Oct 26, 2022
ESPN staff
Week 9 of the assemblage shot play has begun, and aggregate teams with an wrong way to the playoff person large tests.
Tennessee survived its biggest situation truthful far, outlasting Alabama 52-49 successful Knoxville. The Volunteers volition present big a Kentucky squad coming disconnected a bye that already has shown a propensity to sound disconnected ranked opponents.
Sticking with the SEC East, Georgia and Florida volition question to Jacksonville to partake successful an yearly rivalry crippled that is inactive successful hunt of its ain name. Unfortunately for the Gators, they participate the matchup arsenic much than three-touchdown underdogs, but thing is imaginable successful Jacksonville.
Farther north, Michigan volition big bitter rival Michigan State successful a contention that ever seems to bring fireworks, portion Ohio State volition question to Penn State for the Buckeyes' astir important crippled to date. Ohio State has won 5 consecutive against the Nittany Lions and rolls into Happy Valley 7-0.
Oklahoma State looks to physique disconnected the momentum of a comeback triumph astatine location against Texas with an distant crippled versus Kansas State, and retired west, Oregon travels to Cal aft a connection triumph against UCLA successful Eugene.
College football's past play successful October is here, and these are the biggest storylines this week.
No. 19 Kentucky astatine No. 3 Tennessee (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
A fewer things person changed for Tennessee (actually a lot) since the Vols past faced Kentucky. Their 45-42 triumph implicit the No. 18-ranked Wildcats past play successful Lexington snapped an 11-game losing streak against nationally ranked foes. Before that contest, which featured 1,073 yards of full offense, Tennessee's past specified triumph came backmost successful 2018 with a 24-7 triumph implicit No. 11 Kentucky.
That's the mode it's been for the Wildcats successful this series. They've mislaid 34 of the past 37 meetings, though Mark Stoops has 2 of those 3 wins successful the past 5 years.
Stoops has built Kentucky's programme from the crushed up with a brace of 10-win seasons successful the past 4 years. Josh Heupel, successful conscionable his 2nd play astatine Tennessee, has orchestrated an adjacent much stunning turnaround. The Vols (7-0) are ranked No. 3 successful the AP poll. They bushed Alabama for the archetypal clip successful 16 years. Tennessee leads the state successful scoring discourtesy (50.1 points per game) and is looking for its 5th triumph of the play implicit a ranked opponent.
For the archetypal clip successful 2 decades, Tennessee is legitimately successful the nationalist title speech astatine a constituent successful the play erstwhile the leaves are changing. A 5th triumph implicit a ranked squad would lucifer the fig of coaches the Vols person had since Phillip Fulmer was fired successful 2008.
These are dizzying times connected Rocky Top indeed. But Heupel said his squad is not astir to get up of itself with a rested, healthier Kentucky squad coming into Neyland Stadium connected Saturday night.
"We're inactive successful the opening stages of this journey, truly the halfway point," Heupel said. "For us, the preparation, being existent with each other, competing each time is going to beryllium critical. ... So far, these guys person handled it the close way."
In different words, immoderate notation of the travel to No. 1 Georgia successful 2 weeks is off-limits.
Kentucky (5-2) was disconnected past week, which should guarantee that backmost Will Levis volition beryllium arsenic steadfast arsenic helium has been since suffering a turf toed wounded against Ole Miss connected Oct. 1 and missing the adjacent crippled against South Carolina. Levis threw for 372 yards and 3 touchdowns past play against Tennessee. One of Kentucky's main problems this play has been protecting the quarterback. The Wildcats person allowed 26 sacks successful 7 games.
Levis volition request to deed immoderate large plays down the tract against a Tennessee defence that is ranked 130th retired of 131 teams successful walk defence (329.7 yards per game). But the Vols person been stout against the run. They're giving up conscionable 90.8 yards per crippled connected the ground, tied for eighth nationally. That's wherever Chris Rodriguez Jr. comes successful for Kentucky. He is simply a pugnacious runner betwixt the tackles, fantabulous aft interaction and tin assistance shorten the crippled for the Wildcats if helium is capable to get it going against Tennessee's D.
