ESPN College GameDay 2021: TV Schedule and Predictions for Week 9 Location

Who's going to win the Big Ten championship and likely secure a berth in the College Football Playoff along with it? Week 9 could give us a better idea of which team from the conference is the front-runner to do so.

There are several important matchups taking place in the Big Ten on Saturday, but perhaps none is bigger than the rivalry clash between No. 6 Michigan and No. 8 Michigan State. The Wolverines and Spartans will be going head-to-head in East Lansing, Michigan, and ESPN's College GameDay will be airing live outside of Spartan Stadium beginning at 9 a.m. ET.

When Michigan and Michigan State kick off at noon ET, a competitive game should ensue. Both teams have gotten off to 7-0 starts and are 4-0 in Big Ten play. The schools are tied atop the Big Ten East standings along with Ohio State, which is also 4-0 in conference games. The No. 5 Buckeyes also have a big Week 9 matchup, as they will host No. 20 Penn State.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into Week 9 of the 2021 college football season.

Week 9 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions

Saturday, Oct. 30

No. 2 Cincinnati at Tulane, noon ET, ESPN2

No. 6 Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State, noon ET, Fox

No. 9 Iowa at Wisconsin, noon ET, ESPN

Texas at No. 16 Baylor, noon ET, ABC

Miami at No. 17 Pittsburgh, noon ET, ACC Network

No. 22 Iowa State at West Virginia, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Texas Tech at No. 4 Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Colorado at No. 7 Oregon, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Duke at No. 13 Wake Forest, 4 p.m. ET, ACC Network

No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 18 Auburn, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

No. 12 Kentucky at Mississippi State, 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Kansas at No. 15 Oklahoma State, 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

No. 19 SMU at Houston, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

North Carolina at No. 11 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Virginia at No. 25 BYU, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Fresno State at No. 21 San Diego State, 10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Picks in bold.

Week 9 Preview

It's been a while since there's been a Michigan-Michigan State matchup as big as Saturday's tilt. The schools have never faced off with each owning a 7-0 record or better. And the last time these teams were both ranked this high heading into a matchup was 1961, when Michigan was No. 5 and Michigan State was No. 6.

Playing in the Big Ten, the Wolverines and Spartans each have plenty of challenging games on their regular-season schedules. But not one is as important to these programs as this in-state rivalry contest.

"Since the day I've been here—February 12, 2020—there hasn't been a day has gone that someone hasn't mentioned to me something about this game," Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker said, per Larry Lage of the Associated Press. "People talk about it daily."

There should be plenty of rushing success on both sides in this year's meeting. Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III ranks second in the nation with 997 rushing yards, and he has scored 10 total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Michigan ranks fifth in the country in rushing with 253.3 yards per game.

Elsewhere Saturday, Ohio State is likely to beat Penn State. The Nittany Lions have fallen out of the College Football Playoff conversation after dropping back-to-back games to Iowa and Illinois, while the Buckeyes have been rolling. Ohio State's offense should power it past Penn State with ease.

That means the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State game won't be alone atop the Big Ten East. And with the Spartans playing the Buckeyes on Nov. 20 and the Wolverines facing them Nov. 27, the stakes are high for Michigan-Michigan State. And both teams know it.

"It's an elimination mindset," Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said, per Lage.

While Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State are the top three contenders to win the Big Ten title, Iowa isn't out of the conversation. Even though the Hawkeyes lost their most recent game to Purdue, they are still ranked No. 9 in the country and are tied atop the Big Ten East with a 3-1 conference record.

Despite facing unranked Wisconsin, Iowa is an underdog on the road Saturday. And if it hopes to remain in the Big Ten chase, it can't afford a second consecutive loss.

As for the other top teams in the country, there shouldn't be any getting upset in Week 9. No. 1 Georgia returns from its bye to face Florida in Jacksonville, No. 2 Cincinnati will be on the road against Tulane and No. 4 Oklahoma is hosting Texas Tech. It's unlikely any of the three will lose.

One matchup that should be exciting is the SEC clash between No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 18 Auburn. The Rebels are 6-1 and have won three straight games, and their high-powered offense may be difficult for the Tigers to stop.

However, Auburn will be at home and is coming off a solid road win at Arkansas that improved its record to 5-2. Expect the Tigers and Rebels to contest a competitive game that could go either way.