College football viewing guide, Week 12: Florida finally plays an SEC opponent

Hurricane Matthew’s aftereffects still linger five weeks removed from the weekend in which everyone in Gainesville and Baton Rouge was made to look a fool. So now, in Week 12, No. 23 Florida must play No. 16 LSU on the road in deep November (noon CT, SEC Network and live streaming at WatchESPN). HOO BOY.

Florida-LSU is but one of three games featuring ranked opponents this week. No. 22 Washington State takes on No. 10 Colorado (2:30 p.m. CT, FOX and live streaming at FOX Sports GO) for the season’s second #Pac12BeforeDark gift-giving. Later on in primetime, No. 9 Oklahoma pays a visit to Dana Holgorsen and his No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers, for what on paper looks like a great game (7 p.m. CT, ABC and live streaming at WatchESPN).

There’s very little reason to watch this week’s Friday night offerings, unless you’re a fan of blue turf and something called “UNLV.” You’re better off checking out the live stream of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Ole Miss tips off at 2 p.m. CT on Friday. Or look for yours truly on the Charleston Classic broadcast.

Here are the other football happenings we’re keeping tabs on this Saturday, and here’s Jason Kirk’s complete Week 12 watchability grid.

Early games

No. 11 Oklahoma State at TCU

11 a.m. CT, FS1 (live streaming at FOX Sports GO)

TCU’s season held real promise up until the Horned Frogs started playing football. In hindsight, that close overtime loss to Arkansas back in Week 1 constituted a pretty hard lesson in how the Frogs’ season would turn out. Still, though, they could play spoiler to a Cowboys squad on the rise and looking to make some noise come College Football Playoff and bowl selection day. We dunno — at least it’s not the Ohio State-Michigan State game (11 a.m. CT, ESPN and live streaming at WatchESPN).

Afternoon games

Indiana at No. 3 Michigan

2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN (live streaming at WatchESPN)

This one’s more like it. Michigan, fresh off an upset at the hands of mighty IOWA, will be looking to take that resentment out on somebody, so why not CHAOS TEAM Indiana? The potential for many instances of HARBAUGH RAGE FACE is high high high, y’all.

No. 24 Stanford at Cal

4:30 p.m. CT, Pac-12 Networks (live streaming at Pac-12 Live)

Speaking of chaos teams, Cal’s hosting Stanford and HOLY MOLY THE CARDINAL IS RANKED.

Evening games

No. 4 Clemson at Wake Forest

6 p.m. CT, ESPN (live streaming at WatchESPN)

This game is built on the same axes as Indiana-Michigan up there, but do bear in mind that the Deacons were holding Louisville tight, 12-10, going into the fourth quarter last week (Louisville then scored 34 points in the final frame, BUT WE DIGRESS). For added mystery, #WAKEYLEAKS is now a thing.

Arkansas at Mississippi State

6 p.m. CT, ESPN2 (live streaming at WatchESPN)

Whoops! Sorry about that, did not mean to include this here. We’re working to remove it.

#Pac12AfterDark

No. 13 USC at UCLA

9:30 p.m. CT, ESPN (live streaming at WatchESPN)

THE BATTLE FOR LOS ANGELES. USC ON THE RISE. UCLA VERY BAD. WE DON’T KNOW EITHER.

Full weekend schedule