College Football Watch Guide – Week 9

Don’t look now, but we’re past the halfway point of the 2024 regular season. There have been so many ups and downs in this groundbreaking college football season, and it’s hard to believe that this time next month we’ll be at the top of the final week of play. The end of October is always an exciting time as the conference championship race and playoff positioning intensifies.

This is even more true this year as the playoffs have been expanded, ensuring that each game, while still very important, is not a defining moment for teams with championship hopes. This has changed the calculation from week to week and the view of the future so much that the 2024 college football season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in a long time.

The last month or so should be a hell of a lot of fun, much like the first nine weeks.

#17 Boise State @ UNLV – Friday, 9:30 p.m. – CBS Sports Network

The weekday schedule is a little sparse, but I haven’t seen Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty in real time yet. So what better time than Friday evening when there isn’t much else to do?

Rutgers @ USC – Friday, 10:00 p.m. – FOX

Someone is going to end their three-game losing streak on Friday night. It’s a difficult situation for the Scarlet Knights as USC is still extremely talented despite their record. Additionally, Rutgers will travel four time zones west, which doesn’t sound ideal. With kickoff taking place at 10 p.m., that also means there won’t be too much of a conflict with Boise State-UNLV.

Honorable Mention: Syracuse @ #19 Pittsburgh

Nebraska @ #4 Ohio State – 11:00am – FOX

Are you excited to see the Huskers win for the second week in a row? Me too.

#12 Notre Dame @ #24 Navy – 11:00 a.m. – ABC

It is rare for a Battle for the Rip Miller trophy to be counted for both the Fighting Irish and the Midshipmen. Notre Dame leads the all-time series by an unchristian margin of 80-13-1, but could we be in for a rare upset at Navy?

Washington @ #13 Indiana – 11:00am – BTN

With Cal’s glory waning since the start of the season, Indiana is taking on the role of college football’s underdog hero. It’s the first year out of the Big Ten East and the Hoosiers are destroying everything en route to their first 7-0 start since 1967.

#20 Illinois @ #1 Oregon – 2:30 p.m. – CBS

Now that Oregon is in the Big Ten, can we officially brag that we have the No. 1 team in the country? Technically yes, I think, although it still feels strange. A lot of people seem to really dislike Oregon, but they never really bothered me. I’m even a fan of most of their uniform combinations. The most from them. I haven’t liked Illinois for a long time.

#21 Missouri @ #15 Alabama – 2:30 p.m. – ABC

Mizzou dodged an Auburn-shaped bullet in one of the best games of Week 8. Can they do it again against Alabama? The Tide are suddenly far behind most of the conference with two losses, so they will work to make up for some of that lost position with a win over the Tigers, who only suffered one loss.

Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Northwestern @ Iowa – 2:30 p.m. – BTN

Because I have to, even if I don’t want to.

Honorable Mention: Arkansas @ Mississippi State, #11 BYU @ UCF, Maryland @ Minnesota

Florida State @ #6 Miami – 6:00 p.m. – ESPN

The Hurricanes are the living embodiment of the “he can’t always get away with it” meme, having escaped trouble on numerous occasions this year. Meanwhile, Florida State is a national punching bag with a 1-5 record and just lost to Duke for the first time in history. Pretty uneven duel, but it’s a historic rivalry that catches my attention.

#3 Penn State @ Wisconsin – 6:30 p.m. – NBC

After losing quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to injury, Wisconsin has gone on a good run, winning its last three games by comfortable margins. Penn State is coming off a bye and is very talented, but they host Ohio State next week, so this could be a chance for the Badgers to steal one.

#8 LSU @ #14 Texas A&M – 6:30 p.m. – ABC

With Texas’ loss to Georgia last weekend, this game suddenly became even more important. The winner will be firmly at the top of the SEC standings. Both teams still have tough games to play, Texas for the Aggies and Alabama for LSU, so having that extra margin of victory could be crucial.

Honorable Mention: #5 Texas @ #25 Vanderbilt, #22 SMU @ Duke, Cincinatti @ Colorado