Well, it’s spooky season, and nothing has been scarier than my college football picks. After a quick reprieve, it was like our Halloween bag was full of raisins and black licorice again last week.
I’m kicking myself for not taking Fade Nebraska last week. Always Fade Nebraska. But now we don’t even have that option, as the Cornhuskers game against Wisconsin has been canceled, so the best we can do is bet the team that trounced them – Ohio State. The Buckeyes made a big statement, but can they be a treat against Penn State at Happy Valley?
The Triple Option returns with my best college football picks and predictions for Week 9.
NCAA Football Picks and Predictions for Week 9
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions
It took Justin Fields and Ohio State all of one game to remind college football fans and bettors just how good they are. The Buckeyes put Clemson and Alabama on notice. They’re a real threat to win College Football Playoff after their season-opening 52-17 over Nebraska.
Fields makes football look easy. The ball just seems to effortlessly fly out of the Heisman candidate’s hand with remarkable accuracy. Fields missed just one throw last week, going 20-21 276 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added a score and 54 yards on the ground.
The crazy part is that Ohio State could have played even better. They didn’t get much out of the run game and the defensive line should have created a little more pressure.
While Penn State has a solid defense, they are not equipped to handle Fields and his multitude of weapons on the outside for a full game. On top of that, the offense is banged up, with RB Noah Cain now lost for the season. QB Sean Clifford tried to put the team on his shoulders last week but struggled at times and in the end, came up short. And that was against Indiana. The Ohio State defense will be a teensy bit better.
Maybe if the Nittany Lions had a real home-field advantage with one of their traditional and awesome “Whiteout” games I might feel a little differently about this matchup. But the way things stand now, this line is too short. The Buckeyes are just on another level and should win by at least two touchdowns.
PREDICTION: Ohio State -11.5 (-110)
Missouri Tigers vs Florida Gators
Eliah Drinkwitz is putting his mark on this Missouri program early in his tenure. The former Appalachian State head coach has the Tigers playing better each time they take the field, and he’ll be hoping for their best performance yet when they visit Florida.
Mizzou comes into this game as winners of two in row, in a pair of games that showed their versatility. The Tigers first upset LSU in a 45-41 shootout where they were two-touchdown underdogs and threw for over 400 yards. They followed that up with grind-em-out 20-10 win over Kentucky as 3-point dogs, where they rumbled for over 200 yards on the ground.
Sophomore QB Connor Bazelak has been impressive, completing over 70 percent of his passes for 893 yards with four TDs, and more importantly, one pick. He goes against a Florida pass defense that has been one of the worst in the country to this point, surrendering 331 yards per contest. The Gators haven’t been that much better against the run and have to deal with Larry Roundtree III.
But that’s only part of Florida’s problems. The Gators haven’t played since an Oct. 10 loss to Texas A&M due to COVID-19. They will be dealing with rust and there is still plenty of uncertainty around who can play. Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts will get theirs, but this game will be closer than two touchdowns.
The public seems to be all over Florida according to our Covers Consensus, so you could get even more value with Mizzou closer to kickoff.
PREDICTION: Missouri +13 (-110)
Kansas State Wildcats vs West Virginia Mountaineers
In true Halloween fashion, this line has to be a trick, right? Yes, Kansas State lost to Arkansas State to open the season, but since then they have gone undefeated in conference play, which includes wins at Oklahoma and TCU.
Here is what I can come up with for reasons that Wildcats are underdogs: One: QB Skylar Thompson has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. Two: The Wildcats have been outgained in all but one game this season. And three: West Virginia is giving up just 4.1 yards per play on defense. OK, let’s break it all down.
Kansas State freshman QB Will Howard has been solid in relief of Thompson, going 33-56 for 551 yards with three touchdowns and one pick.
While K-State has been outgained, they have played some high-octane offenses in OU and Texas Tech. On top of that, both Wildcats QBs are averaging a respectable 9.0 yards per attempt and electric RB Deuce Vaughn is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
The Mountaineers have some studs on defense, but some of those numbers are padded against the likes of Kansas, Baylor and Eastern Kentucky. Heck, even Oklahoma State doesn’t have the offense we’ve become accustomed to, and they were able to go for 5.4 yards per play. Plus, WVU is coming off a game at Texas Tech where it allowed 5.2 yards per play and score 34 points.
One overlooked edge for K-State may be the turnover battle. Its defense is a turnover-creating machine, already grabbing 10 takeaways this season, while West Virginia is one of the worst when it comes to giving away the ball, turning it over twice per game vs FBS opponents.
It may be a trick, but we’re closing our eyes, taking a bite, and hoping it’s still a treat at the end of the day.
PREDICTION: Kansas State +3 (-110)
Last week's NCAAF record: 1-2
Season to date: 8-13
Triple Option NCAA football betting card for Week 9
- Ohio State -11.5 (-110)
- Missouri +13 (-110)
- Kansas State +3 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed this week’s NCAA Triple Option picks, you could win $59.58 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college football?
You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
