CFW Week 9 Forecast – Having fun in Tennessee
The spotlight is on the SEC
Greetings college football fans from the Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, Tennessee. Our Navy reunion group is alive and well. We spent Tuesday and Wednesday south of Nashville, taking in the sights and sounds of Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee, including a barbecue dinner at the home of our host and dinner last night at The Sportsman Grill. Today, it’s downtown Nashville with all it has to offer. Tomorrow it’s a winery tour and a farewell dinner. Saturday, we travel home.
And speaking of Saturday, we have another big lineup of games, especially in the SEC. The SEC has four of the Top 10 games, three of which are the Top 3 games of the week. Those three games begin with Ole Miss (6-1) at Oklahoma (6-1). Is Lane Kiffin coaching his last season at Ole Miss? Some say he might be the Florida coach next season. Oklahoma’s Brent Venables isn’t going anywhere. Trinidad Chambliss vs. John Mateer. Hold onto your hats.
Then we have Texas A&M (7-0) at LSU (5-2). Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed has been playing awfully good. Not so much for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Brian Kelly can’t afford to lose this one. The SEC excitement continues in Nashville – Missouri (6-1) at Vanderbilt (6-1). Vandy is the real thing. LSU found that out last week. But Missouri is awfully good too.
For a lighter touch in the SEC, but still a potentially good game is Texas (5-2) at Mississippi State (4-3). When Miss State loses, the Bulldogs lose close. And with Texas, you just never know which Longhorn team will show up.
The Big Ten comes in with three excellent encounters. For starters, we have Illinois (5-2) at Washington (5-2). Luke Altmeyer vs. Demond Williams. I think this is one of those the home team will win games. The Huskies are home. Next in the Big Ten is Minnesota (5-2) at Iowa (5-2). There may not be a lot of scoring in this one. But rest assured, it should be close. Wrapping up the Big Ten is Northwestern (5-2) at Nebraska (5-2). Gee, all these 5-2 teams in the Big Ten playing each other. Can Northwestern keep its 4-game winning streak going?
The Big 12 has a couple of dandies. How about BYU (7-0) at Iowa State (5-2). The Cougars can’t take the Cyclones for granted. There could be an upset brewing. Then we have Houston (6-1) at Arizona State (5-2). Conner Weighman is getting better and better. You never know what Arizona State is going to do, but it could be bad for Houston.
And last, but not least, we have an excellent game in the American Conference – South Florida (6-1) at Memphis (6-1). One of these two teams could be in the CFP. But it won’t be the loser.
There are three more games I am anxious and curious to see how they play out. They are Baylor (4-3) at Cincinnati (6-1). Baylor is capable of spoiling Cincinnati’s good season. Two good quarterbacks – Sawyer Robertson and Brendan Sorsby. UCLA (3-4) at Indiana (7-0). Can the Bruins keep their magic going? They are on a 3-game winning streak. But Indiana is on a 7-game winning streak. SMU (5-2) at Wake Forest (4-2). SMU is the better team, but the Mustangs had a tough one against Clemson last week. Wake Forest is not only at home, but also the Demon Deacons have been getting better and better.
College Football Week 9 got off to an early start. Tuesday night, Kennesaw State downed FIU, 45-26. The teams combined for 1,001 total yards. FIU dominated the stats, including a nine-minute edge in time of possession. But the Panthers lost the game. FIU running back Kejon Owens ran for 151 yards and one touchdown.
Also Tuesday night, Western Kentucky edged Louisiana Tech in overtime, 28-27 (OT). In a losing effort, Louisiana Tech quarterback Blake Baker was 31-45-1, passing for 340 yards and a touchdown.
Last night, Delaware edged Middle Tennessee, 31-28. Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci passed for 276 yards and four touchdowns. In the second game Wednesday night, Missouri State beat New Mexico State, 24-17 (OT). The game was tied 17-17 at the end of regulation. New Mexico State quarterback Logan Fife threw four interceptions. There were seven turnovers in the game – three by Missouri State and four by New Mexico State.
ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Missouri-Vanderbilt game. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be in Bloomington, Indiana, or the UCLA-Indiana game. The SEC Network’s SEC Nation will be in Norman, Oklahoma, for the Ole Miss-Oklahoma game. The ACC Network’s ACC Huddle will be in Miami, Florida, for the Stanford-Miami game. Enjoy the shows.
The Top-5 teams in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll are 1. North Dakota State (7-0), 2. South Dakota State (7-0), 3. Tarleton State (8-0), 4. Montana (7-0) and 5. Montana State (5-2). Harvard (5-0) is 17th.
Touchdown Tom
October 23, 2025
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
Week Eleven’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. #8 Ole Miss (6-1) at #13 Oklahoma (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Ole Miss suffered its first loss last week. The Magnolias will be out to turn that around this week. In order to do that, Ole Miss will have to penetrate the Oklahoma defense. OU is holding opponents to 9 points a game. Ole Miss is a passing team led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. He has passed for 1,549 yards. And Ole Miss is averaging 37 points a game. But the Ole Miss defense is weak, giving up 22 points a game. OU quarterback John Mateer can take advantage of that. Mateer has passed for 1,567 yards. OU doesn’t have much of a running game. The Sooners uproot the Magnolias – Oklahoma 27, Ole Miss 24.
RUNNER-UP: 2. #3 Texas A&M (7-0) at #20 LSU (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – It’s never easy to win on a Saturday night in Baton Rouge. But if anybody can do it, Texas A&M can. The Aggies have the ingredients to win. They are undefeated and quarterback Marcel Reed has passed for 1,770 yards. The Aggie offense is averaging 36 points a game. LSU is facing its third loss. That would be disastrous for coach Brian Kelly. Compared to Texas A&M, LSU has a weaker offense but a stronger defense. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has passed for 1,638 yards. It’s going to be a donnybrook. Aggies turn Baton blue – Texas A&M 27, LSU 24.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. #15 Missouri (6-1) at #10 Vanderbilt (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams are coming off tough wins – Missouri over Auburn and Vandy over LSU. Both teams have power house offenses, averaging 39-40 points a game. Both are about equal on defense, giving up around 18-19 points per game. Mizzou comes at you with both running and passing. Running back Ahmad Hardy has rushed for 840 yards. Quarterback Beau Pribula has passed for 1,617 yards. Vanderbilt is all about Diego Pavia. The Commodores quarterback leads the team in passing and running – 1,569 yards passing and 438 yards rushing. The anchors aren’t down – Missouri 30, Vanderbilt 28.
4. #11 BYU (7-0) at Iowa State (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, FOX – BYU is on a roll, and the Cougars are hoping that roll continues Saturday in Ames, Iowa. BYU has a good passing and running attack. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier has passed for 1,386 yards. He’s a pretty good runner too. Running back L.J. Martin has rushed for 774 yards. The Cougars are averaging 35 points a game. With two losses, Iowa State has been hurting. But quarterback Rocco Becht hopes to ease the Cyclones’ pain. He has passed for 1,622 yards. The Cougars will be facing a test. An upset could be in the works. But Cy isn’t up to it – BYU 28, Iowa State 23.
5. #29 Houston (6-1) at #24 Arizona State (5-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Houston has been a surprising team. Some think the Cougars are the weakest 6-1 team in the country. They may be but they can surprise. The Cougars are led by quarterback Conner Weighman, who has passed for 1,380 yards. Arizona State has been an up-and-down team. The Sun Devils go from losing to Utah (42-10) one week to upsetting Texas Tech (26-22) the next week. A lot has to do with how well quarterback Sam Leavitt is performing. Leavitt has passed for 1,358 yards. The Devils are up this week. The Cougars end up on the end of a fork – Arizona State 27, Houston 23.
6. #18 South Florida (6-1) at Memphis (6-1) – (AC vs. AC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both teams are in the running to be the Group of Five team in the CFP. Both have a good shot at it. But they must win this game. Both teams are averaging around 40 points a game. This contest has the making for a high-scoring affair. South Florida is led by quarterback Byrum Brown, who is the leading passer and runner. Brown has passed for 1,695 yards and rushed for 475 yards. Memphis suffered its first loss last week. The Tigers were upset by UAB. So the Tigers should be fired up. But they won’t be fired up enough. It will be the running of the Bulls in Memphis (passing of the Bulls too) – South Florida 30, Memphis 27.
