Thoughts, Observations, and Things To Watch Out for in Week 9

Even though there’s only one game between ranked opponents, week nine features a number of intriguing matchups. Here’s a list of stats, observations, and things to watch out for on Saturday.

• While there’s still plenty of football left to be played, Notre Dame-Temple is a must-win game for the American Conference in a specific context. Sure, the league is currently in position to capture the Group of Five automatic bid. However, should the Owls defeat the Irish this weekend, the AAC has to be in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Selection Committee won’t be able to use the “well, they didn’t play anybody” excuse argument to exclude them, since the conference would own wins over Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Miami.
• Can Temple pull off the upset? It’s certainly possible. As I’d mentioned on the Student Section Blog Talk Radio Show earlier this week, the Owls are a team that finds a way to win even when things aren’t going well. Whether it’s beating Cincinnati with just 81 yards passing or rallying to win against UMass and UCF despite losing the turnover battle, this year’s Temple team always manages to get the job done.
• The same could be said about Notre Dame. Even though they’ve suffered a decade’s worth of significant injuries this season, the Irish have persevered. Their offense still ranks in the top 20 in points per game (18th), yards per game (17th),  and rushing yards per game (18th).
• Keep an eye on the battle between the Notre Dame ground game and the Temple front seven, as it will ultimately decide who wins this contest. Remember, in the Irish’s lone loss this season, they mustered only 111 yards on ground. It’ll be interesting to see how ND will fare against the Owls’ defense, which ranks sixth nationally against the run — roughly seven spots higher than Clemson.
• On the other hand, Temple hasn’t played a running back quite like C.J. Prosise, who has not-so-quietly emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
• Although the Irish-Owls tilt will get top billing, Stanford-Washington State is the most intriguing matchup on the schedule. After all, the winner of this contest will be in the driver’s seat to win the Pac-12 North. Who would have thought that considering the way each team began the season?
• Make no mistake about it: The Cougars are good enough to win this game. Quarterback Luke Falk is one of the top passers in the nation, completing 282 of 387 passes (72.9%) for 2,885 yards and an amazing 26/4 TD-to-INT ratio. His precision passing is the reason that Wazzu is converting 50 percent of third downs against teams with winning records, the fifth-best total in the country.
• Stanford isn’t too far behind, converting 46% of its chances against teams with a winning record.
• Christian McCaffrey is a big reason why that’s happening. He’s been at his best against top competition this year, running for 829 yards and 6 TDs in conference play, including an amazing 243-yard, 4-TD performance in his only game against a ranked opponent (UCLA). Expect him to get the ball early and often in this contest.
• With both offenses firing on all cylinders, the team that is able to come up with the most stops in the red zone will emerge victorious. Unfortunately, neither squad’s defense has been effective at keeping teams out of the end zone. Washington State (104th with allowing points 88.9% of the time) and Stanford (123rd, 94.74%) rank near the bottom of the nation in red zone defense.
• I don’t know what to think about the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Yes, Florida would appear to be the favorite, but the last time it looked like the Gators were going to win the East, they lost to Georgia and missed the SEC Championship Game in 2012.
• If the Dawgs are going to pull the upset, they’ll need to be balanced on offense. Sure, LSU ran the ball against the Gators, but Florida couldn’t sell out to stop Leonard Fournette and the ground game because the Tigers completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards (10.63 yards per attempt).
• Of course, the Dawg offense might add a few new wrinkles this weekend, as Faton Bauta will see “meaningful action” according to Brent Beaird (who is definitely a “must follow” for anyone in SEC country). Another source reports that Bauta will start this weekend’s contest.
• Regardless of what challenges the Gators may or may not face on defense, the key to victory in this contest is actually the offense. Florida beat the Bulldogs last year by running straight at the Georgia defense: 60 times for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns. I’m curious to see if coach Jim McElwain sticks with this game plan (remember: Treon Harris started this game for UF last year) or trusts the passing game, which is third in the SEC in passing plays longer than 30 yards, with 13.
• Another stat in the Gators’ favor: Florida is allowing only 3.92 yards per carry against ranked opponents this year. That doesn’t bode well for a Dawg offense that ran for only 2.7 yards against Missouri two weeks ago.
• Don’t be surprised if Miami upsets Duke on Saturday. Sure, the team lost its head coach and will likely be without starting quarterback Brad Kaaya, Yet, no one knows what to expect from head coach Larry Scott, because he’s never been a head coach at any level. This will give the ‘Canes the element of surprise — something will they need need against the Devils, who rank third nationally in yards per play, allowing just 3.96 per snap.
• Likewise, don’t be shocked if Oregon State-Utah is closer than expected. Although the Utes are heavily favored, Beaver defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake ran the defense in Salt Lake last year, so he’s very familiar with what to expect. It’ll be interesting to see whether OSU can stop Devontae Booker, who’s averaging 125 yards per game and 5.49 per carry in conference play this season.
• This week’s upset special is Arizona over Washington. Regardless of whether it’s Jerrard Randall or Anu Solomon at quarterback, the Wildcats’ offense is one of the most explosive units in the country, averaging 535 yards per game. That type of firepower will be too much to handle for the Husky defense, which is allowing a respectable average of only 4.95 yards per play.

Terry Johnson is the Associate Editor at the Student Section, a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Google+.