Five College Football Games for Bama Fans to Watch: Week 9

Bye week! Woohoo! I've often found the bye week kind of sucky seeing as...you know...the Tide isn't playing and all. I realize now that I need the break just as much as they do (not really, but you know what I mean.) I know I'm feeling more relaxed and recharged this week. I've even managed to finish a couple of books I've been working on a for a while (rival fans, insert coloring book jokes here:___________,) but not making much progress on because I've been reading nothing but football news on tha interwebz. I've even managed to start a third. There are several games on the schedule this week that should be more interesting than they actually are (West Virginia vs. South Florida and North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech spring to mind.) Anyway, without a Bama game on tap for the week, here are your five "must see" college football games for Bama fans to watch for Week 9 of the 2009 season. Rankings reflect BCS standings and all times are Central:

OLE MISS (25) at AUBURN
Saturday, October 31st - 11:21 a.m. - ESPN Gameplan/SEC Network

It's kind of a slow week for great games, so that's why I changed it to "Five College Football Games for Bama Fans to Watch" this week. I included this one since the Iron Bowl is on the horizon and am trying to not have all the games I pick be at the same time. The Rebels could likely get a win over Auburn two years in a row for only the second time ever.

GEORGIA vs. FLORIDA (1)
Saturday, October 31st - 2:30 p.m. - CBS

On paper, Florida should win this thing by a country mile, but they've been scraping by the last few weeks and as they say with rivalry games, "Throw the record books out the windows." Florida's going to the SEC Championship game unless a meltdown of epic proportions occurs, but a win here for Georgia would at least ease the pain of an otherwise bleak season so far.

MISSISSIPPI STATE at KENTUCKY
Saturday, October 31st - 6:00 p.m. - FSS/ESPN Gameplan

Not a game that'll interest many for sure, but I take no team for granted and the Bulldogs are on the schedule for us right after LSU, so I'm watching all that they do. Some stupid playcalling (a fake punt in your own half of the field with that much time left?) and some more Florida-centric SEC officiating made the gap on the scoreboard bigger than it should have been between the Gators and the Bulldogs. It was so close and ugly in fact that Tebow didn't attend a post-game press conference for the first time ever (apologies for bring up Tebow again.) The close game with Florida coupled with the fact that we're 1-2 against them over the last three seasons (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit typing that) means that I consider nobody a sure win these days.

TEXAS (3) at OKLAHOMA STATE (14)
Saturday, October 31st - 7:00 p.m. - ABC or ESPN2

One of two games between ranked teams this week. Texas won a close one in Austin last year and Oklahoma State would certainly love to pull the upset here as it would put the Cowboys in control of their own destiny in the Big XII South (and would have Texas fans probably cheering for Oklahoma later in the year.) Oklahoma State's best win is probably over Georgia, which in hindsight, isn't saying a whole lot. Naturally, I want Alabama to go undefeated and handle their business the rest of the way, but Texas losing to Oklahoma State certainly won't hurt our cause either if we were slip up somewhere down the line. Go Cowboys.

USC (5) at OREGON (10)
Saturday, October 31st - 7:00 p.m. - ABC or ESPN2

USC has clawed their way back in the BCS title hunt despite a loss to 3-5 Washington. Oregon State is back in the Top 10 after an opening weekend loss to Boise State. Whoever wins this game is expected to win the Pac-10, but there is still plenty of room for slip ups along the way for both teams. Once again, every Bama fans should be pulling for the Ducks in this one as it'll provide a bit more cushion for Bama, though not much because Oregon could work their way back in. Regardless of how this impacts us, it should be interesting to see if USC can notch their first win in the state of Oregon since 2005.