If there is to be a Week 12 shakeup in the next edition of the College Football Playoff rankings, it won’t be as a result of the early television window.
In the noon block of kickoffs, six teams currently ranked in the CFP Top 25 squared off with unranked opponents. And, in each of those matchups, the ranked teams held serve -- in the majority of the cases by a comfortable margin for good measure.
There was, though, one potentially significant development to unfold during the early window.
- No. 5 Alabama (-21) 38, Mississippi State 7 -- The outcome was never in doubt and the final score doesn’t matter; the health of star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa moving forward absolutely does as the hip injury suffered by the junior late in the first half, and a couple of other injuries to Crimson Tide players for that matter, could play a significant role in helping to shape the playoff field next month.
- No. 9 Penn State (-15) 34, Indiana 27 -- The Hoosiers got as close as three points early in the fourth quarter as the Nittany Lions narrowly avoided a second straight loss, setting the stage for a huge Big Ten East matchup with No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus next Saturday.
- No. 11 Florida (-6½) 23, Missouri 6 -- *snore* *yawn* *ssstttrrreeetches* *scratches self* *snores again*
- No. 14 Wisconsin (-15) 37, Nebraska 21 -- Nice timing on that contract extension, Nebraska, as Jonathan Taylor rushes for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in the easy road win. This game marked the Badgers’ seventh-straight win over the Cornhuskers.
- No. 15 Michigan (-13½) 44, Michigan State 10 -- With pleas for civility ringing in their ears, Michigan beat its “little brother” in Ann Arbor for the first time since 2012 and earned a win in the rivalry for just the fourth time in the last dozen meetings. It was also U-M’s most lopsided win in the series since a 49-3 blowout in 2002.
- No. 22 Oklahoma State (-17½) 31, Kansas 13 -- In Les Miles’ return to Stillwater, the Cowboys had no problem whatsoever in extending its winning streak over the Jayhawks to 10 straight, with KU’s last win coming in 2007. OSU’s Chuba Hubbard, who entered Week 12 as the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 122 yards in the romp.
In the 3:30 ET window, there are five more ranked vs. unranked matchups -- No. 2 Ohio State at Rutgers, Wake Forest at No. 3 Clemson, No. 18 Memphis at Houston, No. 19 Texas at Iowa State and West Virginia at No. 24 Kansas State. Later on, there are six additional such games -- No. 1 LSU at Ole Miss, No. 17 Cincinnati at South Florida, No. 25 Appalachian State at Georgia State, UCLA at No. 7 Utah, New Mexico at No. 21 Boise State and Arizona at No. 6 Oregon.
Additionally, there are four games in which both teams are ranked -- No. 23 Navy at No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 4 Georgia at No. 12 Auburn, No. 8 Minnesota at No. 20 Iowa and No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 13 Baylor.