College football Week 9 streaming guide: Missouri-Vanderbilt, BYU-ISU, more incoming chaos

What a bizarre two months of faculty soccer. Granted, the game is all the time rooted in skinny margins and Jenga block wobbles, however 2025 has been uniquely off the hook to date. The AP Prime 25 ballot displays it, too: Each spot modified arms, aside from the undefeated and reigning nationwide champion Ohio State at No. 1.

It isn’t simply the week-to-week turnover. A few of these packages vying for prime rankings are unaccustomed to the heights. Indiana is No. 2, the very best spot in class historical past. Georgia Tech is No. 7 — it went unranked for eight consecutive seasons from 2016 by way of ’23. And Vanderbilt is No. 10, one thing the Commodores haven’t been since 1947.

Right here’s what we’re trying ahead to on this newest slate, headlined by an unlikely Mizzou-Vandy jam. There are two different SEC heavyweight fights (Ole Miss at Oklahoma, Texas A&M at LSU), plus pivotal video games within the Large 12, Mountain West, Mid-American and American conferences. The schedule is full; the screens are break up; our concern of being thwacked by a flying tortilla is now not.

All instances ET, and all odds by way of BetMGM.

Week 9 viewing information

Watching in individual? Get tickets on StubHub.

ABC, NBC and Fox are free over the air. NBC additionally streams on Peacock, and Fox streams on Fox One. All ESPN community content material, together with ABC and SECN telecasts, can be found on ESPN Limitless.

Wednesday

The sunshine stretching: Missouri State at New Mexico State, 9 p.m. on CBSSN

There are eight FBS video games between Tuesday and Friday. Most of them are imbalanced by unfold, stakes or each. Wednesday’s Convention USA nightcap ought to be shut, a minimum of. Every group is available in at 3-3, and the purpose unfold is slim. The Bears have consecutive shut calls (a five-point loss to Western Kentucky, then a two-point win at Center Tennessee). And the Aggies return dwelling after a wild 30-27 loss to Liberty on a last-minute landing. Las Cruces is the touchdown spot for these in want of a late-night soccer repair. They’re referred to as “sickos,” clinically talking.

Friday

The warmup: Boise State at Nevada, 10 p.m. on CBSSN

These present Broncos are a bit off the radar in comparison with final 12 months’s Faculty Soccer Playoff group, however their two losses are a minimum of to respectable opponents (USF and Notre Dame). They’ll have to win out within the Mountain West to maintain their faint Playoff hope kindled this season. The Athletic’s newest projections have Boise State with a 6 p.c probability to crash the CFP bracket. Whereas Ashton Jeanty was by no means going to be correctly “changed” within the blue-turf backfield, Dylan Riley is holding it down in his personal proper. The sophomore slasher begins this week with 695 dashing yards; his common of 8.1 yards per try ranks No. 8 in FBS. Boise State will take the sphere with heavy hearts following the loss of life of program legend Doug Martin.

Saturday, early window

Finest on paper: No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma, midday on ABC

Norman shall be noisy on Saturday. It’s laborious to imagine that this grooving Brent Venables group spawned from final 12 months’s six-win disappointment. John Mateer hasn’t fairly been the Heisman-level quarterback he was earlier than his Sept. 20 thumb damage. However the Sooners don’t want a complete lot with this protection in place. Oklahoma hits the week at No. 2 in factors allowed per recreation (9.4) and No. 1 in yards allowed per play (3.7). Off the sting, R Mason Thomas toggles between nuisance and nightmare: two sacks versus Auburn, one on Texas and 1 1/2 on South Carolina.

If not for final weekend’s 17-0 fourth-quarter collapse in Georgia, Lane Kiffin’s crew could be undefeated. Ole Miss nonetheless has an excellent probability at making the Playoff … with a QB who was in Division II final 12 months. Trinidad Chambliss can air it out within the pocket and scoot far past it. He had three complete touchdowns towards the Dawgs in Athens, and he’s thrown only a singular interception throughout his 5 begins. Chambliss has been testomony to school soccer’s redemptive and romantic qualities. His Rebels are must-watch TV for followers of all persuasions.

Finest potential chaos agent: No. 18 South Florida at Memphis, midday on ESPN2

There’s a trio of potential entice video games that might deliver chaos to the forefront. “May” is doing an terrible lot in that sentence, although. Indiana hosts UCLA, and oddsmakers have opened the unfold at a whopping 24.5 factors. Georgia Tech is a three-score dwelling favourite over Syracuse, which has misplaced its final three ACC matchups by a number of scores. And Virginia visits UNC, the place the Invoice Belichick-Chapel Hill expertise might be lowered to a soggy Carolina blue hoodie with molding cutoffs.

