College football’s most important people for Week 12

College football is entering its most crucial stretch of games, meaning the spotlight will narrow to feature a few major characters.

Here are Yardbarker’s 10 most important people of Week 12.

Kirby Smart | Georgia head coach

The Bulldogs (7-2) dropped nine spots to No. 12 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday. It was a severe punishment from the playoff committee after Georgia was downed 28-10 by Mississippi in Week 11. Now, Smart will have no room for error at 7-2 with No. 7 Tennessee (8-1) on deck.

A second straight season with no Georgia in the playoff could prove to be a damning trend in Smart’s recent tenure in Athens. Losing to Tennessee on Saturday would certainly guarantee the Bulldogs stay on the wrong side of the bubble.

Carson Beck | Georgia quarterback

Georgia’s starting passer was a significant reason it lost the all-important game against Mississippi. An ill-timed interception and two fumbles are not ingredients in the Dawgs’ winning formula. Beck must reset and improve ahead of Saturday’s tilt with Tennessee if he wishes to lead his team back into the playoff conversation.

Josh Heupel | Tennessee head coach

On the flip side of that matchup, the Volunteers are in their best position to win an SEC title for the first time since 1998. Heupel has never beaten Georgia since taking the helm in Knoxville in 2021. The program hasn’t defeated the Dawgs since 2016. Now would be a good time to break that streak. Having a healthy quarterback, however, is going to be the biggest factor entering the weekend.

The starting Tennessee quarterback

Season-starter Nico Iamaleava is still questionable as of the release of Wednesday’s team injury report. That’s not a good sign for a Volunteer team looking to potentially cement its spot in the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.

Heupel told reporters this week he expects him to be ready for Saturday, but will he be at 100 percent? The freshman has played solidly since a hard-fought victory over Alabama in October, but whoever is under center will need to play the best game of their career on Saturday.

Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri head coach

The ever-optimistic Drinkwitz said immediately after his team defeated Oklahoma in Week 11 that they were still in the playoff hunt. And while fans and pundits laughed at him over the comments, he technically wasn’t wrong. 

As of Monday, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor gave the No. 23 Tigers (7-2) a 61 percent chance to make the 12-team field if they win out. But now, with the new rankings, the team is not featured as a viable option to simulate. However, a win against No. 21 South Carolina (6-3) on Saturday could change that pessimistic outlook.

Jake Retzlaff | BYU quarterback

After surviving a tumultuous (and controversial) edition of “The Holy War,” Retzlaff will need to get over his poor Week 11 performance. His 39.5 QBR was the second lowest of the season, but it was enough for No. 6 BYU (9-0) to stay undefeated. A Week 12 matchup with upset-minded Kansas is up next, and the Big 12 title is still well up for grabs.

“I don’t believe in destiny, but how can you not?” Steve Retzlaff, Jake’s father, told The Salt Lake Tribune after the win over Utah.

The Cougars do feel like a team of destiny, but if their Cinderella run hits midnight against a Jayhawks team that just upset Iowa State in Week 11, things will get a whole lot more complicated in the Big 12.

Deion Sanders | Colorado head coach

Speaking of complicated things in the Big 12, the No. 17 Colorado Buffaloes (7-2) control their destiny when it comes to qualifying for the conference championship game and the playoff field. 

Of course, it requires them to win out their remaining three games, but that’s easier said than done with an angry Utah (4-5) on deck in Week 12.

Head coach Deion Sanders will need to rally his team and keep it ignorant of its newfound national recognition. Having a top quarterback in his son, Shedeur, and Heisman Trophy favorite Travis Hunter certainly helps his chances.

Cam Skattebo | Arizona State running back

Additionally, in the Big 12, while more of a dark-horse contender, the Sun Devils (7-2) have a big opportunity to earn a signature win in head coach Kenny Dillingham’s second season. 

No. 16 Kansas State (7-2) won’t be an easy opponent, but running back Cam Skattebo has led ASU to six of its seven wins with his offensive production.

A massive upset for the Sun Devils would make them the only threat to Colorado in the race for the Big 12 title game. Skattebo is averaging 125.1 yards per game and has scored 13 total touchdowns this season. He’s a key component in the ASU offense, and if he’s on top of his game, there could be late-season drama in the Big 12.

Jon Sumrall | Tulane head coach

The No. 25 Green Wave (8-2) are new contenders to the College Football Playoff discussion, and their Week 12 tilt with Navy (7-2) will likely determine who faces No. 24 Army (9-0) in the AAC Championship Game.

Running the table now would mean Tulane is just one Boise State loss away from potentially earning the final seed in the playoff field. Sumrall is in his first season with the program and will be looking to not crack under the newfound pressure.

Ashton Jeanty | Boise State running back

Saturday will be Jeanty’s last opportunity to make an emphatic case for his Heisman candidacy. San Jose State (6-3) ranks 75th in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing 151.1 yards per game. 

Jeanty is averaging 192.7 yards per game and needs a big day to get back on pace with the great Barry Sanders’ 1988 record pace. 

Despite having two more games after this one, voters will likely be leaning toward locking in Colorado’s Travis Hunter as their pick unless Jeanty wows the country on Saturday.