How you win, how you close, who you beat, and who beats you — that’s all that matters at this time of year.
With the College Football Playoff drawing closer, every team’s résumé is about to be picked apart by the selection committee. And weekends like this past one make their job even tougher.
Week 12 delivered all of it: upsets and close calls, statements and stumbles. So let’s look back at what happened this weekend — and what it means moving forward.
Here are 10 takeaways from Week 12:
1. Texas A&M makes history
The third-ranked Aggies somehow found themselves in a 30-3 hole in the first half against South Carolina at home. After halftime, however, Texas A&M roared back to win, 31-30.
Not only was it the largest comeback in school history, but it was also the largest comeback in an SEC game in two decades. Texas A&M is now 10-0 for the first time since 2012 (when Johnny Manziel was quarterback) and is the only undefeated team left in the SEC after Alabama was upset by Oklahoma (more on that later).
The Aggies are in prime position to play for the program’s first SEC title. They have just two games left: against Samford at home on Saturday and then against bitter archrival Texas in Austin the day after Thanksgiving. Some pessimistic Aggies fans might be concerned about that regular-season finale against the Longhorns, but head coach Mike Elko’s squad has consistently looked like one of the top teams in the country.
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (#10) after a comeback win over South Carolina at Kyle Field on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
2. Speaking of Mike Elko …
It’s impressive what he’s doing in just his second season in College Station. Elko has overhauled a program long mired in mediocrity and turned it into a national championship contender that looks like it’s here to stay — like Elko. The Aggies’ head coach agreed to a six-year contract extension that reportedly makes him one of the sport’s top five highest-paid coaches.
3. Texas going in the opposite direction of Texas A&M
While the Aggies are poised to play in the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, in-state rival Texas seems to be going in the opposite direction. The Longhorns, ranked No. 10 entering the weekend, were embarrassed by No. 5 Georgia on the road, 35-10. Much of that was self-inflicted, thanks to nine penalties, countless dropped passes and an inability to run the ball.
Texas A&M led 14-10 entering the fourth quarter, but that’s when Georgia head coach Kirby Smart pulled out all the stops to really stick it to the Longhorns. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter to go up 21-10 and then called a surprise onside kick that they easily recovered. They proceeded to march down the field and score another touchdown. Texas didn’t touch the ball until halfway through the final frame and there was very little hope of a comeback by then.
Georgia has been criticized for not having as talented of a team as in past years, but the one that showed up in Week 12 was physical, well-coached and could make some noise in the CFP.
4. Peyton Manning came to see his nephew play
The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback was in the house to watch his nephew, Texas QB Arch Manning, against Georgia. He brought along his son, Marshall, who’s only in eighth grade but already getting attention from schools.
Before the game, they watched Arch warm up and yucked it up with die-hard Longhorns fan Matthew McConaughey.
5. SEC chaos
It’s going to be a fight to the finish in the SEC. Before the weekend, it seemed like Texas A&M and Alabama were going to meet on conference championship weekend. The Aggies avoided an upset, but the Crimson Tide weren’t so lucky. Then-No. 11 Oklahoma went into Tuscaloosa and shocked then-No. 4 Alabama, 23-21, further muddying the SEC title game picture.
We don’t know who will play in the SEC championship just yet. What we do know is that these final two weeks of the regular season will be must-watch TV given there’s only one undefeated team (Texas A&M), three one-loss teams (Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama) and a number of tiebreaker scenarios that could come into play.
6. Could Oklahoma make the CFP now?
Oklahoma’s upset over Alabama might have helped punch the Sooners’ ticket to the CFP. OU has three impressive top-25 wins (Michigan, Tennessee and Alabama) and two “good” losses (Texas and Ole Miss), which are quality talking points on their résumé for the selection committee.
Now, Oklahoma just needs to avoid losing to Missouri and LSU in its final two games at home. Can the Sooners do it?
7. Did you see this spin move?
Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love made Pitt’s defense dizzy on his way to a 56-yard touchdown.
Love ran for 147 yards and this score in Notre Dame’s double-digit win in Week 12. The Fighting Irish have won eight consecutive games since opening the season with back-to-back losses to Miami (Fla.) and Texas A&M. They’re expected to extend that streak to 10 games and hope it’s impressive enough to get in the CFP as a two-loss team.
8. How about this catch?
No. 1 Ohio State‘s star receiver Jeremiah Smith was limited (four catches for 40 yards) in the Buckeyes’s 48-10 win over UCLA, but that didn’t stop him from making one of the biggest plays of the weekend.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day explained Smith has had a “nagging issue” and that the team wanted to be “smart with him” because they know “what’s coming down the road.” The Buckeyes are hoping that’s a Big Ten Championship Game appearance and a chance at defending their national title.
Regardless, this is an opportunity to point out that when it comes to the Heisman Trophy these days, quarterbacks are all the rage. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed and even Georgia’s Gunner Stockton are in the spotlight more than guys like Smith and Love. The signal-callers deserve praise and maybe even the award itself, but skill players should be getting just as much attention.
9. Speaking of Julian Sayin …
What Sayin, a true sophomore, is doing this season is wildly impressive. He has been quietly leading top-ranked Ohio State to an undefeated season. He leads the country in completion percentage (80.1%) and has thrown for 2,675 yards and 25 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Sayin has won some big games (vs. Texas and at Washington) in his first year as a starter.
In a couple of weeks, he’ll play against Michigan for the first time with a chance to end Ohio State’s four-year losing streak against the Wolverines. He could legitimately win the Heisman Trophy in his first year as the Buckeyes’ starter.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin (#10) during the third quarter against UCLA at Ohio Stadium on November 15, 2025. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
10. What’s going on in the Big 12?
While the conference championship game isn’t a lock yet, it seems like it’s going to be Texas Tech vs. BYU. The teams are the only two in the conference with just one loss and over the weekend, both took care of business. The Red Raiders pummeled UCF, 48-9, while the Cougars trampled TCU by a similar margin, 44-13. Looking ahead, Texas Tech only has a bye week before finishing the season at West Virginia, while BYU has to play Cincinnati and UCF.
The Big 12 champion will get an automatic bid to the CFP, but will a second team from the conference make it in? That feels unlikely right now, given the ACC champion will also get an auto-bid despite being outside the top 12 rankings.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
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