COLLEGE FOOTBALL: What To Watch In Week Nine

Coming off a week in which not a single top-25 matchup was played, we’re back to having some big time matchups to fill up our Saturday. 

It’s 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. 

Let’s dive into the week nine slate of the college football season.

No. 8 Michigan State vs No. 6 Michigan — 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX

There’s nothing like an in-state rivalry to kick off a college football Saturday. 

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has his team 7-0, but they haven’t beaten a top-25 team so far this season, making Saturday’s matchup against the undefeated Spartans in East Lansing their toughest test of the year. 

“It’s an elimination mindset,” 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. 

“It’s definitely important to keep Kenneth Walker contained this game,” fifth-year Michigan linebacker Josh Ross said Monday. “That’s a guy that can make big plays, and can make you pay if you’re not in the right spots on defense. Definitely, it’s going to be a goal for us to contain them, and stop him and neutralize him for sure. That’ll be a big piece for us.”

The Wolverines have their own dangerous running attack, ranked fifth in the country in yards per game (253.3).

“I 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,” Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said. “That’s the reality of the situation. And, that’s a good thing because not everyone has these opportunities to coach and play in these games.”

No. 4 Oklahoma vs Texas Tech — 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Is Oklahoma actually worthy of their ranking? Based on their past few games, it’s hard to say they are. 

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’ offense life, and a visit from Texas Tech should only help his confidence. 

“It wasn’t super

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