College Football Week 9 Schedule and Odds: Bragging Rights and More at Stake for Top Teams and Conference Contenders Across the Country

Even though last week’s college football schedule featured no games between two ranked teams, it ended up being quite the exciting week.

Illinois and Iowa State Take Down Top Teams

We were treated to the first nine-overtime game, which ended with top-ten Penn State being upset at home by 2-5 Illinois. Penn State wasn’t the only top-ten team to take a tumble against an unranked foe, as Oklahoma State went down at Iowa State. The Cyclones had a bumpy start, but they are now back in the thick of the Big 12 title race. Elsewhere, Oklahoma had to stave off an upset bid from Kansas, whose last win over an FBS team was exactly two years ago. And Alabama needed a huge fourth quarter to see off Tennessee, who put up much more of a fight in Tuscaloosa than expected.

New Year’s Six Dreams Disappear for Chanticleers

Two other top-20 teams lost on the road. Coastal Carolina’s quest for a second straight unbeaten regular season came crashing down at Appalachian State, who overcame an early 14-0 deficit to stun the Chanticleers. And Manny Diaz and Miami picked up a much-needed win, edging North Carolina State by a point.

Wake Stays Perfect With Wild Win Over Army

The most interesting game of the week by far was between Wake Forest and Army, who chucked defense out of the window and into outer space. The two teams combined for 126 points and 1,233 total yards as Wake stayed perfect with a 70-56 win. How many times this season will Wake’s men’s basketball team score 70 points? More importantly, is it time to start showing Sam Hartman a little more love in the Heisman race?

Which Michigan Team Will Remain Perfect?

What does this week have in store for us? Let’s take a look at this week’s college football schedule and the games that we will be previewing & picking here on Betting News.

Will #1 Georgia brush rival Florida aside in Jacksonville, or will this be the week that the Gators wake up to start salvaging something from this season? The festivities in Jacksonville are always a highlight at this time of year, but that matchup is not the headliner of this week’s college football slate. That would be the massive all-Michigan matchup in East Lansing between Michigan and Michigan State, who carry identical records into their meeting. With how important the run game and defense are to both teams, we shouldn’t expect an offensive thriller, but it is one of the most important games of the season to date.

CFB Week 9 Schedule and Odds Menu

• College Football Week 9 Schedule
• College Football Week 9 Top Betting Matchups and Odds

CFB Week 9 Schedule

• American Athletic Conference
• ACC
• Big 12
• Big Ten
• Conference USA
• Mid-American Conference
• Mountain West
• Pac-12
• SEC
• Sun Belt
• FBS Independents & Non-Conference Matchups

American Athletic Conference

Thursday, October 28

USF (2-5, 1-2 AAC) vs East Carolina (3-4, 1-2 AAC), ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET

Friday, October 29

Navy (1-6, 1-4 AAC) vs Tulsa (3-4, 2-1 AAC), ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, October 30

#2 Cincinnati (7-0, 3-0 AAC) vs Tulane (1-6, 0-3 AAC), ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. ET

UCF (4-3, 2-2 AAC) vs Temple (3-4, 1-2 AAC), ESPN+, 12:00 p.m. ET

#19 SMU (7-0, 3-0 AAC) vs Houston (6-1, 4-0 AAC), ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET

ACC

Miami (3-4, 1-2 ACC) at #17 Pittsburgh (6-1, 3-0 ACC), ACC Network, 12:00 p.m. ET

Virginia Tech (3-4, 1-2 ACC) vs Georgia Tech (3-4, 2-3 ACC), ESPN3, 12:00 p.m. ET

Florida State (3-4, 2-2 ACC) vs Clemson (4-3, 3-2 ACC), ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET

Boston College (4-3, 0-3 ACC) vs Syracuse (4-4, 1-3 ACC), ESPN3, 3:30 p.m. ET

Duke (3-4, 0-3 ACC) vs #13 Wake Forest (7-0, 4-0 ACC), ACC Network, 4:00 p.m. ET

Louisville (4-3, 2-2 ACC) vs North Carolina State (5-2, 2-1 ACC), ACC Network, 7:30 p.m. ET

Big 12

Texas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) vs #16 Baylor (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET

#22 Iowa State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) vs West Virginia (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), Big 12 Now on ESPN+, 2:00 p.m. ET

Texas Tech (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) vs #4 Oklahoma (8-0, 5-0 Big 12), ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET

TCU (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) vs Kansas State (4-3, 1-3 Big 12), ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET

Kansas (1-6, 0-4 Big 12) vs #15 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), Fox Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET

Big Ten

#6 Michigan (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) vs #8 Michigan State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), FOX, 12:00 p.m. ET

#9 Iowa (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) vs Wisconsin (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten), ESPN, 12:00 p.m. ET

