November is almost here — meaning the first official release of College Football Playoff rankings — and there are plenty of relevant games for us to handicap in my Week 9 parlay picks.
I break down three matchups and look at an SGP focused on the Colorado Buffaloes in my free college football picks for Week 9 of the season.
Best college football parlays for Week 9
- Parlay
Navy +13.5
Ohio State -25.5
Penn State ML
(+418 at DraftKings) 
SGP 
Colorado ML
Over 57.5
LaJohntay Wester anytime TD
(+320 at FanDuel)
Best Week 9 parlay
Navy +13.5
Ohio State -25.5
Penn State moneyline
Along with the Army Black Knights, Navy has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season. This year marks the first time both military academies have been ranked since 1960, and both remain undefeated to this point.
That will likely end for Navy on Saturday, as Notre Dame is a huge step up in competition for the Midshipmen. But there’s no reason to think Navy can’t be competitive even against a strong opponent. The Midshipmen have covered in each of their last five games and should be in this contest in the fourth quarter.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers saw a lot of the shine come off their season last week when the Indiana Hoosiers absolutely demolished them 56-7. There’s no rest for the Cornhuskers, as they face an angry Ohio State this week.
Outside of the Buckeyes' loss to Oregon, nobody has stayed even close to them, as they’ve won every other game by at least four touchdowns. I’m taking Ohio State to cover even with the 25.5-point spread.
Finally, I’m adding in a bet on Penn State to win outright against the Wisconsin Badgers.
The undefeated Nittany Lions did need a comeback to beat the USC Trojans last week, but they should have more than enough to at least eek out a win against Wisconsin, which didn’t come close to challenging its toughest two opponents in USC and Alabama this season.
Best Week 9 SGP
Colorado moneyline
Over 57.5
LaJohntay Wester anytime touchdown
Don’t look now, but Colorado is actually good! Not that good, of course: While the Buffaloes have a 5-2 record, losses to Nebraska and the Kansas State Wildcats showed their limitations.
Still, Coach Prime has certainly fostered improvement at Colorado, which will almost certainly go to a bowl game this year.
The Buffs are still outside for a playoff spot, as are the Cincinnati Bearcats. Both teams have two losses, so this is likely a playoff eliminator, and Colorado should have the edge here.
While Cincinnati has won four of five, it hasn't shown me it has the talent to beat the Buffaloes in Colorado, with the home team having the higher ceiling thanks to its star power at key positions.
Let’s pair that with a bet on the Over. The Cincinnati offense will give Colorado fits, as it's averaging 451.4 yards per game and can attack both on the ground and through the air.
The Buffaloes defense has been fine, allowing just 21.9 ppg, but ranks outside the Top 50 in virtually every relevant defensive category, suggesting they’re not as good as their scoring numbers suggest. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders should have little trouble lighting up the Bearcats, who allow 7.7 yards per pass attempt and might be even worse against the run.
Travis Hunter may get all the attention on the Buffaloes — for good reason, as he’s an incredible two-way player — but he’s been limited in the passing game in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Wester has scored seven times this year, including in five of the last six Colorado games. Wester offers more value on an anytime TD bet, and I expect him to find the endzone on Saturday.
Not intended for use in MA.
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