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MEGA Week 9 Games Thread 🎃👻💀

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Halloween Night is approaching

Scary Hours every hour in the power 4

Many programs are taking their bye week as next week starts the best lineup of the season. Additionally, this is the last weekend without the CFP selection committee unveiling their initial rankings. The last time three or less FBS programs finished October undefeated was in 2014: FSU, Mississippi State, and Marshall. Mirabal was on that Marshall staff.


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Only ten SEC teams play this week.


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The 3:30 slate improves the day by a lot. Given where we are at this point of the year, decent amount of storylines to watch amongst this group.


Kansas @ TCU could be Sonny Dykes last game.

Does Chip Kelly beat Oregon in Oregon?

Purdue beat Minnesota by 28 points. Can Indiana even score 28 points against Minnesota?

Does Utah remain undefeated against Cincinnati?
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Very few nighttime distractions from the Main event: Miami @ UNC.
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Colombie said:
Wisconsin-Iowa may not get any publicity but it is basically a B1G playoff elimination game.

I am very interested in seeing how that one goes.
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All ND fans are rooting for Wisconsin and SMU as their nightmare scenario of losing to Miami intensifies.

I’ll be watching Stanford x Louisville for entertainment value. Also, I suspect Duke beats Boston College however you never know these days. Interesting matchup of two of our future opponents.

Arizona vs Texas Tech should be awesome. One might say that’s essentially a XII playoff elimination game as well.
 
Colombie said:
Wisconsin-Iowa may not get any publicity but it is basically a B1G playoff elimination game.

I am very interested in seeing how that one goes.
Click to expand...

Interested to see if Wisconsin continues the trend of the ranked team that just won a big game and then has to go on the road. Teams in those spots have not done well this year.

Another trend that could show up this weekend. The team that’s been left for dead that puts it together for a game and wins a big one. That would be USC.
 
Other questions of the week: who is UGA? I still find they haven’t been tested too much so this UF matchup should tell us more before they play Ole Miss, who should dispense with Auburn fairly easily—yet the Rebels have had tackling problems this season and Byrum Brown is hard af to tackle.

UNDER PRESSURE:

Both coaches need this win; yet only one will get it. South Carolina @ Oklahoma. I’ll take South Carolina as OU still struggles in all three phases; w/ their kicker missing 3 FG attempts from 40-45 yards out last week. If Brent Vulnerables wants to continue his streak (6 wins, then 10, then 6 then 10 then __ again), he really needs to win this one. Extension will keep him from getting fired however, have to imagine it’s going to be a real tough offseason for him.

Ohio vs USC. Both coaches need this win. Day isn’t in danger of getting fired; yet, he is in danger of having his first three loss season as HC. Buckeyes haven’t lost three games, including postseason, since their transition year under interim HC Luke Fickell in 2011 (6-7). Before that, the last time was in 2008, Ohio State lost to #1 USC, #3 Penn State, and #3 Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State went 4-4 (8-4 including bowl W) in B1G play in 2004. The Buckeyes were ranked 9th in 2008 and 20th in 2004 at the end of the year. Interestingly enough, Muschamp was the DC of Texas in 2008 too.

Clemson @ FSU. Not much to say here. Both coaches need a W like they need to breathe to live. I got FSU beating Clemson based on everything I’ve seen this year. I do think it’s possible that Norvell saves his job if he is 7-4 before playing UF at the end of the year.

GT @ Pitt. Sneaky both coaches need this W. My no-info just speculation mind thinks Mendoza transfers back to IU in the portal. Brent Key looked like he was building something solid, but the foundation has come crashing down. The defense is a larger problem than the offense, but the O-Line isn’t where it needs to be for that being the HC’s specialty. Not sure how committed / motivated GT will be to make a move, especially firing an alum who worked under Saban, and has finished every season prior to this one .500 or better. A strength of schedule metric that doesn’t have GT in the top 10 SOS isn’t worth its salt (play 11 p4 opponents). Interested to see how that program moves forward with realignment looming and their location, historic players/coaches, + status as one of three founding members of the SEC who are no longer apart of the conference (Tulane + another random GA school).

