College football Week 9 schedule and predictions

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 21: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after rushing for a 69 yard touchdown in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines on October 21, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Matt Campbell of the Iowa State Cyclones before the match-up against the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 10, 2016, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

No. 4 TCU at No. 25 Iowa State

Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 27, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN2

Matt Campbell has single-handedly put Iowa State on the map as one of the top 25 teams in the country heading into this weekend’s matchup against TCU. Iowa State has had some signature wins these past few weeks, upsetting Oklahoma and easily beating Texas Tech.

On the flip side, TCU finds itself in a similar situation, hanging onto a final playoff spot, but needing to win out the rest of its games in order to get the last spot.

Three Things to Watch

1. Can TCU continue to rattle off big wins?

This is the million dollar question, TCU continues to impress behind Kenny Hill, but will it last another week against Iowa State? Their offense has been dominant and their defense has followed suit, suffocating their opponents.

Their biggest wins include West Virginia and Oklahoma State in back-to-back weeks. Now Matt Campbell and the Cyclones will host the Horned Frogs in a big game.

2. Can Iowa State effectively run the ball?

So far this season, the TCU run defense has been extremely stingy, only allowing 80 yards per game on the ground. On the flip side, David Montgomery and the Cyclones’ rushing attack has been rushing for over 120 yards per game.

If the Cyclones can control the clock and the run the ball down TCU’s throat, they may have a chance in this game. Otherwise, it could be a long afternoon.

3. Can Kenny Hill continue to lead the TCU offense?

Kenny Hill, the ex-Aggie signal caller has been sensational for Gary Patterson and TCU in his re-emergence as a top quarterback. He’s thrown for over 1,700 yards this season, featuring a touchdown to interception ratio of 15 to three.

The Horned Frogs’ offense passes for nearly 270 yards per game every week, while the Cyclones give up 230 yards through the air each week. If Hill can cause damage in the passing game, Iowa State may really have a difficult time.

TCU over Iowa State, 37-20.

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