College Football Watching Guide: Week 9 2024
Sorting the laundry.
I have a terrible secret to tell you all. Ready?
For years, I did not sort my laundry.
Yep. Threw all my clothes into the same load of washing, like some kind of caveman. Went on with my day. Then wondered why everything I wore was wearing out and fading fast.
Turns out that sorting laundry by lights, darks, delicates, and so on—and then washing and drying them accordingly—is the best thing for them.
Think of this week like a giant laundry sorter. Its job is to tell you which teams to watch going forward, and which ones you can ignore. There’s a lot of matchups this week that should reveal a lot about our remaining season.
And this newsletter’s here to sort the sorting, to tell you which of all the games are worth your attention! Let’s check it all out together, shall we?
FREE SLATE
Early
The college football schedule keeps putting the best stuff later in the day, so adapt accordingly. Plan your doings and outings for the morning and early afternoon this Saturday, but there’s still some worthwhile games on during the Early Slate, so keep an eye on them and check out a nearby screen if one gets good.
THURSDAY
Syracuse at Pitt
7:30pm/6:30pm (ESPN)
Yep, the meaningful matchups start early this week. Cuse inexplicably lost to Stanford early this year, but that’s their only serious misstep. Kyle McCord leads the 2nd-best passing offense in America. It’s efficient, electrifying, and chews up clock, which is great because the Orange D is merely fine. Pitt’s undefeated, but on offense Desmond Reid is the stone cold killer, racking up tons of yards running and catching as of late. Eli Holstein does a great job finding weaknesses in opposing secondaries. Maybe Pitt’s corners and safeties could consult with him, because they’re not great.
FRIDAY
Big Screen
Rutgers at USC
11:00pm/10:00pm (FOX)
The Scarlet Knights started the year looking fine but have fallen apart. Their skid continued last Saturday with a close loss to the Bruins. Their problem’s an inability to find an identity on offense or consistency on defense. A hungry USC team led by a desperate Lincoln Riley would love to take advantage. USC knows who they are, a pass-happy attack married to a defense that does just enough. But they’ve had trouble closing out games after building leads.
Small Screen
Boise State at UNLV
10:30pm/9:30pm (CBS Sports Network)
The hype surrounding the Broncos is real. Ashton Jeanty is the Heisman-contending fuel behind Boise State’s 2nd-best in football rushing attack. He appears unstoppable, which is very good, because Boise’s got a defense you can’t run on, but that you can absolutely shred through the air. UNLV’s not the team to do that. To be frank, they look like the Broncos, but with a three-point loss to Syracuse instead of Oregon. If they can bottle Jeanty up this one will stay close, methinks.
SATURDAY
EARLY SLATE
Big Screen
Notre Dame at Navy
12:00pm/11:00am (ABC)
The Irish haven’t suffered a misstep since their last-second loss to Northern Illinois, but this represents one of their hardest tests on their way to a likely Playoff berth. Not joking. They’re continuing to survive on the strength of their defense and a lethal running game. Riley Leonard is fine under center as long as his passes stay on the short side.
The Midshipmen are in a unique spot. They haven’t lost a game. In fact, they’ve been blowing teams out, taking advantage of a softer schedule, using their tried-and-true option game. But they move fast this year, scoring at lightning speed. And once they do, their bend-don’t-break defense prevents points from being scored while giving up yards. They’re an enigma, and no one’s solved them yet.
Small Screen
Washington at Indiana
12:00pm/11:00am (Big Ten Network)
Guys, Jedd Fish is trying his best. All the Huskies’ talent fled when Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama job, so he cobbled together something resembling a respectable team and set forth in the Big Ten. So far, results are mixed. Will Rogers, journeyman QB, commands a fantastic passing offense, and the defense has looked masterful…except last week when they let Iowa, of all teams, score 40 points. The Hawkeyes hadn’t done that in a Big Ten game since 2021. Yikes.
On the other side are the hyped-to-heck Hoosiers. They look fantastic on paper, but now they’re entering a tough final few games. The talented Mr. Kurtis Rourke unfortunately injured his hand and missed the last half of Indiana’s drubbing of Nebraska last week, and he’ll still be out for this tilt, having undergone thumb surgery. Tayven Jackson should fill in admirably, and Justice Ellison will handle running duties. How’s the defense? Magnificent, but it has slight secondary issues.
