Ranked showdowns will have Playoff say
That autumn chill is creeping into the air, but the action on college football fields across the nation is heating up.
The final weekend of October is upon us, and the teams with a realistic shot at the national championship are looking to position themselves for the grueling November stretch drive.
Here are the five games in Week 9 that will have the biggest impact on the chase for the College Football Playoff.
No. 10 Auburn at No. 3 LSU
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The all-Tiger clash in the Southeastern Conference West is the game of the week as far as the Playoff race is concerned. With perennial power Alabama still ahead for both teams, this is all but a must-win proposition. That’s especially true for Auburn, which already has a “1” in the loss column courtesy of Florida and must also face Georgia before the Crimson Tide.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow already owns the school record for touchdowns in a season with 29, with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase on the receiving end of many of them. But the Auburn defensive line, featuring defensive end Marlon Davidson and defensive tackle Derrick Brown, is capable of putting pressure on him, so this could be a test of his rapid decision making. The visiting Tigers of the Plains got the tuneup they needed at Arkansas last week, but they’d still prefer to avoid getting into a shootout with freshman Bo Nix at quarterback and with top running back JaTarvious Whitlow still recovering from a knee injury. There are yards to be had against the LSU secondary, but pass catchers often pay a price upon encountering safety Grant Delpit.
No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 4 Ohio State
Saturday, noon ET, Fox
This had all the makings of the blockbuster of the week, a top-10 showdown that figured to be a preview of the Big Ten championship game. It might yet be the latter, but Wisconsin’s fourth-quarter meltdown at lowly Illinois has cast serious doubt on the Badgers’ ability to hang with a complete team such as Ohio State. The Buckeyes for their part have not faced anything resembling a close call during their 7-0 start.
The Wisconsin defense entered the Illinois game with four shutouts on the season but couldn’t compensate for the offense’s red-zone inefficiency and critical miscues by running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterback Jack Coan. Now the Badgers will have to play an absolutely clean game with no mistakes against the Buckeyes, but defensive end Chase Young, linebacker Malik Harrison and safety Jordan Fuller know how to force a few. Meanwhile, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has been operating a well-oiled machine. He has accounted for 30 touchdowns himself and has been getting plenty of help from running backs J.K. Dobbins and Master Teague III. Badgers linebackers Jack Sanborn and Chris Orr will lead the effort to keep them in check.
No. 6 Penn State at Michigan State
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The Nittany Lions staved off Michigan to cement their position as the principal challenger to Ohio State in the rugged Big Ten East Division. The Spartans can only spoil at this point, but they’re rested following an open date and can be a tough out in East Lansing thanks to their solid defense.
The bad news for Michigan State, however, is their most recent outing two weeks ago was a whitewash at the hands of Wisconsin. Their fans must hope quarterback Brian Lewerke and the offensive brain trust made good use of the extra preparation time, but they’ll have to account for Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons at all times. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and wide receiver K.J. Hamler will look to continue the superb chemistry they showed in the Michigan victory. Opposing them this week will be Spartans defensive end Kenny Willekes and linebacker Joe Bachie.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Michigan
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The Fighting Irish will need a few breaks to climb back into Playoff consideration. But they’ll also have to make some of their own, starting with this opportunity against a ranked Big Ten opponent on the road. The Wolverines, already tagged with two losses, are now playing for a sunny postseason destination, but they’d probably be all right with derailing a longtime rival along the way.
Michigan did have a few positive developments from last week’s disappointing trip to Happy Valley. Quarterback Shea Patterson was able to do some damage in the passing game and make things interesting after the Wolverines fell behind 21-0. But safety Alohi Gilman and the rested Notre Dame secondary rarely beats itself. The same can be said of quarterback Ian Book and the Fighting Irish offense that has given the ball away just four times all season. The unit isn’t always flashy, though, and it will be up to Wolverines linebackers Khaleke Hudson and Jordan Glasgow to keep it that way.
Washington State at No. 11 Oregon
Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN With a hard-won victory in Seattle in hand, the Ducks have a clear path to the Pac-12 North Division title. A couple of potential obstacles remain, however, starting with this home date with the explosive Cougars.
Washington State snapped a threegame skid last week with a dominant 4110 triumph against Colorado as quarterback Anthony Gordon increased his season total of touchdown tosses to 29. The Cougars are hard to stop when Gordon doesn’t throw the ball to the wrong team, but the Ducks have swiped 12 passes, three by safety Jevon Holland, and should have chances for more. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, meanwhile, has 21 scoring passes with just one pick. Linebacker Jahad Woods is the Cougars’ primary disruptor.