- USA TODAY Sports experts predict several upsets for Week 9 of the college football season.
- LSU is expected to beat Texas A&M to stay in the College Football Playoff race.
- Other bold predictions involve wins for both Iowa and Iowa State, and a potential coaching change at Auburn.
This is where it starts getting good. The college football season has reached the final weekend of Octber, and we’re starting to see separation in the pretenders and the contenders. The pressure is on. Some teams are a loss away seeing their chances at reaching the playoff slip away. Some teams are in position to solidify their status as front-runners.
Some of teams in both of those situations will get tested in a Week 9 schedule that features three big showdowns in the SEC and other potential pitfalls for others. There’s going to be surprises Saturday. We just don’t know where they’re going to come from.
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That’s why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here to provide some answers to the difficult questions. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Blake Toppmeyer weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 9 of the college football season.
Mississippi State upsets Texas for rare SEC home win
The Cowbells. The sleepy 11 a.m. local early start. The idea of an easy win. Welcome to yet another first in the SEC for Texas: the Starkville trap. Mississippi State gets its first SEC home win since November of 2022 — the last game under the late, great Mike Leach. — Matt Hayes
Bill Belichick gets ranked win against Virginia
We all know the mess that is North Carolina, but the Tar Heels looked significantly better against California last week. Now a ranked Virginia team comes in having played some really close games in recent weeks. The home crowd definitely plays into North Carolina’s favor as Gio Lopez finally delivers on the promise he had at the beginning of the season. Belichick gets his first ACC win in big fashion. — Jordan Mendoza
Vanderbilt continues its winning run against Missouri
Vanderbilt knocks off Missouri to take another huge leap toward an at-large playoff bid in what is shaping up to be a special season. Doing so would give the Commodores seven wins in the regular season for the first time since 2013 and raise the odds of the first 10-win season in program history. The biggest benefit from a win against the Tigers is the wiggle room it gives Vanderbilt going into a November slate of Texas (away), Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee (away). — Paul Myerberg
LSU turns the tide and takes down Texas A&M
There are teams that find something with themselves to fight the hardest when backed into a corner. That’s certainly the situation for LSU. The Tigers have to win against Texas A&M to stay in the College Football Playoff race and potentially save the job of coach Brian Kelly. With a fired-up crowd at Tiger Stadium and the intensity ramped up, they’ll deal the Aggies their first loss in a decision that will shake up the SEC race. — Erick Smith
Big wins for both teams in the state of Iowa
We’re going to boldly go for a Hawkeye State parlay this week. There are two games of note in the state, one with Big 12 championship implications and the other with the greatest trophy in all of sports at stake.
Let’s start with the less bold one – the Hawkeyes will take down Minnesota in Iowa City and retain the coveted bronze pig known as Floyd of Rosedale. This is the less bold pick because the Golden Gophers have beaten Iowa just once since 2015, and that one in 2023 was made possible only by a ridiculous ruling from the replay booth of a phantom fair-catch signal that negated an Iowa touchdown.
The bolder prognostication involves the contest in Ames, as BYU comes to town undefeated while the Cyclones have dropped two in a row. But Iowa State will be ready for a bounce-back performance after a needed week off. The Cougars have pulled off some narrow escapes, but this time the Cyclones will close the deal. — Eddie Timanus
Hugh Freeze next on firing line when Auburn loses?
The firings are just warming up. Hugh Freeze, you’re next. Auburn’s program has cratered for five seasons since it fired Gus Malzahn in 2020. Freeze failed to pull Auburn out of the pit Bryan Harsin cast it into. As Freeze put it earlier this season, his team specializes in finding ways to lose. That’s a specialty tailormade to get a coach fired. Auburn hits the road to face Arkansas, another team without an SEC victory. The Razorbacks can score, though, and Auburn’s inept offense will struggle to keep up. A fifth consecutive loss from Freeze could finally uncork the sweet relief of buyout bliss. — Blake Toppmeyer