Week 9 features another action-packed slate for the Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. There are five contests pitting ranked squads against each other, with three of them in the SEC. That isn’t a surprise, but the ones that are ranked might be if you haven’t been following the season all that closely until now.
One somewhat unexpected development is that No. 7 LSU’s trip to No. 14 Texas A&M will be for the outright lead in the conference. Another is that Vanderbilt has a number before its name with the 25th-ranked Commodores set to host No. 6 Texas, with the Longhorns in need of a bounce-back performance after being shut down by Georgia. Elsewhere, No. 15 Alabama hosts No. 17 Missouri in what could ultimately be a playoff eliminator.
In Big Ten action on Saturday, Oregon puts its No. 1 ranking on the line for the first time hosting No. 21 Illinois. The day kicks off with No. 24 Navy looking to keep its dream season going in its annual showdown with No. 11 Notre Dame at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Even before that, however, the weekend will get off to an early start with No. 20 Pittsburgh and No. 19 Boise State involved in key conference tilts on Thursday and Friday night, respectively.
Here’s how our expert prognosticators think those games and the rest of the Top 25 action will go.