College Football Week 9 Schedule: NCAA Top 25 TV and Live Stream Coverage
Another week where the outlook around the college football world stays much the same. The reigning champions from Ohio State remain atop both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches polls for Week 9, but there are plenty of other teams still alive in the playoff chase.
The wait continues for this year's version of "Upset Saturday," where several marquee teams are handed crushing blows in one fell swoop. If that day never arrives, the College Football Playoff selection committee could end up facing some incredibly difficult decisions.
There's still plenty of football to play before that point, though. So let's check out the viewing information for this week's AP Top 25 games along with a breakdown of some top matchups.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Top 25 Schedule
| - | Thursday, Oct. 29 | - | - |
| 7 p.m. | North Carolina vs. No. 23 Pittsburgh | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | West Virginia vs. No. 5 TCU | Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports Go |
| - | Saturday, Oct. 31 | - | - |
| 12 p.m. | Syracuse vs. No. 17 Florida State | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | No. 19 Ole Miss vs. Auburn | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 3 p.m. | Colorado vs. No. 24 UCLA | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 3 Clemson vs. NC State | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | Maryland vs. No. 10 Iowa | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | Georgia vs. No. 11 Florida | CBS | CBS Sports Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 14 Oklahoma vs. Kansas | Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports Go |
| 7 p.m. | Oregon State vs. No. 13 Utah | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 7 p.m. | No. 15 Michigan vs. Minnesota | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Tulane vs. No. 16 Memphis | CBS Sports Network | CBS Sports Live |
| 7 p.m. | Vanderbilt vs. No. 18 Houston | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 22 Duke | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 8 p.m. | No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 21 Temple | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 10:30 p.m. | No. 8 Stanford vs. Washington State | ESPN | WatchESPN |
Week 9's Best Games
Georgia vs. No. 11 Florida
Florida received a bye week at an ideal time. The Gators suffered a narrow defeat on the road against LSU last time out. Having a chance to regroup emotionally last week before a massive SEC East battle with Georgia should work to their benefit.
The Bulldogs already have two conference losses, to Alabama and Tennessee, but their schedule is more favorable moving forward. However, while this is a golden opportunity, offensive tackle John Theus knows the margin for error is razor-thin, per Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com.
"At this point, every game is an elimination game for us," Theus said. "We have to win out to be where we want to be."
The key for Georgia is its defense. The unit gave up 38 points in each of the losses to the Crimson Tide and the Volunteers. Now the pressure is even more intense with star running back Nick Chubb out for the season with a knee injury.
On the flip side, the Gators need to get their ground game going. Every player with at least 20 carries this season, including starting running back Kelvin Taylor, is averaging less than four yards per carry. That must improve to survive the rest of the SEC grind and earn a berth in the conference title game.
No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech
It's rare for a team from one of the major conferences to fly below the radar as much as Oklahoma State has this season. The Cowboys started the campaign in the shadow of Baylor and TCU in the Big 12 and are still there with all three teams at 7-0.
They will have an opportunity to change the perception with games against the Bears and Horned Frogs looming. But first, they have to deal with a tricky road test against Texas Tech. It's a game that can derail their playoff charge before those marquee games, as Nathan Hiatt of the O'Colly noted:
The Red Raiders already have a lot of big-game experience under their belt this season. They only lost by three points to TCU but got blown out by Baylor and Oklahoma. This is a game Oklahoma State should win, but it can't afford to overlook the challenge.
The Cowboys put together one of their strongest all-around performances of the season last week to crush Kansas. They racked up 583 total yards of offense, forced two turnovers and won by 48 points. They must build off that as they prepare for a far more competitive game.
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 21 Temple
This game nearly lost its luster as Temple trailed East Carolina with under five minutes to go last week. The Owls survived the upset bid by scoring two late touchdowns to remain unbeaten, however, and it created this week's only meeting of ranked foes.
It's a chance for both teams to make a serious statement. The Fighting Irish need more marquee victories to make their playoff case, and Temple needs one to validate its terrific start. In case the game needed more hype, College GameDay will be there:
If the Irish battle back into the playoff mix, DeShone Kizer deserves a lot of credit. The situation looked bleak when the sophomore quarterback stepped in for the injured Malik Zaire. He's responded with a stretch of solid play to keep the offense afloat, but he will get tested by the nation's eighth-ranked scoring defense.
That said, the real mystery is how Temple will play as the level of competition increases exponentially. So far, its biggest triumphs came over Penn State and Cincinnati. Beating Notre Dame would show the Owls' record isn't just a fluke made possible by a mediocre schedule.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
