College football enters Week 9 with several high-profile matchups featuring ranked teams. No. 3 Georgia, coming off a loss to Auburn, faces No. 17 Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as a 12.5-point favorite. Other notable 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) in the first-ever Big Ten meeting between the programs.
Veteran handicapper Thomas Casale, who holds a 12-7 record over the past six weeks, has released his top picks for the week. Casale is backing USC to stay within the 6.5-point spread against Ohio State. He notes that Ohio State will start true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey in place of Julian Sayin, and the line movement from -7 to -6.5 reflects uncertainty about the Buckeyes' offense with an inexperienced quarterback. Casale has identified two additional best bets, including a heavy favorite in what he describes as an "awful spot" for the opponent.
