Three more top-10 teams went down last Saturday. BYU lost to UCF in double overtime, Cincinnati handled Texas Tech, and Texas finally beat somebody good by holding off Ole Miss. Oh, and Indiana needed overtime to score a touchdown at Michigan. Week 9 lands on Halloween, so expect more weirdness. Here are my 10 picks.
College Football Week 9 Picks ATS
| Matchup | Spread | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) | UGA -11.5 | Florida +11.5 |
| Ohio State at USC | OSU -6.5 | USC +6.5 |
| Utah at Cincinnati | UTAH -6.5 | Cincinnati +6.5 |
| Arizona at Texas Tech | TTU -3.5 | Texas Tech -3.5 |
| Auburn at Ole Miss | MISS -13.5 | Ole Miss -13.5 |
| South Carolina at Oklahoma | OU -5.5 | South Carolina +5.5 |
| Miami at North Carolina | MIA -14.5 | Miami -14.5 |
| Mississippi State at Texas | TEX -21 | Texas -21 |
| Northwestern at Oregon | ORE -3.5 | Northwestern +3.5 |
| Notre Dame vs. Navy | ND -30.5 | Notre Dame -30.5 |
Saturday, Oct. 31
Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) — Florida +11.5
The Cocktail Party’s in Atlanta this year, 3:30 on ABC. Georgia’s coming off a bye, but the last time we saw them, Gunner Stockton turned it over three times in the Auburn loss. That’s not the kind of thing that goes away in two weeks.
Florida already went into Austin and beat Texas with a freshman QB, Tramell Jones, making his first start. I’m not saying the Gators win this one. I’m saying 11.5 is a lot of points for a Georgia offense I don’t trust right now. Gators.
Ohio State at USC — USC +6.5
I know USC just got embarrassed 24-7 at Wisconsin. Rough look. But Ohio State’s going cross-country without Julian Sayin, who’s out several weeks with an arm injury. The Buckeyes barely got past Indiana 19-15 with him for most of it.
In the Coliseum, against Ohio State’s backup QB, getting almost a TD? I’ll take USC.
Utah at Cincinnati — Cincinnati +6.5
Utah is unbeaten, sure. Look at how they’re doing it, though. Up 13-0 on Colorado at half and won by three. Had to rally to get past Houston 21-13. They’re not exactly blowing people out.
Cincinnati just beat Texas Tech 37-24, and it wasn’t a fluke. The Bearcats can run it. Home crowd, two wins in a row over ranked teams on the table. Bearcats with the points.
Arizona at Texas Tech — Texas Tech -3.5
Tech got punched in the mouth at Cincinnati, no way around it. Now they’re home against Arizona, and I think they come out mad. A field goal and a hook isn’t much for a team that was 6-0 a week ago. Red Raiders.
Auburn at Ole Miss — Ole Miss -13.5
Ole Miss lost 34-27 at Texas, and Trinidad Chambliss got picked off on the last play trying to tie it. Tough way to go out. But the Rebels fell behind 24-3 and nearly came all the way back, which tells you plenty about the offense.
Back home in Oxford, I like them to put up a big number. Auburn pulled off the Georgia upset two weeks ago, but going to Oxford is a tough spot. Lay it.
South Carolina at Oklahoma — South Carolina +5.5
South Carolina just beat Tennessee on a walk-off field goal. Oklahoma has a good defense, but the offense is a different story. They coughed it up four times in the 21-13 home loss to Kentucky two weeks ago, including a pick-six at the end.
The total’s only 44.5. In a game like that, give me the points with the team that’s playing with some confidence. Gamecocks.
Miami at North Carolina — Miami -14.5
Miami needed two OTs against Florida State, then went out and dropped 52 on Pitt. That’s the version I expect here. The Canes are 7-0 and the only unbeaten team left in the top five. Lay it.
Mississippi State at Texas — Texas -21
Mississippi State lost QB Kamario Taylor for the season with a toe injury. They already got shut out 31-0 by LSU without him. Now they go to Austin.
Texas finally looked like Texas against Ole Miss, at least for a half. Up 24-3 before it got interesting. Big number, but I don’t see where Mississippi State gets points from. Longhorns.
Northwestern at Oregon — Northwestern +3.5
Oregon already has three losses, scored 10 points against Illinois last week, and fired its offensive coordinator. That’s a mess.
Northwestern’s won four in a row. Sure, the schedule’s been soft, but the Wildcats also only lost to Indiana by a touchdown on the road. I just can’t lay points with an Oregon offense that’s changing play-callers midseason. Wildcats.
Notre Dame vs. Navy — Notre Dame -30.5
Notre Dame lost to BYU on the last play and has had a week off to stew about it. Playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and they need style points now.
Navy’s triple option shortens games, which is the only real worry with a number this big. I still think the Irish take it out on somebody. Lay it.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of Oct. 27, 2026, and subject to change before kickoff. This content is for informational purposes only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
