{"id":941154,"date":"2021-10-30T10:29:22","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T14:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=941154"},"modified":"2021-10-30T10:29:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T14:29:25","slug":"college-football-what-to-watch-in-week-nine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-football-what-to-watch-in-week-nine\/","title":{"rendered":"COLLEGE FOOTBALL: What To Watch In Week Nine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcollege-football-what-to-watch-in-week-nine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=941154&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Coming off a week in which not a single top-25 matchup was played, we\u2019re back to having some big time matchups to fill up our Saturday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the last weekend of football before the first College Football Playoff Rankings, and in a year where more ranked teams have fallen than ever before, you can be assured that more surprises are on the horizon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive into the week nine slate of the college football season.<\/p>\n<p>No. 8 Michigan State vs No. 6 Michigan \u2014 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing like an in-state rivalry to kick off a college football Saturday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has his team 7-0, but they haven\u2019t beaten a top-25 team so far this season, making Saturday\u2019s matchup against the undefeated Spartans in East Lansing their toughest test of the year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an elimination mindset,\u201d Harbaugh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/preview\/_\/gameId\/401282777\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Michigan defense is second in the country in points allowed per game (14.3), but they face a major test in trying to stop Michigan State running back and Heisman contender Kenneth Walker III. Walker ranks second in the country in rushing yards with 997.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s definitely important to keep Kenneth Walker contained this game,\u201d fifth-year Michigan linebacker Josh Ross <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/football\/michigan-highlighting-spartans-star-kenneth-walker-ahead-of-saturday\/\">said<\/a> Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s a guy that can make big plays, and can make you pay if you\u2019re not in the right spots on defense. Definitely, it\u2019s going to be a goal for us to contain them, and stop him and neutralize him for sure. That\u2019ll be a big piece for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Wolverines have their own dangerous running attack, ranked fifth in the country in yards per game (253.3).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told the players when you have rivalry games like this, ultimately your legacy and your reputation, a lot of it is formed by how you play and coach in these games,\u201d Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-football\/preview\/_\/gameId\/401282777\">said<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s the reality of the situation. And, that\u2019s a good thing because not everyone has these opportunities to coach and play in these games.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No. 4 Oklahoma vs Texas Tech \u2014 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC<\/p>\n<p>Is Oklahoma actually worthy of their ranking? Based on their past few games, it\u2019s hard to say they are.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Sooners needed a second half comeback to beat a bad Kansas team in week eight, allowing Alabama to leapfrog them in the standings. But freshman quarterback Caleb Williams has given the Sooners\u2019 offense life, and a visit from Texas Tech should only help his confidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t super<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coming off a week in which not a single top-25 matchup was played, we\u2019re back to having some big time matchups to fill up our Saturday.\u00a0It\u2019s the last weekend of football before the first College Football Playoff Rankings, and in a year where more ranked teams have fallen than ever before, you can be assured that more surprises are on the horizon.\u00a0Let\u2019s dive into the week nine slate of the college football season.No. 8 Michigan State vs No. 6 Michigan \u2014 12:00 p.m. ET, FOXThere\u2019s nothing like an in-state rivalry to kick off a college football Saturday.\u00a0Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has his team 7-0, but they haven\u2019t beaten a top-25 team so far this season, making Saturday\u2019s matchup against the undefeated Spartans in East Lansing their toughest test of the year.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s an elimination mindset,\u201d Harbaugh said.The Michigan defense is second in the country in points allowed per game (14.3), but they face a major test in trying to stop Michigan State running back and Heisman contender Kenneth Walker III. Walker ranks second in the country in rushing yards with 997.