College Football Playoff picture: What to watch during Ohio State's second bye week

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State fans won't get to watch their team play in Week 9, but that does not mean college football stands still.

No. 1 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0) is off Saturday before playing in five consecutive weeks in November to conclude the regular season. Although the Buckeyes get a break before hosting Penn State on Nov. 1, many other national title contenders will be in action and look to improve their playoff positioning.

Here is a look at the changes to the projected 12-team playoff field in the past week, plus what to watch for this weekend.

Three new teams enter the picture

NBC4 looks at the AP rankings for playoff projections until the initial official playoff rankings begin on Nov. 4. Of all the projected brackets NBC4 has looked at in the last year and a half, this may be one of the most well balanced with blue bloods, great matchups, and exciting new faces.

This week's field is highlighted by the addition of three new teams and the ascension of others. If you go back in time two years, you would have had a better chance of winning the lottery than predicting Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt all being top ten teams and playoff contenders.

The Hoosiers are ranked second in the country and are a legitimate national title contender. In this projection, they would play the winner of Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt in a quarterfinal. For a neutral college football fan, that is a breath of fresh air.

The last new team is Big 12 leader BYU, which stands undefeated after beating Utah and watching Texas Tech lose to Arizona State. Ohio State does not seem likely to lose its No. 1 spot anytime soon as it would face Ole Miss or Miami in this projected 12-team field.

This bracket is also the first where the Big Ten and SEC occupy all four slots for byes, something that was not possible last season. Assuming all high-seeds won in this field, Ohio State would play Alabama and Indiana would face Texas A&M in the semifinals.

The curious cases of the ACC and Big 12

College football fans and analysts can confidently say that the Big Ten and SEC should bring more than one team to the playoff. The same cannot be said of the Big 12 and maybe even the Atlantic Coast Conference.

ACC projections were turned upside down in Week 8 after former No. 2 and previously undefeated Miami lost to Louisville. This propelled Georgia Tech and No. 16 Virginia to the top of the conference standings. SMU, Pittsburgh, Duke, Louisville, and California all join Miami as one-loss teams within conference play.

BYU is one of two teams without a loss in Big 12 play alongside No. 21 Cincinnati. All season, the Big 12 has been filled with upsets and chaos, so don't expect that to end soon. Arizona State and Texas Tech are in the thick of the race, and few are talking about Houston, which is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

With enough upsets in the future, it could be quite difficult for the ACC or Big 12 to bring more than one team into the playoff. Last season, the ACC had two teams (Clemson and SMU) and the Big 12 just one (Arizona State).

Toughest game left for notable ACC teams

• Georgia Tech: Georgia (Nov. 28)
• Virginia: at Duke (Nov. 15)
• SMU: Miami (Nov. 1)
• Pittsburgh: Notre Dame (Nov. 15)
• Duke: Virginia (Nov. 15)
• Louisville: at SMU (Nov. 22)
• California: at Louisville (Nov. 8)
• Miami: at SMU (Nov. 1)

Toughest game left for notable Big 12 teams

• BYU: at Texas Tech (Nov. 8)
• Cincinnati: BYU (Nov. 22)
• Arizona State: Houston (Saturday)
• Texas Tech: BYU (Nov. 8)
• Houston: at Arizona State (Saturday)

What to watch in Week 9

UCLA at No. 2 Indiana (Saturday, noon): Somehow, someway, the second-ranked Hoosiers face a trap game from the Bruins in Big Ten play. Indiana has been sensational but faces a red-hot UCLA squad that has won three straight after starting 0-4. This game could be a lot of fun.

No. 18 USF at Memphis (Saturday, noon): This could be a do-or-die game for each team's playoff chances in the American Conference. USF has a clear path to the playoff but Memphis, who suffered an upset loss to UAB last week, can devour the Bulls' chances with a home win on Saturday.

No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.): Of the three all-ranked SEC clashes, the one in Nashville is certainly one of the best to watch. Quarterback Diego Pavia has turned the Commodores into a legitimate contender to win the conference, but Missouri is always hanging around ready to pounce.

BONUS - No. 1 North Dakota State at No. 2 South Dakota State (Saturday, 8 p.m.): In the Football Championship Subdivision, the top two teams are playing each other and are rivals to boot. Top-ranked NDSU and No. 2 SDSU enter the 118th meeting in the Dakota Marker rivalry undefeated as both chase an FCS national title.