Michigan v Northwestern
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Saturday was a day of near misses for big underdogs, as a handful of ranked teams flirted with the idea of losing to unranked foes before squeaking out dramatic wins. No. 3 Texas A&M provided the most thrilling rally as the Aggies roared back from a 27-point halftime deficit to take out South Carolina 31-30 for the largest comeback win in program history.

No. 18 Michigan and No. 16 Georgia Tech also found themselves trailing late in the fourth quarter against overmatched opponents before somehow finding ways to win. The Wolverines committed five turnovers and missed two field goals but were bailed out when Dominic Zvada hit a game-winning kick as time expired to lift Michigan past Northwestern. The win kept Michigan's playoff hopes alive.

Not to be outdone, Georgia Tech rallied from a 28-17 deficit at Boston College and won 36-34 after Aidan Birr hit a go-ahead field goal with 11 seconds left. The win kept the Yellow Jackets tied atop the ACC standings with Virginia, Pittsburgh and SMU.

It wasn't all roses for ranked teams against unranked opposition. Both No. 24 South Florida and No. 25 Cincinnati took losses. But the day's first two waves didn't bring the full measure of carnage that it could have.

Here's the rundown of the winners and losers from Week 12 in college football.

Loser: Texas looks bad in defeat

Not only did Texas lose at Georgia, but the manner of the 35-10 defeat offered little confidence in the Longhorns' playoff chances as a three-loss team. The offensive momentum they showed in wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt vanished against a more athletic defense.

Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) also struggled with penalties and drops, along with a few concerning defensive lapses. This doesn't look like a College Football Playoff-caliber team, and it's far from certain they can beat Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M in the final two weeks to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Winner: USC sets up massive battle

No. 17 USC's playoff candidacy isn't a major national talking point. Perhaps it should be. Following Saturday's 26-21 win over No. 21 Iowa, the No. 17 Trojans are 8-2 (6-1 Big Ten) and one marquee victory away from sending their stock soaring. That marquee opportunity comes next week against No. 8 Oregon. When the Trojans fell behind 21-7 in the first half, it seemed they might be looking ahead to their date with the Ducks. But USC stiffened up in the second half and held the Hawkeyes scoreless after halftime on their way a third straight victory.

Loser: DeBoer's hoodie falters

Second-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer finally suffered his first loss in the "black hoodie of death," as the No. 4 Crimson Tide fell 23-21 to No. 11 Oklahoma. Bama had been undefeated under DeBoer when he wore a black hoodie, but the outfit's mythology collapsed under the weight of three turnovers. A deterioration of Alabama's previously impeccable turnover margin was to blame. The Crimson Tide entered tied for third nationally in fewest turnovers with just six on the season, but they committed three against the Sooners, who found a way to win despite mustering just 212 total yards. The Sooners' defense produced four stops on Alabama's final four possessions as the Sooners secured their second straight road win over a top-15 opponent.

Winner: Texas A&M completes record comeback

So often over the past 15 years, Texas A&M has looked the part of a contender for a time before wilting into a heap of mediocrity. There was a feeling of "here we go again" on Saturday in the first half as the No. 3 Aggies hosted a reeling South Carolina team. A&M blundered its way to a 30-3 halftime deficit with three turnovers, two missed field goals and some porous defense. Everything that could go wrong for the Aggies did.

But as it turned out, Texas A&M was merely setting the stage for the biggest comeback in school history. The Aggies scored 28 unanswered points over the first 20 minutes of the second half and then held on late for a stunning 31-30 win. Quarterback Marcel Reed keyed the effort as he flushed a horrendous first half to finish with 439 passing yards for the Aggies (10-0, 7-0 SEC). The stunning collapse from South Carolina (3-7, 1-7) means last year's 9-4 season for the Gamecocks will be sandwiched between bowl misses in 2023 and 2025.

Loser: South Florida wastes great start

South Florida's playoff hopes hit a likely insurmountable roadblock in a 41-38 loss at Navy. The Bulls (7-3, 4-2 American) couldn't handle the Mishipmen's rushing attack and were also gashed through the air. USF began the season with wins over Boise State and at Florida to establish itself as the team to beat in the Group of Six. In the process, third-year coach Alex Golesh established himself as one of the hottest names on this year's coaching carousel. 

But league losses to Memphis and Navy — in addition to a loss at Miami — have left USF in need of significant help in order to reach the American title game. On the other hand, playoff aspirations for Navy (8-2, 6-1) are now very real, as the Midshipmen can secure their spot in the conference title game with a win at Memphis next week.

Winner: Lane Kiffin dodges a bullet

No. 7 Ole Miss hosting Florida was already awkward since Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is believe to be at the top of Florida's wishlist as it searches for Billy Napier's replacement. It would have been even more awkward if Kiffin had lost at home to the lowly Gators. Even Florida fans may have been disturbed if the coach they wanted had lost at home to a bad Gators team.

