Week 9 College Football Playoff impact games: Florida-Georgia, Texas Tech-Arizona lead slate

On paper, Week 9 doesn't have much excitement. There are no AP Top 10 matchups, which are primarily reserved for a stacked week on Nov. 7. The top of the Group of Six is also devoid of marquee matchups.

But as last week showed us, the emptiest-looking weeks can bring the most chaos. Multiple preseason darlings face playoff elimination games, while title favorites try to avoid key trap games. No. 2 Ohio State debuts a new starting quarterback after the injury to Julian Sayin, while No. 22 Arizona sits waiting in the wins to crash the Big 12 championship race.

With that said, here are six games that could shape the College Football Playoff race in Week 9.

No. 22 Arizona at No. 13 Texas Tech

There are four Big 12 teams remaining in the College Football Playoff race, and one will likely be eliminated after a battle in the desert. The Red Raiders are coming off their first loss of the season, a two-touchdown stunner against Cincinnati that exposed some real cracks.

Arizona might be the most underranked team in America, sitting at 6-1 with the only loss coming against BYU on the road. The Wildcats have won their last three Big 12 games by 28.0 points per game. If they upset Texas Tech in Lubbock, the Wildcats will officially elevate themselves into the postseason conversation.

No. 25 Wisconsin at Iowa

The Battle of the Heartland could be a meaningful game heading into the home stretch of the Big Ten race. The Badgers have been one of the most pleasant surprises nationally, but fell just short in a key game against UCLA. Iowa had its first big blunder of the season, falling on the road against Minnesota last week.

A two-loss team from the Big Ten will be in a solid position heading into the College Football Playoff rankings. This is the last chance for both of these teams to cement their spot in contention.

No. 17 Florida at No. 3 Georgia

Florida had a miserable couple of weeks to start October, but the Gators are rounding into form at the right time. Backup quarterback Tramell Jones helped lead a massive upset of No. 7 Texas, which brings the Gators right back into the conversation.

Georgia is solidified in the CFP, but a second loss to an opponent outside of the top 15 would significantly impact their seeding. Florida has wins over Ole Miss and Texas on their resume, but a win over Georgia would help cement them in the home stretch with a road game against No. 9 Kentucky still remaining.

No. 1 Miami at North Carolina

The Hurricanes have cruised through the regular season, but North Carolina presents an interesting challenge. The Tar Heels have played exceptionally well defensively, aside from a poor showing against Syracuse last week, and have dragged Notre Dame's offense down for stretches in a 37-26 loss.

Miami's Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney have not faced much resistance during dual Heisman-caliber seasons. Can Bill Belichick, the greatest defensive mind in the history of football, come up with something special?

No. 2 Ohio State at USC

Saturday marks the first time we get to see Ohio State without Julian Sayin and with either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair as QB1. The Buckeyes have plenty of talent on the roster, but the offense has centered around getting Jeremiah Smith the ball. Can a backup quarterback rise to the occasion and keep the buckeyes in championship contention?

On the other sideline, USC coach Lincoln Riley is under fire and linked to other jobs following a lackluster campaign against Wisconsin. Playing Ohio State at home could be the moment that the bottom truly falls out of the Riley era -- or it could spur a playoff run. It's on Riley to find out.

No. 6 Utah at Cincinnati