3 underrated college football games you can’t miss in Week 9
It’s about to be Halloween weekend, and college football is celebrating with a scary-good slate. #2 Ohio State, who just put up 54 against Iowa, one of the top defenses in the country, gets its first true test, as they host #13 Penn State, fresh off of a dominant White-Out win over Minnesota.
The world will be eager to see if Ryan Day’s squad can not only rise up to the challenge but do so in a more convincing way than the Buckeyes’ counterpart, Michigan. Top-ranked Georgia has its own rivalry game at hand, going up against an unranked Florida team, led by Anthony Richardson, who can light up anyone and make any game close. #19 Kentucky and #3 Tennessee have what might be the best game of the week, as Josh Heupel looks to build the Volunteers’ playoff resume with a ranked rivalry win.
However, there are a few more marquee matchups that aren’t top-tier matchups at first glance, but upon closer inspection could be special games. From rivalries to potential huge upsets, here are three underrated games that, while not the biggest on the slate, you cannot miss.
1. #7 TCU at West Virginia
12pm, ESPN
Sitting on top of the Big 12, TCU has been a freight train this year, standing undefeated after playing four ranked teams in a row.
The team has largely gone under the radar as a whole, but emerging from that stretch unscathed has put the college football world on notice.
Quarterback Max Duggan has embodied this team’s underrated nature, as he’s quietly been one of the top QBs in the country. He ranks 10th in QBR nationally, with 1,871 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just one pick. With the schedule going downhill from here, Duggan will have a chance to really build on his season and potentially lead the Horned Frogs to their first College Football Playoff appearance.
They cannot get complacent though, especially not this week. West Virginia, which made this list a few weeks back, poses a formidable challenge. Texas Tech gave them a beatdown last week, however, this team can get rolling when things are clicking.
JT Daniels still has all of the talent in the world, and while he’s had games in which he struggled, he’s more than capable of picking a defense apart.
This should be a game that TCU wins. However, if they are still recharging from their last few games, West Virginia could make it a classic Big 12 shootout.