Week 9 arrives with plenty to sort out across college football, and the Halloween slate is packed with games that could shake up conference races and the playoff picture.
The biggest spotlight falls on Texas Tech at Arizona, a matchup with major Big 12 implications. The Red Raiders are suddenly in a tight spot after losing at Cincinnati, and they cannot afford to stumble again.
Arizona, meanwhile, has a chance to make a statement of its own. The winner of this one gains an inside track in the Big 12 title race and the College Football Playoff.
The loser is left chasing.
Georgia’s trip to Florida brings the kind of rivalry tension that always makes this game worth circling. The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to Auburn, while Florida enters with two losses but also fresh momentum after its win at Texas. The question is which Florida team shows up: the one that gave up 83 combined points to South Carolina and Missouri, or the one that swarmed Arch Manning.
Cincinnati gets another big-stage opportunity after knocking off Texas Tech last Saturday, and Utah is the next team trying to handle the Bearcats. The Utes just moved into first place in the Big 12 after beating Houston, but this is the kind of spot where a team can get tripped up right after a big win. Cincinnati can run the ball well, and that makes this one especially tricky.
Ohio State’s offense is the other major watch point, especially with Julian Sayin out of the lineup. Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes a major lift, but they’ll need more than one star against a USC defense that has been generous under Lincoln Riley and is coming off a bad loss at Wisconsin.
Texas also lands on the must-watch list with Arch Manning back in rhythm after the win over Ole Miss. If Kamario Taylor were available, the matchup would carry even more juice, but he is out for the year with an injured toe. Even so, Manning’s performance matters here as the Longhorns try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Just Created A Quarterback Debate Fans Didnt Expect
Joey McGuire made the kind of quarterback call that can reshape a season, and Thomas Castellanos rewarded it in a big way against No. 22 Arizona. In his first start, Castellanos helped Texas Tech to a 34-26 win by piling up 261 total yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, while the Red Raiders controlled the line of scrimmage and got strong play from their linebackers.
The victory pushed Texas Tech to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play, but it also left the program with a new question it did not seem to expect this late in the year. McGuires decision worked, the offense looked different with Castellanos at the controls, and now the Red Raiders have to sort out what comes next at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech May Have Found A Much Higher Ceiling On Offense
Thomas Castellanos gave Texas Tech a different gear on offense in the kind of game that can reshape a season. After taking over as the starting quarterback in place of Will Hammond, Castellanos helped steer a late drive that ended with J'Koby Williams bursting for a 64-yard run and sealing a 34-26 win over Arizona, a result that carried real weight in the Big 12 race.
The numbers only tell part of the story, though they do underline the shift. Castellanos threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns while adding 117 rushing yards and another score, giving the Red Raiders a balanced threat they had been searching for. For a team trying to climb in the conference, the bigger question now is whether this version of the offense is the new baseline or just a promising snapshot. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Next Road Test Will Say Plenty About This Team
Texas Techs latest setback against Cincinnati left the Red Raiders with more questions than answers, especially on offense, where the unit needs key players back to look more like itself. The loss also fit into a wider Big 12 picture that has started to sharpen, with Cincinnati trying to prove its upset over Texas Tech was no one-off and Utah looming as the next hurdle on the Bearcats schedule.
Oklahoma State enters that same conversation with a different kind of pressure, because its path in the conference now depends on handling road games that can quickly separate contenders from pretenders. For the Red Raiders, the Cowboys next trip matters because it will tell plenty about whether Oklahoma State can keep pace in the Big 12 Championship race or start slipping into the pack. [Read more 🡒]