Week 12 in college football is complete, and the list of teams that have a legitimate shot is getting smaller by the hour. No. 2 Alabama survived a scare from No. 21 Arkansas, No. 4 Ohio State made a strong case in its thrashing of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 3 Oregon fell out of contention on the road against No. 23 Utah.
They weren't the only teams that made statements, though.
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Caesars Sportsbook has odds on which teams can win the national championship. Let's grade the contenders that had 100-1 odds or better heading into the weekend.
College football grades: Week 12 report card
| Team | Odds | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/6 | A | It's impossible to have style points against Charleston Southern, but Georgia set a record with 49 points in the first half -- the most in any half in program history. Plus, nose guard Jordan Davis had a 1-yard touchdown run in the 56-7 win. It's hard to beat that. | |
| 3-1 | A+ | Well, let's see, the Buckeyes scored 49 points in the first quarter, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 432 yards and six touchdowns, and No. 7 Michigan State was out of the game as soon as toe met leather in OSU's 56-7 win. Simply put ... it was an epic beat down of a top-10 team. That'd be worth an 'A+++++++' if we could amend the grading scale. | |
| 4-1 | B- | The Crimson Tide topped No. 21 Arkansas 42-35 in a game that saw quarterback Bryce Young set a program record for passing yards in a game with 559. But the defense had a hard time shutting down quarterback KJ Jefferson and wide receiver Treylon Burks , which is concerning considering there are potent offenses on the horizon. | |
| 30-1 | A | SMU was a tough opponent, but Cincinnati put this one away early in the first quarter. Quarterback Desmond Ridder had touchdowns as a passer, rusher and receiver in the 48-14 win. The committee will give the Bearcats credit, because they know how good the Mustangs can be. | |
| 40-1 | D | Another week, another game where Oklahoma looks sluggish, uninspired and disinterested at times. Iowa State has been one of college football's biggest disappointments this year, and Oklahoma couldn't put the Cyclones away. The Sooners need style points, and they didn't get any on Saturday in their 28-21 win | |
| 50-1 | B+ | The 59-18 win over Maryland was impressive, especially since quarterback Cade McNamara threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns. McNamara hit the pine as the backups took care of mop-up duty relatively early in the blowout. The Wolverines didn't play down to their competition. They actually played up to it, which is a good sign heading into the Ohio State game next week. | |
| 60-1 | B+ | The Oklahoma State defense is flat out nasty. The Cowboys allowed just 108 yards to a Red Raiders squad that came in averaging 440.6 yards per game. With that said, the offense didn't exactly look explosive ... which is a trend this year. Nevertheless, the Pokes won 23-0 to set up a Bedlam for the ages next week. | |
| 60-1 | A | Georgia Tech is a train wreck, and Notre Dame showed why in a 55-0 win. The Fighting Irish offense, which has been getting progressively better throughout the season, had 514 yards and quarterback Jack Coan threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a game that was over early in the first half. | |
| 150-1 | F | Utah flat-out smoked Oregon 38-7 in what was a must-win game for the Ducks in the race for the College Football Playoff. It was hard to imagine Anthony Brown Jr. being the quarterback of a national championship team considering the ups and downs the offense has faced. He won't get the chance to shock the world after Saturday night's debacle in Salt Lake City. | |
| 500-1 | F | Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions, running back Kenneth Walker III was held in check by an average-at-best defense and any hope of winning the national title was stomped down by the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. |