Week 9 of the 2026 college football season arrives with several high-stakes conference matchups that could shape College Football Playoff races in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC.
Top Matchups
No. 22 Arizona visits No. 13 Texas Tech at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the Red Raiders seeking to avoid a second straight loss after falling to Cincinnati. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita enters playing at a high level, while Texas Tech faces internal pressure from booster Cody Campbell.
At 12 p.m. ET on Fox, No. 25 Wisconsin travels to Iowa for the Heartland Trophy. The Badgers rose into the rankings after upsetting USC, while the Hawkeyes lost the Floyd of Rosedale trophy to Minnesota on a last-second field goal.
The SEC rivalry between No. 17 Florida and No. 3 Georgia kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Georgia lost its No. 1 ranking after a defeat to Auburn, while Florida upset Texas. Florida's quarterback situation remains uncertain between Tramell Jones and Aaron Philo.
No. 4 Indiana hosts Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The Hoosiers are heavy favorites but needed overtime to beat Michigan last week. Minnesota arrives after a rivalry win over Iowa but struggles with a rushing offense averaging 100.1 yards per game.
No. 6 Utah faces Cincinnati at 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Bearcats, coming off a win over Texas Tech, will test Utah's eighth-ranked rush defense.
No. 2 Ohio State visits USC at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The Buckeyes will start an inexperienced quarterback, either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair, while USC coach Lincoln Riley seeks a signature win to ease pressure.
Other Notable Games
Additional ranked matchups include No. 5 Notre Dame at Navy (12 p.m., ABC), Auburn at No. 12 Ole Miss (12:45 p.m., SEC Network), No. 20 Northwestern at Oregon (3:30 p.m., Peacock), Virginia at No. 14 Wake Forest (3:45 p.m., ESPN2), South Carolina at Oklahoma (4:15 p.m., SEC Network), Clemson at Florida State (7 p.m., ACC Network), No. 1 Miami at North Carolina (7:30 p.m., ABC), and Texas State at No. 20 Boise State (10 p.m., CW). All games are also available via Fubo streaming.
