College football Week 9: Picks and preview

For the first time since November 2019, Coastal must rebound from a regular-season defeat, after falling 30-27 at Appalachian State last week. The Chanticleers no longer have the inside track to the Sun Belt East Division title, and Troy is no pushover. Coastal Carolina will be looking for a third consecutive victory over the Trojans, but its previous two victories in the series were decided by five points combined.

Prediction: Troy (+18)

Baylor is the surprise team in the Big 12 this season and enters this contest trying to go 5-0 at home. The Bears, though, have lost five of the last six meetings with Texas. Speaking of the underachieving Longhorns, they'll try to avoid a third consecutive loss after falling to both Big 12 Oklahoma schools by a combined 15 points. The inconsistency of the Texas football program is quite maddening, and the Bears should be able to take advantage of that this weekend.

Prediction: Baylor (-3)

For the first time in the history of this storied rivalry, both teams are 7-0. The last time both entered the matchup ranked in the top 10 was 1964. So, the pregame hype is well justified. Michigan ranks fifth in the nation averaging 253.3 rushing yards, but the Spartans' Kenneth Walker III is No. 1 in the country at 142.4 yards per game. Michigan State pulled off a stunner at Ann Arbor last season, but the Wolverines will try for a third consecutive victory at East Lansing.

Prediction: Michigan State (+4 1/2)

Pitt appears to be in the driver's seat atop the ACC's Coastal Division. The Panthers have also outscored their opponents 184-52 during their current four-game winning streak. Now, the focus will be on snapping a three-game skid against Miami, which has been one of the more disappointing squads in 2021 but will look to build on a needed 31-30 victory over then-No. 18 North Carolina State from last weekend.

Prediction: Pitt (-9)

Cincinnati struggled to a 27-20 victory over a one-win Navy squad on the road last week. but is still in position to be part of the College Football Playoff. Now, it faces another American Athletic Conference opponent with one victory in Tulane. The same Green Wave group that nearly upset Oklahoma in Norman in their season opener. While Cincinnati's offense had its issues last weekend, the Bearcats' defense remains among the best in the nation and still has not allowed more than 24 points in a game this season.

Prediction: Cincinnati (-24 1/2)

Iowa's College Football Playoff dreams might have been dashed with that stunning home loss to Purdue two weeks ago. The Hawkeyes are still in the mix for the Big Ten West Division title, but so is Wisconsin. The Badgers will be looking for a fourth straight win after beating those same Boilermakers by 17 points. The Hawkeyes' 28-7 home victory last season snapped their four-game skid in this border rivalry.

Prediction: Wisconsin (-3)

A winner of three in a row, Iowa State is back in the Top 25 and among a crowd tied for second in the Big 12. We know about quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Breece Hall, but Cyclones receiver Xavier Hutchinson (46 receptions, 539 yards, five touchdowns) is coming off an impressive 12-catch, two-touchdown performance against Oklahoma State. West Virginia snapped a three-game skid by winning at TCU but has dropped three in a row to Iowa State.

Prediction: West Virginia (+7)

It's cocktail party time once again. The atmosphere should be something special and expect favored Georgia to be primed for a big day after losing 44-28 to the Gators last season. While there's plenty on the line for the Bulldogs, Florida seems to have all sorts of issues -- on and off the field. Should the Gators find a way to pull out a victory here, that would really be something. Then again, it's been a strange college football season, so anything is possible.

Prediction: Georgia (-14)

The Sooners were less-than-stellar in rallying for a win over lowly Kansas last week. Yet, they are still undefeated, in the mix for a College Football Playoff bid, and likely the most consistent squad in the Big 12. Shifting the focus to this weekend's matchup, Oklahoma will aim for a 10th straight victory over Texas Tech, which is one win shy of bowl eligibility but dealing with the recent firing of coach Matt Wells.

Prediction: Texas Tech (+19)

Oregon is not getting much love as a possible College Football Playoff participant. With one loss that's understandable, but the Ducks are still the class of the Pac-12. They've also been pretty good at winning those tight games, going 4-1 in contests decided by seven or fewer points. Including last weekend's 34-31 victory at UCLA. Oregon has also won seven of the last eight meetings with Colorado.

Prediction: Oregon (-24)

When the 2021 season started, not many would have predicted that entering the last weekend of October the ACC's only undefeated team would be Wake Forest. The Deacons have been quite the story, paced by a potent offense that averages 43.1 points. They just dropped 70 on Army, but also have reason to be concerned since 56 points were allowed in that matchup -- and 127 over their last three games. Wake will be trying for a third straight victory over Duke.

