NCAA Football Predictions: Week 9 Opening Line Report and Picks

by Joey House - 10/26/2026

NCAA Football predictions Week 9 opening line report Will Hammond

College football heads into Week 9 after another chaotic Saturday that saw several ranked teams go down. BYU and Texas Tech both fell in the Big 12, USC was shut down at Wisconsin, and Tennessee dropped a close one at South Carolina. At the same time, Texas, Indiana, Alabama, and Miami picked up notable wins. Those results reshuffled some of the playoff picture and conference races heading into the second half of the season. Opening lines for the Week 9 slate are already out, and as usual, the early numbers give a clear look at how the market sees these games before injuries, sharp money, and public betting start to move them.

Doc’s Sports offers college football expert picks for every game on our college football predictions page.

Three Power 4 Coaches Fired This Week

Maryland got the carousel spinning on October 21 by firing Mike Locksley after the Terrapins dropped to 2-5. Locksley exits with a 39-54 record over eight seasons. The Terps are on a bye this week before hosting Illinois on Saturday.

NC State made its move on October 24, parting ways with Dave Doeren one day after a 31-28 loss at Stanford left the Wolfpack at 3-4. Doeren departs as the winningest coach in school history after 14 seasons. Todd Goebbel steps in as interim, and California visits Carter-Finley on Saturday with the Wolfpack opening as 8.5-point dogs.

Baylor followed on October 25, dismissing Dave Aranda the day after the Bears blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead against a Kansas team that entered the game with a losing record. That 25-24 loss left Baylor at 4-3 and ended Aranda's seven-year run at 40-40. The Bears head to UCF on Friday night under an interim coach. The game opened close, with UCF favored by anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5.

Coaches Still on the Hot Seat

Mike Norvell remains the name most often mentioned as next in line. Florida State sits at 3-4 after a double-overtime loss at Miami, which may have bought the coach a few more weeks in the cozy hot seat. Norvell is 10-21 since the Seminoles' 13-1 season in 2023. The buyout is massive, which has kept him in place so far, but pressure in Tallahassee remains high for the Noles to give the coach the axe.

Greg Schiano is also drawing more heat at Rutgers after a 42-14 loss at Northwestern dropped the Scarlet Knights to 2-5. The defense has been a consistent problem, and the big margin of defeat against a ranked opponent put the seat back under scrutiny. I read a delusional wish on social media from a Rutgers fan who mentioned the iconic Nick Saban coming out of retirement to take the job. Christmas isn't for another two months, buddy.

Fran Brown at Syracuse and Shane Beamer at South Carolina have both been on recent hot-seat lists, though Beamer's win over Tennessee last week cooled things some. Expect more seats to heat up as the second half of the season unfolds.

GAMES

Georgia -10.5 vs Florida, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Saturday, October 31, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Florida has shown it can hang with good teams, but it has also had stretches where the offense just stalls and the protection breaks down. Georgia's front has been the more reliable group all season, and the Bulldogs have held opponents under 4.5 yards per play in five of seven games. Florida's secondary has given up some chunk plays lately, and a physical opponent held the Gators under 300 total yards not that long ago. Both teams had the bye, so rest is not the story here. The number is not tiny for a neutral-site rivalry game, but Georgia has covered four of its last five against SEC teams and has simply been the better, more consistent side. I expect the Bulldogs to lean on the run game, control the clock, and pull away late.

PICK: Georgia -10.5

Miami -14.5 at North Carolina, Kenan Stadium (Saturday, October 31, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Miami's defense has held opponents under 20 in five of its last seven games, and the offense has averaged more than 35 points in its last four wins. North Carolina has been up and down, struggling to finish drives when the run game gets stuffed and giving up intermediate routes against teams that can throw outside the numbers. A mid-tier ACC team held the Tar Heels under 280 yards not long ago. Miami won't run it down their throat all night, but the Hurricanes have been more efficient on third down and better at creating negative plays. They have covered three of their last four on the road. This feels like a game where Miami methodically pulls away rather than dominates from the jump.

PICK: Miami -14.5

Arizona +4.5 at Texas Tech, Jones AT&T Stadium (Saturday, October 31, noon ET)

Texas Tech just got handled by Cincinnati, and the line still has them favored by less than a touchdown against a 6-1 Arizona team that has been quietly solid all year. The Wildcats' only loss came in Provo, and they have been efficient on both sides of the ball against most of the schedule. Tech's defense has been average at best when the opponent can throw the ball outside the numbers, and Arizona has the receivers to test that. This isn't a huge number for a road underdog that's been better than its ranking suggests, and the Red Raiders are coming off a game where they got pushed around up front. Arizona should be able to move the ball enough to keep it within a score, and the points feel right.

PICK: Arizona +4.5

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Start:	October 26, 2026 @ 10:30 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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NCAA Football Predictions: Week 9 Opening Line Report and Picks

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