And once again, No. 1 goes down. The experts got it wrong, including our very own college football gurus who backed former No. 1 Texas against No. 5 Georgia. The Bulldogs, who were the nation’s top-ranked team up until Week 4, are now back in the No. 2 slot after their 30-15 victory over the Longhorns on Saturday night.

Another former No. 1, Alabama lost for the second time this season in Week 8. The Crimson Tide were upset 40-35 by Vanderbilt in Week 6. Last Saturday, Alabama traveled to SEC rival Tennessee and lost to the Vols 24-17. Now 5-2, the Crimson Tide’s shot at a College Football Playoff berth is dwindling. Tennessee (6-1) is still in the thick of the SEC title race and has a great shot at making the CFP.

Texas, Alabama, and Michigan were the three ranked teams to lose in Week 8. All three teams lost to ranked opponents. The Wolverines, last year’s national champion, dropped a 21-7 decision to No. 22 Illinois. The Illini have since moved up to No. 20 in the latest AP Top 25.

All of the remaining ranked teams that played last week were winners. That included No. 2 Oregon, a 35-0 winner over Purdue on Friday night. No. 6 Miami won in a shootout over Louisville, 52-45. Both No. 13 BYU and No. 9 Iowa State survived and won. BYU beat Oklahoma State at home on Friday night 38-35. Ironically, Iowa State also won at home on Saturday night by the exact same score.

Like Texas, Alabama, and Michigan, our Scores & Stats experts took one on the chin last week. It’s never an exact science and that oblong-shaped ball takes some weird bounces sometimes. How will it bounce in Week 9? Let our experts preview and predict the best in Week 9 college football action.

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College Football Week 9 Odds

Keep an eye on the latest College Football Odds and monitor how the lines change throughout the week.

Week 9 will not disappoint fans and bettors either. Five matchups of ranked opponents top the schedule this week, led by three in the SEC. No. 1-ranked Oregon will return home to host No. 20 Illinois. It’s the Ducks’ first week as the top-ranked team in the country. Can they hold on to the spot for longer than a week?

No. 5 Texas is back in action against No. 25 Vanderbilt. Remember, the Commodores are the team that upset Alabama earlier this season. This game is also in Nashville. You can bet officials at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville are already making sure the goalposts can’t be removed should the Commodores pull another upset.

No. 8 LSU is at No. 14 Texas A&M. When those two get together, it is usually very entertaining. The other matchup of ranked opponents pits No. 12 Notre Dame against No. 24 Navy in a game that will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Navy (6-0) is off to its best start in years and they have been known to give the Fighting Irish trouble.

Week 9 offers a few surprises as well. Ohio State didn’t play last week but will host Nebraska on Saturday. The surprise is that the Buckeyes are 25.5-point favorites over a Nebraska team that is 5-2. The Cornhuskers got pummeled on the road by No. 13 Indiana 56-7. The other surprise is No. 2 Oregon which will host No. 20 Illinois as a 25-point favorite.

Last week, the New Mexico-Utah State matchup had the highest game total of the season. It closed at 77.5. The final score was 50-45 in favor of New Mexico. This week, there are no totals above 70 and Texas Tech-TCU is the largest so far at 66.5. Both teams rank in the Top 45 in scoring offense and the teams rank 103rd (TCU) and 110th (Texas Tech) in scoring defense. Both teams allow more than 32 points per game.

College Football Week 9 Schedule

With over 65 College Football games scheduled for Week 9, the following is a list of the featured games of the week:

College Football Week 9 Predictions

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

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Navy Midshipmen Odds

This rivalry dates all the way back to 1927. The Notre Dame-Navy game was played annually all the way up through the 2019 season. The two teams didn’t meet in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams resumed the rivalry in 2021. The Irish hold a commanding 80-13-1 lead in the series.

Notre Dame has won the last six straight games in the series. Navy’s last win was in 2016, a 28-27 upset victory in a game played in Jacksonville, Fla. The Irish have won nine of the last 10 games in the series, but Navy has covered the spread in six of the ten. Last year, Notre Dame won at home, 42-3, as 20.5-point favorites.

The Fighting Irish are 6-1 SU this season, 5-0 SU in their last five games. The only loss was a 16-14 upset at the hands of Northern Illinois. They are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games dating back to last season.

