Ohio State -6.5 against USC headlines my college football against-the-spread picks for Week 9, as the Buckeyes look to lean on their elite secondary and star receiver Jeremiah Smith with true freshman Luke Fahey taking over under center.
I'm also laying the points with Georgia against Florida and Utah against Cincinnati, while backing Northwestern to keep things close against Oregon. Here's my full breakdown of seven Week 9 matchups and my latest college football picks.
Week 9 college football picks against the spread
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| Matchup |  |
|---|---|
 Arizona Texas Tech |
-3.5 |
 Florida  Georgia |
-11.5 |
 Northwestern  Oregon |
+3.5 |
 Utah  Cincinnati |
-6.5 |
 Clemson  Florida State |
+6.5 |
 Miami  North Carolina |
-14.5 |
 Ohio State  USC |
-6.5 |
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi, one of the best prediction market apps.
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Expert Week 9 CFB ATS picks
Arizona vs. Texas Tech: Texas Tech -3.5
Did Arizona dominate the same Cincinnati team Texas Tech lost to last week? Yes, but the Wildcats losing by 11 at BYU is a more apt comparison for this game.
It's the only real team the Wildcats have played on the road, and I don't expect the Red Raiders to have 13 penalties and lose the turnover battle at home as they did against the Bearcats in Cincy.
Florida vs. Georgia: Georgia -11.5
The combination of both teams coming off a bye week, Georgia's loss to Auburn in a letdown spot, and Florida's road win over Texas makes this one of the trickier numbers on the board to pick a side on.
Still, Florida's 110th-ranked scoring defense will be by far the worst unit on the field, and Georgia's offensive resume (fifth in scoring, fifth in yards per play) makes that even more of a problem for the Gators on the road.
Northwestern vs. Oregon: Northwestern +3.5
Northwestern is a legitimately well-rounded team that's found an offensive flow under Chip Kelly's playcalling (20th in scoring and yards per play). The Wildcats rank eighth in yards per attempt and 28th in yards per rush while also sitting 13th in scoring and 11th in yards per attempt on defense.
The energy has been sucked out of this Oregon program, and it will show in a game like this. Take the field goal plus the hook.
Utah vs. Cincinnati: Utah -6.5
Good on Cincinnati for handing Texas Tech its first loss, but it's a ginormous ask of the Bearcats to do it all over again against another undefeated Big 12 beast, even at home.
The Utes are 6-1 ATS this season and sit 39 spots higher than Cincy in SP+. Lay the number so long as it stays below a touchdown.
Clemson vs. Florida State: Clemson +6.5
Ashton Daniels gives Florida State a real edge at quarterback, but for as bad as things seem for Clemson right now, the Tigers enter this game with the better record and just one spot behind the Seminoles in SP+.
FSU is just 1-3 ATS at home this season and 0-2 ATS as the favorite. I wouldn't expect Clemson to win, but I also have no interest in laying the points.
Miami vs. North Carolina: Miami -14.5
This will come down to whether North Carolina will be able to keep up with Miami offensively, and a quick look at the resume tells you all you need to know: 114th in total offense, 105th in yards per carry, and 76th in yards per attempt against a Miami defense that's impossible to run against (first in rushing yards allowed per game, fourth in yards per carry) and sits 15th in scoring defense. Lay the number.
Ohio State vs. USC: Ohio State -6.5
This is about as good a spot for true freshman Luke Fahey to take over under center for Ohio State. He's had two weeks to prepare and still has Jeremiah Smith to lean on against a defense that ranks 106th in opponent yards per attempt.
The Trojans will be a non-factor on the ground (86th in yards per carry), and OSU's elite secondary (No. 1 in yards per attempt) will get just enough stops for the Buckeyes to find some seperation on the scoreboard.
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