College football Week 9: The most intriguing game in each conference
Each week, On3 takes a look at the most intriguing matchup in each Power 5 conference, along with a Group of 5 game worth keeping an eye on. Here’s our Week 9 edition, excluding our game of the week — No. 6 Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State.
All games are Saturday and all times are Eastern.
ACC: North Carolina (4-3) at No. 11 Notre Dame (6-1)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., NBC
Notre Dame has bounced back from its Week 5 loss to Cincinnati with wins over Virginia Tech (32-29) and USC (31-16). In the win over USC, Fighting Irish RB Kyren Williams, who had been limited to 61.7 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry in Notre Dame’s first six games, broke out with his best game of the season. He rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes for 42 yards. The Irish are a 3.5-point favorite over North Carolina, which has dropped two of its past four games. Star QB Sam Howell has thrown for only 357 yards total in the Tar Heels’ past two games after passing for at least 306 in each of the previous four games.
Big 12: Texas (4-3, 2-2) at No. 16 Baylor (6-1, 3-1)
Time/TV: Noon, ABC
Like Notre Dame, Baylor has rebounded from a Week 5 loss. Since falling to then-No. 19 Oklahoma State, the Bears have beaten West Virginia (45-20) and then-No. 19 BYU (38-24). Baylor, which remains in the thick of the conference title race, is one of four Big 12 teams with one or fewer conference losses, along with Oklahoma (5-0), Oklahoma State (3-1) and Iowa State (3-1). Texas, meanwhile, has lost two in a row (falling to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) after starting 4-1. Baylor is a three-point favorite.
Big Ten: No. 20 Penn State (5-2, 2-2) at No. 5 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., ABC
This one probably won’t end well for Penn State … especially with James Franklin’s focus being on Illinois. Kidding on that last part. It’s more so because there may not be a team playing better right now than Ohio State. The Buckeyes are on a five-game winning streak, and in their past three games, they’ve beaten inferior conference opponents (Rutgers, Maryland and Indiana) by a combined 172-37. Ohio State is an 18.5-point opponent over Penn State, which has lost two in a row, including its 20-18 nine-overtime loss to the aforementioned Illini.
Pac-12: UCLA (5-3, 3-2) at Utah (4-3, 3-1)
Time/TV: 10 p.m., ESPN
Before losing to Oregon State last week, Utah was 3-0 in conference play. Two weeks ago, the Utes beat Arizona State by two touchdowns (35-21), which came two weeks after the Sun Devils beat UCLA by 19. Utah is a 6.5-point favorite.
SEC: No. 10 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) at No. 18 Auburn (5-2, 2-1)
Time/TV: 7 p.m., ESPN
Ole Miss is off to its best start in seven years, with its only loss coming to Alabama. Nevertheless, the Rebels are a three-point underdog against Auburn. The Tigers, who were off last week, have won three of their past four and beat then-No. 17 Arkansas 38-23 in their most recent game. In that one, Auburn QB Bo Nix was 21-of-26 for 292 yards with three total touchdowns and posted his best-ever quarterback rating against a ranked opponent (192.8).
Group of 5: No. 19 SMU (7-0, 3-0 in the AAC) at Houston (6-1, 4-0)
Time/TV: 7 p.m., ESPN2
It will be the nation’s fifth-ranked offense (SMU) against the fourth-ranked defense (Houston) in a big AAC matchup. SMU QB Tanner Mordecai, an Oklahoma transfer, is tied for No. 1 nationally with 29 passing touchdowns, but he will be facing a Houston defense that’s held the Cougars’ past six opponents to an average of 13.8 points. It’s a pick ’em game.