It is dangerous to be ranked at the top of the polls. Three of the top two teams have lost to unseeded opponents in the last three weeks, a first since the carnage of the 2007 season.
Texas fell, Georgia stumbled and BYU was overwhelmed.
Now, No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Ohio State both hit the road this week against unranked teams. At least for Miami, the Hurricanes have history on their side. They are 30-0 all-time against unranked opponents as the No. 1 team in the AP. They head to North Carolina, 0-11 against the No. 1 team in the country. If Miami can get past Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels, a marquee matchup awaits next week at Notre Dame.
No team is safe while parity is rampant nationwide. Coach Mario Cristobal said there was no point in letting up this week.
“Otherwise you risk a victory,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ohio State embarks on a road trip to USC with a problem. The Buckeyes have still not announced a starting quarterback to replace Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely. Luke Fahey, who replaced Sayin late in the win over Indiana, and former five-star Tavian St. Clair battled for the starting job during the bye week. Both could play. If so, Fahey will be playing close to home in Mission Viejo, California. USC needs a win as questions arise about coach Lincoln Riley’s whirlwind future.
We enter Week 9 with just three undefeated teams: Miami, No. 7 UCLA and No. 6 Utah. That’s the fewest numbers to start a season since 1977. Utah travels to Cincinnati, which just beat then-undefeated Texas Tech and can become the first unranked team since 1938 St. Mary’s to beat teams ranked 6-0 or better in consecutive games.
Minnesota, holding its three rivalry trophies for the first time since 1978, travels to No. 4 Indiana, which has not scored 21 points in three straight games.
We also have a monster rivalry game as #3 Georgia takes on #17 Florida in Atlanta for the first time in rivalry history. The Bulldogs are coming off a week off after losing at home to unranked Auburn. Georgia is trying to avoid becoming the second No. 1 team in history to lose consecutive games.
The other team was Texas, and that happened this month.
College football in 2026 is a different kind of beast. Here’s how CBS Sports experts see the situation shaping up in Week 9, the final Saturday of the regular season without College Football Playoff seeding.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona Prediction, Picks
12 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): Arizona may be the most underrated team in the country and Noah Fifita is playing the best ball of his career. Cincinnati exposed major flaws in Texas Tech’s defense in an upset victory, and the Wildcats are even better positioned to take advantage. Unless the Red Raiders offense finds something, Arizona will come away with a marquee victory. Pick: Arizona +3.5
Minnesota vs. Indiana Prediction, Picks
3:30 p.m. on CBS CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app Paramount+ Premium: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Hoosiers are simply sub-machine right now. It’s not just that they have an elite defense and a sputtering offense, but it’s the way Curt Cignetti runs games. The lack of confidence in Hoover is never more evident than when he unhesitatingly throws the punt unit on a fourth-and-short at midfield. Even if Indiana dominates, it’s hard to see them putting up points on a good Minnesota defense, and there is a real world in which the Gophers stay this close throughout. Regardless, it will come down to which team converts opportunities into touchdowns rather than field goals, and that total is a little too high at 40. Choose: LESS than 41.5
Where to watch Georgia vs. Florida live
Date: Saturday October 31 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: Fubo (free trial)
Georgia vs. Florida Prediction, Picks
3:30 p.m. on ESPN, Fubo (try for free): Expect to see an angry Georgia team after the Bulldogs were forced to stew in a turnover-fueled home loss to Auburn during a bye week. Florida will have the Bulldogs’ full attention after an upset win at Texas, and UGA won’t be caught off guard by anything the Gators attempt offensively. Georgia’s defensive staff is familiar with Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. On the other side, the Gators showed they were vulnerable on defense, and Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton will be playing with a chip on his shoulder after a rare underperformance against Auburn. Pick: Georgia -12.5
Ohio State vs. USC Prediction, Picks
7:30 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (try for free): I have a hard time asking Ohio State to go on the road and cover a touchdown with a starting QB first, so I’m avoiding the spread altogether. The smartest play is to attack the total. It’s safe to assume that Ohio State’s offense will struggle a bit, and they’ll likely rely a lot more on the running game to relieve Fahey. We’ve also seen USC’s offense struggle against ranked opponents. Choose: Less than 51.5
Miami vs. North Carolina Prediction, Picks
7:30 p.m. on ABC, Fubo (try for free): Miami’s first season of ACC play included a trip to Chapel Hill on Halloween night to face a North Carolina team that was 3-4 overall, with four losses by 20+ points to ranked teams. The Hurricanes, ranked No. 4 at the time, were 6-0 and looking to establish themselves as the class of the ACC, having joined the conference just a few years after a national championship. Much has been made of Miami’s struggles over the last five meetings, but the Hurricanes’ problems with the Heels date back to the very beginning of their time in the league and Connor Barth’s game-winning kick to seal that scary upset. Bill Belichick and the North Carolina defense can get enough stops to stay this close, and with Notre Dame on deck, the Hurricanes might not be in the mindset to push this game late into the evening. We expect North Carolina to flirt with the coverage, but ultimately have the total fall under the punter’s number. Choose: Less than 52.5
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 9 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that’s on a 68-59 run among CFB’s top-rated picks this season.
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