Navy (6-0) is off to its best start in years. The Midshipmen have scored 34 or more points in all six of their games and they are averaging 43.6 points per game. After last season, head coach Brian Newberry hired Drew Cronic, the former head coach at FCS Mercer. Cronic runs a hybrid Wing-T that includes elements of Navy’s former triple option offense. Navy is third in the nation in rushing (277.8 ypg) and 27th in total offense (436.4 ypg).

Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Navy Midshipmen Predictions

This will be the toughest test for the Midshipmen so far this season. Navy and Army are both unbeaten and sit atop the American Athletic Conference standings. This game won’t affect those standings, but Navy is still in the mix for a playoff spot. How they play on Saturday will go a long way in determining whether or not they make it.

The Fighting Irish have been cruising along after their upset loss to NIU back in Week 2 of the season. Notre Dame has ripped off five straight wins and they are 4-1 ATS in those games. The defense has been outstanding, allowing just 10.8 points per game in that stretch. The Irish have yet to see an offense like Navy’s and they won’t see one after this week either. Preparing for it could be difficult.

Notre Dame ranks 27th in run defense, allowing 113.1 yards per game on the ground. The Irish, as always, will have a clear advantage in talent, but the Navy offense is an equalizer. The triple option and the multiple shifting and use of motion will keep the Irish guessing.

On the other end, the Navy defense will have its hand full with a Notre Dame offense that averages over 35 points per game. While Navy ranks third in the nation in rushing, Notre Dame isn’t that far behind. The Irish run for 209.6 yards per game, which ranks 12th in FBS. Notre Dame can play the same ball-control type game that Navy can. It should be an interesting battle, but in the end superior talent wins out.

Bet: ML pass, Notre Dame -11.5, Over 52

Washington Huskies vs. Indiana Hoosiers Odds

One of the bright surprises this year has been Indiana. New head coach Curt Cignetti had taken James Madison from the FCS through its transition to the FBS. The Dukes, if eligible, would have played in two straight Sun Belt title games and gone to bowls. After his success at JMU, Cignetti took the job at Indiana this past offseason. He said he would win, just Google him.

And win he has. Indiana is 7-0 after last week’s 56-7 blowout of Nebraska. Now, the Hoosiers are back at home against Washington this week. The Huskies are 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS this season. They are coming off a 40-16 loss to Iowa last week. Despite the three losses this season, Washington is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games. They have also won eight of their last ten road games.

Indiana is 6-1 ATS this season, having covered their last six straight. They failed to cover in their season opener as 25.5-point favorites over FIU. The Hoosiers won that game 31-7. Indiana has won its last five straight at home and they are 5-0 ATS in their last five Big Ten conference games.

The Hoosiers offense is special. They rank No. 2 in the nation in scoring, averaging 46.5 points per game. Their average scoring margin of 28.5 points ranks third in the country. The Hoosiers have scored 42 or more points in each of their last six games.

Washington Huskies vs. Indiana Hoosiers Predictions

The big news out of Indiana this week is that starting QB Nathan Rourke will not play. Rourke, a transfer from Ohio University, is one of the top quarterbacks in the country this season. He is completing 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s thrown just three interceptions.

Tayven Jackson, who came in last week and went 7-for-8 for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Nebraska, will get the start. Jackson is no stranger to the starting job at Indiana. He’s held it before and Cignetti has complete confidence in him. Jackon, who initially went to Tennessee before transferring to Indiana, started five games for the Hoosiers last year as a redshirt freshman.

Indiana does have one of the nation’s best passing games, ranking 12th in the FBS averaging 310 yards per game. Now without Rourke, Indiana will go up against the best pass defense in all of FBS. Washington allows just 127.2 passing yards per game. The Huskies have allowed more than 130 passing yards just once all season. That was against rival Washington State, an Air Raid team that relies heavily on the pass.

The Hoosiers are a similar, pass-first type of offense. If they can have success with Jackson running the offense, Indiana can roll to its eighth victory. If not, the Huskies can keep it close. Keep in mind that Cignetti, at James Madison and Indiana, is 16-1 SU and 14-3 ATS in his last 17 games. The Hoosiers are 4-0 SU and ATS against Big Ten opponents this season.

Bet: Indiana -250, Indiana -6.5 (-110), Under 53 (-110)

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Oregon Ducks Odds

After a 35-0 win over Purdue last Friday night, the Oregon Ducks moved up to No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. That was because former No. 1 Texas lost to Georgia. The Ducks are 7-0 and off to their best start in the Dan Lanning era. Illinois is 6-1 after a big 21-7 win over Michigan last week.

