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topicnews · October 27, 2024

Bold predictions for Week 9 in college football include Penn State and BYU

Bold predictions for Week 9 in college football include Penn State and BYU

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This is where preservation gets good. As we approach the home stretch of the college football season, games become more important and pressure on coaches and teams increases.

The Week 9 schedule includes five games against ranked opponents, which will impact the College Football Playoff as teams drop out of contention and others improve their status.

These increased stakes can lead to surprising performances or shocking upsets. But with so many potential pitfalls this Saturday, where will these unlikely results come from?

That’s why we’re here, to make sense of things. USA TODAY Sports’ college football staff members – Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken – make bold predictions for Week 9 of the college football season.

Vanderbilt is struggling but quickly staying in the rankings

Vanderbilt has lived a charmed life this season, beating Alabama and Kentucky, with the only two losses by a total of seven points. Texas comes to town this week and had a few days to discuss what went wrong in the home loss to Georgia.

The No. 25 Commodores are no slouch and will give the Longhorns a fight, but Texas is too talented where it matters most and that will show in the second half. Vanderbilt fans must remain in their seats until the end of the game, and the goalposts, which made a two-mile trek and ended up in the Cumberland River following the Crimson Tide’s upset, will not leave the stadium. – Scooby Axson

MUST-WATCH GAMES: The seven best matchups of Week 9

WEEKEND FORECAST: Expert tips for every Top 25 game

Colorado is jumping into the Big 12 title race

Even though Colorado gets so much attention, there isn’t enough focus on the Buffaloes doing well in the Big 12. After a tough loss to Kansas State, Colorado went to Tucson and tore Arizona apart. Now Deion Sanders hosts a Cincinnati team that is just a few games away from being undefeated. The Bearcats have a solid defense that should make life difficult for the Buffaloes, but Shedeur Sanders finds a way to lead his team to victory in impressive fashion. A win would move the Buffaloes to 4-1 in Big 12 play, beginning a series of games that aren’t as difficult as was thought in the preseason. A possible College Football Playoff with Coach Prime? You best believe it. – Jordan Mendoza

Brigham Young’s undefeated streak ends in Central Florida

The fun ends for Brigham Young with a surprise in Central Florida. UCF was on the verge of a major upset against Iowa State last week before conceding a late score and losing 38-35. Does this mean the Knights are ready to beat the Cougars? BYU was very fortunate to escape with a win against Oklahoma State last Friday and appears to be living on borrowed time despite its 7-0 record. The good news is that losing No. 1 BYU will not eliminate it from the playoffs or the Big 12 title game. – Paul Myerberg

TOP 10 LIST: These remaining games will decide the playoff field

Kansas pushes Kansas State to the brink

It may not have the glamor of other college football rivalries, but the two programs in the Sunflower State are no match for anyone when it comes to animosity. Kansas appeared to have hit rock bottom after losing five of its first six games to start the season. The Jayhawks bounced back against Houston last week, and nothing would improve their prospects in the second half of the season more than an upset against K-State. The Wildcats are on the rise after road wins against Colorado and West Virginia. There’s a chance of disappointment here, and it’s worth noting that Kansas led in the fourth quarter in four of its five losses. Expect another close game and perhaps an upset that shakes up the Big 12 race. – Erick Smith

Penn State better watch out for Wisconsin

Much of the noise coming out of Penn State this week wasn’t about the Nittany Lions’ next opponent, and that one could be extremely dangerous.

It seems some people in State College, Pennsylvania are a little upset that the Lions’ Nov. 2 showdown against Ohio State was chosen for Fox’s midday ET window rather than prime time. This disappointment is understandable; Of course, for a game this big, you’ll want to take advantage of a well-equipped nighttime environment. But making a big deal out of it runs the risk of the team ignoring its business for the coming week.

That brings us to Wisconsin. The last time we saw the Badgers on the national stage, they were getting beaten by Alabama while also losing their starting quarterback to a season-ending injury. Life after Tyler Van Dyke wasn’t much better a week later on the road in Southern California.

However, October seems to have breathed new life into Wisconsin. The Badgers have outscored their last three Big Ten opponents by a combined margin of 117-16. We admit that “Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern” is no one’s idea of ​​a killer row. But if the Nittany Lions are thinking more about Ohio State than Wisconsin when they arrive in Madison this week, they could be in for a classic Admiral Ackbar special. Penn State will probably come away with a win, but don’t be shocked if it’s a lot closer than you’d expect. –Eddie Timanus

Michigan State is overtaking its big brother, Michigan

In the battle of first-year coaches at Michigan State, there’s no doubt that Jonathan Smith did a more impressive job with the Spartans than Sherrone Moore did with the Wolverines. Both teams are 4-3 and neither have been great, but the mood is much brighter at Michigan State, where expectations were low early in the season. Plus, the Spartans appear to be getting better, as evidenced by their 32-20 win over Iowa last week. Given this limited amount of data, it’s hard to justify Michigan being a five-point favorite when the quarterback situation is in complete disarray and it appears like they have no explosive ability to score. The Spartans will move into the Big House and win this time. — Dan Clouds

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