Weekend Watch Guide: An Oklahoma State Fan’s Guide to Week 9 of the College Football Season

With October dwindling away, it’s about time teams start separating into conference contenders and conference pretenders.

Week 9 of the college football season is filled with some forks in the road ahead of what ought to be a fun home stretch. Here is an Oklahoma State fan’s watch guide for the weekend.

Big 12 Schedule

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas — 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX
Houston at Kansas State — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2
West Virginia at UCF — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
BYU at No. 7 Texas — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
Iowa State at Baylor — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Cincinnati at Oklahoma State — 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2

The Sooners’ last test before Bedlam is a trip to Lawrence to face a Jayhawk team that is coming off a bye after its loss to the Cowboys. OU is coming off a closer-than-expected game against UCF.

Speaking of closer-than-expected games, Houston hung with Texas last weekend ahead of its trip to Manhattan. The Wildcats seem to have straightened some things out since their unsuccessful trip to Stillwater, as K-State is riding back-to-back big wins against Texas Tech and TCU.

After starting so strong, the Mountaineers have lost two on the bounce ahead of their trip to the Bounce House. West Virginia is looking to stabilize; UCF is still in search of its first Big 12 win.

BYU is the only conference newcomer to have done much of anything. At 2-2 in Big 12 play, the Cougars could make things rather interesting with a win in Austin.

After a 1-2 nonconference slate, the Cyclones are up to 4-3 with a strong start in league play. Baylor, meanwhile, is trying to keep its head above water at 3-4.

Saturday Selections

Tulsa at SMU — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPNU
No. 1 Georgia at Florida — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS
No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
Miami (OH) at Ohio — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on CBSSN
No. 21 Tennessee at Kentucky — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 3 Ohio State at Wisconsin — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC
Colorado at No. 23 UCLA — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC
No. 11 Oregon State at Arizona — 9:30 p.m. on ESPN

Tulsa has dropped two straight and was crushed by Rice last week. The in-state school’s trip to 5-2 SMU doesn’t look easy.

Saturday starts a tough stretch of games that ought to test the back-to-back national champs. At 5-2, Florida has been up and down this year, but the Gators have defended The Swamp, most notably in a 29-16 win against Tennessee. After this game in Gainesville, the Bulldogs have three straight games against ranked opponents upcoming: No. 16 Missouri, No. 12 Ole Miss and at No. 21 Tennessee.

Even without Cam Rising, the Utes just keep finding ways to win. The reigning Pac-12 champs have a huge game with the Ducks as each team claws to get to the Pac-12 title game in a loaded league.

Both Duke and Louisville enter their ranked matchup coming off a loss. The Blue Devils lost by 18 to Florida State, while Louisville dropped its first game of the year to a Pitt team that is now 2-4. The winner of this game regains some momentum. The loser feels rather crummy.

Miami (OH) and Ohio are two of the three teams tied atop the MAC East standings at 3-1, so this game has conference title implications.

Tennessee and Kentucky each have a pair of SEC losses. Although both would need Georgia to slip up to fight into the SEC title game, this ought to be a competitive bout in Lexington.

The top of the Big Ten East faces the top of a bad Big Ten West. Ohio State will probably control Wisconsin here (because the Big Ten West stinks), but stranger things have happened.

The Colorado hype train rode straight off a cliff, but Deion and Co. in Los Angeles ought to make for many a viral moment. The Buffaloes still need to find two wins to become bowl eligible.

Arizona played No. 7 Washington and No. 9 USC tight before blowing the doors off No. 19 Washington State 44-6 last weekend. The Beavers ought to travel to Tucson with caution.