10 Biggest Questions Facing Top 25 Teams Heading into Week 9
The second full month of the college football season is nearly over. The home stretch is in sight. Conference games have a little more meaning and playoff implications get a lot stronger.
However, there are only two games on Saturday between Top 25 teams: Ole Miss at LSU and USC at Utah. That doesn't mean every other Top 25 team is off the hook. Sometimes, the sleepiest slate of games yields the wildest results.
Keep in mind that three top SEC West teams—Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama—are on the road.
Which storylines are the most important heading into Week 9? The answers are in the following slides.
The only criterion here is that one of the teams involved has to rank in either the Associated Press poll or the Amway coaches poll.
Will Michigan State Avoid a Trap Against Michigan?
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How the tables have turned.
If you want any further proof that Michigan State has completely surpassed Michigan as a program, look at this excerpt from Dan Wetzel's latest column on Yahoo Sports on the Wolverines and quarterback Devin Gardner:
""We know you want to win … [but] are you capable of beating Michigan State?" a reporter asked, respectfully. "And would you like to ruin their season?"
Capable? Yes, capable.
This seems like something you ask some low-budget, small-conference team headed for a nonconference payoff at Alabama. Not Michigan. And not against Michigan State … right?
"
Michigan State is a one-loss team in the national playoff discussion. Michigan is simply trying to get anything to work in an effort to turn the season around.
The Spartans' playoff hopes don't rest on the Nov. 8 game against Ohio State, but the implications of that game are nevertheless strong. The only thing that stands in the way of that showdown is a Saturday game against the Wolverines (and then a bye week).
Michigan is going to come out motivated, so Sparty may have to weather an initial storm. Last season's 29-6 win for the Spartans was a slaughter, as the Wolverines had 29 rushes for minus-48 yards. Michigan State's defense may not be as stingy this year, but the Wolverines still have protection issues up front.
Provided Michigan State can get in the backfield again, it should be another long afternoon for Brady Hoke's team.
Will Kansas State Quarterback Jake Waters Be the MVP Again for the Wildcats?
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Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters has been the most valuable player for the Wildcats on offense this year. He's thrown for 1,431 yards and nine touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing with 371 yards.
It's not fair to say K-State goes as Waters goes, but there's no doubt he's an important piece to the Wildcats' success. He'll have to have another big game against Texas.
The Longhorns defense, save for two games against BYU and Iowa State, has been a much-improved unit from a year ago. The Horns rank No. 1 in the Big 12 in pass defense and have a solid defensive line. Kansas State is at its best when it can run the ball with Waters and running back Charles Jones and then go vertical in the passing game.
If Texas controls Waters, though, who takes over? Wide receiver Tyler Lockett is still great (35 receptions, 485 yards, four touchdowns) but hasn't completely taken over a game like he did a few times last season.
The Longhorns are starting to find some success on offense, so this may not necessarily be a low-scoring game. However, Waters has to have another big game if K-State is going win.
Does Travin Dural Get Back on Track for LSU?
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Much of the concern about LSU's offense rests on the quarterback situation. And, ultimately, receivers need a quarterback that can get them the ball. However, Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural emerged early with three 100-yard receiving efforts in the first four games.
Since then? He's been quiet with five receptions (albeit for two touchdowns) in the past three conference games.
Ole Miss is excellent against the pass—they give up the fewest yards per pass attempt—but if there's big-play potential at all for LSU, it probably rests on Dural and his 25.6 yards per reception.
Dural will need to have a big game, but not just to score touchdowns. A big passing play could flip field position or give the Tigers some much-needed momentum. With so much focus on LSU's ground game, Dural could be an under-the-radar difference maker.
Breaking out against Ole Miss would be as good a time as any.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Can West Virginia Contain Oklahoma State's Tyreek Hill?
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West Virginia has been one of the successful turnaround stories from a year ago, already surpassing its win total from 2013 after a 41-27 upset over Baylor last Saturday. Can the Mountaineers keep the momentum going against Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday? Obviously, a lot of eyes are going to be on Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White, who is emerging as a Heisman candidate.
There's a lot of familiarity between Oklahoma State and West Virginia. It stems from the fact that Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen is a former assistant under Cowboys coach Mike Gundy. The two sides run similar offenses as well.
What West Virginia can't fully account for is the playmaking ability of do-it-all offensive threat Tyreek Hill. Hill only has one offensive touchdown so far, but he averages five yards per rush and 10 yards per reception. Hill also has two kick returns for scores, and West Virginia's special teams have been, to put it one way, "interesting" this year.
If it's a tight game, Hill could be the difference-maker. If West Virginia wants to keep their turnaround season going, they'll have to stop him.
How Does Taylor Kelly's Return for Arizona State Go?
