Week 9 of an active college football schedule gets underway on Saturday with several high-profile games that could have an influence what the playoff looks like down the road. Here are the most important games you should be keeping a close eye on today.
Conference play is heating up as we move nearer the end of October, so we’re heading into games that will have an effect on how league championship races and the College Football Playoff chase eventually look.
And that includes five different games from start to finish across the day that involve head-to-head matchups with ranked teams on the field, including a battle between the last two teams that are undefeated in SEC play coming into this week.
There are two other such games in the SEC and another in the Big Ten, plus an important date between rivals involving one potential Group of Five contender in the playoff conversation.
Now as the Week 9 schedule kicks off today, here’s your look at the most consequential games on your TV screen that you should be paying the most attention to.
All times Eastern
Why watch? To see if the Cornhuskers have it in them to play some serious football after getting trounced by Indiana, and heading into another critical road test against a national title hopeful.
Ohio State is coming off a tough 1-point loss at Oregon and needs to play its best with a date at Penn State coming up next week, but first have to navigate what should be a strong Nebraska front seven defense that can get some pressure.
12 p.m. on Fox
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Why watch? Navy is undefeated and smashing everything in its path behind another potent rushing attack and some historically-efficient quarterback play to boot.
In the mix for the Group of Five’s playoff spot, the Midshipmen haven’t played very tough competition yet, so we’ll see how they fare against a strong Irish team that can’t afford another loss after getting upset by a MAC team earlier this year.
12 p.m. on ABC
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Why watch? Everything is potentially on the line for these SEC rivals. Alabama is already at two concerning losses and its playoff chances hang in the balance in Kalen DeBoer’s first year replacing Nick Saban and there are concerns on the roster, including quarterback accuracy, rushing offense, secondary play, and offensive line protection.
Missouri could make some noise in this game with an aggressive defensive line up front, but there are questions around whether quarterback Brady Cook and tailback Nate Noel will play, which could severely curtail this offense on the road.
3:30 p.m. on ABC
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Why watch? Vanderbilt is ranked this week after marching out to a 5-2 record that includes a historic win over Alabama, and now it gets the Longhorns in Music City to try it again.
Texas was No. 1 last week before a loss at home to Georgia that exposed some potential protection liabilities and the ‘Dores have been known to play some lively football in the front seven.
And it can move the ball a little with dual threat quarterback Diego Pavia and an offense that leads the SEC in third downs and can control the game clock. Can Vandy do it again?
4:15 p.m. on SEC Network
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Why watch? To see who finishes the night as the undisputed No. 1 team in the SEC standings. Both these squads are perfect in league play and riding six-game win streaks since each lost their Week 1 games against non-conference opponents, and now are both in a position to play their way to Atlanta, and thus, the College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M can give you some bruises up front defensively, but it might struggle against an LSU line that is among college football’s best, protecting one of the nation’s most dynamic and productive quarterbacks. Can the Tigers beat the Aggies and The 12th Man in this road test?
7:30 p.m. on ABC
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James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.
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