7. #23 Illinois (5-2) at Washington (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – These are two similar teams with identical records. Both are averaging 34-35 points a game. Both defenses are giving up 22-23 points a game. Illinois is led by quarterback Luke Altmeyer. He has passed for 1,821 yards. Washington is led by quarterback Demond Williams. He has passed for 1,837 yards. Again, similar numbers. If this game were being played in Champaign, the Banned Indians would win. But it is being played in Seattle. The Huskies will win – Washington 31, Illinois 30.
8. #35 Minnesota (5-2) at Iowa (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Neither of these teams are exciting. They don’t put up big passing numbers. They aren’t fancy running teams. Oftentimes, their defenses open up opportunities for their offenses. The Gophers and the Hawkeyes are two dull football teams who usually manage to get the job done. Minnesota is coming off a big win over Nebraska. Iowa is coming off a close win over Penn State. The Hawkeyes send the Gophers packing – Iowa 24, Minnesota 20.
9. Northwestern (5-2) at Nebraska (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Northwestern has been on a roll, winning four-straight games. The Wildcats have definitely been improving each week. Quarterback Preston Stone has passed for 1,215 yards. Nebraska stumbled last week at Minnesota. They weren’t expecting that. The Huskers are led by quarterback Dylan Raiola. He has passed for 1,768 yards. Nebraska has a good running back too. Emmett Johnson has rushed for 713 yards. Both teams are similar on defense, giving up around 17 points a game. Nebraska is much better on offense, averaging 36 points a game. The winning streak is over at Northwestern. Herbie stuffs the Wildcats in a silo – Nebraska 28, Northwestern 20.
10. #22 Texas (5-2) at Mississippi State (4-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4:15 pm ET, Saturday, SEC Network – If Texas plays as badly as the Longhorns did last week against Kentucky then the Horns will lose to Miss State. Texas was lucky to beat Kentucky. Arch Manning needs to step up his game this week. He completed less than 50% of his passes last week. The Texas offense couldn’t do anything right. The Texas defense was okay. The Longhorns are holding opponents to 11 points per game. But the Longhorns offense is only averaging 27 points per game. Miss State quarterback Blake Shapen is having a great season. The Bulldogs are averaging 32 points per game on offense. Miss State began the season at 4-0. Now the Bulldogs have lost their last three games. Miss State could give Texas a tough time. But it will be Horns up in Starkville – Texas 24, Mississippi State 19.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
#34 TCU (5-2) at West Virginia (2-5) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – Both teams are giving up a lot of points on defense. But on offense, TCU is averaging 36 points per game, while WVU is only averaging 21 points a game. The Mountaineers are 0-4 in Big 12 play and none of the losses have been close. Meanwhile, TCU has a quarterback who has passed for 2,124 yards – Josh Hoover. Hoover could have a heyday against WVU. It will be a sad homecoming in Morgantown – TCU 33, West Virginia 23.
Rutgers (3-4) at Purdue (2-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – One of the losing streaks has to be broken Saturday. After beginning the season at 3-0, Rutgers is 0-4 in its last four games. Purdue is riding a 5-game losing streak. Neither team has won a game in Big Ten play. Rutgers is giving up as many points as the Knights average on offense – 32. Purdue is in worse shape. Surprisingly, both have decent quarterbacks, especially Rutgers. Knights quarterback Allan Kaliakmanus has passed for 1,864 yards. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne has passed for 1,572 yards. The Boilers fall to 0-5 in Big Ten play – Rutgers 30, Purdue 27.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
St. Thomas (4-3) at Stetson (3-5) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….
West Virginia State (4-3) at West Florida (7-0) – (Mountain East vs. Gulf South) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Atlantic (3-4) at #30 Navy (6-0) – (AC vs. AC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-4) at Bethune-Cookman (3-4) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida A&M (2-4) at Southern (1-6) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Stanford (3-4) at #9 Miami (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….
Quotes of the Week
“I know and understand the expectations. There’s no higher expectation than what I have. I know it’s not been good enough. We are going to get it right,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
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