AL.com college football staff picks for Week 12 of 2024

With three weeks left in the 2024 regular season, the SEC standings are a complete cluster. We still have no idea who might be playing in the conference championship game on Dec. 7.

Things are a bit clearer in AL.com 's staff picks, with the first place panelist having been unchanged for several weeks. There's still a chance that things get shuffled as we head down the season's homestretch, however.

Alabama and Auburn take a break from conference play this week, though the other four in-state teams all have league games. In addition, there are two or three SEC games that will go a long way toward settling the conference standings.

Scroll along below to find out how various AL.com sports staffers see this week's games playing out. We've also given predicted scores for this week's Alabama and Auburn games.

A reminder that these picks are hat means that each person's selection doesn't necessarily mean he or she thinks that team will win outright, just that it will cover the point spread.

On with this week's picks (all times Central and all games Saturday):

Texas (-14.5) at Arkansas, 11 a.m., ABC Thomas Ashworth: Texas

Michael Casagrande: Texas

Patrick Greenfield: Texas

Andrew Hammond: Arkansas

Mark Inabinett: Arkansas

Nick Kelly: Texas

Peter Rauterkus: Texas

Creg Stephenson: Texas

Missouri (+13.5) at South Carolina, 3:15 p.m., SEC Network Thomas Ashworth: Missouri

Michael Casagrande: South Carolina

Patrick Greenfield: South Carolina

Andrew Hammond: South Carolina

Mark Inabinett: Missouri

Nick Kelly: Missouri

Peter Rauterkus: South Carolina

Creg Stephenson: South Carolina

LSU (-4.5) at Florida, 2:30 p.m., ABC Thomas Ashworth: LSU

Michael Casagrande: Florida

Patrick Greenfield: Florida

Andrew Hammond: LSU

Mark Inabinett: Florida

Nick Kelly: LSU

Peter Rauterkus: LSU

Creg Stephenson: LSU

Arizona State (+8.5) at Kansas State, 6 p.m., ESPN Thomas Ashworth: Kansas State

Michael Casagrande: Kansas State

Patrick Greenfield: Kansas State

Andrew Hammond: Arizona State

Mark Inabinett: Kansas State

Nick Kelly: Kansas State

Peter Rauterkus: Kansas State

Creg Stephenson: Kansas State

Tennessee (+9) at Georgia, 6:30 p.m., ABC Thomas Ashworth: Georgia

Michael Casagrande: Tennessee

Patrick Greenfield: Tennessee

Andrew Hammond: Tennessee

Mark Inabinett: Tennessee

Nick Kelly: Georgia

Peter Rauterkus: Georgia

Creg Stephenson: Tennessee

Florida International (+14) at Jacksonville State, 1 p.m., ESPN+ Thomas Ashworth: Jacksonville State

Michael Casagrande: Jacksonville State

Patrick Greenfield: Florida International

Andrew Hammond: Jacksonville State

Mark Inabinett: Jacksonville State

Nick Kelly: Jacksonville State

Peter Rauterkus: Jacksonville State

Creg Stephenson: Jacksonville State

Troy (+7.5) at Georgia Southern, 4 p.m., ESPN+ Thomas Ashworth: Troy

Michael Casagrande: Troy

Patrick Greenfield: Georgia Southern

Andrew Hammond: Georgia Southern

Mark Inabinett: Georgia Southern

Nick Kelly: Georgia Southern

Peter Rauterkus: Georgia Southern

Creg Stephenson: Georgia Southern

South Alabama (+8.5) at Louisiana, 6 p.m., ESPN+ Thomas Ashworth: South Alabama

Michael Casagrande: Louisiana

Patrick Greenfield: Louisiana

Andrew Hammond: South Alabama

Mark Inabinett: South Alabama

Nick Kelly: South Alabama

Peter Rauterkus: South Alabama

Creg Stephenson: South Alabama

UAB (+14.5) at Memphis, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Thomas Ashworth: Memphis

Michael Casagrande: Memphis

Patrick Greenfield: UAB

Andrew Hammond: Memphis

Mark Inabinett: Memphis

Nick Kelly: Memphis

Peter Rauterkus: Memphis

Creg Stephenson: Memphis

Louisiana-Monroe (+24.5) at Auburn, 11:45 a.m., SEC Network Thomas Ashworth: Auburn 31, Louisiana-Monroe 14

Michael Casagrande: Auburn 35, Louisiana-Monroe 14

Patrick Greenfield: Auburn 21, Louisiana-Monroe 18

Andrew Hammond: Auburn 23, Louisiana-Monroe 14

Mark Inabinett: Auburn 34, Louisiana-Monroe 11

Nick Kelly: Auburn 34, Louisiana-Monroe 17

Peter Rauterkus: Auburn 31, Louisiana-Monroe 10

Creg Stephenson: Auburn 28, Louisiana-Monroe 3

Mercer (no line) at Alabama, 1 p.m., ESPN+ Thomas Ashworth: Alabama 45, Mercer 13

Michael Casagrande: Alabama 52, Mercer 9

Patrick Greenfield: Alabama 45, Mercer 7

Andrew Hammond: Alabama 45, Mercer 10

Mark Inabinett: Alabama 49, Mercer 9

Nick Kelly: Alabama 45, Mercer 3

Peter Rauterkus: Alabama 56, Mercer 3

Creg Stephenson: Alabama 56, Mercer 6

Standings after Week 11 Mark Inabinett 60-50 (6-4 last week)

Nick Kelly 58-52 (5-5 last week)

Michael Casagrande 56-54 (5-5 last week)

Peter Rauterkus 55-55 (4-6 last week)

Andrew Hammond 54-56 (4-6 last week)

Patrick Greenfield 54-56 (5-5 last week)

Creg Stephenson 52-58 (4-6 last week)

Thomas Ashworth 50-60 (3-7 last week)