Rutgers (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) vs Illinois (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten), 12:00 p.m. ET

Indiana (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) vs Maryland (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten), 12:00 p.m. ET

Minnesota (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) vs Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten), Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m. ET

Purdue (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) vs Nebraska (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten), ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET

#20 Penn State (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) vs #5 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten), ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET

Conference USA

North Texas (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) vs Rice (3-4, 2-1 C-USA), ESPN3, 2:00 p.m. ET

FIU (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) vs Marshall (4-3, 2-1 C-USA), 3:30 p.m. ET

Louisiana Tech (2-5, 1-2 C-USA) vs Old Dominion (1-6, 0-3 C-USA), CBS Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET

Southern Miss (1-6, 0-3 C-USA) vs Middle Tennessee (3-4, 1-2 C-USA), ESPN+, 3:30 p.m. ET

Charlotte (4-3, 2-1 C-USA) vs Western Kentucky (3-4, 2-1 C-USA), ESPN+, 4:00 p.m. ET

UTEP (6-1, 3-0 C-USA) vs FAU (4-3, 2-1 C-USA), ESPN+, 6:00 p.m. ET

Mid-American

Bowling Green (2-6, 0-4 MAC) vs Buffalo (4-4, 2-2 MAC), CBS Sports Network, 12:00 p.m. ET

Mountain West

Friday, October 29

UNLV (0-7, 0-3 MWC) vs Nevada (5-2, 2-1 MWC), CBS Sports Network, 10:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, October 30

Hawaii (4-4, 1-2 MWC) vs Utah State (5-2, 3-1 MWC), 3:00 p.m. ET

Wyoming (4-3, 0-3 MWC) vs San Jose State (4-4, 2-2 MWC), Fox Sports 2, 4:00 p.m. ET

Boise State (3-4, 1-2 MWC) vs Colorado State (3-4, 2-1 MWC), CBS Sports Network, 7:00 p.m. ET

Fresno State (6-2, 3-1 MWC) vs #21 San Diego State (7-0, 3-0 MWC), CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET

Pac-12

Washington State (4-4, 3-2 Pac-12) vs Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12), Fox Sports 1, 3:00 p.m. ET

Colorado (2-5, 1-3 Pac-12) vs #7 Oregon (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12), FOX, 3:30 p.m. ET

Oregon State (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) vs Cal (2-5, 1-3 Pac-12), Pac-12 Network, 7:00 p.m. ET

Arizona (0-7, 0-4 Pac-12) vs USC (3-4, 2-3 Pac-12), ESPNU, 7:00 p.m. ET

UCLA (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) vs Utah (4-3, 3-1 Pac-12), ESPN, 10:00 p.m. ET

Washington (3-4, 2-2 Pac-12) vs Stanford (3-4, 2-3 Pac-12), Fox Sports 1, 10:30 p.m. ET

SEC

Missouri (3-4, 0-3 SEC) vs Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4 SEC), SEC Network, 3:00 p.m. ET

#1 Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC) vs Florida (4-3, 2-3 SEC), CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET (in Jacksonville, Florida)

#10 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) vs #18 Auburn (5-2, 2-1 SEC), ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET

#12 Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC) vs Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2 SEC), SEC Network, 7:00 p.m. ET

Sun Belt

Thursday, October 28

Troy (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) vs #24 Coastal Carolina (6-1, 2-1 Sun Belt), ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, October 30

Texas State (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) vs Louisiana (6-1, 4-0 Sun Belt), ESPNU, 12:00 p.m. ET

UL Monroe (4-3, 2-2 Sun Belt) vs Appalachian State (5-2, 2-1 Sun Belt), ESPN+, 3:30 p.m. ET

Arkansas State (1-6, 0-3 Sun Belt) vs South Alabama, ESPN+, 5:00 p.m. ET

Georgia State (3-4, 2-1 Sun Belt) vs Georgia Southern (2-5, 1-3 Sun Belt), ESPN+, 6:00 p.m. ET

Independents & Non-Conference

UMass (1-6) vs Liberty (6-2), ESPN3, 12:00 p.m. ET

North Carolina (4-3) vs #11 Notre Dame (6-1), NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET

Virginia (6-2) vs #25 BYU (6-2), ESPN2, 10:15 p.m. ET

College Football Week 9 Top Betting Matchups

All odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

As much as we’d like to cover every single one of the college football matchups that we have our eye on, there are only so many hours in the week. So here’s a quick rundown of the matchups we will be providing in-depth previews for this week on Betting News.

College Football Betting Matchup: Troy (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) vs #24 Coastal Carolina (6-1, 2-1 Sun Belt)

Troy-Coastal Carolina Odds

• Spread: Troy +18.5 (-114), Coastal Carolina -18.5 (-106)
• Total: OVER 51.5 (-114), UNDER 51.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: Troy +710, Coastal Carolina -1250

How will Coastal Carolina rebound from losing their first regular-season game since November 23, 2019? There’s still a lot to play for even though their chances of a New Year’s Six bowl are all but done.

