We’re now past the halfway mark of the college football season and preparing ourselves for the first College Football Playoff rankings, and after a two-week stretch of powerhouse matchups and chaos, Week 9 eases up just a little but not by much. The noon slate brings an early spark as eighth-ranked Ole Miss visits an up-and-down Oklahoma squad trying to recreate their rhythm following their embarrassing loss to Texas a couple of weeks ago, while 18th-ranked USF and Memphis meet in a sneaky duel between Group of Five contenders both preparing for one of the bigger non-Power Four games of the year. Saturday, however, belongs to the heavyweights, as Missouri travels to Vanderbilt, who’s in the top-10 for the first time since the 1940s, for a top-15 SEC showdown that somehow feels both surreal and season-defining, but out of all four power conferences, the Big XII race will shake up the most with several top teams within the conference battling it out around the top half of the standings. Even beyond the ranked matchups, danger lurks everywhere, because in late October, every favorite starts sweating and every underdog starts believing again, so let’s take a look at which matchups present a true representation of that:

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Saturday, October 25

#8 Ole Miss @ #13 Oklahoma (-5.5) (O/U: 52.5)

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK

Noon, ABC

Best Bet: Under 52.5

Prediction

Final Score: #13 Oklahoma 27, #8 Ole Miss 23

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#18 USF (-3.5) @ Memphis (O/U: 59.5)

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN

Noon, ESPN2

Best Bet: Over 59.5

Prediction

Final Score: #18 USF 41, Memphis 34

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#23 Illinois @ Washington (-2.5) (O/U: 54.5)

Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA

3:30 pm, B1G Network

Best Bet: Collin Dixon o36.5 Receiving Yards

Prediction

Final Score: Washington 31, #23 Illinois 24

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#15 Missouri @ #10 Vanderbilt (-2.5) (O/U: 52.5)

FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN

3:30 pm, ABC

Best Bet: Vanderbilt -2.5

Prediction

Final Score: #10 Vanderbilt 30, #15 Missouri 27

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#11 BYU @ Iowa State (-2.5) (O/U: 49.5)

Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA

3:30 pm, FOX

Best Bet: Iowa State -2.5

Prediction

Final Score: Iowa State 27, #11 BYU 20

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Baylor @ #21 Cincinnati (-3.5) (O/U: 67.5)

Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

4 pm, ESPN2

Best Bet: Sawyer Robertson o312.5 Passing Yards

Prediction

Final Score: #21 Cincinnati 38, Baylor 34

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#22 Texas (-7.5) @ Mississippi State State (O/U: 47.5)

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS

4:15 pm, SEC Network

Best Bet: Mississippi State +7.5

Prediction

Final Score: #22 Texas 20, Mississippi State 17

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#3 Texas A&M (-2.5) @ #20 LSU (O/U: 49.5)

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

7:30 pm, ABC

Best Bet: Marcel Reed o33.5 Rushing Yards

Prediction

Final Score: #20 LSU 24, #3 Texas A&M 20

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Houston @ #24 Arizona State (-7.5) (O/U: 46.5)

Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ

8 pm, ESPN2

Best Bet: Amare Thomas o50.5 Receiving Yards

Prediction

Final Score: #24 Arizona State 24, Houston 17

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North Dakota State (-3.5) @ South Dakota State (O/U: 47.5)

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD

8 pm, FOX

Best Bet: Cole Payton Anytime TD

Prediction

Final Score: North Dakota State 27, South Dakota State 24

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Stay tuned this weekend for another stacked weekend of college football!