In Kentucky's 27-17 triumph implicit Mississippi State 2 weeks ago, the 224-pound Rodriguez ran the shot 31 times for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns. -- Chris Low
No. 2 Ohio State astatine No. 13 Penn State (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)
Before the season, an Ohio State docket featuring Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa -- each earlier Nov. 1 -- projected arsenic 1 that could clasp up against that of immoderate nationalist rubric contender. The mode it turned out, the Buckeyes are inactive trying to peel disconnected the ain't-played-nobody label, contempt their flat-out dominance.
Ohio State has won each crippled by treble figures and the past six by an mean of 38.7 points. Another convincing triumph astatine Beaver Stadium should heighten Ohio State's illustration heading into the archetypal College Football Playoff rankings reveal, though thumping Penn State apt doesn't transportation the aforesaid worth aft what Michigan did to the Nittany Lions connected Oct. 15.
"We cognize that we person to bring it each week," Buckeyes manager Ryan Day said. "This is portion of that competitory excellence, that competitory stamina. Going connected the roadworthy and winning a crippled similar this is going to beryllium huge."
Following the Michigan loss, Penn State responded good past week against Minnesota, and the Lions mightiness lucifer up amended against the Buckeyes than the Wolverines, particularly due to the fact that of a talented secondary led by information Ji'Ayir Brown and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Michigan utilized Penn State's aggressiveness connected defence against the Lions, to the tune of 418 rushing yards, but Penn State D-coordinator Manny Diaz apt volition support the unit connected Ohio State's C.J. Stroud if helium can.
The Lions are looking for much sacks, collecting 15 done the archetypal 7 games.
"Obviously, we are challenging routes much successful presumption of the balls that are getting breached up, hopefully forcing the backmost to clasp onto the shot longer," Penn State manager James Franklin said. "So successful theory, we should beryllium capable to beryllium much disruptive connected the backmost with sacks and pressures and things similar that."
Franklin has steadfastly supported his quarterback, elder Sean Clifford, who overcame an aboriginal interception against Minnesota to walk for 295 yards and 4 touchdowns, winning Big Ten violative subordinate of the week honors. Clifford played good successful past year's nonaccomplishment astatine Ohio State but received small assistance from Penn State's violative enactment and tally game. The anticipation is that with betterment successful some areas, combined with home-field advantage, Penn State tin bushed the Buckeyes for conscionable the 2nd clip successful State College since 2005.
Ohio State prima wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (hamstring) is expected to play for a 2nd consecutive game, but helium could erstwhile again person a plays limit. Smith-Njigba has been constricted to 5 receptions successful 3 games, though teammates Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. person filled his accumulation void with 1,333 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Buckeyes volition look for much successful the tally crippled aft Iowa constricted them to 2.2 yards per transportation with a agelong of 13 yards. -- Adam Rittenberg
No. 9 Oklahoma State astatine No. 22 Kansas State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
The Cowboys volition sojourn K-State for 1 of the biggest matchups of the Big 12 play frankincense acold and what could signifier up arsenic an elimination crippled for a spot successful the league rubric game.
Both teams person already played the league leader, TCU, and lost. According to ESPN Analytics, Oklahoma State has an 82% accidental to scope the Big 12 rubric crippled with a triumph portion Kansas State would person a 36% accidental with a victory.
Kansas State manager Chris Klieman is 0-3 against Mike Gundy and the Cowboys since arriving successful Manhattan, but Klieman is emphasizing to his squad that it gets to play astatine location for the archetypal clip since Oct. 1 and inactive has a accidental successful the rubric race.
"Everything is inactive successful beforehand of us, but it's each astir our preparation, and this is the adjacent opportunity," Klieman said this week. "Now we've got 5 one-week seasons left."
Klieman volition apt beryllium going into the crippled with starting backmost Adrian Martinez arsenic a game-time determination aft an undisclosed wounded successful the archetypal bid sidelined him successful a nonaccomplishment to TCU past week.
"I anticipation Adrian is available, but I don't cognize if he'll beryllium available. And there's different kids similar that," Klieman said. "We tried to negociate our mode done Deuce Vaughn being banged up, and helium carried the shot not arsenic galore times arsenic helium typically does. We anticipation Deuce is healthier this week, but we'll see."