Well, it nearly happened. Florida held a lead for much of the second quarter and for the entire third quarter before the Rebels rallied and escaped with a 34-24 win. Kiffin still found himself dealing with speculation surrounding his future, but at least he was doing after securing a third consecutive 10-plus win season.

Loser: Northwestern misses a chance

No. 18 Michigan teed Northwestern up to secure its first win in the series since 2008, but the Wildcats simply whiffed. The Wolverines escaped with an improbable 24-22 win at Wrigley Field on a 31-yard field goal from Dominic Zvada as time expired. His game-winning kick saved Michigan (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) from a catastrophic defeat, but it didn't save them from some embarrassment. Michigan committed five turnovers, Zvada missed two field goals and the Wolverines mustered just two tackles for loss. 

But when it mattered most, Michigan came up with just enough juice. The defense forced two three-and-outs on Northwestern's final two possessions, and quarterback Bryce Underwood hit Andrew Marsh for a critical 21-yard gain on a third-down play with under two minutes remaining. That connection went a long way toward preventing the Wildcats (5-5, 3-4) from stealing a marquee victory. 

Winner: Notre Dame understands the assignment

Not only did No. 9 Notre Dame beat No. 22 Pitt on the road, but the Fighting Irish did it in style by mauling the Panthers 37-15 in a game that was never truly in doubt. Pitt scored on the final play of the game to make its final margin of defeat appear a bit more respectable, but this was total domination by a Notre Dame team in need of style points. 

It was the Fighting Irish's final opportunity to make anything resembling a "statement" before CFP Selection Sunday, and they clearly understood the assignment. The Pitt offense, which had been rolling entering the day, accumulated just 219 yards and went 0 for 13 on third downs. Those two season-opening losses for Notre Dame (8-2) are starting to feel increasingly distant amid a streak of eight straight double-digit wins.

Winner: Miami offers a reminder

The elite version of Miami finally showed up again Saturday, as the No. 15 Hurricanes throttled NC State 41-7. The Wolfpack were riding high off a 48-36 win over then-No. 8 Georgia Tech but bore no resemblance in an offensively lifeless showing against the Hurricanes. Miami dominated in all facets and looked like a playoff-caliber team. It may be too little, too late after losses to Louisville and SMU. But at least for one day, Miami was the same team that beat Notre Dame and rose to No. 2 in the AP poll amid a 5-0 start. 

Loser: Boston College falls just short

Saturday was a day of near upsets. No one needed one more than Boston College, which is why the Eagles' 36-34 loss to No. 16 Georgia Tech was so devastating. It's been a trying season for second-year coach Bill O'Brien, and his squad was in prime position to pull a stunner at home against the Yellow Jackets. But the Eagles couldn't hold a 28-17 lead in the second half as the Yellow Jackets kept their ACC title hopes alive with an offensive barrage leading up to Aidan Birr's go-ahead field goal with 11 seconds remaining.

Winner: Arizona gets a marquee win

Most sports books placed Arizona's preseason win total line at 4.5, suggesting the Wildcats faced an uphill battle to even reach bowl eligibility under second-year coach Brent Brennan following a 4-8 campaign. After accomplishing that goal last week in a blowout win at Colorado, Arizona added a ranked road win to its portfolio on Saturday, as the Wildcats stunned No. 25 Cincinnati 30-24. The Bearcats had no answer for Arizona's trio of running backs, who combined for nearly 200 yards rushing. 

Noah Fifita added 294 passing yards as Arizona (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) dominated time of possession with 24 first downs and eight third-down conversions. At 7-3 (5-2 Big 12), Cincinnati's hopes of reaching the Big 12 title game are still alive. But after two straight losses, they are dangling by a thread.

Winner: Virginia flushes Wake loss

No. 19 Virginia rose above the fray and looked the part of a conference title contender in a 34-17 win over Duke. The high-powered Blue Devils (5-5, 4-2 ACC) entered the day in the thick of the league title race but sputtered against the Cavaliers, who successfully flushed the stench of last week's loss to Wake Forest. The ACC picture remains cloudy, but the Cavaliers (9-2, 6-1) are closing in on a trip to the ACC Championship Game. Beating rival Virginia Tech in two weeks will be critical, but that won't be a problem if the Cavaliers play like they did against Duke.

Loser: Joe Fagnano proves he's human

UConn improved to 8-3 with a 26-16 win over Air Force, but the game came with an unpleasant shock for the Huskies: it was revealed that quarterback Joe Fagnano is human after all, as his streak of 385 straight pass attempts without an interception came to an end. If you watch closely, it's apparent that Air Force's Jackson Adams deflected the ball soon after it was released. Thus, it can be deemed that the interception was only partially Fagnano's fault. Regardless, his streak of 25 touchdowns without an interception to open the season is a remarkable feat. Thankfully for the Huskies, the end came in a win.