We’re looking ahead to Week 9 of the 2025 college football season. Odds for this week’s games have not been released yet, but it never hurts to get an early start on predicting what will happen in Week 9.

Like Week 8, Week 9 continues the meat of the conference schedules for most teams. In the new, expanded versions of the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12, that means quality matchups just about every week.

A lot can happen between now and then – injuries are a big one – but it’s never too early to look at Week 9. The College Football Playoff race is starting to really heat up at this point in the season. Make sure you stay on top of the CFP by checking out the College Football Championship odds and our experts’ predictions for this year’s CFP championship.

College Football Week 9 Schedule

College Football Week 9 Odds

Keep an eye on the latest College Football odds from the top online betting sites and monitor how the lines change throughout the week.

College football Week 9 lines are not available yet, but sportsbooks will start posting them closer to the start of the 2025 season and closer to Week 9.

Make sure you check ScoresandStats top handicappers each week of the college football season. They can help you understand how to approach some of these big point spreads and game totals.

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College Football Week 9 Predictions

Let’s take a look at the featured College Football Week 9 games and make our NCAAF picks for each game.

Texas A&M Aggies @ LSU Tigers Odds

Texas A&M has a real shot at doing some damage in the SEC this season. Head coach Mike Elko returns eight starters to a defense that finished 33rd in the nation in scoring (23.3 ppg). The Aggies biggest problem was pass defense. They finished 13th in the SEC in pass defense and that needs to change.

Elko will have plenty of experience back in the secondary. Will Lee III returns at corner as an All-SEC selection. The offense will go as QB Marcel Reed goes. Reed returns after taking over during the season last year. He finished with 1,864 passing yards and 543 more on the ground. The Aggies actually led the SEC in scoring averaging 29.4 points per game in conference games.

Like A&M, LSU could surprise the SEC with the return of Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. There are many who think he’ll be a first-round NFL draft pick next year. Nussmeier threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024 and that’s one of the reasons why he’s considered a strong Heisman Trophy candidate.

Texas A&M Aggies @ LSU Tigers Predictions

The home team has won eight straight in this SEC rivalry. The Aggies won last year in Reed’s coming out party. He rushed for three touchdowns after coming off the bench to spark the Texas A&M win.

The difference in this game will come down to which defense is better at this point in the season. LSU head coach Brian Kelly has said that this is his best roster in his four seasons in Baton Rouge. Give the advantage to the home team.

Bet: LSU Tigers (NA)

Ole Miss Rebels @ Oklahoma Sooners Odds

This is a matchup that hasn’t happened a lot in the history of college football. These two college football teams have met just twice ever. The most recent was last year in Oklahoma’s first season as a member of the SEC. The Rebels won the game 26-14.

With the win, Ole Miss is now 2-0 in the series. The other win came in the 1999 Independence Bowl. Last year’s win sparked a three-game SEC win streak for the Rebels that included a 28-10 win over Georgia. Ole Miss would go on to finish 10-3 last year.

Oklahoma had an uncharacteristic season in 2024. The Sooners went 6-6 in the regular season then lost to Navy 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The offense was terrible last year and head coach Brent Venables went to the transfer portal to snag former Washington State QB John Mateer. Three starters are back on the offensive line and Mateer will have WR Deion Burks back.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has to start from scratch, for the most part, on both sides of the ball. The Rebels return just two starters of offense and two on defense. Kiffin will rely on lefty Austin Simmons to replace NFL first-round draft pick QB Jaxson Dart.

Ole Miss Rebels @ Oklahoma Sooners Predictions

Both teams will have new quarterbacks running the offense. Mateer has FBS experience having started at Washington State. Simmons had limited opportunities behind Dart last season.

I would expect Venables to fix the offense and improve upon the 2024 season. Plus, the Sooners are at home while the Rebels just played at Georgia in Week 8. That’s a tough two-game stretch for a team that replaced 20 starters from last season.

Bet: Oklahoma Sooners (NA)

Alabama Crimson Tide @ South Carolina Gamecocks Odds

One of the best-kept secrets in the SEC is South Carolina. The Gamecocks burst onto the scene in 2024 after starting the conference season with three losses to LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama. Head coach Shane Beamer then led South Carolina to six straight wins, including a huge upset of in-state rival Clemson.

