CFB: Week 9 Preview
Week 8 created even more separation between the contenders and pretenders as No. 19 Central Florida took down Navy, No. 15 Notre Dame destroyed No. 10 USC, and No. 3 Penn State took down No. 18 Michigan. There were also a couple of surprises like Iowa State defeating Texas Tech, Fresno State upsetting San Diego State, and Arizona winning on the road at California. And then there were the games we all expected would happen as they did like Mississippi State over No. 24 Kentucky and Boise State over Wyoming.
Week 9 has five ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, starting with No. 11 Oklahoma State at No. 21 West Virginia. No. 22 Iowa State has made their debut in our rankings and they get to host No. 4 TCU in the Big 12. No. 14 Washington State versus No. 24 Arizona is also a game to watch our for and No. 15 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame could be a thriller, but it's all simply a prelude to No. 2 Penn State at No. 6 Ohio State. That's the showdown we've been waiting for in the Big Ten and our CFB Staff will preview that game and a lot more.
*Maximum of 100 Points.*
Top-25 Rankings:
1. Alabama (8-0, 5-0) - 100 Pts.
2. Penn State (7-0, 4-0) - 96 Pts.
3. Georgia (7-0, 4-0) - 95 Pts.
4. TCU (7-0, 4-0) - 93 Pts.
5. Wisconsin (7-0, 4-0) - 90 Pts.
6. Ohio State (6-1, 4-0) - 87 Pts.
7. Clemson (6-1, 3-1) - 84 Pts.
8. Miami (6-0, 4-0) - 78 Pts.
9. Notre Dame (6-1, 2-0) - 77 Pts.
10. Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1) - 76 Pts.
11. Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1) - 75 Pts.
12. Washington (6-1, 3-1) - 67 Pts.
13. Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-1) - 64 Pts.
14. Washington State (7-1, 4-1) - 61 Pts.
15. NC State (6-1, 4-0) - 60 Pts.
16. Central Florida (6-0, 4-0) - 58 Pts.
17. South Florida (7-0, 4-0) - 56 Pts.
18. Michigan State (6-1, 4-0) - 56 Pts.
19. Auburn (6-1, 4-1) - 47 Pts.
20. Stanford (5-2, 4-1) - 47 Pts.
21. West Virginia (5-2, 3-1) - 37 Pts.
22. Iowa State (5-2, 3-1) - 35 Pts.
23. USC (6-2, 3-1) - 26 Pts.
24. Arizona (5-2, 3-1) - 24 Pts.
25. Michigan (5-2, 2-2) - 15 Pts.
Just Missed the Cut:
26. LSU (6-2, 3-1) - 9 Pts.
27. Toledo (6-1, 3-0) - 6 Pts.
28. San Diego State (6-2, 3-2) - 5 Pts.
29. Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1) - 5 Pts.
30. Louisville (5-3, 2-3) - 5 Pts.
Trending Upward: Notre Dame (+6) made the highest jump of anyone this week, after running all over USC, 49-14, moving to 6-1 on the season. The Fighting Irish have been quickly progressing all season long, ever since their Week 2 loss to Georgia, but the second half of the schedule kicks up a notch. After beating the Trojans, that continues on with a visit from NC State. After that, they'll face Wake Forest, Miami, and Navy before finishing the season at Stanford. Iowa State (+6) has been one of the surprise teams this season and they've officially made their debut in our rankings after flirting with it ever since their upset win over Oklahoma. After beating Texas Tech, 31-13, last week, it was enough to vault them to the top-25, but it may be short lived with TCU coming into town this weekend. Other teams that are on the rise are Central Florida (+3) after defeating Navy, 31-21 and Penn State (+1) after blowing out Michigan, 42-13.