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s definitely important to keep Kenneth Walker contained this game,\u201d fifth-year Michigan linebacker Josh Ross said Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s a guy that can make big plays, and can make you pay if you\u2019re not in the right spots on defense. Definitely, it\u2019s going to be a goal for us to contain them, and stop him and neutralize him for sure. That\u2019ll be a big piece for us.\u201dThe Wolverines have their own dangerous running attack, ranked fifth in the country in yards per game (253.3).\u201cI told the players when you have rivalry games like this, ultimately your legacy and your reputation, a lot of it is formed by how you play and coach in these games,\u201d Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said. \u201cThat\u2019s the reality of the situation. And, that\u2019s a good thing because not everyone has these opportunities to coach and play in these games.\u201dNo. 4 Oklahoma vs Texas Tech \u2014 3:30 p.m. ET, ABCIs Oklahoma actually worthy of their ranking? Based on their past few games, it\u2019s hard to say they are.\u00a0The Sooners needed a second half comeback to beat a bad Kansas team in week eight, allowing Alabama to leapfrog them in the standings. But freshman quarterback Caleb Williams has given the Sooners\u2019 offense life, and a visit from Texas Tech should only help his confidence.\u00a0\u201cIt wasn\u2019t super smooth but, to be understood, in the Texas game,\u201d head coach Lincoln Riley said about Williams. \u201cIt\u2019s gotten better here each week.\u201d\u00a0Oklahoma has won nine straight against TTU, and the Red Raiders are reeling. Head coach Matt Wells was fired following last week\u2019s 25-24 loss to Kansas State in which Texas Tech blew a 14-point lead.\u00a0Florida vs No. 1 Georgia \u2014 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS\u201cThe World\u2019s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party\u201d in Jacksonville, Florida, is one to mark down on the calendar. Just don\u2019t get your hopes up for a dramatic game.\u00a0Both teams are coming off their bye weeks, but are in very different positions. Georgia beat a very good Kentucky team in week seven while Florida lost to unranked LSU, causing some to question Dan Mullen\u2019s job security.\u00a0Stetson Bennett has started the last three games for Georgia while JT Daniels recovers from an injury, and the offense hasn\u2019t looked any worse for wear. Bennett is expected to start in front of Daniels on Saturday.\u00a0It\u2019s a revenge game for Georgia, coming off of a 44-28 loss to Florida in last year\u2019s rivalry game.\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t try and use those extrinsic things, I just, I have never had great experiences with that,\u201d Smart said. \u201cI don\u2019t want the players emotional the whole time\u201cThat\u2019s what the fan wants, but I want them thinking about what they have to do to win this game and last year\u2019s game has nothing to do with this year\u2019s game,\u201d he added.Georgia\u2019s defense is as fierce as they come, allowing the fewest yards and points per game in the country.\u00a0No. 5 Ohio State vs No. 20 Penn State \u2014 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC\u00a0This would have been a top-10 matchup if not for Penn State\u2019s nine-overtime loss against Illinois in week eight. The Nittany Lions have now lost two straight, and the rumors swirling around head coach James Franklin and the openings at LSU and USC are only getting louder.\u00a0For Ohio State, they enter the Saturday night showdown winners of five straight, and quarterback C.J. Stroud has been impressive since the Buckeyes lost to Oregon at home in week two. He has the Ohio State offense running on all cylinders, with the Buckeyes touting the top-ranked offense in the nation. Penn State\u2019s defense is sixth in the nation in points allowed per game (14.7), so something has to give. Penn State hasn\u2019t faced an offense like the one at Ohio State, which has gone over 50 points in four straight games.\u201cThis game will be a little bit different; it\u2019s gonna be electric, it\u2019s gonna be at home, we\u2019re playing against a really tough, physical defense that\u2019s one of the better defenses in the country,\u201d Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. \u201cIn a matchup game, you gotta learn to play a little field-position football and those types of things and being smart and all the things that have gotten (Stroud) to this point. But at the same time, he\u2019s got to go do what he\u2019s done the last couple weeks, and that\u2019s go out there and play with confidence, prepare at a high level and lead his team.\u201dOther games to watch:No. 16 Baylor vs Texas \u2014 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPNNo. 17 Pittsburgh vs Miami \u2014 12:00 p.m. ET, ACC NetworkNo. 18 Auburn vs No. 10 Ole Miss \u2014 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNNo. 7 Oregon vs Colorado \u2014 3:30 p.m. ET, FOXNo. 21 San Diego State vs Fresno State \u2014 10:30 p.m. ET, CBSSNJoe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to\u00a0sports@dailywire.com.The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":1888412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-941154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1888412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}