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WEEK 12 PREVIEW: UCLA-USC clash for Victory Bell on Channel 2

Quarterback Sam Darnold of the USC Trojans eludes the rush from defensive lineman Takkarist McKinley #98 and defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa #75 of the UCLA Bruins during a 36-14 Trojan win at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2016. 

Time is ticking, and things are getting down to the wire in college football. With another week behind us, Week 12 is sure to bring even more excitement and answers to the question of what teams will play in bowl games when the season ends and what four lucky teams will have earned the privilege to play in the 2018 College Football National Championship in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 
Week 11 saw Georgia falter in the face of adversity against Auburn, Alabama survive in cowboy-ringing country at Mississippi State, Miami crush Notre Dame, Clemson defeat a subpar Florida State, Oklahoma win in a classic Big 12 shootout with TCU and Wisconsin defeat Iowa to further showcase to the CFP committee that the Badgers deserve to be in the discussion.
After a wild Week 11, the latest CFP rankings have Alabama, Clemson, Miami and Oklahoma as the top four teams, with Wisconsin at No. 5 and Auburn at No. 6. If Week 12 is anything like Week 11, the race for the CFP, teams competing for bowl eligibility and spots in their respective conference championships will get even more interesting. 
Get ready for another week of exciting games. 
Week 12 kicked off Tuesday as Central Michigan defeated Kent State, 42-23, while Akron squeezed out a 37-34 victory at home against Ohio.
On Wednesday night, Eastern Michigan defeated Miami (OH) 27-24, Western Michigan lost to Northern Illinois on the road 35-31 while Toledo destroyed Bowling Green, 66-37.
Thursday features Buffalo at Ball State while Tulsa and South Florida clash in American Athletic Conference action. 
Middle Tennessee takes a trip to Western Kentucky in Conference USA action and UNLV and New Mexico clash in Mountain West play on Friday. 

ATLANTA — WATCH Channel 2 for the big games this weekend. Plus, follow Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein as he brings you the latest college football coverage from the Georgia-Kentucky game and college football teams across the state playing in Week 12.

NOTE: The rankings for each team reflect the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday. 
Top Games on Channel 2
Virginia at (3) Miami | 12 p.m. on Channel 2
Is it safe to say, “The U” is back? 
Three weeks ago, the Miami Hurricanes were coming off an ugly 24-19 win over North Carolina. In that game, the Hurricanes surrendered 428 yards of total offense to a Tar Heels team that still has not won an ACC game this season. 
Before playing North Carolina – other than the Duke game – the Hurricanes managed to get close wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Because of the way Miami struggled against these teams, many thought the Hurricanes would surely not be undefeated, playing for an ACC title and competing for a shot in the CFP.
After beating Virginia Tech and manhandling Notre Dame in the last two weeks, the Hurricanes have caught the attention of the college football world. The words of “Miami is shaky” have turned into “The U” is back. 
Miami (9-0) enters Saturday’s game against Virginia ranked No. 3 in the CFP and will look to stay perfect against the Cavaliers.
Virginia (6-4) is coming off a 38-21 loss to Louisville last week, eliminating the Cavaliers from competing for a shot at the ACC Coastal Division crown. However, the Cavaliers are still a solid team and would love to spoil the Hurricanes' latest CFP ranking.
Although Miami has found ways to win throughout the season, opposing teams are aware that they can move the ball against the Hurricanes. 
Miami will be given the task of stopping Cavaliers quarterback Kurt Benkert, who has thrown for 2, 492 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Benkert also averages nearly 250 yards per game through the air in a Cavaliers’ offense that averages 364 per game. Running back Jordan Ellis has led Virginia’s rushing attack, tallying 766 yards and six touchdowns. Most of Virginia’s offensive production, however, comes in the passing game. Thus, the Hurricanes secondary will need to be on full alert in not giving up big plays over the top. 
Speaking of defense, the Hurricanes have recorded 24 takeaways this season, tied for fourth most in the nation. Not to mention, against Notre Dame, Miami’s defense tallied three interceptions, a strip sack and a fumble recovery. 
Here’s a stat for you: Virginia has turned the ball over 12 times this year. According to ESPN.com, five of those turnovers came in two games against Boston College and Louisville. The Cavaliers have only six in their six wins this season. 
If Miami continues to build on its ability to force turnovers and limit the big plays against Virginia, the Hurricanes should earn their 10th win of the season in commanding fashion and add to their resume of wins this season. 
Look for Hurricanes quarterback Malik Rosier to have a solid game against a Cavaliers defense led by free safety Quin Blanding, who has 454 career tackles. Rosier threw for 137 yards and one touchdown last week against Notre Dame. He has thrown for 2,410 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 
Running back Travis Homer will have an impact in the game, making things easier for Rosier in the passing game. Homer rushed for 146 yards on 18 carries last week. If he duplicates this performance, the Hurricanes should not have any problems winning their final home game of the season. 
Whether the 36-inch chain of 14-karat gold has anything to do with the Hurricanes success this season, no one truly knows. One thing is for sure, it has not hurt the Hurricanes. The hype with the chain and the calmness of Hurricanes coach Mark Richt has fans in Miami excited about what is to come over the next couple of weeks. 
TRENDING STORIES:
Illinois at (9) Ohio State | 3:30 p.m. on Channel 2
Ohio State could easily look over its final home game of the season against Illinois on Saturday. After losing to Iowa 55-24 on the road, chances are the Buckeyes will be fully prepared to play the Fighting Illini.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer will make sure of it.
“There will be zero conversation around here, especially when you guys talk to the players, there will be zero conversation about what happened before and what’s going to happen in the future,” Meyer said in an ESPN article.
 
