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We highlight the college football games of Week 9 that are the most important or should be the best games to maximize your viewing pleasure.
The 25 Best College Football Games Of Week 9
Week 8 saw eight ranked teams fall. Four of those were in the top 10. We had some fun rivalry games last week, such as the Revivalry and the Battle for the Bones. We have a few more this week, which will definitely be on this list. What else should we be watching in Week 9? We only have three ranked matchups, but the abundance of rivalries, with and without trophies, more than make up for it! All times listed are in Eastern time.
25. Wisconsin at (6) Oregon
Where to watch: FS1, 7 p.m.
Why would we even watch this? Wisconsin has been shut out in back-to-back games by Iowa and Ohio State. Many think Oregon is better than at least one of those teams. This is more out of curiosity as to what Wisconsin’s breaking point is with Luke Fickell. As if not scoring a single point for two whole games isn’t enough, the university has hinted that they have no interest in moving on. Will that change if Wisconsin is shut out again? What about if Oregon beats them by 50? Out of morbid curiosity, I’ll be watching to see what Wisconsin does.
24. TCU at West Virginia
Where to watch: ESPN+, 6 p.m.
Sure, the Mountaineers break out their “coal rush” uniforms, and the geniuses at ESPN won’t even put them on a regular network. Don’t mind me, I’m just watching for the cool uniforms. This likely won’t be much of a game. TCU is a heavy favorite according to FPI (81.7%) and Vegas (-15.5). Big 12 teams have been beating on West Virginia for sport this year. BYU is the only team that has failed to hang 40 on them. TCU should hit 40 with Josh Hoover slinging it around.
23. Oklahoma State at (14) Texas Tech
Where to watch: ESPNU, 4 p.m.
This week’s episode of As The Big 12 Turns is worth watching for a couple of reasons. What will the Oklahoma State fans do for an encore? First, it was tarps off in Section 231. Then it was tarps off and an entire section of students dressed in banana costumes doing a conga line around Boone Pickens Stadium. Oklahoma State fans haven’t taken the show on the road yet, but who’s to say they won’t? That’s reason enough to watch right there!
If that’s not enough. Kansas made a big stink about Tech fans throwing flour tortillas. You know, because they hurt so damn much when they hit someone. This Tech tradition has been in place since before the Red Raiders joined the Big 12. Well, Big 12 “leader” Brett Yormark, who absolutely hates fun (he’s the genius who killed the Farmageddon rivalry, presumably because he didn’t like the name), stated that Tech would be fined $100k if tortillas were thrown. For context, Arizona State was only fined $50k for a field storm last week. I’ll be watching just to see if tortillas are still thrown at Jones Stadium.
22. UCLA at (2) Indiana
Where to watch: Fox, noon
Curt Cignetti’s approach to treating UCLA as a 3-0 team is the right one. Comparing this team to the one that got Deshaun Foster fired is disingenuous. Jerry Neuheisel calling plays has ignited this offense, and Tim Skipper’s leadership can be seen all over the field. This team is playing with a purpose now. They even filled half the Rose Bowl last week! That’s something, considering the state of UCLA football attendance since 2021.
You know that Indiana is taking this team seriously. They have taken on the persona of Curt Cignetti. This is a tough and relentless team. The Vegas spread of 25.5 in favor of the Hoosiers feels a little high, but I do agree with FPI’s assessment of Indiana’s 96.3% chance of a win. I feel like UCLA is going to show up and play hard, but this is not a good matchup for the Bruins.
21. (16) Virginia at North Carolina
Where to watch: ACC Network, noon
Hey, don’t laugh. Virginia has been living on the edge for the last month. They won two games in overtime and needed a terrible error on a Washington State kickoff return to win the last three games. North Carolina was a fumble out of the back of the end zone while going in for the go-ahead score away from its first conference win of 2025 last week. The bye week seemed to help the Tar Heels. For that reason, I think the spread (-10.5 Virginia) is out of whack. FPI is also very heavy on Virginia (84.1%), but what does that mean? Virginia beat Florida State, and Louisville beat Miami. The ACC is the conference of chaos right now, and I’m here for it.
20. North Carolina State at Pittsburgh
Where to watch: ACC Network, 3:30 p.m.
