Week 9 of the college football season presents several top-10 teams in difficult matchups. No. 3 Georgia, coming off a shocking loss to Auburn, meets No. 17 Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as a 12.5-point favorite. Other key games include Arizona at Texas Tech (-3.5), Auburn at Ole Miss (-12.5), Minnesota at Indiana (-20.5), Miami at North Carolina (+14), and No. 2 Ohio State at USC (-6.5).
Veteran handicapper Thomas Casale, who holds a 12-7 record over the past six weeks, has released his top selections for the weekend. One of his standout picks is backing USC (+6.5) to stay within the spread against Ohio State in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday.
Casale points out that Ohio State will be without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, with true freshman Luke Fahey expected to make his first career start. He believes the Buckeyes' offense could take a step back on the road with an inexperienced quarterback, and notes the line movement from -7 to -6.5 as a significant indicator. "It takes a lot to move a line off the key number of 7, especially for a highly-rated team like the Buckeyes," Casale said. He also questions whether Ohio State can sustain drives throughout the game.
Casale has identified two additional picks, including a heavy favorite in what he describes as an "awful spot" for its opponent. His complete Week 9 analysis is available in his regular column.