The latest College Football Playoff rankings have the Buckeyes ranked No. 9. For Ohio State to stay or move up in the next set of CFP rankings, the first order of business for the Buckeyes is to take care of Illinois.
Illinois (2-8) has yet to win a conference game this season under second-year head coach Lovie Smith. The Fighting Illini, who started off 2-0, have lost eight straight games. The team features a lot of freshman players who have room to grow in the seasons to come.
 
Illinois has struggled to stop opposing teams rushing attacks this season, giving up 199 yards per game. This is great news for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes average a conference- best 245 yards per game. Running back J.K. Dobbins has had a huge impact on the Buckeyes success this year, rushing for 124 yards last week and total 1,038 yards for the season. Look for Meyer to use Dobbins and running back Mike Weber to wear down the Illinois defense up front.
Then, when the defense is worn down, look for J.T. Barrett to make solid throws over the top or use his legs to make plays as well. Barrett has thrown for 2,557 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 
The Buckeyes offense leads the conference in scoring and total yards per game. Ohio State has won eight straight meetings and 11 of the last 12 against Illinois. The Fighting Illini last beat the Buckeyes in 2007.
As long as Ohio State comes prepared to play in all aspects of the game, the Buckeyes should get a win and a stay on track and in preparation for the Big Ten championship against Wisconsin.
UCLA at (11) USC | 8 p.m. on Channel 2
The USC-UCLA rivalry is one that is deeply rooted with tradition and excitement in college football. Ten miles separate the two schools, and this year’s rivalry will be another epic showdown of high-powered offenses featuring two future NFL prospects at the quarterback position in UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold.
If records mean anything, USC has won seven of the last 10 meetings, including the last two. Both teams, however, are coming off wins and will look to keep their respective team goals alive in Saturday’s rivalry for the Victory Bell. 
UCLA (5-5) is playing to finish the season strong and bowl-game aspirations. Rosen, who returned from injury last week, threw for 381 yards and one touchdown and led the Bruins to a 44-37 win against Arizona State. 
Rosen has thrown for 3,094 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. The Bruins average 463 yards of total offense and 35 points per game, with Rosen having a big impact in the offensive production. 
Meanwhile, Darnold has eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark in passing yards this season with 3,198, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. One of the biggest issues facing Darnold has been the number of interceptions he has thrown. The USC-Colorado game last week marked the first game that Darnold did not turn the ball over.
For UCLA to get the win, the Bruins defensive front will need to bring pressure and the secondary must create tight windows to make passes complicated for Darnold. The Bruins, however, allow nearly 39 points per game and surrender an average of 302 yards per game through the air to their opponents. 
Even more, stopping Darnold’s production means the Bruins will have to also stop Trojans running back Ronald Jones II. Jones has rushed for 552 yards in the Trojans last three games and recorded 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns for the season. 
If Jones has a solid game on the ground, that will only make Darnold more comfortable to make plays in the passing game. Not to mention, UCLA has the worst rushing defense, giving up 302 yards per game. UCLA could be end for a long day.
While the Trojans offense has been dominant, they have struggled to score in red-zone situations. Darnold and the offense must be able to capitalize on these opportunities because the Bruins can score a lot of points as well.
The Bruins will get wide receiver Jordan Lasley back from suspension and Rosen will look to connect with him throughout the game. It will be interesting to see how the Trojans defense make things difficult for Rosen and the Bruins offense. USC is giving up nearly 100 yards less (402 per game) than UCLA.
The two most important factors of the game will be how both quarterbacks lead their offenses respectively and whether the Bruins defense can slow down the Trojans rushing attack, which would allow them more of a chance to get to Darnold.
Top Local Games
Kentucky at Georgia | 3:30 p.m.
Many thought Georgia would face some adversity around late October and the month of November. When Georgia continued to stand tall in the face of that adversity – beating Florida and South Carolina – the Bulldogs (9-1) clinched the SEC East, claimed the top spot in the CFP rankings and hoped to remain perfect for the remainder of the season.
But that dream of a perfect season went spiraling downhill on The Plains of Jordan-Hare Stadium as Auburn not only beat Georgia 40-17, but the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs in all aspects of the game.
As Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said, it was a good wake-up call for his team.
“It’s a wake-up call for some of the guys,” Smart said. "Auburn had a much better game plan, and they beat us physically. Our job is to respond the right way and move on now to Kentucky. You don’t want Auburn to beat you twice. You get ready to play Kentucky.”
With one loss and now ranked No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, Georgia must bounce back at home on Saturday against a Kentucky team that is in pursuit of a 10-win season and a Jan. 1 bowl game.
Despite their loss, the Bulldogs still have a chance to compete for a spot in the CFP if they take care of business against the Wildcats, beat Georgia Tech in the regular season finale and defeat Auburn or Alabama in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 2 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 
On Saturday, Smart’s Bulldogs will have the task of stopping or limiting the production of Wildcats running backs Benny Snell, Sihiem King and quarterback Stephen Johnson.
 
