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Week nine of the college football season is almost here, and this weekend's slate is packed with good games. There are numerous matchups featuring top-25 teams this week, and they will all be crucial as the race for the College Football Playoff is heating up. One top-25 matchup this week that should be interesting features Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt football team hosting #5 Texas. The Commodores are currently ranked #25 in the country as they are surprisingly playing very well to start the year. This should be an exciting game.
This is a huge game in the SEC as both of these teams are near the top of the conference standings. It feels weird to say that about Vanderbilt, but credit to what this team has done so far this year. A big reason why they are where they are is the play of quarterback Diego Pavia. He will need to play his best this weekend if the Commodores are going to win.
Before we talk more about Pavia and predictions for this weekend's game, let's take a deeper look at both of these teams.
Texas football needs to bounce back
The Texas football team was ranked #1 in the country last week, but they fell at home against #5 Georgia. The Bulldogs were able to go on the road and win comfortably, and now the Longhorns are in need of a bounce back win.
After this game, the rest of the schedule shapes up pretty nicely for the Longhorns. First off, they are comfortable favorites in this game and they should win, so this isn't exactly looked at as a challenging contest for Texas. However, that's what we thought when Alabama went to Nashville.
Texas has one ranked team left after this as they end the season at Texas A&M. A 10-2 record should get the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff.
Vanderbilt football is having a remarkable season
The Vanderbilt football team is ranked. We haven't been able to say that for awhile, but the Commodores checked in at #25 in the AP Poll this week. This season has been a good one for a team that is typically one of the worst in the SEC, but they are proving to be a real threat this season.
Vanderbilt is 5-2 on the year, and they beat then #1 Alabama at home just a couple weeks ago to put the country on notice. They have a narrow 36-32 loss against Georgia State, and a double overtime loss to Missouri. Vanderbilt could easily be 7-0 right now.
The Commodores are hoping to pull off another big upset at home this weekend, and if they do, they could legitimately be a contender for a College Football Playoff spot. Beating Texas will be tough, however, and they will need a huge game from Diego Pavia. Here are three predictions for his performance:
Diego Pavia will get sacked four or more times
The Texas defense is going to come into this game angry, and that won't bode well for Diego Pavia. He is mobile, but this Texas defensive line is very talented. They will get pressure on him, and they will find a way to bring him down behind the line of scrimmage a few times.
Diego Pavia will turn the ball over at least once
With the Texas pass rushers invading the backfield all game, Pavia is bound to be forced into a mistake. In a game like this, turnovers can't happen for Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, the Longhorns will probably force a couple.
Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt won't pull off the upset this time
Vanderbilt football fans will always have that magical day earlier this season when they watched their team take down #1 Alabama. It was cool to see, but they won't be pulling off the upset this weekend. Texas will cruise to a 31-16 win.
Texas and Vanderbilt will kick off from FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee at 4:15 ET/3:15 CT on Saturday. The game will be airing on the SEC Network, and the Longhorns are currently favored by 19 points.
Other notable week nine matchups
This matchup between the Vanderbilt football team and Texas could end up being a close one, and there are a lot of other good matchups across college football this weekend as well. Let's take a peak at the slate.
ESPN's College GameDay heads to the biggest game of the week every week, but they sometimes will choose another campus to hit more schools that don't typically get as much attention. They will be in Bloomington this weekend as Indiana is 7-0 and hosting Washington. The Hoosiers are hot, but there are definitely some bigger games this weekend.
Starting in the ACC, 5-1 Syracuse will take on undefeated #19 Pitt on Thursday night. That's a huge game in the conference race. We also have a rivalry game on Saturday as #6 Miami will be hosting Florida State. The Seminoles are 1-6, so this was expected to be a better matchup when the season began.
There are a couple intriguing matchups in the Big 12 as well. Kansas and Kansas State will get together for a rivalry clash, and the Jayhawks will look to spoil the Wildcats' season. Also, Cincinnati at Colorado under the lights in Boulder will be a good one as well.
The Big Ten has a lot of good games this weekend. Washington at Indiana is obviously an intriguing one, and Nebraska at Ohio State is one to watch as well. In the afternoon, #20 Illinois at #1 Oregon is the one to watch, and then there are a couple good night games as well. It's rivalry week in Michigan as the Wolverines will host Michigan State, and #3 Penn State has a tricky road test against 5-2 Wisconsin.
In the SEC, there are three top-25 matchups this weekend. #21 Missouri will visit #15 Alabama, and the struggling Crimson Tide need a win. #5 Texas will look to bounce back from their loss against Georgia as they will travel to play #25 Vanderbilt. Lastly, #8 LSU will visit #14 Texas A&M under the lights.
Not done yet! Teams not in conferences matter too, and we have a top-25 clash between #12 Notre Dame and #24 Navy this week. Buckle up, week nine is going to be fun.
