College Football Predictions for Every Top-25 Game in Week 9

💰️ Prediction: Indiana 40, UCLA 13

The magical ride of UCLA, led by interim head coach Tim Skipper, is set to come to an end in Bloomington with the Bruins taking on the No. 2 team in the country. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is the Heisman Trophy odds favorite and has one of the best wide receiver duos in the country. Indiana's ferocious defense should be able to put an end to the groove Jerry Neuheisel has had UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava in the last few weeks.

💰️ Prediction: Georgia Tech 34, Syracuse 10

Syracuse's season has completely fallen apart since the loss of QB Steve Angeli against Clemson. Since then, Fran Brown's team has been outscored 99-34 and lost three straight games. So don't expect the Orange to turn it around against a Georgia Tech team that has a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff. QB Haynes King is a fringe Heisman contender, and the Yellow Jackets have one of the best run games in the country.

💰️ Prediction: Oklahoma 30, Ole Miss 24

There are a dozen reasons to tune into this game, and one of them is to see how Ole Miss rebounds coming off a loss and rumors swirling around head coach Lane Kiffin, who leads the Florida next coach odds. Plus, this game should provide us with one of the best scheme matchups of the week, with Kiffin's offense, led by QB Trinidad Chambliss, going toe-to-toe with Brent Venables' defense, led by R Mason Thomas. This is also a huge opportunity for John Mateer to prove he's healthy and can lead the Sooners to a CFP berth.

💰️ Prediction: Virginia 31, North Carolina 20

Despite all the chaos in Chapel Bill ... I mean Chapel Hill ... last week, North Carolina kept it close against Cal. However, the Tar Heels lost heartbreakingly, by fumbling a go-ahead touchdown through the back of the end zone. That's a tough pill to swallow for Bill Belichick, who was known for preaching protecting the ball around the goal line during his NFL days. But enough about this terrible Tar Heels team, Virginia is one of the best stories in college football this season. Tony Elliott has built an overachieving team via the transfer portal that just finds a way to win behind the play of QB Chandler Morris and running back J'Mari Taylor.

💰️ Prediction: South Florida 34, Memphis 27

This was supposed to be a Group of Six heavyweight bout between two American Conference teams that looked poised to meet in the conference championship with a CFP berth on the line. Instead, Memphis lost last week in an upset to a UAB team that had just fired Trent Dilfer and named Alex Mortensen interim head coach. To make matters worse, Ryan Silverfield's star QB, Brendon Lewis, exited the game and was on crutches. With Lewis likely out, Byrum Brown should lead the Bulls to a decisive victory. If there were a G6 Heisman, it would be Brown's to lose.

💰️ Prediction: Alabama 34, South Carolina 17

These teams are on completely different trajectories. South Carolina was the team that was supposed to have a potential No. 1 pick at QB, LaNorris Sellers, with CFP hopes heading into the season. Alabama was the team looking like it might fire its head coach, Kalen DeBoer, after a brutal Week 1 loss to Florida State. Now, Ty Simpson is playing QB at as high a level as anyone for the Crimson Tide, and Alabama looks like one of the three best teams in the country. With NFL talent all around him on offense, Simpson should continue to play like a future first-round pick on Saturday.

The Under on Sellers' passing yards against an underrated Alabama defense is one of my favorite college football player props for Week 9.

💰️ Prediction: Missouri 31, Vanderbilt 30

For the first time in over a decade, ESPN's College GameDay will be in Nashville for a Vanderbilt football game. That's the Diego Pavia effect, with the Commodores' star QB trending toward a Heisman Ceremony invite. However, don't count this Missouri team out, with the winner of this matchup likely to push for a College Football Playoff spot. The Tigers are loaded with NFL talent from running back Ahmad Hardy to pass rusher Zion Young, and Missouri's trench play could be the difference.

💰️ Prediction: BYU 27, Iowa State 26

This might be one of the most competitive matchups of Week 9, with BYU heading to Ames undefeated against an Iowa State team that hasn't lost at home this season. However, Matt Campbell's program is coming off two straight road losses, and the Cougars have one of the most violent teams in the country thanks to a fierce run game led by freshman QB Bear Bachmeier and a front seven with NFL talent, led by Jack Kelly.

💰️ Prediction: Washington 31, Illinois 27

When Illinois and Washington play middling Big Ten programs, they look like they may be taking that next step. And when the Fighting Illini and Huskies play upper-tier Big Ten programs, they lose by double digits. So this should be a fun game between fairly equally talented teams with playmakers on offense that are worth getting eyes on. Jedd Fisch's team should come out victorious in a high-scoring game at home thanks to the three-headed monster of Demond Williams Jr., Jonah Coleman, and Denzel Boston.

💰️ Prediction: Texas Tech 37, Oklahoma State 6

Despite losing to Arizona State last week, it's hard to imagine the Texas Tech roster funded by billionaire Cody Campbell not making a push to the Big 12 Championship. We can chalk that loss up to the Red Raiders being down starting QB Behren Morton, and while he'll be out again this week with freshman Will Hammond set to start again, Oklahoma State doesn't stand a chance. The Pokes' offense is abysmal, and Texas Tech's defense is littered with NFL talent. Look for Red Raiders pass rusher David Bailey to have another ridiculous performance.