Snell, a physical running back, has rushed for 1,013 yards and his 15 touchdowns, tied for first with Auburn’s running back Kerryon Johnson in the conference. Snell also set a school record for career-rushing touchdowns with 28 and became the first Kentucky player to rush for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons against Vanderbilt last week. Sihiem has rushed for 307 yards and two touchdowns this season, with his two scores coming against Vanderbilt. 
Johnson has thrown for 1,800 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Johnson has also rushed for 348 yards and three touchdowns. 
Against Auburn last week, the Bulldogs gave up 237 yards on the ground and 251 in the air. If they are not careful and prepared to stop the Wildcats’ offense, the Bulldogs could be looking at a similar situation in Athens Saturday.
Georgia has a history of responding to adversity over the years, with one of its more recent examples being during the 2002 season. The Bulldogs were undefeated and lost to Florida. Georgia bounced back, won the SEC Championship and defeated Florida State in the Sugar Bowl to finish ranked No. 3 in the nation. 
Look for Smart’s Bulldogs to get back on track using its game plan that helped Georgia win nine straight games. The Bulldogs earned 46 yards on the ground against Auburn. A lot of that had to do with the Georgia offensive line getting manhandled up front, something that has been considered in the conversation all season, despite the Bulldogs’ success. 
For Georgia to win, however, the Bulldogs must establish the running game with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. If all goes well, Chubb could reach 1,000 yards in a season for the third time in his career. 
The impact of the run will set up quarterback Jake Fromm for success. Fromm struggled against the Tigers’ defense and was called on more to make plays, something that was new for him as opposed to other weeks. Fromm has thrown for 1,643 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. 
Defensively, the Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game ranked fifth in total defense (giving up 278 yards per game) and rush defense (giving up 104 yards per game). These numbers will be put to the test in stopping the Wildcats’ offense, with emphasis on the rushing attack.
Georgia fans, a win in Athens would keep your Bulldogs CFP hopes very much alive. A surprise loss to Kentucky, however, would end hopes for a shot at a national title. 
Georgia Tech at Duke | 3:30 p.m.

TaQuon Marshall #16 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets carries the ball against Houshun Gaines #11 of the Virginia Tech Hokies on November 11, 2017 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Scott Cunningham, Getty Images

