College Football Playoff hopeful Kennesaw State plus attendance leader for Week 9

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Before we get to this weekend's schedule, we need to talk about a big Group of 5 win.

Only one winless team remains

According to Chris Vannini's rankings, team #133 of 134 could finally make promotion this week. The previously winless Kennesaw State Owls recorded their first win last night against the PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED Liberty Flames and 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year Kaidon Salter. A few statistics you should know:

• Kennesaw State entered as 27.5 points underdog. After a 14-14 halftime tie, the Owls led the entire second half en route to a 27-24 victory.
• This marked Liberty's first regular-season loss under second-year coach Jamey Chadwell (The Flames secured G5 NY6 Bowl contention last year with a 13-0 record). It is the program's first regular season loss since November 26, 2022.
• This is Kennesaw State first-ever win against an FBS program. The Owls moved up from the FCS to Conference USA this season. Kent State is now the only winless team in FBS play.

I typed in response The athleteis Jason Kirk, a KSU alum:

In the last few months, my alma mater became an EA Sports team for the first time, got a Homefield Apparel line, and was America's favorite team for one night thanks to the biggest win in school history and possibly the biggest upset of any season. OK, I agree with the FBS move.

Week 9 schedule

Friday night lights

The first-place team plays tonight (and could have the potential to surprise) when Syracuse (5-1) takes on No. 19 Pitt (6-0) at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Here are the three games to watch on Friday (both ET):

• Louisville (4-3) at Boston College (4-3) (7:30 p.m., ESPN2): Both teams spent some time in the rankings this season but have since bottomed out. There isn't much at stake in the ACC race, but bowl eligibility will be much easier to achieve for the winner.
• No. 17 Boise State (5-1) at UNLV (6-1) (10:30 p.m., CBSSN): Friday's best game will have two of the four teams at the top of the Mountain West standings. This should achieve a high score with high stakes. As discussed on today's Until Saturday podcast, the winner will be at the top of the G5 College Football Playoff bid. Is this the greatest G5 game ever?
• Rutgers (4-3) at USC (3-4) (11 p.m., Fox): The Trojans have lost four of their last five in an incredibly tough first season in the Big Ten. Maybe they'll get revenge by returning to their Pac-12 After Dark roots?

Saturday table

Here is the schedule of all ranked matches on Saturday. As always, the darker the highlight, the greater the fascination.

Early

• Biggest game: No. 12 Notre Dame (6-1) vs. No. 24 Navy (6-0). Army and Navy are the last remaining undefeated teams in Group 5, but their two toughest tests come against the Fighting Irish; The midshipmen are up first. Navy QB Blake Horvath was a dual-threat superstar – rushing for 621 yards and averaging 7.9 yards per carry (second behind Heisman leader Ashton Jeanty). The matchup to watch will be Notre Dame's top-10 defense versus Navy's top-10 offense. The Midshipmen could use a decisive win heading into the postseason. This is your chance.
• Most Underrated Game: Washington (4-3) vs. No. 13 Indiana (7-0). The most surprising contender in the playoffs hosts last year's national runner-up. The Hoosiers beat Nebraska 56-7 last week, and we shouldn't underestimate this matchup with the Huskies. Jedd Fisch's squad may not be CFP-caliber, but it has the best pass defense in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will be without QB Kurtis Rourke (thumb injury) and will be relying on sophomore backup Tayven Jackson.

Afternoon

• Most important game: No. 21 Missouri (6-1) vs. No. 15 Alabama (5-2). Both of these former top 10 teams were disappointing. The Crimson Tide's loss to Tennessee last week exposed some hard truths about the team's trajectory. A good win against a mediocre Missouri team that escaped Auburn with a last-minute touchdown last week would feel good. The Tigers are without leading rusher Nate Noel (foot injury), and quarterback Brady Cook is listed as questionable after suffering a sprained ankle last week, according to ESPN. No. 20 Illinois (6-1) vs. No. 1 Oregon (7-0) is another game to keep an eye on this window.
• Most Underrated Game: No. 5 Texas (6-1) vs. No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2). The Commodores are ranked for the first time since 2013! And how about this statistic? These teams haven't played since 1928, but Vandy leads the all-time series at 8-3-1! Nearly a century later, Vandy and Texas meet as conference opponents. The Longhorns fell to Georgia in a 30-15 loss that could have led to some sort of quarterback controversy. On the other side is Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt's electric quarterback who sparked a win over Alabama weeks ago.

Night

• Biggest game: No. 8 LSU (6-1) vs. No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1). Since these are the last remaining undefeated teams in SEC play, the winner gets sole possession of first place in the conference… at least for now. The home team has won each of the last seven meetings in this series – a testament to the monster environments at Tiger Stadium and Kyle Field. Both teams enter the game in the playoff race – LSU with a 28 percent chance of making the field and Texas A&M with a 25 percent chance The athlete's model. The winner takes the driver's seat in the SEC title game, while the loser's two losses eliminate any margin for error going forward.
• Most Underrated Game: Michigan State (4-3) vs. Michigan (4-3) (7:30 p.m., BTN). This is my game of the weekend. The reigning national champion Wolverines are out of the playoff race as first-year coach Sherrone Moore experiences an identity crisis. Even under a new coach in Jonathan Smith, the Spartans rebounded from a three-game losing streak to beat Iowa last week. This series is always unpredictable, and that seems especially true considering where these two programs are right now. The Wolverines have won the last two, but neither team has won three in a row since MSU from 2013-15.

Check out the full Week 9 schedule.

Do you need tickets? Go here. Stream the games for free on Fubo.

Quick snapshots

Brainstorm your favorite (and least favorite) College football broadcasts? Take The athleteThe CFB television survey can be found here.

Ole Miss spent $10 million on a roster that was thought to hold its own in the first game Playoff with 12 teams. But what happens next for the rebels after already two defeats?

How much does that cost? The Big Ten's coast-to-coast travel Impact on game results? Scott Dochterman wrote today about how the league is evaluating its first year as a megaconference.

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(Photo: Helen Comer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)