College football enters Week 9 with unprecedented parity: three top-two teams have fallen to unranked opponents over the last three weeks, a first since the chaotic 2007 season. Only three unbeaten teams remain — No. 1 Miami, No. 7 UCLA and No. 6 Utah — the fewest this early in a season since 1977. CBS Sports experts have released predictions and picks for the key top-25 matchups on the final Saturday before the College Football Playoff rankings debut.
Miami at North Carolina
No. 1 Miami (6-0) travels to face Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels (3-4) at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Hurricanes are 30-0 all-time against unranked opponents as the AP No. 1, while UNC is 0-11 all-time vs. the nation's No. 1 team. Coach Mario Cristobal warned against complacency: "If not, you're putting a win at risk." Experts lean toward a low-scoring affair, picking the Under 52.5 points, with Miami favored by 14.5 points but North Carolina projected to keep it close.
Ohio State at USC
No. 2 Ohio State (6-0) visits USC (4-2) at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC with a quarterback mystery. Starter Julian Sayin is out indefinitely; Luke Fahey and former five-star Tavian St. Clair battled for the job during the bye week. Both could play, with Fahey returning near his Mission Viejo home. USC needs a win amid speculation about coach Lincoln Riley's future. The CBS panel avoids the spread (Ohio State -7) and targets the Under 51.5, expecting offensive struggles from both sides.
Georgia vs. Florida in Atlanta
No. 3 Georgia (5-1) meets No. 17 Florida (4-2) at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — the first neutral-site game in the rivalry's history. The Bulldogs are coming off a bye after a stunning home loss to unranked Auburn and are trying to avoid becoming only the second No. 1 team ever to lose back-to-back games (Texas did so earlier this month). Georgia's defense knows Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner well, and quarterback Gunner Stockton aims to rebound. Experts pick Georgia -12.5.
Minnesota at Indiana
Minnesota (4-3), holder of all three rivalry trophies for the first time since 1978, visits No. 4 Indiana (6-0) at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The Hoosiers have yet to score 21 points in three straight games but boast an elite defense under coach Curt Cignetti. The total is set at 41.5, and the consensus pick is Under, with Indiana favored by 19.5 points but expected to win outright.
Texas Tech at Arizona
Arizona (4-2) hosts Texas Tech (5-2) at noon ET on ESPN. The Wildcats, led by quarterback Noah Fifita playing the best football of his career, are seen as perhaps the most underrated team in the country. Cincinnati recently exposed Texas Tech's defense in an upset win, and Arizona is favored to capitalize. The pick: Arizona +3.5.
