ESPN analysts put high-profile teams on upset watch for Week 9 slate

Entering Week 9 of the college football season, ESPN analysts David Pollack, Joey Galloway and Kirk Herbstreit joined host Rece Davis to discuss the Top 25 just one week ahead of the first College Football Playoff rankings reveal. Before concluding the show, each panelist gave one team from the list which could be on upset watch this Saturday.

From Tennessee coming off one high and ready to get up for another big game in Week 10 to TCU finishing a long road of difficult games, the upset watch picks use various pieces of logic – or a lack thereof – to determine who could be in trouble.

David Pollack: Tennessee v. Kentucky

“It’s not about Tennessee’s not as good as Kentucky, they’re better than Kentucky,” said Pollack. “But what do you have next week? You have Georgia. Kentucky – obviously (Will) Levis is getting healthy so they’re not as bad as what you look at them probably on tape. So I just think this Tennessee game, the situation – being at home I think is a huge deal – being in Knoxville with the excitement in the crowd and the fanbase.

“But I just think, be careful with the look-ahead, be careful with all the pats on the back in this ballgame.”

Joey Galloway: TCU v. West Virginia

“When you look at TCU, they just played four ranked opponents,” said Galloway. “They haven’t had a chance to breathe yet. … Now, you’re going on the road to play a West Virginia team that is 3-4. They’re coming off a game where they just got blown out by Texas Tech.”

Kirk Herbstreit: Syracuse v. Notre Dame

“You start to look for those illogical games,” said Herbstreit. The games where it doesn’t make sense to pick an upset but the emotions of the game are a big part of the wear and tear on these teams that are trying to make a run. Syracuse is an example of a team that had a magical season going. … They’re disappointed. Now they go back home and they’re playing a Notre Dame team that has been up and down, up and down.

Herbstreit also provided Oregon v. Cal as a bonus pick after seeing the Ducks knock off previously unbeaten UCLA in Week 8. He cited the long history of close games between the two sides as the primary reason for his concern about the potential outcome of the contest.