Narduzzi lost his starting qb, but the die-hard fans are tired of starting off 5-0 then losing so many of the back-half of their games. He’s reaching rich man’s Dave Doreen status, and Pitt is another historic program with surprisingly some of the most iconic 21st century players: Fitz, Revis, McCoy, Donald, etc. and more HOFs. Don’t think he’s at risk of being fired however these are games that will be remembered down the line if he loses.
 
RISING STAR?

Oklahoma State is not out of the playoff picture, and their Tulsa loss means they only have one in-conference loss to Houston. Now, Arizona, BYU, and Texas Tech all have one in-conference loss too. Arizona and Texas Tech play this week. TT’s loss to Cincy and BYU’s loss to UCF have opened up the playoff picture for Arizona and Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State has @ Iowa State this weekend, @Kansas State, Texas Tech, @ Arizona State, and Kansas to end the year. They need to start punishing these teams to further their playoff cause. More bad news for Vulnerables and OU; OK State is on the rise.

A win against TT means less if Arizona beats them this weekend; however, Eric Morris’ QB CV and his current gunslinger Mestemaker might be too compelling to leave out of the playoffs if they go 10-2 yet end up losing in the Big XII championship game; or are left out of the game altogether at 10-2.

Rooting for Eric Morris because of the role he played in Cam Wad’s life. And he beat Oregon, which is dope. **** Dan Lanning.

DOOMSDAY SCENARIO??

BYU x Utah basically shapes the possibilities for whether the Big XII can get 1, 2, or 3 teams into the playoffs. Ok State would benefit from a BYU loss, while ND would be the most harmed by that.

If Utah is undefeated, there can only be at most one big XII team w/ 1 conf loss (TT or OKST). If BYU wins the Holy War, up to 3 teams can finish the regular season w/ only one conference loss: (BYU + Utah + TT) ; (BYU + Utah + OKST); (BYU + Arizona + OKST); If Utah wins the Holy War:(Utah + AZ + OKST) could all have one loss if AZ beats TT + Utah and OKST beats TT.

Doomsday commences if 4 or more Big XII teams end up w/ 2 conference losses, which is possible. In addition to rooting for SMU + Wisconsin, ND really needs BYU to win that game.

UNDER PRESSURE PT2


Kansas State @ Colorado: Deion needs this win. Colin Klein is still in his first year as an HC and he’s a beloved son of the program. The pressure will be on Deion to get a win to keep his job; although it remains to be seen whether Boulder has the stomach for the expenses that come w/ the firing.

Colorado, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Penn State, and Maryland are the only p4 programs without a conference win to date. The latter three do not have a p4 win all year. Maryland might say UConn should count lol. Maryland and Penn State play each other to end the year so it’s guaranteed one of them won’t end up winless in conference: the same cannot be said for Michigan State who is on a bye this week.

Which brings me to my next matchup Purdue @ Penn State. Both programs need this win. Purdue fans want to go bowling, and need to beat Penn State to do just that. After this, they have Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana.

Odom has already improved on last year’s record, 2-10 (0-9), has one of the hardest schedules in the country with Wake Forest and ND as OOC opponents, one of 5 programs to have 11 p4 matchups, but his offense is too explosive to not reach .500 imo. And that program is starving.

Jeff Brohm went .500 or better 4 outta 6 seasons at Purdue. Since HOF HC Jim Young retired in 1981; Purdue has had two successful coaches: Jeff Brohm (2017-2022) and Joe Tiller (1997-2008). Every other HC has finished below .500. Outside of those 18 successful seasons, there have been 27 seasons since Young retired, including 2026, Purdue has finished .500 or better only four times outta those 27 years: (1984, 1994, 2011, 2012). Odom has a chance to make it five. The pressure is rising due to Indiana’s rise; in addition to ND being a stalwart.
 
Miami can make a big statement before ND game. Vegas gave UNC the most favorable spread all season. Everyone keeps talking about a “trap.” Would love to see canes win a stress free game thats over in 3rd Q.
 
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