The chaos of the college football season appeared again last week, as Oklahoma State saw its unbeaten season end at Iowa State. Oklahoma trailed one-win Kansas at the half and had to get a fourth-quarter stop to win. Second-ranked Cincinnati faced the same challenge against one-win Navy. Week 9 looms as the last slate of games before the first College Football Playoff poll, due on November 2. This week, we have such huge rivalry matchups as Michigan-Michigan State and Georgia-Florida.
Take a look at our top suggestions for your straight up college football betting selections.
NCAA News: College Football Straight Up Picks for Week 9
#19 SMU (-105) at Houston (-115)
SMU is 7-0 this season and have gone 24-6 since the beginning of the 2019 season. The reason? The SMU offense, which puts up 42.7 points and gains 525.4 yards per game, both of which rank sixth in the nation. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai has a 29:7 TD:INT ratio. The Mustangs have not done as well on defense in recent years, but they only permit 22.7 points per game this season and only permit a third-down conversion rate of 34 percent. In the red zone, the defense has only allowed 13 touchdowns on 25 trips.
SMU is a slight underdog in Houston because of the Cougars’ defense. Coach Dana Holgorsen has never been known for spending much time on defense, but this year that unit has been a stone wall, permitting just 17.3 points per game and a third-down conversion rate of 23.4 percent. Both of these teams remain unbeaten in AAC play, but SMU’s growth in terms of solid play on the road and defensive consistency make them an intriguing pick.
SMU to win | Bet Now
#6 Michigan (-165) at #8 Michigan State (+140)
Michigan State beat Indiana by five points two weeks ago and come out of the bye to host Michigan. The Spartans have only permitted 17.3 points per game in Big Ten play, but their vulnerability is their dependence on the running game. Michigan brings in a stout defense, which could bottle up the Spartan offense. However, when both teams are ranked, Michigan State has won 10 of 18 in the rivalry, as well as three of the four meetings when both teams are in the top ten.
Michigan came out of the bye week with a rout of Northwestern last week, as tailbacks Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins both broke the 10-yard barrier, and both have scored double digits of touchdowns this season. The defense permitted just 233 yards against Northwestern. Both of these teams rely on their defense, but I like State to make another statement in this rivalry at home.
Michigan State to win | Bet Now
#9 Iowa (+135) at Wisconsin (-160)
Iowa comes out of the bye week to take on the Badgers up in Madison. That’s two weeks for the Hawkeyes to recover from that 24-7 spanking the team took at home against Purdue. The problems came on offense, as Iowa threw four interceptions and only gained 271 yards. The Hawkeyes still have a one-game lead on Purdue in the Big Ten West.
Wisconsin got torched by Iowa last year, but they have won three in a row after starting 1-3, including a 30-13 shellacking of that same Purdue a week ago, thanks to a big day running the ball. Chez Mellusi ran for 149 yards and Braelon Allen has now run for 379 yards in the last three games, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. This pick doesn’t come with a lot of value, but the Badgers are trending up at just the right time.
Wisconsin to win | Bet Now
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