How to watch Tennessee vs Georgia, other top college games of Week 12

Michigan is on a bye week this weekend, but there is plenty of action still worth watching. At the top of the list is an SEC battle between Georgia and Tennessee. Here’s how to watch the best action:

After a 5-5 start to the season, the Michigan Wolverines are on a bye week with two crucial games on the horizon for the team to become bowl-eligible and potentially pull off an upset over the hated Ohio State Buckeyes.

This week, Michigan fans will sit back and watch as some of the top teams in the country will face off with spots in the College Football Playoff potentially on the line. The only Top 15 battle this weekend is No. 7 Tennessee taking on No. 12 Georgia. Here’s how to watch that game and some of the other top action in Week 12.

No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers vs No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs

• Day: Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024
• TV: ABC
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Athens, GA
• Weather: 57 degrees, clear
• Odds: UGA -10 O/U: 48.5

The SEC will dominate the weekend yet again with a playoff-altering matchup between the Vols and Bulldogs. Georgia is on quite the winning streak in this rivalry, winning the last seven between these two squads. In fact, the last time Georgia lost this game in Sanford Stadium was back in 2016 when Joshua Dobbs hit Jauan Jennings on a Hail Mary to win the game as time expired.

That Hail Mary snapped another losing streak in Athens where the last time they had won was 2006. Those two wins are the only two that Tennessee has at Georgia in the 21st century.

In this contest, the Bulldogs opened as an 8-point favorite despite coming off a road loss to Ole Miss that was really never close. Early money has been on the Bulldogs with that number now being inflated to 10 by several sportsbooks.

Carson Beck has been far from the efficient passer he once was, tallying 12 interceptions this season. He was seen smiling and laughing on the sideline despite being down in the second half. And, another Georgia player was seen celebrating with Rebel fans storming the field in Oxford after the upset.

There’s no way around saying that this Georgia team does not have the mentality of year’s past, and it’s showing up on the box score. Wins over Clemson and at Texas make this team very capable of still making the playoffs, but two road losses put them in jeopardy of missing out if they drop one more. Their last three games are at home, and they’ll need to win each of them to have a shot.

Meanwhile, the Vols have had a lesser schedule but won their most important game of the year at home against Alabama. This contest with Georgia will be their last chance to impress the committee and a win would likely secure them a spot in the SEC Championship.

A loss puts their season in jeopardy. They don’t have the strength of schedule to compete with some of the other two-loss and maybe even three-loss teams in the country. That’s why they rank No. 8 in the current rankings, while two-loss Alabama and Ole Miss sit nearby at No. 10 and No. 11. It’s hard to imagine they’ll be ahead of either of those programs if they lose to Georgia this weekend.

Nico Iamaleava has been up-and-down this season, but he’s been mediocre on the road. He has just three touchdowns to two interceptions and has had only two road contests in his early career. Playing in Athens will be the toughest experience yet, and I’m not sure he is ready for the bright lights with the season on the line.

This one feels like Vegas wants money on a Tennessee cover, but a Georgia win. I liken the Dawgs to take it to the Vols with an emphatic win that puts them right back in the playoff picture with two weeks to go in the regular season. I’ll wait to see if I can get this one at 9.5 or lower closer to kickoff.

The play: UGA -9.5 (or lower)

Other top games in Week 12

• Noon ET – No. 20 Clemson Tigers vs Pittsburgh Panthers

The play: U54.5

• 4:15 p.m. ET – No. 23 Missouri Tigers vs No. 21 South Carolina Gamecocks

The play: U44.5

Betting Record: 14-20