Pitt is a different team with Mason Heintschel at quarterback. North Carolina State has an exciting offense, but has had issues keeping opponents off the scoreboard. That would explain why the Panthers are favored by 7.5 points. FPI has Pitt at a 67.3% favorite. I see the Pack behind CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smothers getting some points on the board. Both Smothers and Pitt’s Desmond Reid are special running backs. This should be a fun one!
19. Toledo at Washington State
Where to watch: CW Network, 3:30 p.m.
This is an interesting game since it’s one that we don’t usually get to see. It’s also interesting because Vegas (-1.5 Washington State) and Toledo (57.6% FPI) are on very opposite sides. The Rockets were once (and may still be) the favorites to win the MAC. Washington State has tried to hold the Pac-12 together after the Cougars and Oregon State were abandoned by the other 10 money chasers. These are two programs in two different spots, but Washington State nearly beat Mississippi and Virginia — both on the road — in the last two weeks. I’m all about interesting!
18. Baylor at (21) Cincinnati
Where to watch: ESPN2, 4 p.m.
At one point, I thought this would be an interesting game. After watching too much of the Baylor defense, I’m not so sure. Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson leads FBS in passing yards (2,376) and is tied for the lead in touchdown passes (21). Baylor is not afraid to sling it around the yard. Cincinnati will give up some yards (240.1 passing yards per game), but they have only allowed nine touchdown passes in seven games. Brendan Sorsby is going to be a huge problem for Baylor. FPI agrees, giving Cincinnati a 67.6% chance of a home win. Vegas isn’t so sure. This line opened at -5.5 for Cincinnati. It’s down to -3.5. We may get a good game out of this after all.
17. Ball State at Northern Illinois
Where to watch: ESPN+, 3:30 p.m.
Why should any self-respecting football fan watch a game between two MAC teams with a combined four wins? Because it’s the end of an era, and the end of yet another trophy game thanks to conference realignment. With Northern Illinois heading to the Mountain West in 2026, this signifies the rubber match (the series is tied 25-25-2), and it determines who can claim the Bronze Stalk trophy for all of eternity. Well, at least until another game is scheduled. The Bronze Stalk is exactly what it sounds like: a sculpture of bronze corn stalks on a wooden base given to the victor of the game.
Ball State has won five of the last six meetings after NIU dominated the 2010s. FPI favors the Huskies to take the Bronze Stalk to the Mountain West with them, favoring the home team at a 67.5% rate. Vegas agrees, with the Huskies a 5.5-point favorite.
16. Colorado at Utah
Where to watch: ESPN, 10:15 p.m.
It’s Pac-12 After Dark rebranded, but at least the series is still called the “Rumble In The Rockies.” This was a hotly contested series from 1903-1962. The teams stopped playing after 1962, with Utah winning the last two games. This became a conference game again when Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011. Utah has won 11 of the 14 games since the series resumed after nearly 50 years of dormancy. FPI (83.3%) and Vegas (-12.5) overwhelmingly think that Utah’s dominance continues.
15. San Diego State at Fresno State
Where to watch: FS1, 3:30 p.m.
This may not be much of a game this year, but we here at RotoBaller love our rivalry games. This one comes with a great trophy. It’s an old oil can from the 1930s that was turned into a trophy to commemorate this rivalry, since early fans in this series often traveled with extra oil to get through the mountains to the other campus. The Aztecs are only favored by 2.5 in Vegas. FPI is a little more confident with San Diego State at a 60.9% chance of winning.
14. Texas at Mississippi State
Where to watch: SEC Network, 4:15 p.m.
Mississippi State has fallen off a cliff since beating Arizona State and pushing Tennessee to overtime. Texas never really had a cliff to fall off of. The struggles of the offensive line and the run game have rendered this offense ineffective in most games. Despite some in the college football world thinking that Texas could have problems with Mississippi State, FPI seems to disagree. Texas is still a 79.7% favorite. The Vegas spread opened at -6.5 for Texas, but it’s up to -7.5 across the board. Blake Shapen knows Texas a bit from his time at Baylor. He lost to them in 2022, going 18-36 with 179 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. That may be enough for a win here.
