NCAA Games of the Week: Week 9
J. Harris, Boston Mountain Publishing
Friday, October 28, 2022 - 2:12 PM
Week 9 -
Top Games of the Weekend:
Preview and Predictions
In the College Football World this weekend we have 3 Top 25 matchups ahead of us for Saturday while adding some drama this Halloween weekend there is some potential upsets that we will preview below.
We also didn't want to leave out Thursday night's games where two thrillers last night shouldn't be left out of the conversation. All in all, there are plenty of games to watch and a couple teams are putting their undefeated titles on the line.
(2) OHIO STATE @ (6) PENN STATE 12/11:00c FOX
This could be a great matchup early in the day, as it features one very good team and one potentially good team, fighting for the Big Ten title.
Ohio State (7-0) definitely has the upper hand here after Penn State (6-1) traveled to the Big House and got clobbered by Michigan this past weekend. Seeing how the Nittany Lions respond this week will be interesting, and as we all know Penn State has one of the best home fields in all of sports, which should give them a potential boost. To be clear, Ohio State has the #4 rated Offense in the country and Penn State's Defense doesn't touch the top 50.
Prediction - Ohio State
(8) OKLAHOMA STATE @ (20) KANSAS STATE 3:30/2:30(c) FOX
A high scoring game that should be entertaining to watch is what we have here. I think this matchup will have a fun back and forth with the potential to come down to which team has the ball last. The offensive threats at Kansas State could make this solid Cowboy Defense struggle in this one. Cowboy Head Coach Mike Gundy said, “I think that we're playing absolutely incredibly hard. I think we're still improving in our execution.” With that being said, I'm going with the Wildcats and their offense here. After last week's game on the road, having a decent lead over the Horned Frogs, the TCU home crowd made a huge difference just like I think the Kansas State crowd will do to help their team this weekend.
Prediction - Kansas State
(19) KENTUCKY @ (3) TENNESSEE 7/6:00 (c) ESPN
Tennessee (7-0) has been the most impressive team this year.
We all know about the Alabama game 2 weeks ago, but this team has not missed a beat. I do think we see Kentucky (5-2) and QB Will Levis causing some trouble early on for the Vols, but this Tennessee team understands how to win games and if they stay locked in and don't look ahead to Georgia they will win. The crowd will be again singing Rocky Top as the Vols come out with a big win this weekend in Knoxville.
Prediction - Tennessee
MICHIGAN STATE @ (5) MICHIGAN 6:30 PM ABC
Michigan (7-0) has continued to win, especially with their running game, and they continue their undefeated campaign this weekend against in-state rival Michigan State (3-4).
I do think Michigan is still unproven against the better teams, which is why I think this could be a crazy game coming down to the wire. Michigan State was highly rated coming into the year and after some tough losses they slowed down tremendously, but they have a rivalry game to fight for this week which can change everything. Even though it may be close, Michigan's defense is too solid as they rank with the best in total defense.
Prediction - Michigan
Check out this week's Conference Power Rankings here:
THURSDAY NIGHT GAME REVIEWS
NC STATE 22 vs. VIRGINIA TECH 21
What a game this was last night. North Carolina State (6-2) went down early as Virginia Tech started the game with an insane Pick 6 in the 2nd quarter that put the Hokies up 14-3. At that point it really looked like this game might just be over as NC State looked lost. Not only that, but the stadium felt dead, but we all know how fast NC State can score and they did just that, while also responding with a great 2nd half of defensive football. They put themselves in a great position to setup the go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter that gave the Wolfpack the win.
UTAH 21 vs WASHINGTON STATE 17
Another great PAC-12 game where Utah (6-2) had to start their backup QB on the road in Wazoo, WA. Bryson Barnes played a great game that helped Utah pass all over Washington State in the 1st half. The Washington State defense did step-up in the 4th Quarter, but their offense didn't have enough time to climb out of a 1st half deficit. The Cougars move to 4-4 on the year, but their record does not define this team. They have been competitive all year and will continue to be dangerous in the weeks ahead. Utah still has Oregon on the schedule which could be a huge game with playoff implications.
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