Week 9 of the college football season will feature some highly anticipated matchups with key showdowns in the Big Ten and Big 12 this Saturday. After a wild start to the season, it only makes sense to expect another shakeup this weekend with a number of teams on upset alert. Here is a look at the top four ranked teams on upset alert heading in to Week 9 of the college football season.
#6 Ohio State Buckeyes (-7) vs. #2 Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, 3:30 PM ET
Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the country and is still perfect on the season but will be a seven-point underdog when they visit Ohio State in one of the most highly anticipated showdowns of the season so far. The Buckeyes lost to Oklahoma at home back in September but they are still getting the benefit of the doubt heading in to this crucial college football showdown.
For as good as J.T. Barrett has been, the Nittany Lions have some impressive weapons of their own including star running back Saquon Barkley. This is shaping up to be a heavyweight matchup that is worth the wait and it’s hard to imagine Penn State getting blown out. The more likely scenario is that the Nittany Lions push the Buckeyes in a close game that they could very well win. At the very least, Penn State should be able to cover on the road this Saturday.
#8 Miami Hurricanes (-20.5) @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, 12:00 PM ET
The Hurricanes will be a 20.5-point favorite when they visit North Carolina this weekend. While Miami should be able to pick up the win over the 1-7 Tar Heels, it could be a potential trap game for a top-10 team. The Hurricanes could be susceptible to looking ahead to critical games against ranked opponents in Virginia Tech and Notre Dame the following two weeks in this potential trap game. Miami has won its last three games by a combined 13 points so it won’t be a surprise if North Carolina gives them a tougher test than expected and covers the double-digit spread.
#11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (-6) @ #22 West Virginia Mountaineers
Saturday, 12:00 PM ET
Oklahoma State and West Virginia both only narrowly escaped with close wins in Week 8, so neither team should feel comfortable heading in to this Big Ten showdown. These teams have a combined 1-3 record against teams in the top 25 so it wouldn’t be a surprise if this game went either way. The Cowboys are a six-point favorite on the road but we’ve seen that road games can be a challenge for the Cowboys. They barely won at Texas.
As for West Virginia, this is a team that’s fallen short a couple of times with an opportunity to get signature wins. They lost 31-24 to No. 21 Virginia Tech in their opener. Then the Mountaineers also lost on the road at No. 8 TCU 31-24. They dug themselves out of a hole to beat Texas Tech but that’s not exactly a signature win. A win here would change the trajectory of the program. A loss program keeps Dana Holgersen’s seat a little warm.
#21 USC Trojans (-4) @ Arizona State Sun Devils
Saturday, 10:45 PM ET
USC has struggled in each of its last two road games, so nobody should be surprised if they struggle again this week at Arizona State. The Trojans were beaten up in last week’s 49-14 loss to Notre Dame and now they have to bounce back on the road against a Sun Devils team that has already beat both Washington and Utah this season. Arizona State is one of three Pac-12 teams that has allowed 100 points or fewer this season. Their defense hit the reset button during their bye week and has been far stronger in recent weeks.
This game is an ESPN feature game late-night on Saturday evening. It’s not often that the Sun Devils get a chance to shine in the national spotlight. They have momentum on their side, so expect the Sun Devils to put USC on upset alert.
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