College Football Betting Matchup: Miami (3-4, 1-2 ACC) at #17 Pittsburgh (6-1, 3-0 ACC)

Miami-Pitt Odds

• Spread: Miami +9.5 (-112), Pittsburgh -9.5 (-108)
• Total: OVER 61.5 (-108), UNDER 61.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Miami +300, Pittsburgh -400

Is Pitt going to revert to being Pitt again eventually? Their win over Clemson was a big win and a big step, even though the Tigers seem to have lost their way on offense. But they need not overlook the Hurricanes, because desperate teams can be dangerous.

College Football Betting Matchup: Texas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) vs #16 Baylor (6-1, 3-1 Big 12)

Texas-Baylor Odds

• Spread: Texas +2.5 (-110), Baylor -2.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 61.5 (-106), UNDER 61.5 (-114)
• Moneyline: Texas +114, Baylor -140

Both of these teams are coming off of an 0ff week. Texas had back-to-back implosions against the Oklahoma schools before their off week, while Baylor went into theirs with a big win over BYU.

College Football Betting Matchup: #6 Michigan (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) at #8 Michigan State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten)

Michigan-Michigan State Odds

• Spread: Michigan -4.5 (-106), Michigan State +4.5 (-114)
• Total: OVER 50.5 (-115), UNDER 50.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Michigan -210, Michigan State +168

Michigan State beaten Michigan more times (9) in the last 13 meetings than they did in the 38 meetings between 1970 and 2007 (8). Only one of the last six meetings in East Lansing has featured 51 or more points (Michigan’s 32-23 win in 2016).

College Football Betting Matchup: #9 Iowa (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten)

Iowa-Wisconsin Odds

• Spread: Iowa +3.5 (-130), Wisconsin -3.5 (+106)
• Total: OVER 36.5 (-120), UNDER 36.5 (-102)
• Moneyline: Iowa +142, Wisconsin -176

This will be Iowa’s first game since being embarrassed at home by Purdue, who turned around and lost at home to Wisconsin last weekend. First team to find the end zone wins this one?

College Football Betting Matchup: #22 Iowa State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) at West Virginia (3-4, 1-3 Big 12)

Iowa State-West Virginia Odds

• Spread: Iowa State -6.5 (-124), West Virginia +6.5 (+102)
• Total: OVER 47.5 (-114), UNDER 47.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: Iowa State -300, West Virginia +235

West Virginia may have a losing record and isn’t having a particularly productive season offensively. But Morgantown is never an easy place to play, and three of the Mountaineers’ four losses are by six or fewer points and were decided in the fourth quarter. Look for this one to be close, even if the Cyclones manage to pull out the victory.

College Football Betting Matchup: Florida State (3-4, 2-2 ACC) at Clemson (4-3, 3-2 ACC)

FSU-Clemson Odds

• Spread: Florida State +9.5 (-106), Clemson -9.5 (-114)
• Total: OVER 47.5 (-105), UNDER 47.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Florida State +310, Clemson -420

The below tweet sums this one up:

So these FSU-Clemson #CFB lines. Love them? Hate them?

Should Clemson (0-7 ATS) be -9.5 against anyone right now? Even FSU?

Anyone taking the over 47.5? Two Clemson games have hit that one so far: a 49-3 win over FCS S.C. State and the 2OT loss to N.C. State. #GamblingTwitter

— Betting News (@BN_Content) October 26, 2021

College Football Betting Matchup: #1 Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC) at Florida (4-3, 2-3 SEC)

Georgia-Florida Odds

• Spread: Georgia -14.5 (-102), Florida +14.5 (-120)
• Total: OVER 50.5 (-118), UNDER 50.5 (-104)
• Moneyline: Georgia -700, Florida +470

Will Dan Mullen do the thing that would likely give the Gators their only chance to pull the upset in Jacksonville? Anthony Richardson should be Florida’s starting quarterback on Saturday, but will he be?

College Football Betting Matchup: #19 SMU (7-0, 3-0 AAC) at Houston (6-1, 3-0 AAC)

SMU-Houston Odds

• Spread: SMU +0.5 (-110), Houston -0.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 62.5 (-108), UNDER 62.5 (-114)
• Moneyline: SMU -112, Houston -108

This should be one of the more entertaining games this week. Houston needed overtime to beat East Carolina at home last weekend, but it looks like the Cougars have finally turned the corner in Dana Holgorsen’s third season. Houston doesn’t play Cincinnati in the regular season, while SMU does, so if the Cougars win this one, they will be well-positioned to land in the AAC title game.

