Both the SEC and College football The playoff race should become clearer in Week 9 of the 2025 season. The Southeast's premier college football conference will host three ranked matches on Saturday, each with major implications for the national landscape.
Two championship contenders and Ole Miss And Oklahoma are about to compete in a contest that could decide the conference championship game. No. 10 Vanderbilt looks set to stay hot against No. 15 Missouri a team that hasn't won since 2019.
No. 20 LSU highlights the evening schedule as it tries to keep its season alive against No. 3. Texas A&Mwhich is one of the six remaining undefeated teams. There are several playoff contenders outside the SEC that will face some serious road tests this weekend.
Here's a look at the Week 9 games that matter in the playoff race and what it means for both teams involved.
College Football QB Power Rankings: Georgia's Gunner Stockton tops Miami's Carson Beck entering Week 9
David Cobb
No. 8 No disturbances in No. And Oholo
Ole Miss crashed out of the undefeated Hall with a Week 8 loss to No. 5. Georgia. The Rebels now look to bounce back from a very tough ordeal. Ole Miss has lost its last nine road games to AP-ranked power conference opponents. The Rebels also haven't lost back-to-back since 2022. They are 5-0 after losing the last three seasons. While a loss here wouldn't impact their season, it would eliminate any possibility of a mistake going forward.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, is 9-1 in its last 10 home games against AP ranked opponents. The Sooners need all the wins they can get at this point, especially if they play in the friendly confines of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. A five-team matchup for the Sooners begins on Saturday. Two of those games will be on the road against a pair of top-20 opponents at No. 17. Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama. With a defeat from then not yet included in the ranking Texas Already on their roster, the Sooners should be nearly perfect over the last month and turn around. This means you can't miss your home field advantage.
No. 15 Missouri and No. 10 Vanderbilt
Missouri travels to play a very scrappy and very good Vanderbilt team in just its second road game of the season. The Tigers' star has dimmed a bit in recent weeks as they suffered their first loss of the year to Alabama and then struggled on the road against a rudderless team. Auburn team. However, Missouri ranks in the top 10 in the country in both total offense and total defense, with the potential to beat any team in the SEC. This does seem like a must-win for playoff prospects, as without it the Tigers may not be able to make it through the expected glut of two-loss Power Four teams.
Vanderbilt has already built a very strong base in its favor. The Commodores have back-to-back wins over top-15 teams for the first time in program history and will look for their third win on Saturday. They had never lost at home and achieved their highest ranking in 78 years. Even after a Week 9 loss, they'll be in good position to potentially make the playoffs with further opportunities to impress the selection committee against beatable teams like No. 22 Texas and No. 17 Tennessee.
No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 20 LSU
Despite the high ranking next to its name, it appears that Texas A&M is flying under the radar. Perhaps this is because this is the first game against a ranked opponent in over a month. It's true that the Aggies have benefited from a relatively easy SEC schedule so far – especially compared to what it could have been – but there are many advantages to doing business in an extremely chaotic season. The fact that Texas A&M is still undefeated also means they can get by with a loss this weekend, especially since they're on the road.
From here on out, every week is LSU's last gasp. The Tigers entered the season with legitimate hopes of an SEC title and a national title. They're barely hanging on as a ranked team right now. However, few results seem better to the committee than a win over a top-three opponent, and LSU could get back on track on Saturday. Any defeat between now and the last weekend of November will officially end those pre-season hopes.
Game of the week “Dark Horse”
No. 18 South Florida V Memphis
South Florida has one of the best resumes in college football. The Bulls are currently ranked 13th in ESPN's all-time rankings, ahead of the likes of Texas TechTexas, Michigan and LSU. They were the first team to achieve back-to-back ranking wins this season as they started the year 2–0, with their only defeat to date coming away against a top 10 team. Miami. A win in the American Conference would put them in pole position for a playoff bid, but there is still a long and difficult road to get to that point.
Memphis represents one of the largest remaining checkpoints. The Tigers appeared to be building their own playoff chances after starting the year 6-0 and appearing in the AP Top 25. They then suffered a catastrophic defeat from JSC team who fired former coach Trent Dilfer October 12. This will be difficult to overcome, although ranked victories will heal most wounds. Memphis is still a good team and with a win they could be back in the thick of contention in the American Conference.