Prediction: Duke (+16 1/2)

Ole Miss and Auburn join Alabama each with one loss in the SEC West Division, so the importance of this matchup is pretty high. Auburn is back in action after winning at then-No. 17 Arkansas two weeks ago, and has won five straight in this series. The Rebels, however, have won three in a row and are quite the confident squad. That said, this road contest is another opportunity for Ole Miss to prove it should be taken seriously within the confines of the SEC.

Prediction: Auburn (-2 1/2)

Yes, Cincinnati gets all the attention in the American Athletic Conference, but SMU and Houston are also in the mix for a league title. Averaging 42.7 points, the Mustangs don't seem to mind getting into a fast break with opponents if needed. Though, SMU is giving up 22.7 points per game. Houston has averaged 38.3 points while winning six in a row following its opening 38-21 loss to Texas Tech. SMU will be looking for a third straight victory in the series.

Prediction: Houston (-1)

Kentucky has had two weeks to move on from that 17-point loss to No. 1 Georgia. So, it will be interesting to see how the Wildcats react in this road contest that might have a trap-game feel. Mississippi State has won two of its last three games but is 0-2 at home in the SEC. That said, Kentucky is mired in a five-game road losing streak against the Bulldogs. This could end up being one of the more intriguing matchups of the weekend.

Prediction: Kentucky (-1)

Kansas led undefeated Oklahoma after three quarters at home last weekend before falling 35-23. While Oklahoma State might not be up to the caliber of its Bedlam rivals, it's won 11 straight and 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Jayhawks. The Cowboys need to rebound from their first loss of the season -- at Iowa State last weekend. That shouldn't be too tough, however, considering Kansas is 0-55 on the road in the Big 12 since winning 35-33 at Iowa State on Oct. 4, 2008.

Prediction: Oklahoma State (-30)

The Irish seem back on track with two consecutive wins following that 24-13 home loss to Cincinnati. They've totaled 63 points in beating Virginia Tech and USC since that setback. Which likely won't bode well for the underachieving Tar Heels, which has allowed 114 points during a three-game losing streak to Notre Dame. Interestingly enough, this will be just the second official, true road game for North Carolina in 2021.

Prediction: Notre Dame (-3 1/2)

If Penn State lost in nine overtimes to lowly Illinois, just how in the heck will it beat surging Ohio State on the road? The answer: unlikely. Of course, as we saw in Happy Valley last weekend, stranger things have happened. Looking to avoid a third straight defeat, the Nittany Lions expect quarterback Sean Clifford (15-of-92 for 489 yards with four touchdowns, three interceptions) to be full-go for this matchup. But even completely healthy, Clifford faces a major task against a Buckeyes defense that's allowed a total of 44 points over the last four games. Oh yeah, Ohio State is averaging 57.8 points during that span.

Prediction: Ohio State (-18 1/2)

A couple of 6-2 teams meet for some non-conference action. One of the hottest teams in the ACC, Virginia will try for a fifth straight victory. The Cavaliers have averaged 40.0 during that undefeated run, but three of those wins have come by eight or fewer points. BYU, meanwhile, avoided a third straight loss in getting by Washington State last weekend. The Cougars last dropped back-to-back home games in the same season during the 2017 campaign.

Prediction: Virginia (+3)

Another undefeated squad should be tested this weekend. SDSU leads the West Division of the Mountain West Conference, but Fresno State is one of those teams on its heels. The Aztecs rank among the nation's top defenses, allowing 15.7 points per game. But, they've totaled just 39 points in the last two contests. Fresno has yielded 30 or more points four times in 2021, but also pitched two shutouts this season.

Prediction: San Diego State (-1)

This was once the game of the year in the ACC, now it's a matchup of teams trying their best to become bowl eligible. However, there is some intrigue to this year's meeting. Florida State has totaled 127 points while going 3-0 since its 0-4 start. Meanwhile. Clemson ranks 115th in the country in scoring (20.0 points per game) and the status of struggling quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (1,102 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions) is uncertain, though he seems to still be the man. The Tigers have won the last five meetings with the Seminoles.

Prediction: Florida State (+10 1/2)

For a while, it seemed as if the Big Ten West Division was Iowa's to lose. The Hawkeyes are still likely the favorite to end up on top, but at the moment they are tied with surging Minnesota. The Gophers will be looking for a fourth consecutive victory while trying to improve to 3-0 on the road this season. They won their most recent trip to Evanston, back in 2019. The Wildcats have been outscored 96-35 while going 1-2 this month.

Prediction: Northwestern (+7 1/2)

Though Utah is tied with Arizona State atop the Pac-12 South Division, both the Utes and UCLA are chasing the Sun Devils in the race. Each squad is looking to rebound from a loss, but the Bruins have health concerns regarding quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1,639 passing yards, 14 TDs, three INTs; 364 rushing yards, six TDs). Utah has won four in a row over UCLA, including the last three by an average margin of 36.0 points.

Prediction: Utah (-6 1/2)