Upsets and playoff pressure shape Halloween college football slate

Saturday’s Halloween slate arrives after a turbulent October in college football, with several highly ranked teams losing to unranked opponents. Only three unbeaten teams remain as Week 9 begins, and the run of upsets has raised questions about how the 12-team College Football Playoff field will be seeded.

No. 2 Ohio State visits USC, with the Buckeyes set to start freshman Luke Fahey after Julian Sayin was injured. USC has a chance to capitalize, though the matchup also carries consequences for both teams’ Big Ten title and playoff hopes. USC lost to Wisconsin last week, while Ohio State’s only loss came against Texas.

No. 1 Miami visits North Carolina, whose defense faces a Miami offense averaging 49 points per game, the nation’s highest mark. North Carolina gave up a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against Syracuse last week. One preview picked the Tar Heels to pull off an upset; another highlighted the danger for the team facing Miami’s scoring attack.

Other games drawing attention include No. 6 Utah at Cincinnati, No. 20 Northwestern at Oregon and Kansas State at Colorado. Colorado has lost five straight, while Oregon is dealing with the loss of quarterback Dante Moore for the season and a change at offensive coordinator. The weekend also includes No. 3 Georgia against Florida, a rivalry game being played in Atlanta instead of its longtime Jacksonville site.