College Football Betting Matchup: Boise State (3-4, 1-2 Mountain West) at Colorado State (3-4, 2-1 Mountain West)

Boise State-Colorado State Odds

• Spread: Boise State -2.5 (-110), Colorado State +2.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 51.5 (-110), UNDER 51.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Boise State -138, Colorado State +112

Colorado State’s hopes of a Mountain West title took a big hit last Friday when some inexplicably bad last-second execution cost them in what would have been an amazing comeback win at Utah State. Will they have a hangover against the Broncos, who have alternated losses and wins this season?

College Football Betting Matchup: #10 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) at #18 Auburn (5-2, 2-1 SEC)

Ole Miss-Auburn Odds

• Spread: Ole Miss +2.5 (-105), Auburn -2.5 (-115)
• Total: OVER 65.5 (-114), UNDER 65.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: Ole Miss +118, Auburn -144

Seven games in, and what do we make of this Auburn team? Bo Nix had a big game in a road win over Arkansas last weekend, but can he go toe-to-toe with Matt Corral? The Rebels showed some defensive aptitude against LSU, holding Tyrion Davis-Price to only 53 yards on 17 carries a week after Davis-Price scythed through Florida’s defense for 287 yards. Auburn’s offense is more threatening when the run game is working, so Ole Miss needs to produce that effort again at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

College Football Betting Matchup: #12 Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC) at Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2 SEC)

Kentucky-Mississippi State Odds

• Spread: Kentucky -1.5 (-108), Mississippi State +1.5 (-112)
• Total: OVER 46.5 (-114), UNDER 46.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: Kentucky -120, Mississippi State -102

Mississippi State has wins at North Carolina and Texas A&M and could easily be 6-1, 4-1 themselves, so this wouldn’t be a major upset. It all hinges on whether or not the Bulldogs can penetrate Kentucky’s defense and if their defense can slow down running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.

College Football Betting Matchup: #20 Penn State (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) at #5 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten)

Penn State-Ohio State Odds

• Spread: Penn State +18.5 (-110), Ohio State -18.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 60.5 (-110), UNDER 60.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Penn State +630, Ohio State -1050

Much of the air was sucked out of this matchup after Penn State’s home loss to Illinois. Ohio State has had quite the response to their early loss to Oregon–outscoring the opposition 270-64 in their past five games–though the competition was light. Is there any way Penn State can keep up in Columbus?

College Football Betting Matchup: North Carolina (4-3) at #11 Notre Dame (6-1)

UNC-Notre Dame Odds

• Spread: North Carolina +3.5 (-112), Notre Dame -3.5 (-108)
• Total: OVER 62.5 (-110), UNDER 62.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: North Carolina +144, Notre Dame -178

A lot of the air was sucked out of this matchup too, as the Tar Heels have not lived up to preseason hype. But they can put up points, and this one could be interesting if Sam Howell is sharp. That is a big if, however. Howell’s success on the ground (494 yards, five TDs, three 100-yard games) is notable, but so is the fact that he is completing a career-low 61.1 percent of his passes and has topped 70 percent in only one game this season.

College Football Betting Matchup: UCLA (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) at Utah (4-3, 3-1 Pac-12)

UCLA-Utah Odds

• Spread: UCLA +6.5 (-110), Utah -6.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 60.5 (-110), UNDER 60.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: UCLA +198, Utah -250

Utah is still the team best-placed to win the Pac-12 South despite their loss at Oregon State. A win for the Utes will all but make it a two-horse race between themselves and Arizona State, who they defeated two weeks ago, down the stretch.

College Football Betting Matchup: Virginia (6-2) at #25 BYU (6-2)

Virginia-BYU Odds

• Spread: Virginia +2.5 (-110), BYU -2.5 (-110)
• Total: OVER 62.5 (-114), UNDER 62.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: Virginia +112, BYU -138

The Bronco Mendenhall Bowl is overshadowed by a number of other games this week, but this matchup will be worth staying up and not just because of Mendenhall. Brennan Armstrong leads the FBS in passing yards, and the Cavaliers are averaging 37.6 points per game. The only team thus far to keep Virginia under 30 points is Wake Forest, who held them to 17 in a 37-17 win on September 24.

College Football Betting Matchup: Fresno State (6-2, 3-1 Mountain West) at #21 San Diego State (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West)

Fresno State-San Diego State Odds

• Spread: Fresno State +1.5 (-115), San Diego State -1.5 (-105)
• Total: OVER 44.5 (-112), UNDER 44.5 (-108)
• Moneyline: Fresno State -104, San Diego State -118

Will Fresno State’s offense produce enough to force San Diego State to do more on offense than they have had to in most of their wins? If the Bulldogs can put 24 or more points on the board against one of the nation’s best defenses, the Aztecs might be in serious trouble.