Crisis time approaches for teams aspiring to the national championship with the first college football playoffs to be determined next Tuesday. Although there were three major rivalries involving the top five teams on Saturday, no advantage spreads to less than two touchdowns. As such, if disruptions do occur, they will be significant.
Today, there are a couple of important competitions between the Big Ten. No. 2 Ohio State opened at No. 13 in Pennsylvania in the Buckeyes’ first legitimate Test of the season, a Test they nonetheless favored by 15.5 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook. While the Nittany Lions have already suffered a loss in the campaign, they have a domestic advantage against the competition they have struggled to eliminate over the past decade. In the Night Hat, fourth place hosts Michigan State as the favorite with 22.5 points. The Spartans are simply hoping to keep their season from falling apart, while the Wolverines are focused on staying undefeated before their clash with the Buckeyes at the end of the regular season.
Set between the SEC on CBS Game of the Week with Georgia and Florida meeting No. 1 at the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party. The Bulldogs’ 22.5-point spread is the largest in the rivalry’s history, and they enter a week later that Dawgs have enjoyed after outperforming Auburn and Vanderbilt by 97-10 aggregates in the past two weeks. The Gators’ only losses this season have been to the currently ranked teams – all of whom played tough – but they haven’t reclaimed past glory under new coach Billy Napier.
By the time Saturday’s move ends, we’ll have a much clearer picture of what the initial CFP ratings will look like once Tuesday. Be sure to stick to CBS Sports all day for coverage of college football from the start of the inaugural game onwards. Let’s take a look at our experts’ picks for the best games of Week 9.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times are oriental
No. 2 Ohio in No. 13 Pennsylvania
Featured game | Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Bucks
nun | Fox fuboTV (try for free)– Penn State is at its best when it can run the ball. Ohio State’s defense has been impressive this season, and the Buckeyes should be able to limit what Penn State does on the ground. This puts a cap on Pennsylvania’s offensive production. However, Penn State plays better with Ohio State on the defensive end than most other teams, and it may force the Buckeyes to switch to a more running game than usual. So, if I’m betting on anything here, I’m taking it. Prediction: less than 61 – Tom Fornelli
Florida vs No. 1 Georgia
Featured game | Georgia Bulldogs vs Florida Gators
3:30 PM | CBS, CBSSports.comAnd the CBS Sports . app – Georgia will win and will do it easily. The Florida defense will have no answer to what Bulldogs offensive coordinator Todd Monken plotted during farewell week, and it’s impossible to create a scenario in which Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson develops a passing game on the field. With that said, Georgia coach Kirby Smart will likely take his foot off the gas as quickly as possible, which will allow Florida to maintain that within three touchdowns. Prediction: Florida +22.5 – Barrett Sally
No. 9 Oklahoma in No. 22 Kansas
Featured game | Kansas State Wildcats vs Oklahoma State Cowboys
3:30 PM | Fox fuboTV (try for free)– This match could turn into a weekend game and a race remover to rematch with the TCU in the Big 12 Championship. Both teams are turbulent, and there are questions about who will start at the Kansas State quarterback. Last weekend proved, however, that both Adrien Martinez and Will Howard are up to the task of leading this offense. If both teams have to rely on quarterback depth and supporting reps, give me K-State at home over Oklahoma State. Prediction: Kansas -1.5 – Sheehan Jiraj
No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee
Featured game | Tennessee Volunteers vs Kentucky Wildcats
7 pm | ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)– These teams combined had 87 points last season and should score a lot again. Although the Wildcats have struggled offensively at times this season, QB Will Levis should be closer to 100% on the week. Kentucky is also expected to recover leading wide receiver Tayvion Robinson from a shin injury and a correct tackle for Jeremy Flax again from a hamstring problem. The weather is supposed to be great, and that means conditions will be ripe for the record. Prediction: more than 62.5 – David Cope
Michigan State at No. 4 Michigan
Featured game | Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan Spartans
7:30 PM | ABC, fuboTV (try for free)– Jim Harbaugh has yet to defeat Mel Tucker since the latter arrived in Michigan. That changes on Saturday. The Wolverines are the deepest, most talented and most physically fit team on every level coming into this match. Really, trying to find a single Michigan advantage in this game is a fool’s errand. There’s always the potential for weird rivalry game noises, but Michigan State simply might not be good enough even to make things interesting. Prediction: Michigan -22 – Jiargah
What college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 9, and which top 20 players will drop the hardest? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the difference – all from a proven computer model that has made close to $3,000 in profits over the past six seasons – and find out.
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