College football scores, NCAA top 25 rankings, Week 12: Georgia, Cincinnati, Oregon avoid upsets

NCAA football scores and highlights from the teams in action during Week 12 of the 2020 season

No. 13 Georgia returned to the field Saturday after a week off for its first game since a crushing loss to Florida two weeks ago, a defeat which all but ended Georgia's hopes of an SEC Championship Game or College Football Playoff appearance. But the Bulldogs found something for their fans to get excited about on Saturday in a 31-24 win over Mississippi State.

Though it took a fourth-down stop in the final two minutes for Georgia to secure the win, Kirby Smart's team appeared to finally find a quarterback as USC transfer JT Daniels completed 28 of 38 passes for 401 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in his SEC debut. Georgia needed every bit of the redshirt sophomore's production as it generated just 8 rushing yards against a shorthanded Mississippi State team.

Daniels will be draft-eligible after this season, but if he stays in college another season after missing nearly all of last year with a knee injury suffered at USC, he could be a long-term answer for the Bulldogs at the position. If nothing else, Daniels' successful return to the field was one of the top storylines on another action-packed Saturday of college football.

College football scores -- Week 12

No. 3 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Indiana 35 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 6 Florida 38, Vanderbilt 17 -- Box score
No. 15 Coastal Carolina 34, Appalachian State 23 -- Box score
Nevada 26, San Diego State 21 -- Box score
No. 7 Cincinnati 36, UCF 33 -- Box score
No. 19 Northwestern 17, No. 10 Wisconsin 7 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 11 Oregon 38, UCLA 35 -- Box score
No. 1 Alabama 63, Kentucky 3 -- Box score
No. 23 Auburn 30, Tennessee 17 -- Box score
No. 13 Georgia 31, Mississippi State 24 -- Box score
No. 18 Oklahoma 41, No. 14 Oklahoma State 13 -- Takeaways, recap
No. 20 USC 33, Utah 17 -- Box score
Check out the complete Week 12 scoreboard

Check these out ...

• Tomorrow's Top 25: Northwestern crashes the top 10
• Penn State woes continue: Lions drop to 0-5 for first time in program history
• SEC history: Alabama's DeVonta Smith sets new TD reception record
• Hours before kickoff: Clemson vs. Florida State postponed amid COVID-19
• Purdue controversy: Boilermakers see late TD wiped out by controversial OPI call

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:45 pm ET · David Cobb]

No. 13 Georgia survives to beat Mississippi State 31-24 behind a huge debut from JT Daniels

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Close finishes!

No. 13 Georgia is up 31-24 vs. Mississippi State in the last two minutes

No. 21 Liberty has the ball and trails NC State late in the fourth.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:21 pm ET · David Cobb]

JT Daniels!

Fourth touchdown pass of the night for JT Daniels in his SEC debut puts UGA up 31-24 midway through 4Q. Can't help but wonder what this UGA team's ceiling would have been if Daniels had been healthy all along. 

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:03 pm ET · David Cobb]

Liberty up

Not exactly an offensive explosion, but the No. 21 Flames now lead NC State 14-9 late in the third quarter.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:02 pm ET · David Cobb]

End 3Q: No. 13 Georgia 24, Mississippi State 24

Tied up going to the fourth quarter. Mississippi State has held Georgia to 6 rushing yards so far. SIX. Impressive night an undermanned team on the road against one of the most-talented teams in the country.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 10:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Auburn cruising

Smoke Monday's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown took the wind out of Tennessee's sails. After adding an insurance TD to go up 27-10, Auburn is on its way to 5-2 and the Irown Bowl.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 9:59 pm ET · David Cobb]

Bedlam update

Oklahoma State trails 27-13 and has the football early in the third quarter. The Cowboys have hung in there since falling behind 21-0 early.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 9:41 pm ET · David Cobb]

Mississippi State ties it up

11 plays, 75 yards in 5:46 for Mississippi State to tie it up with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Just when you think Georgia is going to get some space here, the Cowbell Crew makes something happen. Pretty surprising to see Leach's offense having so much success tonight against one of the more-talented defenses its played this year.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 9:27 pm ET · David Cobb]

All the Smoke

Auburn's Smoke Monday ends a long Tennessee drive by picking off Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and running it back 100 yards to give the No. 23 Tigers a 20-10 lead. That's a very Tennessee thing to do.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 9:18 pm ET · David Cobb]

Flaming out?

Liberty hasn't scored fewer than 28 points in a game this season. But the No. 21 Flames are in a defensive struggle against NC State.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 9:02 pm ET · David Cobb]

Half: No. 13 Georgia 17, Mississippi State 17

A shorthanded Mississippi State team did a good job of controlling the clock in the first half and giving its shorthanded defense time to rest. But Georgia seems to be finding an offensive rhythm with JT Daniels at QB, and UGA gets the ball to start the second half.

