This Weekend in College Football: Week 9

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• West Virginia @ Oklahoma State (FOX): How real are the Mountaineers? We're about to find out, on this way where we've got a lot of road favorites. But they're favorites for a reason.
• Pennsylvania State @ Purdue (ABC/ESPN2): So Penn State did beat Ohio State last week, but of all teams to worry about a let-down against, Purdue isn't one of them.
• Louisville @ Virginia (ABC/ESPN2): Yeah, looks like Lamar Jackson is fully functional again. UVA doesn't stand a chance.
• Michigan @ Michigan State (ESPN): Speaking of not standing a chance, well, Michigan fans: stop reading now. So yeah, you think Harbaugh forgot what happened last year? Yeah, me neither.
• Central Florida @ Houston (ESPNU): What, uh, happened to Houston? Navy, okay, sure, the Midshipmen look good this year. But SMU? Really guys? So, I'm still going to pick the Cougs here, but y'all are on notice.
• Kansas State @ Iowa State (FSN): A fact I totally knew and did not just read 5 minutes ago: these two teams first met 100 years ago! I like K-State in the centennial.
• Kentucky @ Missouri (SEC): Uh, Kentucky? Sure, why not.
• Connecticut @ East Carolina (ESPNEWS): I have no idea. Seriously, stick to WVU-OSU if you want a good game, and Louisville-UVA or Michigan-Michigan State if you like watching car safety test videos.
• Minnesota @ Illinois (BTN): Minnesota.
• Duke @ Georgia Tech (ACC/RSN): Okay, so coming off the bye week, we have some work to do for the rest of the season. This is a good of a place as any to start, by which I mean, I'm trying to process the part where we've lost two straight to Duke. Then again, Duke's been on a bit of a run themselves these past few years until, well, this year.
  On the balance so far, this Tech team has been tough to watch. Our blocking and line play is bad the second year in a row. However bad you think the defense looks, from everything I've read it's actually worse. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a new defensive coordinator next year. I'm personally not ready to call for Paul Johnson's head (and given our athletic department's budget, I don't think it's likely regardless), but I'd like to see some improvement against the back half of our schedule.
• Kent State @ Central Michigan (CBSS): Some Saturday MACTION for you, if you so desire. I like Cental Michigan here.

12:30: Boston College @ North Carolina State (ACC): Boston College still lacks any sort of offense, so...

3:30:

• Baylor @ Texas (ABC): Baylor.
• Miami @ Notre Dame (NBC): After the past few weeks, whatever shine was remaining on this game has completely clouded up. I still like Miami, though.
• Georgia vs. Florida (@Jacksonville, FL; CBS): Well, this game will probably be nice and bludgeon-y, but I still expect Florida to win.
• Northwestern @ Ohio State (ESPN): Ohio State.
• Texas Tech @ Texas Christian (ESPN2): My favorite reaction to last week's Texas Tech-Oklahoma game:
  

  Having watched that absurd TTech/Oklahoma game, Kliff Kingsbury should really consider onside kicking every time for the rest of the year.

  — Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) October 24, 2016

  
  Going with TCU.
• Washington @ Utah (FS1): East Coast-types: watch this one, seriously. I think Washington is going to win, but all the same, you need to see the Huskies.
• Maryland @ Indiana (ESPNU): The Terps are 5-2 out of what feels like nowhere. I'm not ready to give up on the Hoosiers, though.
• Cincinnati @ Temple (CBSS): I am giving up on Cincy, though. Ugh.
• Army @ Wake Forest (ACC/RSN): One of Army's last winnable games. They'll need to pick up an upset on the way to make a bowl.

4:00: Southern Methodist @ Tulane (ESPNEWS): Now this game has "let down" written all over it.

5:00: Arizona State @ Oregon (Pac12): In two weeks, Oregon will be mathematically eliminated from bowl eligibility. Book it.

7:00:

• Nebraska @ Wisconsin (ESPN): Nebraska is undefeated and Wisconsin is 5-2. But you need to consider that Nebraska would also have a loss or two if their two Big Ten East opponents this year had been Ohio State and Michigan. I think the Badgers are seriously good, and Nebraska doesn't have the firepower to overcome that defense.
• Kansas @ Oklahoma (FS1): Oklahoma.
• Boise State @ Wyoming (CBSS): Boise.

7:15:

• Tennessee @ South Carolina (ESPN2): The Vols should be able to make some hay, back in the cozy confines of the SEC East.
• Auburn @ Mississippi (SEC): So... did Auburn get good when no one was looking, or what? Last week's 56-3 pasting of Arkansas just came out of pretty much nowhere, and if Gus has this thing fully cranked up, well, it doesn't look good for Ole Miss.

7:30: New Mexico State @ Texas A&M (ESPNU): TAMU. (Still annoyed that the "A&M" part doesn't stand for anything.)

8:00:

• Clemson @ Florida State (ABC): I think this will be a good game, but Florida State this year just has too many flaws and, well, Clemson has to look like Clemson again at some point this season, right?
• Tulsa @ Memphis (ESPNEWS): Maybe Tulsa was on to something about Houston a few weeks ago, when they only lost by 7. I like them here to win outright.

10:30: Nevada-Las Vegas @ San Jose State (CBSS): This is sure a football game on TV, yep. Uh, UNLV?

10:45: Washington State @ Oregon State (ESPN2): I have the feeling, just a gut feeling, that Washington St will trip up again before the end of the season. Where? Well, probably not here, but with the Cougs anything is possible, man.

11:00: Stanford @ Arizona (FS1): A reprieve for Stanford's slide awaits in the desert.