Watch The Score
Nebraska at Ohio State (12pm/11am, FOX)
Oklahoma at Ole Miss (12pm/11am, ESPN)
MIDDLE SLATE
Big Screen
Illinois at Oregon
3:30pm/2:30pm (CBS)
Your eyes do not deceive you. That’s the Fighting Illini with a top 20 ranking. Their one loss is to the only truly stellar team they’ve faced, Penn State. And yeah, not gonna lie, Illinois might be a fraud. They’ve only got a mediocre offense. But their defense is surprisingly testy. It doesn’t give up points and handles the pass exceptionally well. If they’re going to impress, this week’s the time.
The Ducks tripped backwards into the top spot in the polls by playing competent, mostly solid football. They have a knack for pulling out close wins against tough opponents like Ohio State and Boise State. Dillon Gabriel’s got the passing side of things down, and Oregon doesn’t give up many big plays on the other side of the ball. Given their remaining schedule, a win here does a bunch to pave the way to a Big Ten championship game berth.
Small Screen
Missouri at Alabama
3:30pm/2:30pm (ABC)
I’m suspicious of Eli Drinkwitz’s squad. They’ve beaten who they should beat, but they struggled against Auburn and Vandy and got their doors blown off by Texas A&M. The Tigers couple balanced offense with a spectacular defense that does well limiting the pass. However, you can run on this team, and they struggle to come up with touchdowns in the red zone. Are they a contender, or a pretender in the new-look SEC?
Alabama should answer that question. Anger and questions abound in Tuscaloosa after three straight disappointing weeks: a loss to Vandy, a close win over South Carolina, and a hard-fought defeat against Tennessee in the Cigar Game. This is basically must-win for many Tide fans. For now, Jalen Milroe is the QB, though many are calling for his ouster to shake things up on Alabama’s lackluster offense. The defense could also be better. It doesn’t do anything particularly well. Hopefully Kalen DeBoer can motivate the locker room this week to prepare his team.
Watch The Score
Texas at Vanderbilt (4:15pm/3:15pm, SEC Network)
BYU at UCF (3:30pm/2:30pm, ESPN)
NIGHT SLATE
Big Screen
LSU at Texas A&M
7:30pm/6:30pm (ABC)
This one’s got media hype behind it. And I get why. Weird stuff always happens in this rivalry, so expect chaos. The Tigahs look like worldbeaters. Despite a Week 1 hiccup against USC, LSU’s undefeated in conference play, Garrett Nussmeier’s slinging the ball all over creation, and the front seven’s giving opposing offensive lines headaches. There’s cracks in the armor: the Bayou Bengals don’t have a reliable run game or secondary. But if those round into form, you might be looking at the SEC champion.
Or maybe your champ’s the Aggies. Like LSU, they haven’t lost since a first-week flop against Notre Dame, evolving into a power running attack headed by Le’Veon Moss coupled with a balanced and brutal defense. Texas A&M wants to make this one a referendum on their place in the SEC. The question is whether they can follow through on their ambitions.
Small Screen
Penn State at Wisconsin
7:30pm/6:30pm (NBC)
Like I said last week, the Nittany Lions continue to fly under the radar. Their victory over USC was their closest yet. Drew Allar passes and Kaytron Allen runs in equal measure, creating perhaps the most efficient and even-keeled offense in football. And the defense has no discernable weak points. Penn State has a championship contending team on their hands.
The Badgers would love to spoil their party. While the offense has been the usual amount of mediocre, with a decent-to-good rushing game helmed by Tawee Walker, the defense is what stands out, holding the last three opponents to single digits mostly by stifling pass plays.
Watch The Score
Michigan State at Michigan (7:30pm/6:30pm, Big Ten Network)
SMU at Duke (8pm/7pm, ACC Network)
LATE SLATE
Cincinnati at Colorado
10:15pm/9:15pm (ESPN)
I did not have “Big 12 title contender Cincinnati” on my bingo card for this year. But Brendan Sorsby looks better than advertised under center. Where the Bearcats thrive is ball control. They do an excellent job of converting third and fourth downs, effectively decreasing the time their lackluster defense is on the field. When it is, despite giving up chunks of yards, it’s great at limiting opposing points. That brew makes a potent concoction, so Cincy’s dangerous for anyone in their wide-open conference.
That includes the Buffs. You know the drill by now. Coach Prime’s media circus is a pass-happy offense married with a non-existent run game and a below-average defense. The strategy is to overwhelm opponents with scoring, and hope Shedeur Sanders gets good protection from the line. Strange thing is, it might work. Colorado’s got a tough few games to end the year, but if they can step up, they might be in line for a conference championship.