Now, Beamer returns a ton of talent, including QB LaNorris Sellers, and has a favorable schedule in 2025. The Gamecocks don’t play Georgia, Florida, or Texas in the regular season this year.

Alabama is trying to rebound from 9-4 in 2024 in head coach Kaleb DeBoer’s first season. The Tide will do it with a new quarterback. Ty Simpson takes over for Jalen Milroe. Alabama will have seven starters back on defense.

The Crimson Tide has won four of the last five games in the series. The last time Alabama lost to the Gamecocks was 2010 and that game was played in Columbia, the site of this year’s game. The two teams have only played 17 times and Alabama has won 14. Two of the three losses have come at South Carolina.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ South Carolina Gamecocks Predictions

The Gamecocks should have the advantage here. Sellers is a proven, quality SEC quarterback. WR Nyck Harbor (6-5, 240) is an absolute freak and three starters returned on the offensive line. The Gamecocks defense is no joke either. They finished fourth in the SEC last year in total defense.

Alabama lost three regular season games in 2024. All three were conference games and all three were on the road.

Bet: South Carolina (NA)

Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans Odds

It’s Big Brother versus Little Brother in this in-state Big Ten rivalry. Michigan owns the rivalry with a 74-38-5 record in the series. The Spartans had a nice run between 2008 and 2015 where they won eight of the nine games. Michigan has won the last three straight, including last year’s 24-17 win in Ann Arbor.

All eyes are on freshman QB Bryce Underwood at Michigan. The offense returned three offensive line starters and plenty of wide receiver experience. When talking about Michigan, the defense always gets some recognition. This year’s unit could rival last year’s despite the loss of early-round draft picks DT Mason Graham and CB Will Johnson.

Michigan finished 17th in the nation last year in scoring defense, allowing opponents 19.9 points per game. The Spartans will enter the second season under head coach Jonathan Smith. MSU finished 5-7 last year. After losing to Michigan, the Spartans finished the 2024 season 1-4 over their final five games. 

Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans Predictions

This is a huge in-state rivalry. Smith turned around Oregon State, but it took him a good four years to see results. MSU does return QB Aidan Chiles, but he was pretty erratic in 2024. The Spartans defense returned five starters and should be able to carry the team while the offense figures things out.

The Michigan offense will go as Underwood goes. The defense will once again be special and that is what wins games in college football. Michigan relies on its ground game and defense to get another win over its in-state rival.

Bet: Michigan Wolverines (NA)

Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Iowa Hawkeyes Odds

This rivalry goes back several decades and began in 1891. Minnesota won the first 12 games in the series and holds a 63-53-2 lead, but the Hawkeyes have dominated the series recently. Iowa has won nine of the last 10 games in the series.

Interestingly, the road team has won each of the last two. Minnesota’s only win in the last 10 years was a 12-10 win at Iowa in 2023. Head coach P.J. Fleck and the Gophers will be hard-pressed to repeat that task in 2025. Fleck must replace his quarterback once again.

It’s pretty simple for Fleck. Run the football and play great defense. It’s a similar recipe for Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa Hawkeyes. That’s why Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in FBS. The Hawkeyes went 8-5 last season, winning four of their last five Big Ten games.

Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Iowa Hawkeyes Predictions

Under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester, Iowa averaged 26.7 points per game, a drastic improvement over the 15.4 ppg in 2023. Still, with these two defenses, the Under is always worth consideration. We’ll have to wait and see what the line looks like.

Iowa will also replace its quarterback, but they will do so with two-time FCS championship game MVP and Harlon Hill winner Mark Gronowski. Gronowski led South Dakota State to two national titles and he is the ultimate dual-threat weapon. With his experience and savvy, the edge goes to the home Hawkeyes.

Bet: Iowa Hawkeyes (NA)

Wisconsin Badgers @ Oregon Ducks Odds

Wisconsin went a very uncharacteristic 5-7 last season, losing each of its last five games of the season. One of those was to the Ducks at home. The Badgers kept it close but ultimately fell 16-13.

It was the fourth straight win for the Ducks against Wisconsin, the first as Big Ten members. Oregon beat Wisconsin in the 2019 and 2011 Rose Bowls.

