The College Football Playoff picture is about to get a whole lot louder.
With the selection committee set to unveil its first Top 25 rankings on Tuesday, Week 9 has turned into the final audition window for teams trying to leave a mark. Some programs need style points.
Others need a signature win. And with chaos always lurking in college football, Saturday has plenty of room to shake up the bracket before the committee even gets involved.
Here’s where things stand heading into the weekend.
Boise State gets one of the more interesting spots on the board with Kellen Moore back on the blue turf for the unveiling of his statue at the school. The current team will need some of that old magic, because it faces a tough one against new Pac-12 foe Texas State.
Indiana is in a similar spot, with what looks like the hardest remaining game on its Big Ten schedule. Minnesota is the opponent, and the Gophers are positioned to make life difficult for the reigning conference champions as they try to get back to the league title game.
Atlanta brings the World’s Largest Domed Cocktail Party, and that one should tell us plenty about Florida. The Gators are trying to prove they belong in the CFP conversation in Year 1 under Jon Sumrall, but the big win over Texas may have been the high point of the season.
Kentucky, meanwhile, is off this weekend, but the Wildcats still have plenty to watch as Tuesday approaches. Their ranking will be one of the more intriguing ones in the committee reveal after an impressive year in Lexington, Ky.
Alabama’s path feels like it may come down to one game when it heads to LSU next Saturday after its off week. That’s the one that could define the Crimson Tide’s season.
BYU also has a tricky setup, with a brunch-time kickoff at home against Arizona State before next week’s Holy War. The Cougars can’t afford to drift ahead to what’s coming next, because the Sun Devils are more than capable of making this uncomfortable.
Utah may have gotten a little extra caution after Cincinnati upset Texas Tech, but the Bearcats still loom as a potential trap. It’s the kind of game that can turn into a let-down spot with BYU waiting the following weekend.
Notre Dame has a rivalry game against Navy, and that gives the Fighting Irish a chance to sharpen things up before the huge matchup with Miami. That one looks like a make-or-break game for the Irish’s CFP hopes.
UCLA gets Nevada at the Rose Bowl, a home game that should let the Bruins clean up a few things before a stretch run that is both tough and winnable. Bob Chesney’s first season has already put UCLA in a surprising place, and Tuesday’s rankings should reflect that.
Ohio State comes out of its off week with a major question hanging over it: life without QB Julian Sayin. The trip to Los Angeles and a sold-out Coliseum should tell everyone a lot about what kind of team this really is.
Georgia should have a chance to jump fast against Florida after getting extra time to sit with that Auburn loss. The Bulldogs have had plenty of reminders that every SEC game is a fight, and that message should be fresh when they take the field.
Syracuse’s late win over North Carolina took some shine off this weekend’s trip back to Chapel Hill, N.C., but it still gives the Orange a strong chance to post an efficient win before heading to South Bend for Notre Dame. If Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney hit their season averages against a Bill Belichick defense, that should also lock up a trip to New York for the Heisman.
In Other News...
Utah Gets A Tough Holy War Week Reality Check
Ahead of the Holy War, Utah got a clearer picture of its roster and a reminder of how thin the margins can be this time of year. Morgan Scalley said Kelvin Obot will miss the rest of the season because of a lower-leg injury, while also indicating that Noah Bennee, Braden Pegan, Wayshawn Parker and Ethan Day are expected to be available for the rivalry game against BYU.
Scalley also used the buildup to push for a more civil tone around a rivalry that rarely lacks edge, even as he praised Devon Dampiers performance and leadership. And with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, Scalleys view has evolved as well, after initially sizing him up one way and then acknowledging how much his passing game has improved. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads Into Utah Showdown With A Backfield Problem
BYU is heading into Saturdays rivalry game with Utah carrying more than the usual questions about its ground attack. Kalani Sitake acknowledged the challenge this week, praising Utah back Wayshawn Parker as an NFL-caliber runner while also taking stock of a BYU backfield that has been hit hard by injuries and has not had much stability in recent weeks.
The Cougars have been forced to navigate those issues while trying to keep the running game functional against a Utah defense that will be ready for a physical fight. Sitake did not sound like a coach expecting easy answers, and with the backfield still unsettled, BYUs ability to generate offense on the ground could end up being one of the more important subplots in the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Added A Recruit Who Changes The Feel Of 2027
Utah kept building out its 2027 class with a notable in-state pickup, landing high three-star offensive tackle Manase Brown from Corner Canyon High. Brown gives the Utes another big body up front and adds to a class that already includes four offensive line recruits, a clear sign that the program is making the trenches a priority early in the cycle.
Brown is also now one of Utahs top-rated prospects in the class, ranked second on the Utes board for 2027. For a program that has long sold itself on development and line play, adding a player with Browns profile only sharpens the look of the class and raises the stakes for what comes next in the recruiting run. [Read more 🡒]