Rooting Guide: Which Week 9 games are most important for Penn State football?

Penn State football lost for the first time this season in Columbus last Saturday. There were a lot of teams that showed weakness during Week 8, but ultimately ended up getting the win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Week 9 slate will certainly help the Nittany Lions be in a better position. During Week 8, No. 6 Oklahoma survived 31-29 over UCF, No. 8 Texas held on over Houston 31-24, and No. 5 Washington struggled against Arizona State 15-7.

There was one massive upset during the weekend, and it sent ripples through the college football world. A 1-5 Virginia team went into Chapel Hill and took down No. 10 North Carolina. It was the first road top-10 win for the Cavaliers in program history.

The other notable game related to the Playoff race was a 34-32 win for No. 14 Utah over No. 18 USC. It was the 3^rd win in the last two seasons for the Utes over the Trojans.

Penn State football fan’s rooting guide: College Football Week 9

This week is a lighter slate for ranked matchups, but there are still plenty of potential upsets that could alter the College Football Playoff race. Now that Penn State has a conference loss, there are plenty of games that could influence the Big Ten title race as well. Here are the games to keep an eye on throughout the Week 9 slate.

No. 6 Oklahoma (7-0) @ Kansas (5-2) 12:00 pm ET FOX

Oklahoma escaped last week against UCF 31-29 after trailing heading into the 4^th quarter. Kansas had the week off but are looking to bounce back after losing at Oklahoma State two weeks ago. The Sooners are one of the bigger surprises in college football this season after a poor 6-6 season last year. This will be a tough matchup as the Jayhawks are still a solid football team but mostly it will depend on if starting quarterback Jalon Daniels is healthy. Oklahoma enters as a 10-point road favorite.

Oklahoma is one of the few remaining undefeated teams who are contenders for the College Football Playoff. Penn State football fans should be rooting for Kansas to pull off the upset and give the Sooners their first loss of the season.

Maryland (5-2) @ Northwestern (3-4) 12:00 pm ET BTN

Maryland has had a week off to think about the shocking loss to Illinois. Northwestern lost a 17-9 slugfest to Nebraska on Saturday. This isn’t exactly the type of game you would expect on this rooting guide, but it still could have implications on the Big Ten East standings. Maryland enters as a 13-point road favorite.

This game could have massive implications for the Big Ten East race. If Penn State football can knock off Michigan at home and then the Wolverines take down the Buckeyes, a three-way tie would occur leading to a tiebreaker of Big Ten West opponent winning percentage. Currently, Ohio State’s West opponents are 6-6, Michigan’s are 5-7 and Penn State’s are 5-9. The Nittany Lions have already beaten Northwestern so an upset win here could end up being massive down the stretch.

No. 8 Oregon (6-1) @ No. 13 Utah (6-1) 3:30 pm ET FOX

Oregon struggled early against Washington State on Saturday before pulling away for a 38-24 win. Utah is coming off an emotional game that saw them kick a field goal to win 34-32. This week 9 game will be an elimination game for the College Football Playoff as one of them will take a second loss. Oregon enters as a 6.5-point road favorite.

Both teams still have tough games down the stretch making this game even more important. Utah still must make a trip to No. 5 Washington and Arizona. Oregon still must face both No. 24 and No. 11 Oregon State at home. Penn State fans should root for Utah to pull off the upset strictly on who has the more difficult schedule down the stretch and is likely to pick up that second loss.

Michigan State (2-5) @ Minnesota (4-3) 3:30 pm ET BTN

Michigan State is coming off an ugly 49-0 loss to Michigan and seems to be on quiet watch this season. Minnesota won an ugly game against Iowa 12-10. One that certainly had its own controversial ending where the Hawkeyes had a late punt return touchdown taken off the board. Minnesota enters as a 7-point home favorite.

This is another matchup that may seem meaningless but could have implications for the Big Ten East. Both Ohio State and Michigan play Minnesota this year so a loss would help out Penn State in the potential three-way tie scenario. Root for Michigan State to get off the mat and get the job done.

No. 20 Duke (5-2) @ No. 18 Louisville (6-1) 3:30 pm ET ESPN

Duke is entering off a 38-20 loss, one that the Blue Devils held a lead for a half but ultimately were outclassed. Louisville was on bye last week and looks to bounce back from their brutal loss to Pitt two weeks ago. Both teams have just one conference loss and are still in the race to reach the ACC championship game. Louisville enters as a 4-point home favorite.

Neither of these teams is considered a contender to reach the playoffs. Louisville still has a path though with their one loss if they can run the table and win the ACC title. Penn State fans should root for the Blue Devils to win this game and effectively eliminate the Cardinals from contention.

Purdue (2-5) @ Nebraska (4-3) 3:30 pm ET FS1

Purdue was on a bye last week but has struggled for much of this season with some close losses. Nebraska has new life under head coach Matt Rhule have won 4 of their last 5 games and are currently just one game back in the Big Ten West. If the Boilermakers want to reach a bowl game this will be a must-win. Nebraska enters as a 2.5-point home favorite.

As you know by now the only reason we have bad Big Ten football matchups on the rooting guide is strictly for the potential of a three-way tie in the Big Ten East. In this situation, Purdue has already played Ohio State and has to travel on the road to Michigan in two weeks. Nebraska had just Michigan on the schedule this season. Being that a loss by Purdue hurts both Ohio State and Michigan instead of just the Wolverines, Penn State fans should root for the Cornhuskers to continue their winning ways at home.

No. 17 North Carolina (6-1) @ Georgia Tech (3-4) 8:00 pm ET ACCN

North Carolina had one of the most shocking upsets of the college football season when they lost to a 1-5 Virginia team on Saturday. It is such a bad loss that many are saying it already has eliminated the Tarheels from playoff contention. Georgia Tech gave up 563 total yards in a 38-23 loss to Boston College at home. North Carolina enters this week 9 matchup as an 11.5-point road favorite.

While unlikely, North Carolina losing would knock them out of contention for the College Football playoff officially. UNC has no room for error this season and two bad losses in a row may cause them to spiral. Root for Georgia Tech Saturday night.

No. 11 Oregon State (6-1) @ Arizona (4-3) 10:30 pm ET ESPN

This could sneakily be one of the most exciting games of the Week 9 slate. Oregon State is coming off a bye but is riding a 3-game winning streak that includes two over-ranked teams. Arizona has had a sneaky good season with their losses coming in overtime at Mississippi State, triple overtime by 2 points at USC, and a 7-point loss to Washington. This could be a team that may finish in the Top 25 by the end of the season if they keep winning games. Oregon State enters as a 4-point road favorite.

Oregon State is right behind Penn State football in the rankings and still has just one loss on the season. A loss to the Wildcats would effectively eliminate the Beavers from Playoff contention and keep them from jumping Penn State in the coming weeks. This should be a fun game and hopefully, Arizona comes out with the win.

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