Georgia Tech has witnessed a very rough season in 2017. From losing a thriller to Tennessee in the first week of the season to losing three games – to Tennessee, Miami and Clemson – by an average margin of five points, the Yellow Jackets (5-4) came up short in close games, but still have the chance to play for a bowl game if they earn their sixth win this weekend on the road against Duke.
If it had not been for Hurricane Irma, the Yellow Jackets could have potentially earned bowl eligibility, as they would have played Central Florida on Oct. 7, which would have added one more game to the total number of games the Yellow Jackets would have played by now. 
Facing Duke on the road Saturday and home against No. 7 Georgia next Saturday, the Yellow Jackets' best chance to get their sixth win comes on Saturday against Duke. Georgia Tech, however, has not won a game on the road this season, something to really consider for Saturday’s game. 
A year ago, Georgia Tech defeated Duke, 38-35 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In the last two meetings between the two teams prior to 2016, the Blue Devils beat the Yellow Jackets, 31-25, in 2014, and 34-20 in 2015.
Duke (4-6) is no stranger to beating Georgia Tech, and three of the Blue Devils' wins this season have come at Wallace Wade Stadium. In the six losses for the Blue Devils – to Miami, Virginia, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Army – the average margin of loss in four of those games was 6.5 points. Duke lost to Miami, 31-6, and Virginia Tech, 24-3. 
Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson will look to another victory against the Blue Devils this year with the use of the triple-option rushing attack on offense, which ranks fourth in the nation in rush offense with an average of 324 yards per game.
Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall, who surprisingly threw two touchdown passes to beat Virginia Tech last week, heads the rushing attack, along with KirVonte Benson. 
Marshall is 66 yards shy of becoming the third quarterback under Johnson to run for 1,000 yards in a season. Marshall has thrown for 807 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Benson has rushed for 930 yards and six touchdowns.
The Blue Devils will look to earn their second conference win of the season with a balance of run and pass in the offense by quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Shaun Wilson. In a loss against Army last week, Jones threw for 167 yards and an interception while Jones, Wilson and running back Brittain Brown combined for 83 yards on the ground. 
Defensively, the Blue Devils are 48th in the nation in rush defense, allowing nearly 151 yards to their opponents per game and 25th in total defense (333 yards per game). The Blue Devils will have a tough task in stopping Marshall and Benson. Even when Clemson defeated Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets still managed to rush for 198 yards.
Unless Duke limits Georgia Tech to well-below average in its rushing attack, the Yellow Jackets should be on the task to earn their first road win of the season.
While the offense will be important for Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets must be ready defensively to stop Wilson and Jones for Duke. The Yellow Jackets will enter Saturday’s game ranked 22nd in total defense (325 yards per game) and 23rd in rush defense, giving up an average of 125 yards per game to their opponents.
Georgia Tech may only need one game to become bowl eligible, but Johnson would “like to get seven.”
Monmouth at Kennesaw State | 2 p.m.
Kennesaw State has not lost a game since Week 1 of the season, losing to Samford 28-23. The Owls (9-1, 4-0) have put together an impressive nine-game winning streak and claimed a spot in the FCS Top 25 for the third consecutive week at No. 21 and No. 22 in both the FCS Coaches and STATS FCS polls.  
The Owls, however, are not the only ones with an impressive season on the line. Monmouth is riding a seven-game winning streak, and the Hawks (9-1, 4-0) enter Saturday’s game ranked No. 24 in FCS.
In Saturday’s “Battle of the Birds” matchup, both teams will look to win the conference and earn an automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs. 
The Owls average 30 points per game and 438 total yards of offense per game, ranked first in the Big South and tied for 21st in the FCS. Much of Kennesaw State’s offensive production comes on the ground, averaging 337 yards per game and only 89 yards through the air. The Owls also ranked second in scoring, seventh in time of possession (29:17) and second in the conference in red-zone efficiency, with 83 percent. 
The Hawks’ defense gives up 366 yards per game to their opponents, ranked 60th in the FCS. On the ground, however, the Hawks give up only 104 yards per game, something that could play a big factor in whether the Owls have success on offense. The Hawks are also ranked 15th in red zone defense.
Offensively, Monmouth enters Saturday’s game ranked 31st in the FCS in total offense, averaging 419 yards per game, with 217 of those coming on the ground, ranked 16th in the nation. 
With similar offensive styles, the winner of this game will come down to which team’s defense can get the critical stops when needed to create some separation in the score. 
Kennesaw State has recorded three shutouts this season, including one last week, forcing four turnovers and allowing only 187 yards. The Owls also rank fourth in scoring defense, allowing their opponents roughly 14 points per game, second in turnover margin (18+), second in turnovers gained (27) and eighth in total defense (274 yards). 
In what should be a close game, Kennesaw State will be at home, where the Owls are 6-0 this season and 15-3 all-time. Look for Kennesaw State to earn its tenth straight victory, its third victory over Monmouth in years and become the second FCS program in its third season to win a conference championship and earn an FCS Playoff berth since 2008. 
Other ACC Action
Delaware State at Florida State | 12 p.m.
The Citadel at Clemson | 12:20 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech | 12:20 p.m.
Western Carolina at North Carolina | 3 p.m.
Syracuse at Louisville | 3:30 p.m.
Boston College vs Connecticut | 7 p.m.
NC State at Wake Forest | 7:30 p.m.
Other SEC Action
Mercer at Alabama | 12 p.m.
Louisiana Monroe at Auburn | 12 p.m.
Mississippi State at Arkansas | 12 p.m.
Kentucky at Georgia | 3:30 p.m.
UAB at Florida | 4 p.m.
Wofford at South Carolina | 4 p.m.
LSU at Tennessee | 7 p.m.
Texas A&M at Ole Miss | 7 p.m.
Missouri at Vanderbilt | 7:30 p.m. 
Follow Channel 2 for all the latest coverage and updates from the biggest games of Week 12 in college football.