Will Oregon’s Justin Herbert solidify his status as a potential top pick in next year’s NFL Draft when the Ducks host the Washington State Cougars in an intriguing Week 9 Pac-12 pairing? Can Auburn pick up the upset road win over LSU in their matchup of conference finalist hopefuls? Will the Michigan Wolverines take a big step in their quest to reach the four-team College Football Playoff when they host 2018 playoff participant Notre Dame? If you want to know all about the top must-bet matchups in the schedule, then consider your College Football Week 9 betting ticket punched!
2019 College Football Week 9 Must-Bet Games
Washington State at Oregon
- When: Saturday, October 26
- Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Washington State went a stellar 11-2 last season and 7-2 in the Pac-12 North while Oregon is coming off a 9-4 season that saw them go 5-4 in the Pac-12 North. The Cougars have won four straight in this series including a convincing 34-20 home win last season. While Washington State will have a new starting quarterback for the second straight season in 2019, Oregon will look to claim the Pac-12 conference crown behind gifted quarterback Justin Herbert, a player that is being viewed as the possible top pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Auburn at LSU
- When: Saturday, October 26
- Where: Tiger Stadium , Baton Rouge, LA
Auburn wet a modest 8-5 last season while ranking 48th in scoring ()30.9 ppg and a stellar 14th in points allowed (19.2 ppg). LSU went 10-3 and 5-3 in the SEC West while finishing 38th in scoring (32.4 ppg) and 26th in pints allowed (21.8 ppg). LSU leads the all-time series 30-20-1 and they’ve won two straight and three of the last four meetings overall, including a narrow 22-21 road win last season. Auburn will have a new starting quarterback in 2019 and that alone makes LSU the pick to get it done in this one in my opinion.
Notre Dame at Michigan
- When: Saturday, October 26
- Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Notre Dame had a phenomenal 2018 campaign in going 12-1 while reaching the College Football Playoff where they suffered their only loss against eventual champion Clemson in the semifinal round. Michigan went 10-3 a year ago and 8-1 in the Big Ten East. Unfortunately, the Wolverines have dropped two straight and three of four in this series while suffering a hard-fought 24-17 road loss against the Fighting Irish in their regular season opener a year ago. Can the Wolverines get the revenge they’re looking for to keep their national championship hopes alive? I’m thinking the Wolverines will be the favorites in this Week 8 pairing.
Arizona at Stanford
- When: Saturday, October 26
- Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
Arizona went a discouraging 5-7 and 4-5 in the Pac-12 North in Year 1 of the Kevin Sumlin era last season while Stanford went 9-4 and 6-3 in the Pac-12 North. The Cardinal have won five straight and seven of the last eight meetings in this series including an emphatic 34-10 road win over the Wildcats last season. While Arizona’s Khalil Tate looked nothing like the elite, dual-threat signal-caller he did in 2017, Stanford’s K.J. Costello is looking to build on an impressive 2018 campaign that saw him pass for 3,540 yards with 29 TD passes and 11 interceptions.
Mississippi State at Texas A&M
- When: Saturday, October 26
- Where: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Mississippi State went a solid 8-5 last season and 4-4 in the SEC West in their first season under head coach Joe Moorhead while ranking a jaw-dropping second nationally in points allowed (13.2 ppg). The Bulldogs are looking to take another step forward in 2019, but they’ll have to find a replacement at quarterback for Nick Fitzgerald and that just doesn’t bode well in my opinion.
Texas A&M had an excellent first season under national championship-winning head coach Jimbo Fisher in going 9-4 and 5-3 in the SEC West a year ago. The Aggies could be even more explosive offensively under gifted quarterback Kellen Mond after averaging a fantastic 36.0 points per game to fishing 19th in scoring. While Mississippi State leads this series 7-5 all-time and recorded a convincing 28-13 home win over the Aggies in Week 9 last season, I’m thinking Texas A&M is looking great heading into 2019.
