11-17-2012 | Kansas_B12 | 23 | Iowa St | 51 | Home | Loss | -28 | -27.5 | B12 | 46.9 | 19.4 |
| 108 | 11-15-2012 | Virginia_ACC | 13 | North Carolina | 37 | Home | Loss | -24 | -25.5 | ACC | 44.5 | 19 |
| 109 | 11-17-2012 | North Texas_Sun | 16 | Louisiana-Monroe | 42 | Road | Loss | -26 | -23 | Sun | 41 | 18 |
| 110 | 11-14-2012 | Ohio U._MAC | 27 | Ball St | 52 | Road | Loss | -25 | -22 | MAC | 38.8 | 16.8 |
| 111 | 11-17-2012 | South Florida_BgE | 9 | Miami FL | 40 | Road | Loss | -31 | -26 | ACC | 42.6 | 16.6 |
| 112 | 11-17-2012 | Colorado_P12 | 3 | Washington | 38 | Home | Loss | -35 | -31 | P12 | 46.4 | 15.4 |
| 113 | 11-16-2012 | Florida Atlantic_Sun | 24 | Florida Int'l | 34 | Home | Loss | -10 | -13 | Sun | 27.7 | 14.7 |
| 114 | 11-17-2012 | Miami OH_MAC | 16 | Central Michigan | 30 | Road | Loss | -14 | -11 | MAC | 25.5 | 14.5 |
| 115 | 11-17-2012 | Idaho_WAC | 27 | Texas-San Antonio | 34 | Home | Loss | -7 | -10 | WAC | 23.7 | 13.7 |
| 116 | 11-17-2012 | Massachusetts_MAC | 19 | Buffalo | 29 | Home | Loss | -10 | -13 | MAC | 25.4 | 12.4 |
| 117 | 11-17-2012 | SMU_CUS | 14 | Rice | 36 | Road | Loss | -22 | -19 | CUS | 31.3 | 12.3 |
| 118 | 11-17-2012 | Western Michigan_MAC | 23 | Eastern Michigan | 29 | Home | Loss | -6 | -9 | MAC | 21.2 | 12.2 |
| 119 | 11-17-2012 | Samford_fcs | 3 | Kentucky | 34 | Road | Loss | -31 | -26 | SEC | 32.5 | 6.5 |
| 120 | 11-17-2012 | Alabama A&M_fcs | 7 | Auburn | 51 | Road | Loss | -44 | -32.5 | SEC | 35.2 | 2.7 |
| 121 | 11-17-2012 | Army_IND | 32 | Temple | 63 | Home | Loss | -31 | -29 | BgE | 31 | 2 |
| 122 | 11-17-2012 | Alabama-Birmingham_CUS | 9 | Memphis | 46 | Home | Loss | -37 | -32 | CUS | 24.4 | -7.6 |
Not surprisingly, Baylor and Stanford had two of the top three games of the weekend. The other great game came from Oklahoma State, who demolished a Texas Tech team that had played well most of the year.