KSL.com Sports' College Football Pick'em Week 12 preview

SALT LAKE CITY — Plenty of important games headline this week's KSL.com Sports' College Football Pick 'em for Week 12. BYU and Utah are both in action Saturday while Arizona and Cincinnati battle it out in an important Big 12 matchup.

Oklahoma and Alabama face off in a conference defining game in the SEC that may very well have CFP implications.

Arizona (6-3) vs. No. 25 Cincinnati (7-2)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. MST – Nippert Stadium (FS1)

The Wildcats travel to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats in an early window game.

Why Arizona will win:

Arizona is riding a two-game win streak after picking up wins against Colorado and Kansas. Quarterback Noah Fifita has thrown for six touchdowns over those two wins and he has put together a nice bounce-back campaign with 2,200 yards, 26 total touchdowns, and just four interceptions. Fifita has cut down on the turnovers which has helped the Wildcats find more consistency on offense.

The biggest improvement that Arizona has made from last year has been on defense. After allowing 31.8 points per game a season ago, the Wildcats are holding opponents to 19.9 points in 2025. Combine a better defense with Fifita finding the success that made him standout as a freshman and you get a much more dangerous Arizona team.

Cincinnati has played one of the weaker Big 12 schedules this season with their five conference wins coming against teams who have a .500 or worse record in conference play. The Wildcats sit at 3-3 in Big 12 play but will have a chance to make a statement with their much improved team in year two under head coach Brent Brennan.

Why Cincinnati will win:

The Bearcats were blown out in their last game when they fell 45-14 against Utah. Coming off a bye as they enter their Week 12 matchup, Scott Satterfield's team will look to rebound as they remain in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship game.

Arizona has taken care of business against teams that had a worse record than them when they played but have losses to every team that has had a better record than them. Cincinnati fits that category with the Bearcats sitting at 7-2. With the Wildcats traveling to Cincinnati, they'll be in for an earlier start time that they aren't used to which could play a factor in this matchup.

After an abysmal showing against the Utes, quarterback Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats' offense should be poised for a better performance after using a bye week to regroup. Sorsby has accounted for 29 touchdowns this season and has over 2,500 yards of offense.

Arizona has a good defense but has allowed 30 or more points in their three losses. If Cincinnati can reach that mark they'll have a great chance to get back on track.

Line: CIN -6.5

Over/Under: 55.5

No. 11 Oklahoma (7-2) vs. No. 4 Alabama (8-1)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 1:30 p.m. MST – Bryan-Denny Stadium (ABC)

A top quarterback matchup takes place in Tuscaloosa when Oklahoma visits Alabama.

Why Oklahoma will win:

The Sooners picked up a big win against Tennessee in their last game two weeks ago before being idle this past weekend. It was a great time for a bye week for Oklahoma as it gives star quarterback John Mateer more time to fully recover from his hand surgery after he came back relatively early from the injury.

Mateer hasn't been the same player since the injury as he was once the Heisman favorite early in the season. The Sooners' offense goes as Mateer does so he will need a big game if Oklahoma is going to upset the Crimson Tide on the road. Mateer is more than capable of doing just that as he can be effective as a passer and as a rusher.

The Sooners' will need to get more from their running backs than they have this season if they want to take advantage of an Alabama run defense that struggled at times this season. Sophomore Xavier Robinson has taken over that top running back spot after back-to-back 100 yard games and scoring a touchdown in three straight contests.

Oklahoma's defense has been elite all season but the Crimson Tide has one of the most complete offenses in the country so the Sooners will need their offense to keep up if they want to pull off a major shakeup in the SEC.

Why Alabama will win:

Mateer may have been the Heisman frontrunner earlier this season but Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has played his way into the top of Heisman hopefuls. The last Nick Saban disciple has thrown for 2,461 yards and 21 touchdowns with just one interception. Simpson has been able to out-duel his counterpart as part of the Crimson Tide's eight game winning streak.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer has helped right the ship after the team dropped their first game against Florida State in what now looks like one of the more confusing results of the season. DeBoer is starting to replicate that electric offense that he had in his final season at Washington with Simpson getting the ball out to plenty of great receivers that include Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton.

Alabama has the talent on defense to help prevent Mateer from taking over this game and with Oklahoma going into one of the most hostile environments in the country at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide should be able to outperform the Sooners on offense.

Line: ALA -6.5

Over/Under: 45.5

Utah State (5-4) vs. UNLV (7-2)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 5 p.m. MST – Allegiant Stadium (CBSSN)

Utah State and UNLV meet in a Mountain West showdown in the desert of Las Vegas.

