Week 9 college football preview notes possible upsets and key matchups

College football’s Week 9 schedule, which coincides with Halloween weekend, features several games that could yield unexpected outcomes. After recent upsets of unbeaten Big 12 teams, analysts say favorites are not guaranteed victory.

Key matchups include No. 3 Georgia traveling to face Florida, No. 2 Ohio State playing at Southern California without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, and Utah visiting Cincinnati following the Bearcats’ win over Texas Tech. The slate lacks a large number of high-profile games that would directly affect the College Football Playoff race, but the potential for surprises remains.

USA TODAY Sports analysts offered their predictions. John Brice expects Notre Dame to rebound from a recent loss and defeat Navy, while Matt Hayes believes Ohio State can still compete despite Sayin’s shoulder injury. Jordan Mendoza predicts Texas Tech will lose at home to Arizona, and Paul Myerberg suggests Florida could upset Georgia, handing the Bulldogs a second loss in the SEC. Erick Smith also sees USC as a possible upset victim against Ohio State’s backup quarterback.

Other notes include a projected win for Michigan over Rutgers and a mention that Wisconsin remains in contention while Iowa’s season appears to be ending.