College Football

Oklahoma vs. Kansas, Oregon vs. Utah: What we're watching in Week 9

Published Oct. 26, 2023 1:34 p.m. ET

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

Laken Litman

College Football & Soccer Analyst

If the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (7-0) are going to remain undefeated, they're going to have to show that last week's narrow victory over UCF was a mere blip on their season's radar. If Kansas (5-2) is going to prove that its slow build under Lance Leipold is the real deal, the Jayhawks will eventually have to take down a program they haven't been able to challenge for a very long time.

Both teams will be trying to make a statement on Saturday in Lawrence.

HOW TO WATCH ‘BIG NOON KICKOFF' THIS SATURDAY

• 10 a.m.-Noon ET: "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show on FOX
• Noon ET: Oklahoma at Kansas on FOX and the FOX Sports app

"Obviously, Kansas is coming off a bye week," Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman said this week. "They're going to have a lot of plays that we haven't seen before, kind of like UCF did. We've got to be ready. We've got to stick to our rules, stick to our keys, trust our eyes and trust what we're doing."

While defense is the calling card of Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, Saturday's matchup will likely be about offense.

The Sooners lead the Big 12 in several key areas, including scoring offense and passing offense. They're also second in yards per game and sacks allowed, and they're third in third-down conversions.

The Jayhawks are a dangerous group as well, ranking third in the Big 12 in scoring offense, second in red zone conversions, and first in third-down conversions.

FOX Sports college football experts Michael Cohen, RJ Young and Laken Litman share what they'll be looking for in this game, plus a host of other great Week 9 matchups on Saturday.

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Michael Cohen: One of the best lenses through which to view Saturday’s game between the Sooners and Jayhawks is to examine the lengthy losing streaks Kansas is hoping to snap. For instance: The Jayhawks have lost 18 consecutive games to Oklahoma dating to 1997, with all 18 of those losses coming by double digits and nine of them coming by at least 30 points. Kansas has also lost 19 consecutive games against top-10 opponents dating to a win over No. 5 Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl following the 2007 campaign. The Jayhawks finished 12-1 that year for what remains the only season with more than 10 wins in program history. They haven’t won more than six games in a season since then, though last year’s 6-7 finish under second-year coach Lance Leipold represented the program’s highest win total in 15 years.

The clearest path toward snapping those kinds of skids against high-level opponents is for a team to have its best player ready and able when the moment arises, but that doesn’t seem like it will be the case for Kansas this weekend. A lingering back issue sidelined starting quarterback Jalon Daniels for the season opener against Missouri State (a win), as well as the team’s last three games against Texas (a loss), Central Florida (a win) and Oklahoma State (a loss). Leipold told reporters on Monday that Daniels, who accounted for 2,433 yards of total offense and 25 touchdowns last season, is progressing in the right direction but remains doubtful or questionable for this week’s date with the Sooners.

Without Daniels, the Jayhawks have turned to veteran signal-caller Jason Bean, a former North Texas transfer now in his third season at Kansas. Bean committed to North Texas as a three-star prospect and the No. 72 pro-style quarterback in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He spent three years with the Mean Green, including one as the starter, and arrived at Kansas with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 17-9. Bean entered 2023 having appeared in 23 games for the Jayhawks, including nine starts in 2021 alone. His performances this season have been solid — a 65.3% completion rate and an NFL passer rating of 119.3 — but Bean tossed his only two interceptions of the season in last week’s loss to Oklahoma State to dull a stat line that included 410 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll need to play mistake-free football against the Sooners this weekend.

RJ Young: The initial CFP rankings come out next week. All four Oklahoma teams that have made the CFP didn't start ranked inside the top four.

Florida State is likely to start in the dunked-on spot — No. 4 — in the initial top 25.

Don't mind Oklahoma.

The Sooners might have to win another closely fought, ugly game. But that's the name of the game we play in the Power 5 in late October and all of November — survive and advance.

But a convincing win here probably doesn't put Oklahoma inside that top four. Most voters not named me think FSU is great. I simply think FSU is good. How good? Good like FSU in 2014 — good enough to run through the regular season undefeated and then get rocked when it's time to play national title caliber teams.

Now is the time for OU to show it’s a CFP contender against a good opponent.

