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Before we get into this weekend’s schedule, we have to talk about a big win in the Group of 5.
Only 1 winless team remains
Team No. 133 out of 134, per Chris Vannini’s rankings, might finally be able to make a climb this week. The previously winless Kennesaw State Owls recorded their first win last night against the PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED Liberty Flames and 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year Kaidon Salter. A few stats to know:
- Kennesaw State entered as a 27.5-point underdog. After breaking a 14-14 halftime tie, the Owls led the entire second half en route to the 27-24 win.
- This marked Liberty’s first regular-season loss under second-year coach Jamey Chadwell (the Flames went 13-0 to earn the G5’s NY6 bowl bid last year). It’s the program’s first regular-season loss since Nov. 26, 2022.
- This is Kennesaw State’s first-ever win against an FBS program. The Owls moved up to Conference USA from the FCS this season. Kent State is now the only winless team in FBS play.
For reaction, I tapped in The Athletic’s Jason Kirk, a KSU alum:
In the past few months, my alma mater became an EA Sports team for the first time, gained a Homefield Apparel line and was just America’s most beloved team for a night, thanks to the biggest win in school history and possibly the biggest upset of the season. OK, I’m on board with the FBS move.
Week 9 Schedule
Friday night lights
The first ranked team plays tonight (and might have some upset potential) when Syracuse (5-1) travels to No. 19 Pitt (6-0) at 7:30 p.m., on ESPN. Here are the three games to watch on Friday (all times ET):
- Louisville (4-3) at Boston College (4-3) (7:30 p.m., ESPN2): Both teams saw some time in the rankings this season but have bottomed out since. There’s not much on the line in the ACC race, but bowl eligibility will be a lot more attainable for the winner.
- No. 17 Boise State (5-1) at UNLV (6-1) (10:30 p.m., CBSSN): Friday’s best game features two of the four teams tied atop the Mountain West standings. This one should be high scoring with high stakes. As discussed on today’s “Until Saturday” podcast, the winner will be in the lead position for the G5 College Football Playoff bid. Is this the biggest G5 game ever?
- Rutgers (4-3) at USC (3-4) (11 p.m., Fox): The Trojans have lost four of their past five in an incredibly rough first season in the Big Ten. Maybe they’ll get some revenge by going back to their Pac-12 After Dark roots?
Saturday slate
Here’s the schedule of every ranked matchup on Saturday. As always the darker the highlight = the higher the intrigue.
Early
- Most important game: No. 12 Notre Dame (6-1) vs. No. 24 Navy (6-0). Army and Navy are the last remaining undefeated Group of 5 teams, but both of their toughest tests come against the Fighting Irish; the Midshipmen are up first. Navy QB Blake Horvath has been a dual-threat superstar — rushing for 621 yards and averaging 7.9 yards per carry (second to Heisman leader Ashton Jeanty). The matchup to watch will be Notre Dame’s top-10 defense against Navy’s top-10 offense. The Midshipmen could use a resume-building win for the postseason. This is their chance.
- Most underrated game: Washington (4-3) at No. 13 Indiana (7-0). The Playoff’s most surprising contender hosts last year’s national runner-up. The Hoosiers demolished Nebraska 56-7 last week, and let’s not undervalue this matchup with the Huskies. Jedd Fisch’s squad may not be CFP-caliber, but it does have the top passing defense in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will be without QB Kurtis Rourke (thumb injury) and will turn to sophomore backup Tayven Jackson.
Afternoon
- Most important game: No. 21 Missouri (6-1) at No. 15 Alabama (5-2). These two former top-10 teams have been disappointing. The Crimson Tide’s loss to Tennessee last week revealed some hard truths about the team’s progression. A good win against a middling Missouri team that escaped Auburn last week with a last-minute touchdown would feel good. The Tigers will be without leading rusher Nate Noel (foot injury), and quarterback Brady Cook is considered doubtful after suffering an ankle sprain last week, per ESPN. No. 20 Illinois (6-1) at No. 1 Oregon (7-0) is another game to watch in this window.
- Most underrated game: No. 5 Texas (6-1) at No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2). The Commodores are ranked for the first time since 2013! And how about this stat? These teams haven’t played since 1928, but Vandy leads the all-time series 8-3-1! Nearly a century later, Vandy and Texas are meeting as conference foes. The Longhorns were exposed by Georgia in a 30-15 loss that might have introduced a bit of a quarterback controversy. On the other side is Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt’s electric QB who sparked a win against Alabama weeks ago.
Night
- Most important game: No. 8 LSU (6-1) at No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1). Since these are the last remaining undefeated teams in SEC play, the winner will gain sole possession of first place in the conference … at least for now. The home team has won each of the last seven meetings in this series — a testament to the monster environments at Tiger Stadium and Kyle Field. Both teams enter the game in the Playoff race — LSU with a 28 percent chance to make the field and Texas A&M with a 25 percent chance per The Athletic’s model. The winner will take over the driver’s seat for the SEC title game while the two-loss loser eliminates any margin for error moving forward.
- Most underrated game: Michigan State (4-3) at Michigan (4-3) (7:30 p.m., BTN). This is my game of the weekend. The reigning national champion Wolverines are out of the Playoff race as first-year coach Sherrone Moore navigates an identity crisis. Also under a new coach in Jonathan Smith, the Spartans bounced back from a three-game losing streak to beat Iowa last week. This series is always unpredictable, and that feels especially true given where these two programs are at right now. The Wolverines have won the last two, but neither team has won three in a row since MSU from 2013-15.
Check out the complete Week 9 schedule.
Need tickets? Go here. Stream the games on Fubo for free.
Quick Snaps
Have thoughts on your favorite (and least favorite) college football broadcasts? Take The Athletic’s CFB on TV survey here.
Ole Miss spent $10 million on a roster it thought would contend in the first 12-team Playoff. But with two losses already, where do the Rebels go from here?
How much is the Big Ten’s coast-to-coast travel impacting game results? Scott Dochterman wrote today about how the league is evaluating its first year as a mega-conference.
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(Photo: Helen Comer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
