College Football Week 9 Bold Predictions

1. LSU upsets Ole Miss

The Tigers are a different team at home this year, as they nearly rallied to take down now-number-one Miss State a month ago in Baton Rouge.  Ole Miss has not beaten LSU in their stadium since 2008.  It will be a close game that comes down to the wire, but I think "The Hat" has a few tricks up his sleeve to pull off the upset.  Tigers down the Rebels, 28 - 24.

2. Michigan shocks Michigan State in East Lansing

There is no logical reason to believe the Wolverines stand a chance in this one.  On paper, the Spartans win hands down, as Michigan State holds the advantage in pretty much every category.  But the great thing about college football is that sometimes the inexplicable happens, especially in rivalry games.  I'm going out on a limb and calling for a 27 - 26 Michigan victory.

3. Ohio State scores at least 14 points in the first quarter against Penn State

Fast starts have been par for the course for the surging Buckeyes, as they've tallied two touchdowns or more in the first quarter of each of their past 4 games.  Getting on the board quickly may prove crucial Saturday night, as they try to silence a large home crowd in Happy Valley.  But Penn State's defense is only allowing 15 points per game and have had two weeks to prepare for Ohio State, so it won't be easy.  Throw in the fact that the Nittany Lions will be looking to avenge last year's 63 - 14 thrashing in Columbus, and suddenly what appeared to be another soft match-up becomes a trickier endeavor  However, Penn State has yet to face an offense like this one.  Buckeyes strike early and often on the way to a 40 - 20 statement win.

4. One or both Washington teams take down their Arizonian opponents

It's a battle between states this week as Arizona and Arizona State travel to Washington State and Washington, respectively.  The Arizona schools are both ranked and favored over their foes from the Evergreen state, but I think one of them falls short this weekend.  If Washington State can play just a little bit of defense they can compete with the Wildcats, as their offense can score touchdowns in bunches.  For Washington it's all about how they respond after the bad loss at Oregon, as I think they match up pretty evenly with the Sun Devils.  My guess is the Cougars get it done, as Washington State QB Halliday leads the team to a 38 - 35 surprise win over Arizona.  The Huskies start slowly and can't catch back up despite a strong second-half, falling 29 - 27 to Arizona State.

5. SMU tallies 7 or more points against Memphis

The SMU Mustangs are the last remaining winless FBS team in the country and rank dead-last in points scored and points allowed.  They average just 6.5 points per game and have been shut out twice.  SMU's best offensive showing was a 24-point explosion in a loss to East Carolina - one of only two games where they reached the endzone.  The Mustangs don't stand a chance against a mediocre Memphis team, but hey, who knows, maybe they score a touchdown?  Memphis still wins, of course, 41 - 7.