Oregon has won eight straight games dating back to last season. They have won 12 straight at Autzen Stadium and they have stacked up well against Big Ten opposition. The Ducks are 5-0 SU in their last five games against Big Ten opponents. Oregon is also strong against the number when it counts. The Ducks are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games played in the month of October.

In addition to being 6-1 SU, Illinois is 5-1-1 ATS this season. The Illini have covered their last five straight on the road. Illinois and Oregon have only met once in the last 30 years. That was back in 1995. Oregon won 34-31 at Autzen Stadium but failed to cover as a 4-point favorite.

Illinois moved up to No. 20 after its convincing win over Michigan last week. It was the Illini’s second straight win after its only loss of the season, which came at Penn State on Sept. 28. Like Oregon, Illinois is very good on defense. Both teams rank in the Top 35 in scoring defense.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Oregon Ducks Predictions

Oregon gets to defend its No. 1 ranking, but has to take on a tough No. 20 Illinois. The Ducks do get to play at home, where they smoked Purdue last Friday night 35-0. Oregon gets the benefit of an extra day of preparation. Illinois is coming off a huge 21-7 win over Michigan last week. Now, they make the trip west.

Illinois prides itself on defense and ball control. The ball control could be a problem now that RB Kaden Feagin is done for the season. Head coach Bret Bielema has been in this position before and his teams have responded. In the four seasons Bielema has been at Illinois, the Illini have played 14 games as a road underdog. Illinois is 11-3 ATS in those games.

The Oregon offense may prove too tough to stop. The Ducks may take a page from the team they beat last week, Purdue. The Boilermakers and their redshirt freshman QB Ryan Browne didn’t fare to well against the Ducks last Friday, but the week before, they put up over 500 total yards and 49 points against Illinois. Oregon’s offense is much more efficient than Purdue’s.

As a double-digit favorite at Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning is 22-1 SU and 15-8 ATS. Lanning’s Ducks have played two games with extended rest in which they were favorites of 14-plus. They won both games by a combined score of 79-19. Also of note as pointed out by our Scores & Stats experts, there is a trend among these types of ranked matchups since 2010. When one of the teams is a favorite of 20 or more, the favorite is 24-1 SU and 17-7-1 ATS.

Bet: ML pass, Oregon -21.5 (-110), Under 54.5 (-110)

Missouri Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Odds

It’s another SEC clash between two ranked teams as No. 15 Alabama hosts No. 21 Missouri. It’s the Tigers second straight game over a team from Alabama. Missouri rallied to beat Auburn 21-17 last week. The Tigers failed to cover as 4.5-point favorites.

Alabama had a rough go as well, losing on the road at Tennessee, 24-17. QB Jalen Milroe threw two interceptions and the Tide gave up 414 yards of total offense to the Vols. It was the Tide’s second loss of the season, which will have an effect on their CFP standing. Alabama still has games against LSU and rival Auburn in the regular season finale.

Alabama and Missouri have played four times since 2012. The Tide has won all four games and they are 3-1 ATS. The last meeting was in 2020. Alabama won 38-19 but didn’t cover as a 28.5-point favorite. The Tide has had trouble with the number this year. They are 2-4 ATS. Alabama has won 16 of its last 19 games and the Tide has won nine in a row at home.

Missouri is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games. The Tigers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18. They have also covered on the road recently, going 5-1 ATS in their last six away games. The Tigers are 6-1 SU and, after Alabama, face a schedule that doesn’t have a ranked opponent on it. That could help propel Missouri to the SEC title game as well as the playoff.

Missouri Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Predictions

Alabama finds itself in a tough spot here. It’ll be tough from here on out. Another loss will most likely keep the Crimson Tide out of the first-ever 12-team playoff. With its loss to Tennessee last week, the Tide are now 5-2 with both wins coming to teams in the state of Tennessee. Alabama has also lost its last three games against the spread.

Losing to Tennessee may be just what head coach Kalen DeBoer needed. Since 2012, Alabama is 12-0 SU and 10-2 ATS in the game after playing Tennessee. The Tide won their last two home games, but barely got by South Carolina 27-25 and beat Georgia by a touchdown, 41-34.

Missouri has been inconsistent. They needed to comeback last week to beat Auburn. The Tigers trailed 17-3 in the third quarter before scoring 18 unanswered points to pull out a 21-17 win. Missouri struggled in a 41-10 loss to Texas A&M and needed two overtimes to beat Vanderbilt 30-27.

