College Football 2019: Your complete Week 9 binge-watching guide
By Zach Bigalke
No. 9 Auburn at No. 2 LSU (3:30 pm/CBS)
The showcase showdown of Week 9 pits top-10 SEC teams against one another for a daylight game in Death Valley. No. 2 LSU has made a strong case through the first eight weeks of the season that they, not top-ranked Alabama, are actually the best team in the conference. Joe Burrow is a Heisman front-runner as he leads the country in passing touchdowns and sits behind just Jalen Hurts in passing efficiency. Auburn comes to Baton Rouge without JaTarvious Whitlow, but can they pull off a huge upset on the road?
PREDICTION: LSU will keep the winning ways going, remaining among the ranks of the undefeated to set up a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown against Alabama on the second Saturday of November.
No. 6 Penn State at Michigan State (3:30 pm/ABC)
Penn State squeaked by Michigan in Happy Valley in Week 8, coughing up a 21-0 lead and then holding on for a 28-21 victory. Now they head on the road in Week 9 to square off against Michigan State in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions haven’t won at Spartan Stadium in a decade, but they boast a top-10 scoring offense and scoring defense as they remain among a dwindling group of unbeaten College Football Playoff contenders. Does Michigan State have enough offense to keep up with their visitors?
PREDICTION: Penn State wins by at least two touchdowns on the road to exorcise their demons in East Lansing and keep pace with Ohio State in the Big Ten East race.
No. 15 Texas at TCU (3:30 pm/FOX)
Oddsmakers are suspicious of Texas after they narrowly defeated Kansas 50-48 in Week 8, installing the Longhorns as just a one-point favorite for their road trip to Fort Worth. TCU boasts one of the top passing offenses in the country, which will challenge Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and his receivers all day long. Working against the Horned Frogs is their red zone defense, which gives up points on more than 94 percent of opponents’ trips inside the TCU 20. This could be another game that comes down to the wire for Tom Herman’s crew.
PREDICTION: TCU keeps things close and holds a fourth-quarter lead, but Texas survives a defensive battle and barely beats the spread with a late touchdown.