College football schedule, 2024 games: What to watch in Week 9, TV channels, Saturday kickoff times

The last Saturday in October will be an eventful day full of potential upsets as several top-ranked teams with conference titles and College Football Playoff aspirations try to navigate difficult situations. At the end of the day, the pictures should be at least a little clearer after the season.

In each window you will find examples of top-ranked teams who are considered significant betting favorites against opponents looking for massive upsets.

No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 24 Navy get into a rivalry game early on with huge implications for both. At the same time, No. 4 Ohio State hosts Nebraska as the Buckeyes play their first game since their loss at Oregon two weeks ago. A top-20 Big Ten battle on CBS marks the afternoon slot when No. 1 Oregon and No. 20 Illinois host. At the same time, No. 5 Texas is on the road at No. 25 Vanderbilt. According to FanDuel, the Longhorns are the 18.5-point betting favorite as they get back on track after a humiliating home loss to Georgia.

Later, No. 6 Miami hosts Florida State as a three-touchdown favorite and No. 3 Penn State will face a Wisconsin team that is showing signs of improvement. There is bound to be chaos somewhere.

Once the Week 9 action begins, here’s a viewer’s guide to help you navigate all of Saturday’s games.

Always east

The best games

No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 24 Navy – Noon on ABC, fuboTV (Try it free): This game has massive implications for the College Football Playoff. If the Navy wins, it will legitimize the midshipmen’s case as the Group of Five’s representatives in the CFP. That would likely deal a fatal blow to the Fighting Irish’s playoff hopes. The Navy has so far torpedoed everything in its path. Is Notre Dame the next victim?

No. 20 Illinois and No. 1 Oregon – starting at 3:30 p.m CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free), Paramount+ with Showtime: Illinois has already defeated three ranked teams this season. Now it will try to kill the king of the sport as the Fighting Illini head west to face the top-ranked Ducks. It’s just the fourth meeting between these programs and the first since 1995. Oregon handled business comfortably at Purdue last week after moving up to No. 1. This should be a tougher test. According to FanDuel, the Ducks are the favorite by 21.5 points.

No. 21 Missouri and No. 15 Alabama – 3:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (Try it free): Alabama has lost two of its last three games since beating Georgia on Sept. 28. The Crimson Tide are not used to such battles and will be playing in front of an anxious fan base when they welcome Missouri to town. This is a must-win for the Tigers, who need to add some meat to their resume while also navigating what appears to be the SEC’s easiest schedule.

No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt – 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network, fuboTV (Try it free): Can lightning strike the FirstBank Stadium under construction twice a month? If Vanderbilt can defeat both Alabama and Texas in October, then Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia deserves a statue immediately. The Longhorns were exposed by Georgia last week and will have to take tougher action to avoid becoming Vandy’s next victim.

No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M – 7:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (Try it free): Both teams were written off after Week 1 losses but have fought their way back into the SEC race and into the CFP picture. Since an LSU win at Kyle Field in 2016, these teams have alternated wins in their series, with the home team holding serve in each game. The Aggies hope that trend continues after their 42-30 loss at LSU last season.

No. 3 Penn State at Wisconsin – 7:30 p.m. on NBC, fuboTV (Try for free): Wisconsin has outscored its last three opponents by 101 points since suffering back-to-back losses to Alabama and USC in September. But each of those victories came against lower-ranking Big Ten teams. Now comes a test of the Badgers’ progress as they host Penn State. The Nittany Lions are one of 10 remaining undefeated FBS teams and cannot look ahead to next week’s showdown with Ohio State.

The best of the rest

• Nebraska at No. 4 Ohio State – Noon on Fox, fuboTV (try for free)
• Oklahoma at No. 18 Ole Miss – Noon on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
• Washington at No. 13 Indiana – Noon on Big Ten Network, fuboTV (try for free)
• Buffalo at Ohio – Noon on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
• No. 11 BYU at UCF – 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
• Rice at UConn – 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free)
• Florida State at No. 6 Miami – 7 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
• Utah State at Wyoming – 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free)
• Kansas at No. 16 Kansas State – 8 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free)
• No. 22 SMU at Duke – 8 p.m. on ACC Network, fuboTV (try free)
• Washington State at San Diego State – 10:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)