Only Three Unbeatens Remain as College Football Enters Final Month
Week 9 features just two ranked matchups, including a decisive SEC clash between Georgia and Florida, as the College Football Playoff rankings debut in less than a week.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
The College Football Playoff field is narrowing rapidly, with only three unbeatens remaining in the Power Four conferences as the season enters its final month. The first official CFP rankings are set to debut in less than a week, raising the stakes for Saturday’s games. This parity-rich environment has created a chaotic slate, with only two matchups pitting nationally ranked teams against each other.
The central conflict involves the SEC’s top teams, No. 3 Georgia and No. 17 Florida, meeting in Atlanta. Florida enters the game having been pushed from No. 8 in the AP poll after a loss to South Carolina and a subsequent rally against Texas. The Gators’ defensive performance against Texas is the primary variable, as the unit held the Longhorns in check despite ranking 121st nationally in passing yards per game. Georgia’s offense remains a top-30 passing threat, and the Bulldogs are coming off a bye week. Head coach Jon Sumrall has not named a starting quarterback for Florida, with Tramell Jones currently holding the hotter hand.
In the Big 12, No. 13 Texas Tech hosts No. 22 Arizona in a critical conference race game. The Red Raiders face their toughest test since Week 2, with another loss potentially tanking their playoff chances. Texas Tech relies on its front seven to neutralize Arizona’s run game, a strategy that worked when BYU bottled up the Wildcats earlier in the season. Will Hammond, the Texas Tech quarterback, has not recorded a multi-touchdown passing performance this season, but the home crowd expects a breakout. Arizona’s offense has been high-scoring, but inconsistency remains a factor.
Other high-impact games include No. 4 Indiana hosting Minnesota, where the Gophers are 118th nationally in yards per play but possess a top-30 defense in yards allowed per play. Indiana is favored by 20.5 points, a spread that bettors view as aggressive given the Hoosiers' recent offensive struggles. In Cincinnati, No. 6 Utah seeks to extend a winning streak against the Bearcats, who held Texas Tech to 24 points last week but rank 109th in yards allowed per play.
Betting records for the analysts covering these games show a shift in momentum. Brad Crawford stands at 47-24 straight up and 35-35-1 against the spread for the season. Chris Hummer holds a 51-20 straight-up record and 38-32-1 against the spread. Hummer’s recent performance has put him ahead of Crawford, who has been 0-2 picking Florida against the spread this season. Both analysts agree that Iowa will beat Wisconsin in their Big Ten matchup, though they diverge on the final score and whether the Badgers cover the spread.
The schedule also includes a matchup between No. 20 Northwestern and Oregon, where both teams rely on chunk plays to move the ball. Northwestern is considered the better team despite being the underdog, with a new play-caller for Oregon expected to impact the game plan. In the ACC, Clemson travels to Florida State, where the Seminoles are coming off a bye and the Tigers are dealing with offensive struggles under freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds. Miami, favored by 15.5 points at North Carolina, has scored at least 33 points in every game this season, setting the tone for a high-scoring affair in Chapel Hill.