The Wildcats got a afloat dose of Cowboys backmost Spencer Sanders past twelvemonth erstwhile helium threw for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for different people successful a 31-20 Oklahoma State win. But the Cowboys cognize they volition person to halt the tally against a pugnacious K-State squad that averages 232.1 rushing yards and hopes to support Sanders -- and an Oklahoma State discourtesy that averages 44.7 points per crippled -- disconnected the field.
The Cowboys struggled aboriginal to halt the crushed crippled past week against visiting Texas, allowing 161 rushing yards successful the archetypal half; but they tightened up successful the 2nd half, yielding conscionable 43 yards portion rallying for a 41-34 win.
"You know, unless you're playing Mike Leach, you've got to halt the run, you got to tally the shot effectively," Gundy said. -- Dave Wilson
Michigan State astatine No. 4 Michigan (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Michigan State handed Michigan its lone regular-season nonaccomplishment past play successful a 37-33 determination implicit the Wolverines. It didn't forestall Michigan from making it to the league title crippled oregon the playoffs, but that nonaccomplishment has stuck with the Wolverines.
The teams are acceptable to play Saturday nighttime astatine Michigan Stadium successful their yearly rivalry game.
"Nobody's watched the highlights of that crippled oregon the movie of that crippled much than we have," Wolverines manager Jim Harbaugh said connected the Inside Michigan Football vigor show. "And also, this year's tape. But you truly privation to conscionable cognize them, you privation to maestro what they're doing truthful you tin usage it against them. And I'm definite they're doing the aforesaid happening up the road, nary question astir it."
Michigan State moving backmost Kenneth Walker had 5 rushing touchdowns successful past year's victory, and the Spartans held Michigan without a rushing score. Walker is present successful the NFL, and Michigan State has been trying to get its tally crippled going, rushing for 106.1 yards per game, which is No. 116 of each FBS teams.
Michigan, connected the different hand, is ranked No. 7 successful rushing yards per game, and moving backmost Blake Corum has had 666 yards connected the crushed successful the past 4 games, which is the astir for a Michigan moving backmost since Mike Hart successful 2004. Corum's 13 rushing touchdowns are besides the astir done the team's archetypal 7 games successful programme history.
That is going to marque for a situation for Michigan State to halt the Wolverines' crushed attack. Harbaugh said helium expects it volition beryllium a carnal game, arsenic the squad with the astir rushing yards typically comes retired connected top, and it's been marked connected the calendar for some teams.
"We each cognize what this week is. It's not conscionable different crippled for us," Michigan State manager Mel Tucker said. "Our players and unit and fans recognize that."
Tucker and the Spartans utilized their bye week to effort to get steadfast and get immoderate players back. He noted that it's going to instrumentality a concerted effort, whether it's called circling the wagons, bunker mentality oregon "Us against the world," to bushed Michigan this weekend.
Tucker hasn't mislaid to Harbaugh and Michigan implicit the past 2 seasons. And Harbaugh said that contempt the Spartans having a 3-4 record, Michigan State volition springiness the Wolverines its best.
"Old cliché, propulsion retired the records, is precise true," Harbaugh said. "It doesn't matter. Both sides conscionable privation it that much." -- Tom VanHaaren
Florida vs. No. 1 Georgia astatine TIAA Bank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Georgia and Florida are some coming disconnected a bye week, but the Gators arguably needed the clip to regroup a small much up of Saturday's matchup.
It was 1 happening to suffer astatine location to LSU connected Oct. 15. But it was different happening to springiness up 45 points and 528 yards of discourtesy successful the process.
Florida manager Billy Napier doesn't privation to get method oregon springiness distant specifics of what's driving his team's antiaircraft struggles. But helium said, "I deliberation we recognize what the issues are."
Chief among them, Napier explained, is simply a deficiency of consistency.
Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp said the Gators are "just a fewer plays away." And portion that's frustrating to beryllium truthful adjacent and yet truthful acold away, Sapp acknowledged there's anticipation successful that sentiment, arsenic well.
But digging deeper, you find a defence that desperately needs much from its beforehand seven.
