Week 9 college football picks: Washington-Utah, Clemson-Florida State, more

It’s the final weekend before the November stretch run, and several teams face critical matchups to set the stage for the final month of the season. Can West Virginia and Baylor keep their undefeated seasons alive on the road against Oklahoma State and Texas, respectively? Can Florida stay atop the SEC East with a win in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party? Can Washington pass perhaps its toughest test of the season in a trip to Utah? Can Nebraska seize nearly insurmountable control of the Big Ten West and stay unbeaten at Wisconsin? And Can Clemson clear its last major hurdle of the regular season in a visit to rival Florida State?

Week 9 is full of marquee games whose results will reverberate through the rest of the season and into the College Football Playoff Selection process. It’s the last chance for teams to impress the selection committee ahead of its first rankings of the season on Tuesday. Who will prevail in the biggest games of the weekend? SI’s Andy Staples, Pete Thamel, Lindsay Schnell, Brian Hamilton, Joan Niesen, Colin Becht and Gabriel Baumgaertner make their picks.

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