What Missouri does have though is an offense with an experienced quarterback in Brady Cook and one of the nation’s best wide receivers in Luther Burden. Alabama’s Achilles heel has been in the deep passing game and Tennessee exploited that last week. Look for the Tigers to try to do the same.

Bet: ML pass, Missouri +14 (-110), Under 56.5 (-110)

Texas Longhorns vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Odds

The Longhorns will try and shake off last week’s upset, but they’ll have to be careful. Vanderbilt knocked off a No. 1 Alabama earlier this season. The Commodores are 5-2 SU with losses to Missouri and Georgia State. The two losses came in Week 2 and 3 just before Vandy started its current three-game win streak with that upset win over the Crimson Tide.

Now, the Commodores will face a Texas team that is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games. The Longhorns, now ranked No. 5, still have all of their goals ahead of them. They can still win the SEC and earn a CFP berth. They’ll need to beat the No. 25 team in the country first though.

Since the dawn of college football, Texas has a losing record against only six schools. One of those is Vanderbilt, 3-8-1. Don’t put too much into that though. The two schools haven’t played since 1928. In addition to their 5-2 SU start, Vandy is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games. Head coach Clark Lea is building his alma mater into a winner. Beating Texas at home after beating Alabama would be monumental in Vanderbilt’s history.

Despite the loss last week, Texas is still 13-2 SU in its last 15 games. The Longhorns have covered the spread in eight of their last 11 games and they have won eight straight on the road. Vandy has only won two of its last 12 SEC games and three of its last 13 games played in the month of October.

Texas Longhorns vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Predictions

There is no quarterback controversy at Texas. Quinn Ewers will start at Vanderbilt on Saturday. He was benched briefly in last week’s loss to Georgia. Head coach Steve Sarkisian wasted no time in telling the media early this week that Ewers was QB1.

On paper, the Longhorns have the better roster on both sides of the ball. The game, though, isn’t played on paper. Just ask Alabama. The Commodores are pretty good defensively, but they are vulnerable against the pass. Even in the win over Alabama, Vandy gave up 310 passing yards. The Commodores rank 94th in the nation against the pass and Texas is a top 15 passing offense.

The Texas defense has experienced some injuries and the Longhorns will be without safety Derek Williams and safety Andrew Mukuba is questionable. If you have yet to see Vandy QB Diego Pavia play, this is the week. The guy is a gamer. He led New Mexico State to a 10-5 record last season and now he’s 4-2 at Vandy. Never count him out.

Vanderbilt has led all three of its SEC games this year at the half. The Commodores are 4-2 ATS this season against FBS opponents and they’ve covered against all Power 4 teams they’ve played. Vandy is at home and remember what happened the last time they played a top 5 team at home.

Bet: ML pass, Vanderbilt -18.5 (-110), Over 53.5 (-110)

LSU Tigers vs. Texas A&M Aggies Odds

These two teams have played 62 times throughout the course of their histories. They will play Saturday as the No. 8 (LSU) and No. 14 (Texas A&M) teams in the country. They will also play for the 13th time as members of the SEC. The rivalry has provided many memorable games, including 2018’s 74-72 shootout in seven overtimes. That game provided the impetus to change overtime rules. If a game is tied after two overtimes, teams alternate two-point conversions until there is a winner.

The Tigers and Aggies have alternated wins for the past seven seasons. The home team has won each game. LSU won last year in Baton Rouge, 42-30. The Tigers were ranked No. 14 at the time. The last time there was a repeat winner in the series was in 2017. LSU actually won seven in a row against the Aggies starting with the Cotton Bowl played at the end of the 2010 season.

That stretch of wins gives LSU a 10-3 SU record in the last 13 meetings. The Tigers are also 12-1 ATS in those 13 games. This is the first year for Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko. The Aggies are off to a great 6-1 SU start. They’ve won six in a row since their season-opening loss to Notre Dame. Texas A&M hasn’t been strong against the number though. The Aggies are just 2-5 ATS this season and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.

LSU Tigers vs. Texas A&M Aggies Predictions

As mentioned, the home team has won every game in this series for the past seven seasons. Texas A&M is rolling with six straight wins. So is LSU. After a season-opening embarrassing loss to USC, a loss that looks even worse now, LSU has also ripped off six straight wins.

The Aggies recently got starting QB Connor Weigman back, but he was awful in his team’s 34-24 win over Mississippi State last week. Texas A&M does run the ball very well. The Aggies rank 24th in the nation, averaging just below 200 yards per game. That running game could prove effective in keeping the ball away from an LSU offense that averages over 34 points a game.