Laken Litman: Oklahoma had a little scare last week. In its first trip to Norman as a Big 12 member, UCF was oh-so-close to coming away with an upset win had it not been for a failed 2-point conversion that would have tied the game with about a minute left. Not that the Sooners would admit they wanted or needed it, but at least now they’ve faced a bit of adversity as they look toward the rest of the season. 

Next up is a 5-2 Kansas team that’s missing its starting quarterback. While Bean has been mostly steady in place of Daniels, he's coming off a 39-32 loss to Oklahoma State in which he had five touchdown passes, but also two interceptions and was sacked four times. OU has been impressive in stopping the run this season and has only allowed two rushing touchdowns through seven games. So for KU to have a chance, Bean is going to have to make some big plays in the passing game.

As Michael noted above, Oklahoma has beaten Kansas 18 straight times. Without Daniels, it's unlikely that streak will be snapped this year.

No. 6 Oklahoma survives UCF, 31-29

No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX)

RJ: Oregon's 38-24 win over Washington State was a fight. Not only did the Ducks go down 10-0 to start the game, but their defense gave up 7.0 yards per play to a Wazzu offense that has been reeling in recent weeks. Had the Cougars been better on third down — just 4-for-14 — this game might have turned into Duck soup and finished UO's national title hopes.

Utah has a two-way viper in Sione Vaki and a Broyles Award candidate in Morgan Scalley.

But Oregon ranks second in scoring (47 per game) and total offense (551.6 yards per game), and first in giveaways (only one, to Colorado). Bucky Irving and Jordan James have combined for 1,112 rush yards and 15 TDs this season.

I think Oregon is a balanced team capable of winning a loaded Pac-12, and it can beat a Utah team that has been punching above its weight all season.

Laken: Utah has had to lean on backup quarterbacks this season while starter Cam Rising continues to recover from the torn ACL he sustained in last year’s Rose Bowl.

Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson split time through the first five games, but Barnes, a former walk-on, has taken hold of the job the last two weeks. And he’s been impressive. Just last Saturday the dual-threat QB had a career performance in a thrilling 34-32 road win over USC. He passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards and another score. In the past two games, he’s completed 29 of 36 passes with three touchdowns and just one interception.

But Oregon will be one of the toughest defenses the Utes have faced so far. And what’s more, the Ducks have a lot of experience preparing for some of the best quarterbacks in the country, having already faced the top three signal-callers in the Pac 12: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Washington State’s Cam Ward. Barnes isn’t quite on that level, which means the Utes may be at risk in losing their first home game since 2020.

Oregon takes on Utah in huge Pac-12 showdown

Michael: Now that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has declared injured quarterback Rising out for the season amid an ongoing recovery from a torn ACL, it’s time to examine what the Utes have in backup Barnes. Barnes holds a career record of 5-0 as Utah’s starting quarterback, with four of those wins coming this season. He’s proven to be a legitimate dual-threat option by rushing for at least 50 yards and a touchdown each of the last two weeks — both of which produced wins — and he averaged six yards per carry during those games. He set new career highs in total yards (292) and touchdowns (4) in last week’s 34-32 road win at then-No. 18 USC. In five appearances this season, the majority of Barnes’ production has come through short passes at, or near, the line of scrimmage. Forty of his 52 completions traveled fewer than 10 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus, and he turned those passes into 315 yards and two scores. His deep-ball accuracy remains a concern with just 12 completions on 34 passes that traveled at least 10 yards downfield. All three of his interceptions have come on plays in which Barnes was under pressure.

BYU at No. 7 Texas (3:30 p.m. ET)

Laken: Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers is "week to week" after spraining the AC joint in his throwing shoulder last Saturday against Houston. While his absence is a major headline, the Longhorns don’t seem too worried thanks to their depth at the position.

Coach Steve Sarkisian, who will face off against his alma mater BYU this weekend, will likely start Maalik Murphy after he won the backup job in the spring. Murphy, a former four-star prospect from Inglewood, Calif., is a natural passer. "He throws a beautiful ball and I think there’s not a throw that he can’t make," Sarkisian said.

But waiting in the wings is a quarterback named Arch Manning — maybe you’ve heard of him? He has two uncles named Peyton and Eli. Sarkisian said Murphy and Manning will "get a ton of reps" this week in practice, so they will both be ready to go. But this opportunity appears to be Murphy’s to lose until Ewers is healthy.

