Top-10 teams continue to face upsets as Week 9 of the college football season presents challenging matchups for several contenders. No. 3 Georgia, coming off a loss to Auburn, is a 12.5-point favorite against No. 17 Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Other key games include Arizona at Texas Tech (-3.5), Auburn at Ole Miss (-12.5), Minnesota at Indiana (-20.5), Miami at UNC (+14), and Ohio State at USC (-6.5) in the first-ever Big Ten meeting between the programs.
SportsLine expert Thomas Casale, a handicapper with over 30 years of experience and a 12-7 record over the past six weeks, has released his top picks for the week. Casale is backing USC (+6.5) to cover the spread against No. 2 Ohio State, citing the Buckeyes' quarterback situation. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin is unavailable, and true freshman Luke Fahey is expected to make his first career start. Casale noted the line moved from Ohio State -7 to -6.5, indicating concern about the offense's ability to sustain drives without Sayin. Casale has two additional best bets available on SportsLine, including a big favorite in what he calls an "awful spot" for its opponent.
