Well, we've got ourselves quite a weekend here, folks.
College football 2012 has reached Week 9, and I must, it's going to be fantastic week indeed.
From Notre Dame-Oklahoma to Florida-Georgia, from Ohio State-Penn State to Texas Tech-Kansas State, from Mississippi State to Alabama to Michigan-Nebraska and so much more, the Saturday to come promises to be one of the best Saturdays we've seen all year. Possibly the very best Saturday of all.
We'll take a look at this sure-to-be-titanic Saturday right here, in our Week 9 edition of Games Worth Watching.
No. 14 Texas Tech at No. 3 Kansas State (3:30 p.m., FOX): One might assume that K-State would be due for a letdown here, given that they're coming off that complete and utter beatdown of West Virginia last week. And I could hardly blame anyone for adopting that line of thinking. Except for this: The Wildcats are coached by Bill Snyder, who shall go down in history as one of the best coaches this game has ever seen. Advantage: K-State. Kansas State 27, Texas Tech 24
No. 2 Florida vs. No. 10 Georgia (3:30, CBS): Hey, it's the game previously known as The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In other words, it's the game I will still call The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, because that's what it ought to be called. Oh, and then there's this: The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is also known as The Game That Florida Almost Always Wins. They'll win it again. Florida 28, Georgia 21
Ohio State at Penn State (5:30, ESPN): It's the game that was supposed to be irrelevant, yet has proven to anything but irrelevant. The Buckeyes under coach Urban Meyer come into this one riding high (but looking iffy) at 8-0, while the Nittany Lions under coach Bill O'Brien have rattled off five straight wins after a emotionally crushing 0-2 start. An angry, fired-up crowd will be waiting in Happy Valley for the Buckeyes, so while it's true that the Buckeyes have more talent, it's unclear whether Braxton Miller and gang are ready for the fury that awaits them. This one will be, in a word, interesting. Tune in, folks. Ohio State 23, Penn State 20
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma (8 p.m., ABC): Hey, Notre Dame haters, I think it's time that you accept a simple truth. That simple truth is that the Irish really are quite good, and really could evolve into a true superpower (in Northern terms, at least) under the leadership of coach Brian Kelly. This defense is legit--like, almost Alabama legit--and that means that the Irish are going to be a tough out for anybody they play this season. That includes the Sooners, who have been good of late but aren't exactly of the same vintage of, say, the Kansas States or Oregons or Floridas of the world. Yes, Oklahoma is good, but no, they aren't great, which means they're in for a fight here. It's a fight they'll win. But it won't be easy. Oklahoma 16, Notre Dame 13
No. 11 Mississippi State at No. 1 Alabama (8:30 p.m., ESPN): Let's start with this: Alabama is, far and away, the best team in the country at the moment. With Nick Saban in charge, the Tide are fielding yet another typically dominant defense, and truth be told, the offense, while hardly spectacular, isn't too shabby, either. And then there's this: The Tide have played 420 minutes of football so far this season. They have trailed for exactly 15 seconds of those 420 minutes. Such a stat is no fluke, folks. It just proves what we've known since Week 1: Nobody stands a chance of knocking off the Tide (and I know Saban won't like that, but it's my opinion, and I'm standing by it; sorry, coach). Alabama 31, Mississippi State 10