Michael: With Ewers expected to miss multiple weeks, the Longhorns are expected to give redshirt freshman Murphy the nod against BYU. A native of Inglewood, California, Murphy was a four-star prospect and the No. 12 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite for the 2022 recruiting cycle behind the likes of Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Conner Weigman (Texas A&M), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Devin Brown (Ohio State), among others. He did not see the field at Texas in 2022 but has completed four of eight passes for 47 yards and no touchdowns across three games in which he’s attempted a throw this season. At 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, Murphy possesses prototypical size for the position and wowed the coaching staff with his arm strength during spring practice. He completed 202 of 321 passes (62.9%) for 2,954 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a senior at Junipero Serra High School to earn all-state honors after competing in the Elite 11 Finals following his junior season. Manning, who was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle, will serve as Murphy’s backup. 

RJ: What does UT look like without Ewers? Should Arch start? No, but Sark didn't rule it out. But that's just one problem to figure out before playing BYU.

Texas had a scoring problem and a big-play-prevention problem against Houston. Along with giving up six pass plays of 21 yards or more — including one for 51 — the Longhorns couldn't do much inside the red zone. In four trips inside the Houston 20, they scored 24 points.

And now they have an injury to Ewers, who is primarily credited with making the Longhorns into a Big 12 title favorite. Murphy is just as talented, if differently. I'll be interested to see how he fairs.

Texas survives Houston while losing Quinn Ewers

No. 1 Georgia at Florida (3:30 p.m ET)

Michael: This will be the Bulldogs’ first game without mega-star tight end Brock Bowers, who underwent tightrope surgery last week to address a high ankle sprain. Bowers established himself as one of the most dangerous weapons in college football when he earned first-team All-America honors in 2022 after catching 63 passes for 942 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to three more scores on the ground. With three consecutive games of at least 120 receiving yards and at least one touchdown prior to injuring his ankle, Bowers was on pace to eclipse last season’s statistical output and challenge Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. for the unofficial title of best receiving weapon in the country. He had 41 catches for 567 yards and four touchdowns in Georgia’s first seven games. Though nobody on the Bulldogs’ roster can replace what Bowers brings to the offense, the continued re-incorporation of wide receiver Ladd McConkey should help. McConkey finished second behind Bowers in receptions (58) and receiving yards (762) last season while tying the eventual first-round pick with seven touchdown catches. He missed the first four games of the season with a back injury but has slowly increased his role since returning against Auburn in Week 5. McConkey had a season-high 58 yards in the 37-20 win over Vanderbilt on Oct. 14.

RJ: Should the Bulldogs be on upset alert? Is Georgia bored with winning already?

Who steps into the Bowers dually, fires up that Cummins one-ton and says "hop in, boys?"

I think Daijun Edwards and Carson Beck ought to give the offense enough juice to win this bitter rivalry game, but I've been wrong before.

Laken: Two-time reigning national champion Georgia has mostly played a lackluster schedule so far. And aside from its complete dismantling of Kentucky a few weeks ago, the Bulldogs haven’t looked that dominant — there were some nervy moments against South Carolina and Auburn before UGA pulled away.

Now it’s preparing to play rival Florida without its best player in Bowers. How much will that impact the Dawgs chances at winning the SEC and making a run at yet another title? We’ll find out more Saturday vs. the Gators.

Colorado at No. 23 UCLA (7:30 p.m. ET)

RJ: The last time the Buffs traveled to a top-25 opponent, Oregon handed them their head. There was no Travis Hunter then. But he was there in the loss to the Cardinal.

Prime's Colorado will play its seventh game on national TV this year against UCLA. That matches the school record for the most CU Buffalo football games broadcast on national TV since 1990 — the year CU won the national title. People want to see this team be great or flame out. And after an embarrassing loss to Stanford in their last outing, we're gonna get to see what it's like for Prime and his team to summon a wherewithal his team hasn't demonstrated since Arizona State.

In seven games, Colorado has been penalized 69 times, the most of any FBS team. That's got to change.

Can Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter get Buffs back on track?

Laken: Colorado only needs two more wins to become bowl-eligible, but it won’t be easy. The Buffaloes, fresh off a bye week, face UCLA on the road Saturday. The last time we saw Coach Prime’s team in action was on a Friday night two weeks ago, when it held a 29-0 lead over Stanford at halftime, but ended up losing 46-43 in overtime. 