13. Northwestern at Nebraska
Where to watch: FS1, noon
Northwestern is just one of those teams that Nebraska has struggled with since joining the Big Ten. Minnesota is the other. Nebraska is viewed on the same plane or above both of these teams, but what has happened on the field hasn’t agreed. The Cornhuskers are 7-6 against Northwestern since joining the conference, despite having a “better” team in all but maybe three of those years. Once again, Nebraska is a heavy favorite (-9.5 in Vegas; 75.2% FPI). I’ve watched every game from both of these teams, and I’ll tell you who has looked like the better team in the last month or so. It’s not the team in red and white. I think Michigan cracked Nebraska. Minnesota may have broken them.
12. (23) Illinois at Washington
Where to watch: Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m.
This is a case where the ranked team is a road dog. Washington’s home winning streak was snapped by Ohio State less than a month ago. The Huskies started a new one with a win over Rutgers on October 10. The margin of loss for these teams against Ohio State was the same, but Washington failed to find the end zone. Illinois has only allowed 131 rushing yards per game, but Indiana gouged them. Washington has the rushing talent and depth to do the same. That could explain Washington as a 4.5-point favorite and a 61.5% favorite in FPI. Unlike the other ranked road dog, Vegas and FPI are on the same side in this one.
11. Houston at (24) Arizona State
Where to watch: ESPN2, 8 p.m.
BYU may be ruling the roost in the Big 12 right now, but as we saw down the stretch last season, anything can happen. Houston only has one loss, to Big 12 heavyweight Texas Tech. Arizona State’s only conference loss is to Utah without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. With Leavitt back, Arizona State took out Texas Tech last week, who was ironically without starting quarterback Behren Morton. So it begins…
Despite Houston only having one loss, FPI loves the Sun Devils in this tilt at 71.9%. Vegas has the Sun Devils favored by 6.5 points, though the line has tumbled two points in three days. That suggests that many bettors like what they have seen from Houston.
10. (17) Tennessee at Kentucky
Where to watch: SEC Network, 7:45 p.m.
This is a rhetorical question, but why can’t we have the Beer Barrel back? Alcohol can be sold in the freaking stadiums now! The Beer Barrel was a glorious barrel that originally held every college student’s favorite beverage. It was rolled onto the field by a bunch of Kentucky students in 1925 to signify their supremacy in the rivalry. Of course, they painted the words “ice water” on it so the school wouldn’t throw a fit over an alcohol drum during Prohibition. The barrel was then painted half blue and half orange and exchanged every year until 1997, with the score painted on it every year. An alcohol-related accident a week before the 1998 game that killed two Kentucky players caused the removal of the trophy.
The game itself has been dominated by Tennessee for the last 40 years. The teams play every season, but Kentucky has only won three times in those 40 years, all since 2011. FPI thinks the dominance will continue. Tennessee is a 75% favorite on the road, and is favored by 7.5 in Vegas.
9. (25) Michigan at Michigan State
Where to watch: NBC, 7:30 p.m.
These teams play for a clumsy, four-foot wooden statue of Paul Bunyan. Paul Bunyan is a mythical character from Minnesota. Michigan used his likeness to signify the importance of lumber in its economy. Whatever the history of it is, it’s a little homely, a little heavy, and a lot awkward. This is worth a watch just to see the players try to lug it around after a win. Speaking of which, Michigan is a heavy favorite in this game, both at Vegas (-13.5) and FPI (87.8%). But as with all rivalry games, weird things happen. Sparty has beaten Michigan a few times in the recent past, where it looked like they had no right to win the game.
8. Colorado State at Wyoming
Where to watch: CBS Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.
Yes, this is a game between two teams with a losing record, but you can’t put a price on this heated rivalry. The schools play for a bronze boot, which is the actual boot worn in the Vietnam War by the ROTC instructor at Colorado State that was bronzed to use as a trophy. The teams play for that trophy. The home team’s ROTC squad takes the game ball and runs it to the next location in a shuttle relay for 65 miles along Highway 287. The “Border War” has been dominated by Wyoming since 2016. The Pokes have won seven of nine meetings since. FPI has the Cowboys as a 52.8% home favorite, with Vegas a little more confident in Wyoming at home (-4.5).
7. (3) Texas A&M at (20) LSU
Where to watch: ABC, 7:30 p.m.
On paper, this is a game that LSU should have no chance to win. In reality, A&M hasn’t beaten the Tigers in Red Stick since 1995. LSU has won every home game in this series since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. A&M has won every home game in College Station since 2016. There are no road warriors here. Only warriors. The Aggies are a slight favorite in FPI (52.2%) and Vegas (-2.5). I’ve watched the LSU offense to know that this should be a game where A&M gets that elusive road win.
