The Top 25, Week 9: College football games and players to watch, plus teams nearing a bowl breakthrough

Welcome to The Top 25, a weekly rundown of the best of college football.

Each week, The Baltimore Sun will break down the top games, players and teams to watch, from the Power Five to the Group of Five. Here’s what to know for Week 9:

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 Penn State (Saturday, noon, Fox): The Nittany Lions failed their first test against the Big Ten’s elite in a blowout loss to Michigan. Can they put up a better fight this time around? The Buckeyes don’t run the ball quite as well as the Wolverines, but quarterback C.J. Stroud and an outstanding group of receivers should test Penn State’s talented secondary.

Florida vs. No. 1 Georgia (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS): The Gators aren’t quite ready to contend in the SEC under first-year coach Billy Napier, but they still have quarterback Anthony Richardson. The dual-threat star is good enough to keep Florida in the game, and anything could happen if it comes down to the final possessions.

No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Kansas State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Fox): TCU beat both teams in back-to-back weeks to become the clear Big 12 title favorite, but there’s still plenty to play for in this matchup. The Cowboys are in contention to return to a New Year’s Six bowl game for a second straight season, while the Wildcats could sneak into one for the first time since 2012.

No. 20 Cincinnati at Central Florida (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN): Before both teams head to the Big 12, there’s still the American Athletic Conference title to decide. The Bearcats have won six straight to put themselves in position for a third consecutive AAC title, while the Knights have won four of their last five.

No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee (Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN): Beating Alabama was just the first step for the Volunteers in their quest for an unlikely SEC title. Getting past a talented Kentucky team led by quarterback Will Levis will show whether Tennessee and Heisman Trophy hopeful Hendon Hooker has what it takes to be a serious playoff contender.

Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders (vs. Southern): The son of Jackson State coach and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion, Sanders has been one of the best players in the Football Championship Subdivision, throwing 23 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. The undefeated Tigers will be the first HBCU to host ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday.

Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman (at Louisville): The fifth-year quarterback is better than ever, completing 64.2% of his passes and averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, both career highs. He’s tied for fifth nationally with 21 touchdown passes and has thrown just three interceptions.

Baylor RB Richard Reese (at Texas Tech): The 5-foot-9, 175-pound true freshman was a battering ram against Kansas, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. His nine rushing touchdowns are tied for 14th-most in the country.

Rice WR Luke McCaffrey (vs. Charlotte): It was a big week for the McCaffrey family. After star running back Christian was traded from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers, Luke had 10 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the Owls’ 42-41 overtime win over Louisiana Tech. Luke even channeled his older brother with a 17-yard rushing touchdown that gave Rice the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Illinois DB Devon Witherspoon (at Nebraska): The junior has been one of the best defensive backs in the country this season, earning midseason All-America honors from both Pro Football Focus and The Athletic. He ranks third nationally with 12 passes defended and is the highest-graded cornerback in the country, according to PFF.

No. 10 Southern California (at Arizona): The Trojans’ playoff hopes took a hit with a 43-42 loss to Utah, but they can still win the Pac-12 title in coach Lincoln Riley’s first season. Arizona is much improved and can’t be taken lightly.

No. 12 UCLA (vs. Stanford): The Bruins’ 45-30 loss to Oregon was much worse than the final score indicates. They can’t afford to overlook a Stanford team that’s won two straight.

No. 15 Ole Miss (at Texas A&M): The Rebels’ faint SEC title hopes might be dashed after a 45-20 loss to LSU, but they could still win 10 games for the second straight season, something accomplished just once in program history. Ole Miss should take care of business against a Texas A&M team on the ropes after a third straight loss.

No. 16 Syracuse (vs. Notre Dame): The Orange were one quarter away from securing one of the biggest wins in program history but squandered an 11-point lead in a 27-21 loss to Clemson. Coach Dino Babers has his work cut out for him to get his team to refocus.

Minnesota (vs. Rutgers): There’s no shame in the Golden Gophers losing to Penn State with their backup quarterback, but there is shame in losing to Rutgers no matter who’s taking the snaps.

Boston College at UConn (Saturday, noon, CBS Sports Network): The Eagles (2-5) have a worse record than the Huskies (3-5), who earned their first win over an FBS opponent in three years earlier this season. UConn’s offense ranks 120th nationally at 18.1 points per game, and Boston College isn’t much better at 114th (19.3).

Miami (Ohio) at Akron (Saturday, noon, ESPN+): According to ESPN’s SP+ rankings, a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of efficiency, only UMass is worse than the Zips (1-7). Miami (3-5) isn’t much better, ranking 108th in SP+.

Northwestern at Iowa (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2): In a Power Five game, you won’t see many totals lower than the 35.5 this one opened at. Iowa’s offense ranks 101st in efficiency, according to SP+, while Northwestern’s comes in at 100.

New Mexico State at UMass (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3): Anyone who willingly puts this on their television and isn’t an alum or fan of either school should be put on a watch list. New Mexico State (2-6) ranks 126th nationally in scoring (15 points per game), while UMass (1-6) is dead last (12 points per game).

Arizona State at Colorado (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU): Both teams fired their coach midseason and have been floundering ever since. The Sun Devils (2-5) have lost five of their last six while the Buffaloes (1-6) have been the worst team in the Power Five.

Duke (5-3): The Blue Devils haven’t been to a bowl since 2018, but coach Mike Elko could accomplish the feat in his first season. Texas A&M probably wishes it had him back.

Kansas (5-3): The Jayhawks own the longest active bowl drought in the country at 13 seasons. They seemed like a shoo-in to break that streak after a 5-0 start, but an injury to star quarterback Jalon Daniels and a deep Big 12 means it’s far from a sure thing.

Rice (4-3): The Owls last went to a bowl game in 2014 and haven’t really gotten close since, winning just four or more games three times in that span. A 2-1 start in Conference USA is a promising sign.

UNLV (4-4): The Rebels haven’t been to a bowl game in eight years and have only reached two in the last 27 seasons. Wins against Hawaii and Nevada, two of the worst programs in FBS, should get them there.

Bowling Green (4-4): Since reaching the GoDaddy Bowl in 2015, the Falcons haven’t won more than four games in a single season. They’ve already hit that mark with four games left.