The three Week 9 games between teams in The Associated Press Top 25 are all in the Southeastern Conference. Plenty of other games will impact conference races and the College Football Playoff picture.
No. 3 Texas A&M, the unbeaten SEC co-leader, goes on the road to play a 20th-ranked, two-loss LSU team that could revive its playoff hopes with an upset of the Aggies and a win at Alabama on Nov. 8.
No. 8 Mississippi heads to No. 13 Oklahoma for a meeting of two of the six SEC teams that have one loss in conference play. No. 10 Vanderbilt, which entered the top 10 this week for the first time since 1947, hosts a 15th-ranked Missouri team that has won five straight meetings and 10 of 13 since the Tigers entered the SEC in 2012.
In the Big Ten, Minnesota visits Iowa for a matchup of unranked teams that are in a pack with one loss in conference play. The winner keeps pace behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, and takes home the prized Floyd of Rosedale trophy. Speaking of the Hoosiers, they have a potential trap game at home against an upstart UCLA that’s won three in a row.
In the Big 12, unbeaten and 11th-ranked BYU visits Iowa State, which opened with five straight wins and then lost two in a row but is a slight favorite here, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The top game in the Atlantic Coast Conference sends SMU to Wake Forest for a tricky road game. The Mustangs are tied with Virginia at 3-0 in ACC play, a half-game behind Georgia Tech.
The Group of Five game of the day is in the American Conference, where No. 18 South Florida goes to Memphis, which was upset at UAB last week.
Best game
No. 8 Mississippi (6-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 13 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1), Saturday, noon ET (ABC)
The Rebels, coming off a 43-35 loss at Georgia, are playing their second straight top-15 team on the road. The Sooners begin one of the toughest closing stretches in the country against the first of five straight ranked opponents.
Oklahoma will put its nation-leading defense up against one of the most productive offenses. Mississippi’s numbers have tapered off in SEC play, but the Rebels still average 440 yards and 32.5 points per game against conference opponents.
A micro stat to watch: OU’s defense is allowing opponents to convert just 24.8% of third downs; the Rebels are making first downs on 51.7%.
Under the radar
Houston (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) at No. 24 Arizona State (5-2, 3-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Cougars are 6-1 for first time since 2021, bowl eligible for the first time since 2022 and sitting one game behind BYU and Cincinnati in the standings. They’re coming off a 31-28 win over Arizona thanks to Ethan Sanchez’s 41-yard field goal as time expired.
The Big 12 defending champion Sun Devils, fresh off a win over previously unbeaten Texas Tech, are trending the right direction now that quarterback Sam Leavitt is back. A win here would give them the tiebreaker over Houston and Tech, both of which are 3-1 in conference play.
Heisman watch
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has played himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with another masterful passing performance, this time against Wisconsin. He entered this week listed at 3-to-1 odds by BetMGM Sportsbook along with Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Sayin completed his first 10 passing attempts and finished 36 of 42 for 393 yards and four touchdowns — all career highs — in the 34-0 win over the Badgers. The Buckeyes are idle this week.
Simpson has led the Crimson Tide to six straight wins and plays at South Carolina this week. Mendoza is at home against UCLA, which held Michigan State and Maryland to 47% passing in its last two games.
Numbers to know
5 — Louisiana Tech’s nation-leading defensive touchdowns after recording none last season.
6 — Remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest after a Week 8 since there were five in 2018.
28 — Second-half points allowed over seven games by Indiana, fewest in nation.
37.1% — RB Emmett Johnson’s Power Four-leading share of touches on Nebraska plays from scrimmage.
2004 — Last time Southern Miss started conference play 3-0.
Hot seat
Two of the front-runners to be the next coach fired got reprieves to start the week. Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh offered support for Luke Fickell in a letter to fans. Florida State AD Michael Alford announced he wouldn’t evaluate Mike Norvell until after the season.
Mark Stoops is another matter. The Kentucky coach is heading toward a third straight losing season and sixth in his 13 years. That Stoops has lasted this long with a 36-66 SEC record is a reminder that basketball is king in Lexington.
Stoops did take the Wildcats to eight straight bowls from 2016-23, but the program has slipped since going 10-3 in 2021. They’ve lost 14 of their last 16 SEC games and are averaging 14.7 against conference opponents since last season.
Stoops’ contract runs through 2030, and he would be owed just under $38 million if he were fired after the season.
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By ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer
