College football Week 9 matchups feature top-ranked teams facing unranked opponents
Top-ranked Miami and Ohio State travel to face unranked teams, while several other high-profile games shape the week’s standings.
Week 9 of the college football season sees No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Ohio State playing road games against unranked opponents. Miami travels to North Carolina, a team that has never beaten a No. 1-ranked squad, while Ohio State heads to USC without a confirmed starting quarterback after Julian Sayin’s injury. Coach Mario Cristobal warned that any lapse could jeopardize a win.
The only unbeaten teams remaining are Miami, No. 7 UCLA and No. 6 Utah, the fewest early-season unbeaten teams since 1977. Utah visits Cincinnati, which recently defeated Texas Tech and could become the first unranked team since 1938 to beat ranked opponents in consecutive games while holding a 6-0 record.
Other notable contests include Minnesota, which holds three rivalry trophies, playing at No. 4 Indiana, and a Georgia-Florida rivalry game in Atlanta, marking the first meeting of the two programs at that venue. Georgia seeks to rebound after a loss to Auburn, while Florida aims to capitalize on its recent upset of Texas.
Analysts from CBS Sports offered predictions for each game, highlighting factors such as quarterback uncertainties for Ohio State, defensive strengths for Miami, and the potential for low-scoring outcomes in several matchups.