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Jackson's bold predictions for Week 9 of the 2025 college football season, including picks for Ole Miss, Memphis, Arkansas, Minnesota, Texas Tech, and Baylor.
Every week of the 2025 college football season has brought fun (or not-so-fun, depending on the team you root for) surprises to the table. There were several big-time upsets last week, and although the upcoming slate isn't loaded with signature matchups, these are the kinds of weeks that often produce the craziest outcomes. Don't overlook any weekend of college football.
In this article, we'll try to predict the headlines at the end of Week 9. As we have seen, anything can happen on any given Saturday, so let's take a look at some potential outcomes before they play out.
Below, read about the bold calls for Ole Miss, Memphis, Arkansas, Minnesota, Texas Tech, and Baylor. Oh, and make sure to enjoy every last second of college football, because it's flying by and will be over before we know it. Lock in!
Ole Miss Beats Oklahoma by Two Scores in Norman
This one might not seem bold to many, but the Sooners are about a six-point favorite in Norman this weekend as they welcome Lane Kiffin and the Rebels into town. There are a ton of SEC teams that are seemingly in the same tier, so not many points are separating the squads in Vegas' eyes. I favor Ole Miss in this one.
Whether it's purely injury-related or not, John Mateer has not looked nearly as dynamic in conference play as he did early in the season. Oklahoma presents challenges for anyone, thanks to its defense, but Kiffin's offense has a knack for finding answers. Ole Miss was impressive on the road against Georgia last week, despite the loss. The first big road test of the season was a success on the offensive side of the ball.
Kirby Smart has high praise for Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss 👏 pic.twitter.com/OIIG2tRrsG
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 15, 2025
Ultimately, it's difficult to trust the Oklahoma offense to run the ball when it matters. And if it becomes a pass-happy shootout, that's even more concerning. This pick is also a reflection of how much I believe in Kiffin over Brent Venables in a big spot with College Football Playoff implications.
Memphis Rebounds, Beats South Florida
How in the world did the Tigers fall to UAB last week and ruin this potential ranked vs ranked American Conference clash? The Blazers found magic with an interim coach, and let's be honest -- Memphis was probably looking ahead to the South Florida matchup. It happens far too often in college football, but there's nothing Memphis can do except rebound in a big spot.
The winner of this game isn't automatically in the College Football Playoff, but the loser might be eliminated from contention. I still view Memphis, which remains the No. 1 defense in the American (335.1 yards per game allowed) despite last week's disaster, as evenly matched with South Florida.
Playing at home and coming out pissed off after an embarrassing upset could be just what the doctor ordered. The Tigers aren't going to shut South Florida down, but with Brendon Lewis (lower-body) listed as day-to-day by head coach Ryan Silverfield, there's a good shot he plays. If he's ready to roll, I'm taking Memphis here.
Arkansas Routs Auburn
Arkansas has taken Tennessee and Texas A&M to the wire in its two games since the firing of Sam Pittman, and Taylen Green is the most underrated quarterback in the country. On the flip side, Auburn has now lost four straight games by an average of 7.3 points. This feels like the spot where the bottom falls out for Hugh Freeze and his program.
Taylen Green ➡️ O'Mega Blake 7 yard TD before halftime! #Arkansas pic.twitter.com/FhcvjAjNMu
— Im not a fan of your favorite team (@fsh733) October 18, 2025
It's not that Auburn doesn't have talent or a strong defense, but they've failed to build any momentum or put anything together on offense. Offense wins in modern college football, and the Razorbacks are playing way too well on offense to think Auburn will shut it down in Fayetteville. Through seven games this season, Green has posted 2,499 yards of offense and 23 total touchdowns. Outside of the Notre Dame game that ultimately got Pittman fired, the Hogs have scored at least 31 points in every contest.
Defenses often crumble later in the season when their offense doesn't get it a smidge of help. I just can't help but think that's about to happen, and Auburn's offense won't be able to keep up. Don't be surprised if Arkansas wins in blowout fashion on Saturday.
Minnesota vs. Iowa Goes Under 30 Points
It's not bold to say this won't be a high-scoring affair, but I'm calling for it to go way under the 39.5-point total. For seemingly the 100th year in a row, Iowa does not have a passing game, and we just saw what Minnesota was able to do to Nebraska with its run defense last week.
The way I see it, these teams are far more evenly matched than the 9.5-point spread suggests, and it'll be a defensive slugfest in typical Big Ten fashion. Both teams will be stubborn about trying to run the ball, which means we're headed for a short game with limited possessions. So long as both squads take care of the football and don't give up a defensive touchdown, this could be one of the lowest-scoring games of the 2025 season.
Texas Tech Drops 70 Points on Oklahoma State
It really felt like Texas Tech was going to cruise to an undefeated season, but Arizona State had other plans in Tempe last week. For the first time all year, the Red Raiders were held under 34 points and allowed more than 17 points. Yeah, they've been that good.
Even without Behren Morton in the lineup, many expected Texas Tech to continue to roll based on what we saw from Will Hammond against Utah earlier in the year. Did the team get complacent, or is this a sign of things to come in the future?
TEXAS TECH HAS TAKEN THE LEAD
With 2 minutes left to play, @TexasTechFB has taken the lead pic.twitter.com/tIS7YFBJg7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025
Either way, we should expect an inspired effort coming off the loss, and Oklahoma State, which ranks 135 out of 136 FBS teams in points per game allowed (43.7), is the perfect matchup for Tech to take its frustration out. Either Red Raider quarterback should be able to have a field day against the Cowboys, and Joey McGuire should not be shy about running up the score.
Baylor Upsets Cincinnati
Baylor has been one of the most inconsistent football teams this year, but at its best, the Bears can beat any team in the Big 12. Sawyer Robertson leads the nation in passing yards (2,376) and touchdowns (21), while Cincinnati ranks as the fourth-worst passing defense in passing yards allowed per game (240.1) in the Big 12.
RISE 🆙 ASHTYN HAWKINS‼️#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/VlnlVKECv5
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) October 18, 2025
No, the Baylor defense isn't anything to write home about either, so this feels like another classic shootout that could go either way. Ultimately, Baylor has been tested far more than Cincinnati has at this point in the season, and I think Baylor might actually simply be the better team.
Dave Aranda better start finding some wins down the stretch if he wants to keep his job, and this ranked road win could be a nice springboard toward doing so.
