2022 College football, Week 9: Games and players to watch

Your college football open thread

Good morning New York Giants fans!

Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 9 of the 2022 College Football season. It feels as though the college season is just getting started, but we’re about to hit the home stretch before Bowl Season.

Where does the time go?

With just a month of (scheduled) games left to play, we are going to see some of the biggest match-ups of the year hit the schedule. And with them, we’ll likely see a bevy of great games and some true “must-watch” scouting tape to go with them.

That’s starting right off the bat today with the noon slot and continuing throughout the afternoon.

So let’s get to the games.

Noon games

(2) Ohio State at (13) Penn State

FOX

It’s about time we check back in on Ohio State, and a divisional rivalry game is a good time to do so.

QB C.J. Stroud is the best quarterback in the country right now, and he’s playing his way to being the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Stroud is, of course, helped out by playing on a perpetually loaded roster. OTs Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones are one of the best set of bookends in college football, and the Buckeyes have a load of talented players who aren’t draft eligible as well. One of the big questions is how much (and well) receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba plays in this game. Smith-Njigba has been dealing with a hamstring injury this season, however he’s expected to play against Penn State.

Giants fans might also want to keep an eye on Penn State receiver Parker Washington. Washington is built more like a running back at 5-foot-10, 207 pounds, but he’s a fluid athlete and a very savvy route runner. He could be an intriguing option for a creative coach.

Other games to watch

• (7)TCU at Penn State – ESPN
• Notre Dame at (16) Syracuse – ABC
• Arkansas at Auburn – SEC Network

Afternoon games

Florida at (1) Georgia

CBS – 3:30 p.m.

We’ve talked about Florida a fair bit this year, particularly after QB Anthony Richardson’s electric start to the season. Richardson has since cooled off, but his raw athletic tools will make him an intriguing prospect that scouts and coaches will keep coming back to. Florida has several good prospects besides Richardson, and Giants fans might want to pay attention to interior lineman O’Cyrus Torrence. This game will likely be must-watch scouting tape for him.

We haven’t talked much about the top-ranked team in the country. Georgia has built a machine that is simply steamrolling just about everyone they go up against — with the exception of Missouri.

At some point Torrence (who is returning from injury) will be matched up against defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter is regarded as one of the very best players in the nation and was the best player on Georgia’s stacked 2021 defense. But there will be NFL caliber players all over the field, and it’s understandable if you don’t concentrate on this one (potential) match-up.

The Bulldogs have assembled a roster much like Alabama’s. Their roster is littered with talent, and the best way to watch them during the season is to just take note of which players stand out the most and circle back to them later.

Other games to watch

• (8) Oregon at California – FS1 (3:30 p.m.)
• (10) Wake Forest at Louisville – ACC Network (3:30 p.m.)
• (20) Cincinnati at UCF – ESPN (3:30 p.m.)

(17) Kentucky at (3) Tennessee

ESPN – 7 p.m.

Tennessee has figured heavily in these posts over the last few weeks, but for good reason. They’ve stormed up the rankings and had a massive statement win against Alabama. The Vols have been powered by the play of QB Hendon Hooker, who has been one of the very best quarterbacks in the country this year. Impressively, he’s done it without top receiver Cedric Tillman, who is still working his way back from injury.

Hooker will likely rise up draft boards and this could wind up being a match-up against first round quarterbacks.

Kentucky QB Will Levis is still highly regarded and is generally considered one of the top three quarterbacks at this stage in the process. He isn’t playing as well as Hooker, or C.J. Stroud, but he is still one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Likewise, his size, athleticism, and arm strength continue to intrigue. These two teams don’t quite have the glut of talent that programs like Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, or Ohio State boast, but scouts and GMs will likely flock to this game.

Quarterbacks largely define draft boards, and having more top QB options is better for the NFL.

Other games to watch

• (10) USC at Arizona – Pac 12 Network (7 p.m.)
• Coastal Carolina at Marshall – NFL Network (7 p.m.)
• Michigan State at Michigan – ABC (7 p.m.)
• Pittsburgh at (21) North Carolina – ACC Network (8 p.m.)