6. (11) BYU at Iowa State
Where to watch: Fox, 3:30 p.m.
For whatever reason, BYU is the Rodney Dangerfield of college football. They get no respect in Vegas. The Cougars, despite a 7-0 start under true freshman Bear Bachmeier, are 2.5-point dogs in Ames. Only four true freshmen have ever started their careers 7-0. Bachmeier is one of them. The other three are Jalen Hurts at Alabama in 2016, Jake Fromm of Georgia in 2017, and Trevor Lawrence of Clemson in 2018. That’s pretty good company for Bear. So why is Iowa State favored? Even FPI is on the opposite side of this (54.2% BYU on the road). Some of the best games this season have seen Vegas and FPI on opposite sides.
5. Kansas State at Kansas
Where to watch: TNT, noon
Despite the improvement of Kansas under Lance Leipold, this series has been dominated by Kansas State in recent years. Kansas hasn’t won the Sunflower Showdown — which has been played every year since 1911, only missing 1910 since they started the series in 1902 — since 2008. The Jayhawks have just four wins in this series since 1993, a span of 32 games. Why is this significant? Kansas is a favorite in Vegas (-2.5) and in FPI (56.8%). Kansas hasn’t given its fans a win against the biggest rival at The Booth since that 2008 game. This feels like the year with the Booth getting a facelift (beautiful, by the way, without losing all of its charm) and Jalon Daniels trying to go out on top.
4. Minnesota at Iowa
Where to watch: CBS, 3:30 p.m.
The Floyd of Rosedale game is always a hotly contested one. This is also a place where I feel like Vegas is going way overboard on home-field advantage. Iowa has taken Floyd home in nine of the last 10 years, but this feels like the worst Iowa team in that span. Despite that, and despite Minnesota beating Nebraska again, Iowa is an 8.5-point favorite in Vegas. Iowa is also heavily favored according to FPI (78.6%). I’m not sure where this is coming from. I trust Drake Lindsey a lot more than Mark Gronowski right now.
3. (18) South Florida at Memphis
Where to watch: ESPN2, noon
A funny thing happened on the way to the (FedEx) Forum. Memphis lost the Bones to UAB, thereby cheapening what would have been a ranked vs. ranked American Conference showdown. Considering the strength of the conference (and who wins this game), we may still get one later this year. However, all is not lost for the Tigers. They are at home in this one and still get Tulane and Navy at home. Win two of those three home games, and Memphis is in the American Conference Championship, which will likely be for a trip to the College Football Playoff. That’s the state of college football now. Even a Group of 5 team can lose and still have a shot. South Florida is a decent favorite in Vegas (-3.5), but FPI has this as a toss-up (50.1% in favor of Memphis).
2. (15) Missouri at (10) Vanderbilt
Where to watch: ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
This has the makings of another great one. We do have a bit of a barometer for these two teams. Missouri only lost to Alabama by three at home. Vandy lost by 16 in Tuscaloosa. Missouri beat South Carolina by nine at home. Vandy beat South Carolina by 24 on the road. What did we learn from that? Not much. Missouri’s strength is running the ball, but Vandy is only allowing 92.1 rushing yards per game and has only allowed three rushing touchdowns all season. Missouri has only allowed four. Those looking for a high-scoring game may be disappointed. Vanderbilt is a slight favorite (-2.5) in Vegas and FPI (55.1%). Regardless, this should be a great game. Missouri’s first road trip of 2025 was an eventful one last weekend in Auburn.
1. (8) Mississippi at (13) Oklahoma
Where to watch: ABC, noon
It’s the stout Oklahoma defense against the Mississippi offense. It’s the Oklahoma run game, which struggled in every game until last week, against a Mississippi team that has had trouble stopping the run all season. It’s the first trip to Norman for the Rebels. It’s Lane Kiffin vs. Brent Venables in a battle of great offensive and defensive minds, respectively. It’s Trinidad Chambliss, who last year won a Division II title for Ferris State, taking on John Mateer, who had Washington State nearly winning 10 games without a conference last year. This has all the makings of a great game. FPI thinks so, with Oklahoma a slight (55.2%) home favorite. The Sooners are a slightly higher favorite according to Vegas (-4.5).
