College football preview: Big matchups and storylines ahead of Week 12 - ESPN

Week 12 is here as we take a look at an SEC matchup that has College Football Playoff implications, learn about three of the nation's top passers who all played under the same coach and see what's going on in the Big 12.

No. 7 Tennessee will visit Sanford Stadium as it takes on conference opponent No. 12 Georgia on Saturday night. With so much at stake, what can each team improve on ahead of this SEC showdown?

The Big 12 has six teams in the hunt for a spot in the conference title game. With the final CFP rankings coming out in less than a month, what scenario looks most realistic for the conference in terms of how many of its teams could make the 12-team field?

Our college football experts preview big games and storylines ahead of the Week 12 slate.

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Tennessee-Georgia | The coach behind three top QB passers
What's going on in the Big 12 | Quotes of the Week

Tennessee:

It has been a historic (and dominant) season for Tennessee's defense, which has yet to give up more than 19 points in any of its nine games. Against SEC competition, the Volunteers lead the conference in scoring defense, giving up 16.7 points per game, and also lead the way in third-down defense and red zone defense. In other words, they've given up very little of anything on defense and are buoyed by a line that's both talented and deep. Tennessee plays a ton of players up front and has been especially good at forcing key turnovers. In 23 trips inside its own 20-yard line, the Vols have forced six turnovers.

The reality is that Tennessee has played to its defense for much of this season out of necessity. The offense has lacked consistency and struggled to generate explosive plays, particularly in the passing game. It's not all on redshirt