Trending Downward: USC (-13) experienced the biggest drop, on the flip side of the Notre Dame victory, sending them to 6-2 on the season. They're still in line for a possible 10-2 season and have a shot at winning the Pac-12, but it's certainly not the season we expected from Sam Darnold and Co. They will face Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado, and UCLA to finish the season. Michigan (-7) wasn't too far behind them after bowing out to Penn State. San Diego State (-5) lost their second straight game to Fresno State after starting the season 6-0, and it appears their New Year's Six dreams are dead. Even a Mountain West title is likely out of the cards. And lastly, Georgia (-1) slipped down a spot because of Penn State's jump, but with the Nittany Lions heading to Ohio State this week, the Bulldogs are still in a good spot.
Charles Post:
Georgia Tech @ No. 7 Clemson
No. 11 Oklahoma State @ No. 21 West Virginia
No. 15 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 3 Georgia @ Florida
No. 4 TCU @ No. 22 Iowa State
UCLA @ No. 12 Washington
No. 18 Michigan State @ Northwestern
No. 2 Penn State @ No. 6 Ohio State
Mississippi State @ Texas A&M
No. 14 Washington State @ No. 24 Arizona
Week 8 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 63-17.
Chase Zayac:
Georgia Tech @ No. 7 Clemson
No. 11 Oklahoma State @ 21 West Virginia
No. 15 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 3 Georgia @ Florida
No. 4 TCU @ No. 22 Iowa State
UCLA @ No. 12 Washington
No. 18 Michigan State @ Northwestern
No. 2 Penn State @ No. 6 Ohio State
Mississippi State @ Texas A&M
No. 14 Washington State @ No. 24 Arizona
Week 8 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 60-20.
Chinedum Wejinya:
Georgia Tech @ No. 7 Clemson
No. 11 Oklahoma State @ 21 West Virginia
No. 15 NC State at No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 3 Georgia @ Florida
No. 4 TCU @ No. 22 Iowa State
UCLA @ No. 12 Washington
No. 18 Michigan State @ Northwestern
No. 2 Penn State @ No. 6 Ohio State
Mississippi State @ Texas A&M
No. 14 Washington State @ No. 24 Arizona
Week 8 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 60-20.
Elimination Game of the Week: Notre Dame (6-1, 2-0) eliminated USC (6-2, 3-1) from CFP contention last week, in our first Elimination Game of the season, and we have another one this week - This time in the Big 12. No. 11 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1) is coming in off of a road win over Texas, 13-10, and their only loss coming to TCU. They'll take on No. 21 West Virginia (5-2, 3-1) on the road and the loser will be eliminated from playoff talk altogether. While the Cowboys still have a realistic shot, if they were to run the table and win the conference, finishing with a 12-1 record, but the case isn't as simple on the other side. The Mountaineers have a lot of work to do, but if they were to win out from this point on, with their only losses coming to two quality teams in Virginia Tech and TCU, they'd have a chance to squeak in as the first two-loss team. Either way, this is a must-win for both teams, and the loser will be our second team eliminated, joining the Trojans. All three of our experts have the Cowboys defeating the Mountaineers.
1. Which three teams made the biggest statement last weekend and why?
Post: I think the obvious answer would be No. 9 Notre Dame (6-1, 3-0) and No. 2 Penn State (7-0, 4-0). The Fighting Irish looked like one of the most improved teams in the country, defeating one of their major rivals, the USC Trojans, 49-14. It was over in the first quarter as Notre Dame jumped out to a 14-0 lead and led 28-0 at the break. Penn State's victory over Michigan went along the same lines, as they jumped out to a two-touchdown advantage. Although Michigan climbed back to make it 14-13, the Nittany Lions answered and won 42-13. A third team would be Central Florida (6-0, 4-0). They had a lot of doubters going into Navy, and they answered each one of them, winning 31-21 in a hostile environment. The Knights are now the favorites to be the top Group of Five team.
