Week 9 College Football Playoff impact games: Florida-Georgia, Texas Tech-Arizona lead slate — SkimNews
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- No. 22 Arizona travels to face No. 13 Texas Tech in a Big 12 clash where one of the four remaining playoff contenders in the conference could be eliminated, following Texas Tech’s first loss to Cincinnati.
- No. 2 Ohio State plays its first game without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out due to injury, as either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair steps in against USC.
- Florida, led by backup quarterback Tramell Jones, aims to build momentum after an upset win over No. 7 Texas, with a road test against No. 3 Georgia that could define their playoff viability.
- Georgia faces a second loss to a non-top-15 opponent, which would damage their College Football Playoff seeding despite already being solidified in the race.
- Wisconsin and Iowa meet in a Big Ten showdown where both teams need a win to maintain playoff contention after narrow losses to UCLA and Minnesota, respectively.
- Cincinnati seeks to build on its upset of Texas Tech by challenging No. 6 Utah, a team in a vulnerable spot after a close win over Houston and ahead of tough games against BYU and Arizona.
Why it matters: The outcomes of these games will thin the field of viable playoff contenders, particularly in the Big 12 and Big Ten, where even ranked teams face elimination with a second loss. Utah, Texas Tech, and Arizona’s paths hinge on direct competition, making Week 9 a de facto elimination round despite the lack of top-10 matchups.
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