College Football: 3 Key Matchups to Watch in Week 9

The college football regular season is heading into its final stretch as conference championships and bowl season loom.

Week 9 of the regular season features a few key matchups to watch that could shake up the College Football Playoff picture. Here are three key matchups to watch this weekend.

20 Illinois vs. 1 Oregon

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Illinois’ offense has been rejuvenated with Luke Altmyer at quarterback, and the redshirt junior currently leads the Big Ten in touchdown passes with 15 through his first seven games. As a result, the Fighting Illini are 6-1 with their only loss coming to a national championship contender in Penn State.

Now, Illinois faces off against another juggernaut with an opportunity to knock of the No. 1 team in the country: the Oregon Ducks. Both Illinois and Oregon come into the weekend allowing fewer than 20 points per game, so despite some high powered offenses on both sides, this game could prove to be a slobberknocker.

8 LSU vs. 14 Texas A&M

Oct 19, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) along with teammates and head coach Brian Kelly sing the LSU alma mater after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU won 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The SEC has been a conference of chaos so far this season, and now, the two remaining undefeated in-conference teams are going head-to-head. Texas A&M comes into the weekend 4-0 in SEC play while LSU boasts a 3-0 record. Both programs have CFP expectations at this point in the year, and the winner of this matchup very well could punch their ticket to the SEC title game.

LSU has ridden QB Garrett Nussmeier on offense while pass rusher Bradyn Swinson has been a menace on the defensive side of the ball. For Texas A&M, RB Le’Veon Moss has been one of the best running backs in the country with 753 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns to his name so far. The stars will need to show up in this one as both squads eye a spot atop the SEC standings.

5 Texas vs. 25 Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander (28) and quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrate a touchdown against Alabama in Nashville on Oct. 5, 2024.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the Vanderbilt Commodores in 2024. The program is ranked among the top 25 programs for the first time since the 2013 season, and they enter this weekend at 5-2 with a chance to really cement their placement in the rankings against the No. 5 ranked Texas Longhorns.

Texas is coming off a grueling loss to the Georgia Bulldogs last weekend, and now, they suddenly have their backs against the wall as they head back out on the road to take on a very tough Vandy team.