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For the first time in over a month, Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly will be healthy enough to start. He'll lead the No. 14 Sun Devils in to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Washington Huskies. Kelly initially hurt his right foot in a Sept. 13 win over Colorado.
Mike Bercovici has started the last three games with a lot of success. The Sun Devils are 2-1 in those games and Bercovici has thrown for an average of 414 yards and three touchdowns in each.
Still, there's no quarterback controversy in Tempe.
"This is Taylor's football team," head coach Todd Graham said, via Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com. "He's earned that."
But will that change if Kelly is rusty against the Huskies? Would Graham go with the previously hot hand? Would he allow Kelly a chance to regain his rhythm? It could depend on how the game is going overall.
Arizona State is in a good situation to have two quarterbacks who can start and win games. Kelly's return may go smoothly, for that matter. If it doesn't? Keep an eye on what Graham does.
Can Ole Miss Slow or Stop LSU's Emerging Running Game?
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Ole Miss has, statistically, one of the stingiest defenses in the country. The fact that the Rebels give up 2.87 yards a rush—that ranks eighth in the country—should cause lots of problems for LSU.
For their part, the Tigers have finally started to find a running a game. They've averaged 249 yards on the ground in their two recent victories over Florida and Kentucky. As this team continues to sort out its quarterback dilemma, the rushing attack becomes even more important.
If Ole Miss stymies LSU from getting its ground game going, it's going to put a lot of pressure on quarterback Anthony Jennings (or Brandon Harris). That, and/or the Tigers are going to need some help elsewhere via turnovers or mistakes by Ole Miss.
Ole Miss hasn't won in Baton Rouge since 2008. If it keeps dominating up front, that streak should come to an end.
Will USC Running Back Javorius Allen Break Loose Against Utah?
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Javorius "Buck" Allen has been perhaps one of the most underappreciated cornerstones of any offense in the country. Through seven games, Allen has 909 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Other than a 31-yard rushing performance in a loss to Boston College, he has been a consistent threat for the Trojans.
Allen will be up against a tough Utah defense that allows just 2.84 yards per carry—good enough for sixth nationally.
Allen has been a big part of USC's five wins and one of the Trojans' two losses, so it's not like USC goes as he goes. However, stopping Allen would be huge for the Utes since it would make USC's offense one-dimensional.
Will Travis Wilson or Kendal Thompson Take over as Utah's QB?
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Utah is finally becoming a major player in the Pac-12 South race, but the Utes have a question mark at quarterback. Will that question be answered at all against USC? That's what head coach Kyle Whittingham hopes.
"People say, 'Oh, well you're playing two quarterbacks so it's a two-quarterback system,'" Whittingham said this week, via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com. "No, it's not as far as my definition. ... We're waiting for some separation to occur."
Kendal Thompson has run the ball well, but Travis Wilson looks like the better passer and obviously understands the offense better. Wilson will get the start against the Trojans, but that means little at this point. It doesn't matter who, Whittingham just wants someone to take control of the job and run away with it.
A win over USC would mean the Utes control their destiny in the Pac-12 South. Utah hopes it can win because a quarterback emerges, not in spite of quarterback play.
Will Ohio State's Offense Pull Away from Penn State?
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Quietly, one of the nice in-season turnarounds has been the progression of Ohio State's offense. From a Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech to four straight victories with at least 50 points, the Buckeyes have responded.
Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett is doing a better job running the offense, and the offensive line is playing better and opening holes for Ezekiel Elliott.
How the Buckeyes play against the Big Ten's best defense is a solid litmus test for how far this team has really come. Conversely, it could be a defining game for the Nittany Lions, who haven't played a top-50 offense this season.
Penn State isn't built to come from behind, averaging just 21 points a game. If Ohio State can score, the Nittany Lions probably don't have the offensive firepower to keep up.
This game feels like it could go one of two ways. Either it's a low-scoring defensive battle, or Ohio State wins by three touchdowns.
Will Lane Kiffin's Tennessee Homecoming Be That Big of a Deal?
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Sure, all eyes are going to be focused on the Alabama sidelines when the Crimson Tide go to Tennessee. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, the former Vols coach of just one season, returns to Knoxville this Saturday.
That return makes Kiffin's mother, Robin, fear for her son's safety.
"I'm scared to death for his safety," Robin Kiffin said, via Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com. "Some people were visiting us last weekend from Tennessee, and they said they better not let him on the sideline [where Kiffin coaches at Alabama], they should put him in the press box. I want him to be in the press box."
Once the ball is kicked off, though, is Kiffin's presence really going to be a big deal? A situation where it could become very problematic is if Tennessee upsets Alabama and fans rush the field. That's when things could get scary.
Otherwise, coaches are used to verbal shots during the game. Security is going to be tight anyway. It's a fun storyline to watch but one that probably takes a back seat when the game starts.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