💰️ Prediction: Cincinnati 40, Baylor 31

If you miss the old Big 12, this game is for you. Baylor and Cincinnati both have two of the most underrated QBs in the country, Sawyer Robertson and Brendan Sorsby, two of the best tight ends in the country, Michael Trigg and Joe Royer, and a trio of big-play receivers. Sorsby is quietly a fast-rising QB prospect, too, and behind his play, the Bearcats might even be a potential CFP long shot. This should be a treat if you love touchdowns.

💰️ Prediction: Texas 24, Mississippi State 20

Nobody knows what to do with Arch Manning at this point. Texas was dragged to OT by a mid Kentucky team last week, a week after beating Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry behind one of Manning's most promising performances. Now there are questions about whether Steve Sarkisian should give up play-calling for the Longhorns. It's a wasted season for a Texas team that has a College Football Playoff-caliber defense, but this matchup against a Mississippi State team that's lost three straight games will be a telling sign of how bad things are in Austin. 

💰️ Prediction: Oregon 38, Wisconsin 3

Wisconsin seems content to pretend that Luke Fickell has job security left, but another massive blowout to a Big Ten blue blood will definitely lead to athletic director Chris McIntosh questioning if he should wait any longer to move on. Meanwhile, Oregon bounced back in a big way from its loss to Indiana in Week 7 by beating Rutgers by 46. This should be a similar outcome with Ducks QB Dante Moore playing at a Heisman-level and tight end Kenyon Sadiq looking like one of the biggest mismatches in the country.

And oh yeah, Oregon will be wearing some of their coolest uniforms yet as the Ducks don their newest threads as part of their "Generation O" series, which are inspired by the Grateful Dead.

💰️ Prediction: Miami 38, Stanford 10

The last time we saw Miami, the Hurricanes did what any good Mario Cristobal team does: lost to a team they shouldn't lose to in ugly fashion. Despite Carson Beck's total collapse last week against Louisville, the Hurricanes should beat up this Stanford team that's being led by interim head coach Frank Reich. Miami just has way too much talent in the trenches, namely Rueben Bain Jr. and Francis Mauigoa, for the Cardinal to compete. But if I have to say something nice about Stanford, their left tackle, Niki Prongos, will be playing on Sundays. 

💰️ Prediction: Texas AM 27, LSU 24

Can Mike Elko's team go into Death Valley on a Saturday night and come out victorious? If Texas A&M can get this win, it will put the Aggies in the driver's seat to make the College Football Playoff. It will also increase the whispers around Brian Kelly's future at LSU into shouts, especially if the Tigers can't keep the score relatively close. And while LSU's defense has enough talent to bottle up Marcel Reed and Co., the Tigers' lack of a run game should ultimately put them to bed early. It's going to take Garrett Nussmeier's best game of the season for LSU to win.

💰️ Prediction: Louisville 37, Boston College 10

Louisville would be in an obvious letdown spot after taking down the No. 2 team in the country last Friday night if not for the fact that the Cardinals are playing Boston College. The Eagles are riding a six-game losing streak, and Bill O'Brien's seat is scorching, with BC's only win coming over an FCS program (Fordham). Louisville has so much athleticism on both sides of the ball with players like Chris Bell and Clev Lubin, so I don't see BC keeping this close. Jeff Brohm's name is even popping up for the Florida job.

💰️ Prediction: Michigan 34, Michigan State 17

The Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy might not be much of a battle this year. Michigan's won this matchup three straight seasons, outscoring the Spartans 102-24. With Bryce Underwood continuing to show flashes of superstardom, it might not even matter if Justice Haynes is healthy enough to play for the Wolverines. Michigan's defense alone could win this matchup with how unblockable Derrick Moore has been and how inconsistent Michigan State's offense has been during its four-game losing streak. Jonathan Smith seems closer to being fired than turning MSU's season around.

💰️ Prediction: Tennessee 30, Kentucky 17

While Tennessee's defense has taken a major step back this season, to the point the Volunteers have zero shot at the CFP, Josh Heupel's offense remains one of the best in the country. Joey Aguilar, DeSean Bishop, and Chris Brazzell II should make enough plays to win, but Kentucky tends to muck things up for more talented teams. Mark Stoops' program held Texas to just 16 points in an OT loss last week, but it also hasn't scored more than 14 points in three straight games. 

💰️ Prediction: Arizona State 24, Houston 23

It's hard to gauge how good Arizona State is ... the Sun Devils lost to a bad Mississippi State team, beat a ranked TCU team, lost by 32 to Utah, and then upset Texas Tech last week. Injuries have hurt Kenny Dillingham's team a ton, with QB Sam Leavitt missing the Utah game and now star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson set to miss this one. Without Tyson, who has carried ASU's offense all season, Houston should make this a tight game. Willie Fritz has this team 6-1 behind its run game and loaded front seven.