The Buffs currently have the worst defense in the Pac-12, allowing opponents nearly 475 yards per game. And the offensive line needs to better protect quarterback Sheduer Sanders, who was sacked four times against the Cardinal. So there’s a lot that needs to improve. 

Meanwhile, the Bruins are 5-2 and would become bowl-eligible with a win. Chip Kelly’s team has the best defense in the conference, which is limiting opponents to 4.3 yards per play and averaging more than three sacks a game. They’ve only allowed 12 touchdowns through seven games and last week beat the same Cardinal team that punished Colorado, 42-7.

This might be a rough one for Coach Prime and Co. in front of a sold-out Rose Bowl.

Michael: The biggest question surrounding this game is what the Bruins should do at quarterback following last week’s efficient performance from backup Ethan Garbers, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two scores while chipping in 51 rushing yards in a 42-7 beatdown of Stanford — the same team that upended Colorado earlier this month. Kelly told reporters the only reason Garbers started the game was because fellow quarterback Dante Moore was "banged up" early in the week and couldn’t log the usual amount of practice reps. Moore healed quickly enough to make a relief appearance against the Cardinal and completed four of five passes for 26 yards with the outcome long decided. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Kelly will roll with Garbers this weekend in an effort to ride the hot hand given the curtailing of Moore’s performance in recent weeks. A former five-star prospect navigating his true freshman season, Moore won the job after guiding UCLA to a 3-0 start during which he tossed seven touchdowns and just one interception. Since then, he’s thrown just three touchdown passes and six interceptions during a three-game stretch that included losses to Utah and Oregon State. Perhaps he’s finally hitting the proverbial freshman wall.

No. 3 Ohio State at Wisconsin (7:30 p.m. ET)

Laken: After beating Penn State 20-12 last week, undefeated Ohio State heads to Madison. And it will do so with a healthier roster. The Buckeyes missed injured stars like running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and cornerback Denzel Burkez against the Nittany Lions, but coach Ryan Day said he expects all three to practice this week and be available for the game. That would be a huge coup for a team that’s finally finding its footing and boasts the best résumé in the country.

Ohio State has won its last nine matchups vs. Wisconsin, including a dominant 52-21 victory a year ago. The last time the Badgers beat the Buckeyes was in 2010. No better time to pull off an upset than now, though, given who is coaching this program. Luke Fickell was born in Columbus, played for the Buckeyes, and was an assistant coach there from 2002-16. He has Wisconsin sitting at 5-2 coming off a road win over Illinois in which it erased a 14-point deficit and came back to win. With that momentum and a feisty crowd behind them, there’s a non-zero chance that Fickell’s team can spoil the Buckeyes’ season.

Joel Klatt talks Heisman race and breaks down Ohio State's offense

Michael: While there are plenty of stats that can be used to parse through Saturday’s showdown at Camp Randall Stadium, the task facing Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his team feels more mental than physical given where the Buckeyes are in their schedule. A lack of depth in the Big Ten has effectively boiled Ohio State’s season down to four games: an early non-conference trip to then-No. 9 Notre Dame, which the Buckeyes won; last weekend’s massive home clash with then-No. 7 Penn State, which the Buckeyes also won; this week’s trip to Wisconsin against what might be the best team in the Big Ten West; and the season finale against No. 2 Michigan. Having passed their first two tests, the Buckeyes will travel to Madison knowing Saturday’s game is likely the only roadblock standing between them an undefeated record ahead of the trip to Ann Arbor in late November. It’s hard to imagine forthcoming games against Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota providing any kind of test for Ohio State. So the question facing Day is this: Can he and his staff rally the troops one more time for what should be another emotional game against former OSU interim coach Luke Fickell this weekend?

RJ: Marvin Harrison Jr. is rising like a bullet to the top of the Heisman race and is penciled in as the Biletnikoff Award finalist after his 11-catch, 162-yard, TD performance against Penn State.

Harrison has 42 catches, 766 yards and six TDs. Only one Power 5 wideout has more yards and TDs while playing on an undefeated top-10 team: Washington's Rome Odunze.

No Buckeye has won the Heisman since Troy Smith (2006), and only one non-QB has won it since 2016 (DeVonta Smith). No Buckeye has won the Biletnikoff Award since Terry Glenn in 1995.

But that's the offense. Jim Knowles' defense is the spine of Ohio State’s national title hopes.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.

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