Daniels had a great first half while making his SEC debut. But going to a taller quarterback did not solve the issue the Bulldogs have had this season with getting passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Happened quite a bit with a shorter QB in Stetson Bennett back there, and it's still happening with the 6-foot-3 Daniels as well.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:43 pm ET · David Cobb]

Close game...

25-point favorite Georgia just tied it up at 10 with Mississippi State late in the first half. JT Daniels has been good so far -- 9-of-11 for 120 yards. But Mississippi State has controlled the clock with Will Rogers at QB.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Half: No. 23 Auburn 10, Tennessee 10

Are the Tigers looking ahead to the Iron Bowl? Maybe, but they've woken up a bit since trailing 10-0 early. Tennessee having success on the ground, but worth noting Auburn would probably be leading if not for a Bo Nix interception that ended a promising drive.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:32 pm ET · David Cobb]

Liberty update

The No. 21 Flames are trying to improve to 3-0 vs. ACC teams. But it's been a defensive struggle so far. No score midway through the second quarter.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:21 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia up 7-3

Welcome to the SEC, JT Daniels.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:12 pm ET · David Cobb]

Auburn on the board

Up 10-0 and looking like a functional football team for the first time in weeks, Tennessee went with the bold strategy of leaving Anthony Schwartz uncovered. It didn't go well. The No. 23 Tigers close their early deficit to 10-7 courtesy of a 54-yard Nix-to-Schwartz connection.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 8:04 pm ET · David Cobb]

Georgia trailing early

UGA down 3-0 against Mississippi State as JT Daniels comes out for his second series at QB. 

[Nov 21, 2020 at 7:35 pm ET · David Cobb]

QB change

JT Daniels is making his Georgia debut tonight as the Bulldogs take on the Bulldogs. It's been a struggle for Georgia at quarterback (Mississippi State, too, for that matter) and it'll be interesting to see how healthy Daniels looks, since the rehab from last year's ACL tear is presumably what's kept him from seeing the field so far this year.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 7:29 pm ET · David Cobb]

Final: No. 7 Cincinnati 36, UCF 33

It wasn't the blowout win Cincinnati might have wanted to make some huge statement to the CFP committee. But beating this UCF team on the road shows how solid these Bearcats are. Not many teams can hold the Knights under 400 yards, but Cincinnati did today.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 7:15 pm ET · David Cobb]

UCF still in it

UCF just scored and got a 2-point conversion to cut it to 36-33 with 4:27 left vs. No. 7 Cincinnati. 

[Nov 21, 2020 at 7:10 pm ET · David Cobb]

Oregon survives

The No. 11 Ducks got a scare from shorthanded UCLA but got a late stop to escape with a 3-0 record.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:39 pm ET · David Cobb]

Bearcats surge ahead

No. 7 Cincinnati just scored on a QB sneak with 13:07 left to go ahead of UCF 29-25. Should be a great finish.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:38 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duck update

Oregon leads UCLA 38-28 but isn't out of the woods yet. Bruins getting the ball back with 7 minutes left. Ducks with some serious work to do in order to cover the closing spread of 18 points.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:25 pm ET · David Cobb]

Bama rolling

Don't think there's any question who will be No. 1 in the first batch of CFP rankings released Tuesday. But would you believe me if I told you that Kentucky actually outplayed Alabama in the first quarter and just had the wind zapped from its sails by penalties and special teams miscues?

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:24 pm ET · David Cobb]

Missouri, already down a ton of players, now facing absences on the coaching staff for tonight's game with South Carolina.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:23 pm ET · David Cobb]

End 3Q: UCF 25, No. 7 Cincinnati 22

UCF has the football and the lead as it goes to the fourth quarter in Orlando with a darkhorse CFP contender in some trouble.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 6:14 pm ET · David Cobb]

Did you take the under?

Official Twitter accounts making special teams appreciation posts in the middle of a game. That about sums up Wisconsin and Northwestern. No. 19 Wildcats lead the No. 10 Badgers 14-7 after three quarters.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 5:56 pm ET · David Cobb]

Cyclones!

Breece Hall needed only two quarters to go over 100 yards rushing for the eighth time this season in Iowa State's eighth game. No. 17 Iowa State is absolutely rolling.

[Nov 21, 2020 at 5:41 pm ET · David Cobb]

Bearcats battling

Cincy's offense found a groove in the second quarter and scored on three straight possessions. No. 7 Bearcats up 19-17 at the break after trailing 14-3 early.