Why Utah State will win:

The Aggies had a dominant victory this past Saturday night as they blew out Nevada 51-14. Utah State was up 41-0 at halftime before going up by 48 before the Wolf Pack finally found the end zone. Quarterback Bryson Barnes impressed with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Brady Boyd had his best game of the season, hauling in five receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

The newfound momentum on offense will be big for the Aggies as they take on a UNLV team that has had their own defensive struggles this season. A win for Utah State could put them back in the mix for the Mountain West title with two more key matchups looming.

This game is likely to be a shootout but the Rebels have struggled against teams with winning records this season and may be in trouble once again.

Why UNLV will win:

The Rebels are coming off a blowout win of Colorado State last week with quarterback Anthony Colandrea continuing his great first year in Las Vegas. The transfer from Virginia has thrown for 2,251 yards and 17 touchdowns while also rushing for another 484 yards and six touchdowns. Colandrea can take advantage of an Aggies' defense that has allowed 29.8 points per game.

Dan Mullen has always led great offenses during his time in college football, whether as an offensive coordinator or head coach but he will need his defense to get key stops if UNLV is going to stay in the hunt for the Mountain West Championship game.

Both of these teams have much better offenses than defenses but the Rebels might have just a bit more firepower on offense to get the job done on Saturday.

Line: UNLV -6.5

Over/Under: 70.5

No. 13 Utah (7-2) vs. Baylor (5-4)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 5 p.m. MST – McLane Stadium (ESPN2)

Baylor hosts Utah in a Big 12 matchup with the Utes looking to continue their climb up the Big 12 standings.

Why Utah will win:

Since losing to BYU, the Utes have demolished their last two opponents and outside of their losses to the Cougars and Red Raiders, Utah has dominated their opponents. Baylor may be outmatched in this one with the way the Utes have played, especially against opponents with worse records.

Quarterback Devon Dampier returned to Utah's lineup against Cincinnati after nursing an ankle injury and missing the game against Colorado. Dampier helped lead an effective ground game that totaled 267 rushing yards while Dampier also passed for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bears have one of the bottom-tier defenses in college football and it is likely that the Utes will be able to take advantage of a team that is allowing 29.3 points per game. On the other side, Utah is ranked as the eighth best scoring defense and should be able to stop the Baylor passing attack or at the very least hold them enough to allow their offense to run away with this one.

Why Baylor will win:

Early on in the season, it looked like the Bears had the potential to be a sleeper to watch for in the Big 12 this season after quarterback Sawyer Robertson got out to a great start to begin the season. Robertson has continued to put up big numbers but Baylor's defense has been the pitfall of this team.

The Bears have a path to winning this game but Robertson will need to have another great performance in order to do so. Robertson has passed for over 400 yards twice this season, including against an Auburn defense that has done well against the elite quarterbacks of the SEC.

Baylor needs to avoid getting into a hole early but if they can keep the score close and get timely stops or turnovers, the Bears will have a chance with Robertson's arm.

Line: UTAH -8.5

Over/Under: 60.5

TCU (6-3) vs. No. 12 BYU (8-1)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 8:15 p.m. MST – LaVell Edwards Stadium (ESPN)

The Cougars are looking to bounce back at home against TCU after suffering their first loss of the season last week.

Why TCU will win:

The Horned Frogs have had an up-and-down season and sit at 6-3 with a 3-3 record in conference play. TCU's offense has been the strength of the team as quarterback Josh Hoover leads a dynamic passing attack with 2,690 passing yards and 23 touchdown passes.

Eric McAlister and Jordan Dwyer have been the top targets for Hoover and they have the ability to cause similar problems for this BYU defense just as the Red Raiders did last week. Despite being a pass-first offense, head coach Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs are getting great production from their running backs, with four players averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry.

TCU will have a chance in this one, especially if their defense can force turnovers against a young quarterback in Bear Bachmeier. The safety duo of Jamel Johnson and Bud Clark has been wreaking havoc on opposing offenses this season as both players have recorded four interceptions this season.

Bachmeier struggled last week, albeit in a tough environment and against a great defense, but the Horned Frogs can still find ways to take advantage against a young quarterback.

Why BYU will win:

The Cougars had their worst offensive performance of the season against Texas Tech while their defense held on for as long as they could before finally being overwhelmed. After two consecutive road games, BYU returns home to host a TCU team that is coming off a loss at home to Iowa State.

A late night kickoff always seems to benefit the Cougars but they have fallen a couple of times, including last season's game versus Kansas. To avoid the same result, BYU will need a better showing on offense which should be possible as the Horned Frogs have nowhere near the same level of defense as the Red Raiders do.

Falling behind early also took the running game away from the Cougars, which has been their greatest strength on offense. Getting LJ Martin established early should help open things up for Bachmeier. The offense as a whole should look much better being back at home and in front of their fans.

Line: BYU -4.5

Over/Under: 52.5

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