Oregon is set to reload after earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff last season. Dante Moore, former UCLA transfer, takes over at quarterback for Dillon Gabriel. Moore will have some weapons, including former Tulane RB Makhi Hughes who rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. WR Evan Stewart is back and the big question will be the offensive line.

Wisconsin brought in Billy Edwards Jr. was brought in to take over at quarterback after the Badgers averaged just 22.2 points per game in 2024. The defense should be good again. They were Top 50 in scoring and 14th in pass defense last season.

Wisconsin Badgers @ Oregon Ducks Predictions

It’s never easy going out west to play at Oregon. The Ducks have won 15 straight at Autzen Stadium. Moore should step in and make the transition at quarterback pretty smooth for the Ducks.

The Badgers may be able to keep this one close with a defense that returned six starters. Luke Fickell’s teams are always on another level defensively. The issue for the Badgers in 2025 will be the same issue they had last year – quarterback. Fickell brought in former Kansas assistant Jeff Grimes as the new offensive coordinator.

Still, the advantage goes to the team picked to finish in the top three of the Big Ten and, potentially, earn another playoff bid.

Bet: Oregon Ducks (NA)

BYU Cougars @ Iowa State Cyclones Odds

BYU ripped off nine straight wins to start the 2024 season. Time will tell if they do it again. The schedule is conducive to another great start. The Cougars face Utah at home the week prior to this game.

These two programs don’t have much history meeting just five times prior to this year. The last meeting came in 2023. Iowa State won easily 45-13 in Provo. The Cyclones earned their fifth straight win over the Cougars. All of the previous four games were played in 1974 or earlier.

The Cougars ended up 11-2 last season. Two late losses to Kansas and eventual Big 12 champion Arizona State derailed any playoff aspirations. The Cyclones won their first seven games last season then lost two straight to Texas Tech and Kansas before going 4-1 to finish the season, resulting in an 11-3 final record.

BYU Cougars @ Iowa State Cyclones Predictions

The Cyclones return six starters on offense, including QB Rocco Becht who has started since his freshman season. The offensive line returns four starters and RB Carson Hansen (13 TDs) is back. The defense also has six starters back and ISU is one of the top contenders to win the Big 12 title in 2025.

BYU also returns its starting quarterback, Jake Retzlaff. Leading rusher LJ Martin and leading receiver Chase Roberts are also back. The defense will feature several new faces and the Cougars aren’t likely to sneak up on anybody this year.

The Cougars should make this one interesting, but the Cyclones win at home.

Bet: Iowa State Cyclones (NA)

Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks Odds

It’s the Sunflower Showdown, something that never captivated much attention outside the state of Kansas for years. Historically, these are two of the worst programs in college football. Among FBS programs, Kansas State (.463 winning percentage) ranks 115th and Kansas (.473) 110th.

Kansas holds a 65-52-5 lead in the series which is saying something since Kansas State has won the last 16 straight against the Jayhawks. Under head coach Chris Kliemann, the Wildcats have gone 36-17 the last four seasons. That includes a Big 12 championship in 2022.

Lance Leipold took over at Kansas in 2021 and went 9-4 just two years later. Some injuries led to a poor start last season and a 5-7 overall record, but the Jayhawks won five of their last seven games in 2024.

Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks Predictions

If there is a year when Kansas finally breaks the streak, this is it. The Jayhawks are at home where their last win in the series came in 2008. QB Jalon Daniels returns for his senior season. He almost led Kansas to the upset last season.

Kansas led late in the fourth quarter before a 51-yard field goal in the final two minutes gave Kansas State a 29-27 victory. Daniels threw for 209 yards and ran for 66 more, scoring two total touchdowns.

Leipold is a builder of champions. It was Year 4 when Buffalo went 10-4 and went to the MAC championship game. It’s Year 4 at Kansas and the Jayhawks get the upset and break the streak.

Bet: Kansas Jayhawks (NA)

Best College Football Week 9 Bets

Each week throughout the 2025 NCAAF season, the ScoresandStats college football experts put their heads together and come up with their best bets. Of the 7 to 10 games previewed each week, our handicappers will pick two or three of the bets they feel most confident.

Here are our favorite bets this week:

• South Carolina to Win
• Michigan to Win
• Oregon to Win
• Iowa State to Win
• Kansas to Win