College Football 2021: 3 teams on upset alert in Week 12

College Football Week 12 has quite a few landmines for favorites. Here are three teams on upset alert. 

Week three of the College Football Playoff rankings are in the books and again the committee does something just mind-blowing.

For the second week in a row, the selection committee ranked Michigan ahead of Michigan State again despite Michigan State’s head-to-head win. It’s not so much that ranking that’s bad as it is the explanation.

In quite possibly the dumbest quote in the history of organized football, selection chairman Gary Barta actually said the following: “Set aside watching the games, though that’s certainly a part of it. But statistically in just about every category, offensively and defensively, Michigan comes out on top over Michigan State.”

Apparently, playing the games isn’t quite as important as the stat sheet. Why even play the games?

This week, quite a few of the teams in those same rankings should be on high alert, if it even matters to the committee. We have some high-pressure games this weekend, with some of them not used to being in the thick of things. Plus, with rivalry week ahead, will anyone be looking there instead of the roadblock ahead this weekend?

Last week, teams on upset alert went 6-5. It was a rough week for the favorites. Baylor led that upset train taking out Oklahoma. Auburn was the other Top 25 Upset Alert team that lost, while unranked favorites Iowa State, Memphis, and Marshall also lost. Arizona State, Pitt, Wake Forest, Michigan, and Iowa were four of the winners but won by a total of just 17 points.

On the season, teams on upset alert are now 51-30. Luckily, according to the selection committee, that record doesn’t matter as long as the losers played well.

As usual, a disclaimer: These picks are not predictions unless stated as such. (Spoiler: there is a prediction coming up.