Zayac: The three teams that made the biggest statements last week were Penn State, Notre Dame, and Washington State. Penn State showed why they are the No. 2 team in the country with a blowout win over Michigan. Notre Dame jumped into the playoff picture with an absolute dominant showing against future First Round QB Sam Darnold. And Washington State remained somewhat in the CFP picture with a great 28-0 win over Colorado. The three teams that fell out of contention are Michigan after getting smacked, USC after getting smacked, and Texas after yet another close loss against a conference opponent.
Wejinya: One team that made a big statement is Penn State to show that they are a for real team. They ran all over a Michigan defense which is one of the best in the nation. Another team that made a statement was Notre Dame, which beat the breaks off of USC, and shows that they are a legitimate team and people should not doubt them. Oklahoma State made a big statement by beating Texas in overtime, showing that when there is pressure or things are close, they can have composure and do what they need to do.
2. Can No. 22 Iowa State pull off their third upset of the year and beat No. 4 TCU at home?
Post: No chance. No. 22 Iowa State has been one of the feel good stories of the season but their schedule has favored them a bit. While they pulled off a huge upset over Oklahoma, they've yet to face No. 4 TCU, No. 11 Oklahoma State, and No. 21 West Virginia. I think Matt Campbell has this team moving in the right direction and with Baylor still on the schedule, they should be able to reach bowl eligibility with relative ease. The Horned Frogs have been nearly unstoppable so far this season, and Kenny Hill (1,728 Yards, 15 TD) is one of the main reasons why. He has TCU looking like a CFP team and they'll survive Iowa State's upset bid.
Zayac: Iowa State has been solid this year and has surprised many. However, so has TCU behind Kenny Hill. Sorry Cyclones but the upset train unfortunately stops this weekend.
Wejinya: I don’t think that Iowa State can pull off another upset, TCU will be prepared and they are aware of what Iowa State has done and will play them like they are playing a top ranked team.
3. Who will be the difference maker in No. 2 Penn State at No. 6 Ohio State - Is the winner a CFP lock?
Post: I like what No. 2 Penn State (7-0, 4-0) has done so far this year, but I just don't think they'll have enough to take down No. 6 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0) in the Horseshoe. Maybe if both teams were undefeated, but the Buckeyes know they can't lose a second game so they'll be out to prove themselves. Plus Penn State got the best of them last year and they're at home. J.T. Barrett has been otherworldly over the last five weeks, but J.K. Dobbins (775 Yards, 5 TD) is the x-factor, and he'll do just enough to get his team a huge victory. Give me the Bucks, 30-21. And I think the winner is a lock for the playoff as long as they are able to win out following this. Right now, I think Ohio State is still in a great position to reach the CFP for the third time in four years.
Zayac: The biggest playmaker in the Penn State vs. Ohio State game is J.T. Barrett. Yes we know how impactful Saquon Barkley is, but when in the zone, Barrett can be a huge difference maker and he will be this weekend.
Wejinya: The difference maker will be J.T Barrett and how he controls the offensive tempo. The winner will be Ohio State with a score of 35-23, and whoever wins this game will most likely get into the playoffs this season.
*Maximum of 20 Points.*
Heisman Standings:
1. Bryce Love (Stanford RB) - 18 Pts.
2. Saquon Barkley (Penn State RB) - 15 Pts.
3. Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State QB) - 12 Pts.
4. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma QB) - 11 Pts.
5. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin RB) - 5 Pts.
Movement: Bryce Love (+0) is still our leader, for nearly a month now, even though his Stanford team was idle this past weekend. He's averaging 198.1 yards per game and has 11 touchdowns. Saquon Barkley (+1) moved up a spot after going for 108 yards and a pair of scores against Michigan. Mason Rudolph (+2) didn't have his best game of the year, but 282 yards and a 13-10 win over Texas was enough to earn his a few more votes. Baker Mayfield (-2) helped his team climb back from an early deficit against Kansas State and win in the final seconds. Jonathan Taylor (+1) has moved into our standings for the first time, as he's our third running back in the top-5 and our second from the Big Ten.
College Football Picks:
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated & 247 Sports.
