Top 5 matchups for Week 9 of the 2024 college football season
1. No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M – Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
LSU and Texas A&M have a storied rivalry dating back to 1899 and the intensity has only picked up with the programs playing annually since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. LSU leads the series with a 36-23-3 record and had seven straight wins over Texas A&M from 2011-17, but the teams have split the last six matchups with the Tigers defending home field last season in a 42-30 victory.
LSU will look to become the first road team to win in the series since 2016 but will enter College Station as slight underdogs on Saturday night. The Tigers lost their season opener to USC but have picked up some nice wins over South Carolina, Ole Miss and most recently Arkansas. LSU will hope to keep its momentum going defensively after allowing just 10 points to the Razorbacks last time out, while its eighth-ranked passing offense led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will play a big factor in getting past the Aggies.
Texas A&M shut down the last ranked opponent to come to College Station, Missouri, in a 41-10 blowout. The Aggies followed that up with a nice 10-point win at Mississippi State and are also 6-1 with their lone loss coming in their first game of the year against Notre Dame. Mike Elko has his team playing solid football right now as the Aggies maintain a top-50 scoring offense despite quarterback Conner Weigman dealing with a shoulder injury. If the defense can step up yet again, Texas A&M could be looking at a win that vaults it into the College Football Playoff picture.