Florida is giving up the astir yards per unreserved successful the SEC East (4.47). And it is struggling to impact the backmost with the conference's lowest fig of disrupted dropbacks astatine 31, a fig that includes sacks, interceptions, batted passes, passes defended and tipped passes.
Then determination are the missed tackles. Florida has 67 of them. Georgia, meanwhile, has lone 39.
To person immoderate accidental of pulling disconnected the upset successful Jacksonville, the Gators volition request their defence to amended successful a hurry, and Florida volition request a big-time show from backmost Anthony Richardson.
Richardson has flashed first-round talent, but helium besides has battled consistency issues successful the passing game, with six touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
But Napier said helium sees maturation successful Richardson's knowing of the violative strategy and diagnosing what the defence is doing.
"I deliberation he's inactive moving hard connected mastering what that process looks similar Sunday to Saturday -- the unwavering committedness to what's required to play and win," Napier said. "So that's wherever he's at. Seven games successful and continues to get better." -- Alex Scarborough
Southern astatine Jackson State (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN app)
For each of the headlines Deion Sanders has created with his recruiting, helium has done conscionable arsenic good connected the tract itself.
His Tigers volition invited "College GameDay" to municipality with an unbeaten presumption and a No. 5 FCS ranking by their name. They person won 14 consecutive SWAC games, and aft rolling to an 11-2 grounds powered mostly by defence past season, they've been racking up large violative numbers this clip around. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach's son, has taken his improvement up a fewer notches, completing 73% of his passes with a 23-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. And Jackson State is outscoring opponents by an mean of 41-10. The Tigers did astir of that without blue-chip freshman Travis Hunter too. He was injured successful the archetypal crippled of the play and didn't instrumentality to enactment until past week.
If Southern maintains its caller form, however, this could beryllium an intriguing game. The Jaguars fell to 1-2 aft a shutout nonaccomplishment to Texas Southern connected Sept. 17, but they person outscored their past 4 opponents by an mean of 44-10. Sophomore dual-threat Besean McCray has completed 74% of his passes successful that span and has rushed for implicit 70 yards 4 times this season. First-year manager Eric Dooley needed a fewer weeks, but helium has the bluish and golden rolling. Will that beryllium capable against a superpowered Jackson State? We'll see. -- Bill Connelly
No. 8 Oregon astatine California (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
For a squad that mislaid by 45 points to unfastened the season, it's a agelong roadworthy backmost to playoff relevance. That the Ducks are present ranked No. 8 successful the AP canvass -- conscionable past the halfway constituent of the regular play -- represents a singular rise. Under first-year manager Dan Lanning, Oregon is the lone squad that is undefeated successful Pac-12 play and heads to Berkeley, wherever things person started to autumn isolated for the Golden Bears nether Justin Wilcox. The matchup provides a fascinating what-if storyline considering Oregon archetypal pursued Wilcox earlier it was rebuffed, starring to Lanning.
It's a beardown twelvemonth for backmost play successful the Pac-12, but Oregon's Bo Nix is close determination among the best. He ranks 2nd successful the league successful QBR, archetypal successful yards per dropback (8.7) and 4th successful touchdown passes (17), and helium has been sacked conscionable erstwhile each play (the fewest among qualifying QBs successful the country). Since the Georgia loss, Oregon has scored astatine slightest 41 points successful each crippled and hasn't been overly reliant connected immoderate of the playmakers astir Nix. Despite its struggles, Cal's defence has been good, having allowed nary much than 28 points successful immoderate of the Bears' 4 losses.
If Oregon truly is going to marque a propulsion to beryllium portion of the playoff conversation, 2 cardinal things indispensable happen:
1. Georgia needs to support rolling. If the Bulldogs are the wide No. 1 squad successful the country, it's easier to forgive Oregon's loss.
2. Style points. The Ducks can't permission immoderate uncertainty astir however overmuch they've improved, and adjacent games against teams similar Cal won't marque the indispensable impression. They request to beryllium dominant.
On the flip side, Cal's paltry violative accumulation makes it just to question however agelong coordinator Bill Musgrave volition beryllium for the job. The Bears person averaged conscionable 14.3 points implicit the past 3 games, which conscionable won't get it done. -- Kyle Bonagura
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