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier leads one of the top 10 passing attacks in college football. The Tigers average 337 passing yards per game. That is the sixth-best mark in the FBS. Elko and Texas A&M make their money with good defense. The Aggies rank 16th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 19 points per game.

The problem for Texas A&M is that while their run defense is a top 20 unit, their secondary leaves much to be desired. The Aggies rank 52nd in Opponent Passing Success Rate and they’ve given up 240-plus passing yards to four of their last five opponents. None of those opponents are as strong as LSU in the passing game. That’s how LSU keeps this game close.

Scores & Stats experts also point out that fading home favorites that have been bad against the spread recently is a good move. Remember, Texas A&M is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games and they are favored here at home. In a recent 500-game-plus sample, the road underdog covered over 56 percent of the time.

Bet: ML Texas A&M -140, LSU +2.5 (-105), Over 53.5 (-110)

SMU Mustangs vs. Duke Blue Devils Odds

These two teams have only played each other twice in college football history. Both of those games were played back in the 1950s. This game will go a long way in determining who plays for an ACC championship. It’s SMU’s first season in the conference and the Mustangs are unbeaten at 3-0 in ACC play. Duke is 6-1 overall, 2-1 in the ACC.

SMU is also 6-1 with its only loss coming to No. 11 BYU by a score of 18-15. The Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference title last year and are now 15-2 SU in their last 17 games. They travel well and their road record shows it. SMU is 8-0 SU in its last eight road games. The Mustangs are 5-2 ATS in their seven games this season.

Duke has a new head coach. Manny Diaz took over when Mike Elko left for Texas A&M. The Blue Devils haven’t really missed a beat. Going back to last year, Duke is 8-1 SU in its last nine games. They are 6-2-1 ATS in those nine games and the Blue Devils have won seven straight at home.

SMU Mustangs vs. Duke Blue Devils Predictions

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee has been known for his prolific offenses. This year’s Mustangs are no different. They average over 40 points a game, but it’s the SMU defense that is the reason why the Mustangs are among the favorites to win the ACC. SMU is a Top 50 defense in both scoring (22.8 ppg, 44th) and total yards allowed (344.3, 37th).

Diaz was the former defensive coordinator at Penn State last season. Most remember how dominant the Nittany Lions defense was a year ago. Duke’s defense this season is outstanding. The Blue Devils rank 23rd in the nation in scoring defense allowing 19.7 points per game. They are 32nd in total defense, giving up 334.8 yards per game.

The difference in this one comes down to the SMU offense. It’s simply better than Duke’s. The Blue Devil offense ranks outside the top 100 in both rushing and passing success rate. SMU puts up points with the best of them. They rank in the top 20 in scoring and the Mustangs will be the best offense the Duke defense has faced all season.

This one should be a beauty. Two strong defenses should be able to get some stops. Both offenses should have some success, SMU moreso than Duke. In the end, it’s hard to see a defense as good as Duke losing by two touchdowns. SMU was a double-digit favorite four times this season. The one time they didn’t cover was against BYU, a team very similar to Duke.

Bet: ML pass, Duke +11.5 (-110), Under 48.5 (-110)

Best Bets for College Football Week 9

Last week was the first week our Scores & Stats experts struck out on our best bets. Our guys backed a pair of 4.5-point favorites in Rutgers and Missouri. The Scarlet Knights were upset at home and Missouri had to rally just to beat Auburn by four.

This week, after careful examination of the Week 9 schedule, the Scores & Stats college football staff came up with these two best bets.

• Tulane @ North Texas Team Total Over 27.5
• Arkansas -6.5 @ Mississippi State

North Texas operates one of the best passing attacks in all of college football. The Mean Green are No. 2 in the country in passing yards per game (367 ypg). That has helped them score an average of 42.3 points per game, which ranks sixth in the country. Tulane is a Top 50 pass defense but they did give up 271 passing yards to Rice QB E.J. Warner last week. North Texas has scored 35 or more points in all but one game. That was a 66-21 loss to Texas Tech.

Mississippi State has lost six straight games and they’ve allowed at least 30 points in each of those losses. Arkansas had an extra week off to recover from its 34-10 loss to LSU. The week prior to that, the Razorbacks had beaten Tennessee. It was a huge win. Arkansas is now 5-2 ATS this season and they have covered their last six road games in a row.