Weekly Review from behind the desk College Football: 2024 Week 9 Edition

In this article we will talk about all things CFB that we saw from the Sportsbook point of view at BetAmapola sportsbook. We will do a college football recap, as well as a separate NFL recap. You can follow along at @BetAmapola on twitter and @AmapolaCasino on Instagram so you can get a real time look at the action we are taking and where the money is at, along with any other juicy nuggets we can provide. Feel free to send us a DM on twitter or contact the Amapola Resort located in beautiful Jaco Beach, Costa Rica for more information. 

Most Important stories of the week: 

1. Undefeated Teams: Only eight teams remain undefeated, including seven Power Four teams and Army from the Group of Five.
2. Ranked Teams Dominate: AP-ranked teams went 9-0 against unranked teams, extending their 36-game win streak over the past two weeks.
3. Dillon Gabriel Shines: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel threw three touchdowns, moving to second in FBS history with 143 career passing scores, 12 behind Houston's Case Keenum.
4. Penn State Rallies: Backup QB Beau Pribula led No. 3 Penn State to a 28-13 comeback win over Wisconsin after Drew Allar left the game. Allar's status remains up in the air ahead of the upcoming clash vs. Ohio State. 
5. Ohio State Holds On: No. 4 Ohio State narrowly beat Nebraska 21-17, extending their 45-game win streak vs unranked opponents.
6. A&M Comeback: Texas A&M came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to beat No. 8 LSU 38-23. Switching QBs from Conner Weigman to Marcel Reed did the trick. 
7. Notre Dame Dominates: No. 12 Notre Dame crushed No. 24 Navy 51-14 for their largest win over a ranked team since 1992.
8. Indiana's Historic Run: Indiana remains undefeated under Coach Curt Cignetti with their 31-17 win over Washington. The Hoosiers did not need starting QB Kurtis Rourke to get off to their best start since 1967. 
9. Alabama's Shutout: No. 15 Alabama blanked No. 21 Missouri 34-0 for its first shutout vs. a ranked team since 2018.
10. Boise State's Star RB: Ashton Jeanty continued his dominant season, rushing for 100-plus yards for the seventh straight game as Boise State made a large CFP statement in a Friday night win over UNLV. 

Expanded Playoff:

We’re already seeing one byproduct of the expanded CFP.

Group of 5 teams have a lot more to play for. I’m not saying they had nothing to play for before, but when there’s a designated spot in the 12-team CFP field, it just feels different. Northern Illinois just picked up a win that might be unmatched by any of its peers with a top-five win over Notre Dame. Boise State had an opportunity to get a win over Oregon to majorly boost its CFP resume and just missed out — but should still get credit for playing the Ducks so closely. The committee is well-aware of Ashton Jeanty and what damage he can do. This matters! And I think we’re already seeing that in effort, motivation and even in results so far. Overall, I think this gives more fanbases a chance to hope for glory, and it has been really fun to watch.

Personal Thoughts and Nuggets:

-NIL and Transfer Portal narrowing the gap: 

We are not seeing as many dominant teams anymore in college football as we did throughout the last decade. Texas put a beat down on the Sooners, and are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Next week they host UGA, and this will tell us A LOT about both teams future national championship hopes.  Outside of Texas, we are seeing many highly ranked teams struggle. While a lot of fans have been outraged with the NIL rules and Transfer rules, there is no doubt that is has made the competitive environment even tighter. 

Welcome to the Party 

Pittsburgh has emerged as an ACC title contender

The No. 21 Panthers grabbed a 17–15 victory over visiting Cal on Saturday, moving to 6–0 and 2–0 in league play. It is Pittsburgh’s first 6–0 start in 42 years. Pittsburgh has leaned on its defense, which has improved week over week, and found an identity offensively for the first time since capturing the ACC title in 2021. Head coach Pat Narduzzi’s offseason hire of former Western Carolina Catamounts offensive coordinator Kade Bell has paid immediate dividends, and the Panthers have a talented freshman quarterback in Eli Holstein steering the ship.

Lookahead: Key Games in Week 10 (Nov. 1-2)

• San Diego St at No. 17 Boise St (Friday)
• No. 1 Oregon at Michigan (CBS)
• Florida vs No. 2 Georgia
• No. 4 Ohio St at No. 3 Penn St
• Duke at No. 6 Miami
• Louisville at No. 9 Clemson
• Texas Tech at No. 10 Iowa St
• No. 19 Pitt at No. 22 SMU
• Air Force at No. 23 Army (CBS)

Check back in on Tuesday for a recap of the NFL weekend and get some great injury news that will help you handicapping Week 7.

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