College football’s top 5 matchups of Week 9

1. No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 13 Utah – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX

The Pac-12 has delivered quality matchups time and again this season, and another one is on the horizon on Saturday with No. 8 Oregon taking on No. 13 Utah. The two programs have faced off 36 times since 1933, with the Ducks leading the all-time series 24-12. However, the Utes have earned wins in three of the last five matchups, including a victory in the 2021 Pac-12 Championship game before the Ducks got revenge with a close 20-17 win in Eugene last year.

Another close game should be expected on Saturday in Salt Lake City between two teams that play different styles. Utah has used a top-five run defense and top-15 total defense to get off to a 6-1 start, with its only loss coming on the road to Oregon State. The Utes have picked up some nice wins over Florida, UCLA, and most recently USC, winning a last-second nail-biter in Los Angeles last weekend. Junior quarterback Bryson Barnes stepped up in a big way against the Trojans, and will need to do so again this weekend and beyond with Cameron Rising ruled out for the season.

Meanwhile, Oregon is all about the offensive side of the ball, as it ranks No. 2 in the nation in both scoring offense and total offense. That is thanks in large part to Heisman candidate Bo Nix who has thrown for 2,089 yards, 19 touchdowns and just one interception this season. Running back Bucky Irving has also had another nice year, and has come on as of late with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. Like Utah, Oregon is 6-1 and suffered just one conference road loss to Washington two weeks ago. Both of these teams are not only in the Pac-12 title hunt, but are also hanging around in the College Football Playoff picture, which should create a thrilling, high-stakes game on Saturday afternoon.