Riley LeonardKevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Week 9 slate gets interesting before the weekend even starts.
On Thursday night, No. 20 Pitt faces a tough test against Kyle McCord and Syracuse as the Panthers look to stay undefeated. Both teams are coming off a bye week, and with a win there’s a good chance the Orange will jump into the AP poll, as they were among the others receiving votes last week.
That’s followed by a major Group of Five showdown on Friday night when No. 15 Boise State travels to UNLV looking to stay in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. Both teams are 5-1 and coming off a bye week, and they sit tied atop the Mountain West standings.
Once Saturday finally arrives, the SEC will again be a focal point.
Vanderbilt will look to pull off another upset at home against No. 1 Texas, while there are a pair of matchups of ranked teams poised to shake up the Top 25 poll with No. 19 Missouri taking on No. 7 Alabama and No. 8 LSU facing No. 14 Texas A&M.
The Big Ten also has a busy day on tap, headlined by No. 22 Illinois on the road against No. 2 Oregon as the Ducks try to stay undefeated while making their case for the No. 1 spot in the nation. Fellow undefeated playoff contenders Indiana (vs. Washington) and Penn State (at Wisconsin) also face difficult, albeit unranked, opponents.
And finally, who could have guessed that the Notre Dame vs. Navy game would have such significant playoff implications? Both teams are ranked and very much alive in the hunt for a berth in the 12-team field.
To that point, it may end up being an elimination game for whoever comes up short. The Fighting Irish are trying to avoid a second loss, while the Midshipmen are looking to stay undefeated and in the mix for the Group of Five playoff spot.
See you all next Saturday!
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