As an alternative, let’s roll with South Florida and Memphis for some thick smoke. The 6-1 Tigers had been ranked final week, then squandered that rating by way of goal-line stuff at UAB. The 6-1 Bulls are nonetheless ranked, and so they’ve scored 48 or extra factors of their 4 consecutive wins. Dynamic quarterback Byrum Brown leads his group in passing and dashing. The Athletic mannequin offers Brown’s USF a 24 p.c probability at making the CFP; Invoice Connelly’s SP+ mannequin has Memphis because the slim winner of Saturday’s motion. Let’s see what shakes out in Bluff Metropolis. For what it’s price, we bought a 59-50 mega-marathon when these two final met in Memphis in the course of the 2023 season, with Brown throwing 5 touchdowns in a loss.

Sleeper choose: Auburn at Arkansas, 12:45 p.m. on SEC Community

Bobby Petrino (sure, him) has Arkansas taking part in competitively, with consecutive three-point losses to ranked opponents. Hugh Freeze (sure, him) might be teaching for his job on Saturday. If nothing else, it’s a stage for schadenfreude.

Saturday, afternoon window

Finest on paper: No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

The Tigers had been three factors in need of upending Alabama two weekends in the past. They’re in any other case unbeaten off the energy of Ahmad Hardy, the nation’s third-leading rusher by way of eight weeks, and their gnarly cross rush with 21 sacks. The SEC could also be as crowded as ever (10 of its 16 members are ranked proper now, which is hilarious), however a street upset on “Faculty GameDay” would propel Mizzou close to the entrance of the road.

Identical goes for Vandy, which brings school soccer’s touring circus to Nashville. Rece Davis and mates are right here to see Diego Pavia, who’s carving up high quality opponents and channeling the spirits of Johnny Manziel’s Heisman season:

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia hit the Heisman and paid homage to Johnny Manziel 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ukQZ67VIDs

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2025

Pavia has 13 wins in 20 begins for the Commodores. Vanderbilt had 12 mixed wins within the 5 seasons earlier than his arrival. Missouri’s line of defense has its proving floor.

Finest potential chaos agent: No. 11 BYU at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. on Fox

Just like the early window, there are a number of chaos candidates that might slot in right here. Baylor at Cincinnati seems like an excellent time. So does Illinois at Washington. The ever-volatile Texas Longhorns are not any lock towards anybody, even struggling Mississippi State.

No disgrace in choosing these video games, however we’re giving this spot to BYU-ISU. The Cougars are undefeated, atop their convention and simply outdoors of the highest 10. They’re additionally underdogs visiting the 5-2 Cyclones. Gifted passer Bear Bachmeier and sack artist Jack Kelly are rising stars for the Large 12 table-setters. However three of their final 4 finishes had been heart-racers (three-point Ws over Colorado and Utah, double-overtime insanity at Arizona). One other might be queued up with Iowa State feeling the urgency. Cyclones slinger Rocco Becht has considerably higher dwelling splits than street ones, and his completion share improves by virtually 20 factors in Ames.

Sleeper choose: Western Michigan at Miami (OH), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+

Each groups are 3-0 within the MAC, good for a three-way tie with Buffalo to steer the convention. These two have every gained 4 straight, and Miami hasn’t misplaced a regular-season convention matchup in additional than a 12 months. Drained: MACtion is for Tuesdays in November. Wired: MACtion is without end.

Saturday, night window

Finest on paper: No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 20 LSU, 7:30 p.m. on ABC

There’s no denying the pull of 7-0 A&M descending into Dying Valley below the lights. LSU’s protection has a number of professional prospects, like fiery cornerback Mansoor Delane and stabilizing linebacker Whit Weeks. The Aggies counter with a frightening Marcel Reed-Mario Craver QB-WR connection.

Although Mike Elko has his program within the nationwide title dialog, Texas A&M hasn’t performed a ranked opponent since its mid-September basic with Notre Dame. Baton Rouge is a giant check with rangy implications for the convention.

Finest potential chaos agent: Houston at No. 24 Arizona State, 8 p.m. on ESPN2

Houston arrives after a walk-off subject aim lifted it previous Arizona. ASU stays dwelling after dealing Texas Tech its first lack of 2025. The Solar Devils’ final three wins are all by 4 or fewer factors, and Sam Leavitt’s offense nonetheless has loads of final 12 months’s juice.

Upset potential begins with Conner Weigman, incumbent Large 12 offensive participant of the week due to gems like this:

OUTRAGEOUS TD PASS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/AzKzrpfydj

— Houston Soccer (@UHCougarFB) October 18, 2025

Although maybe not as glamorous because the SEC or Large Ten, the Large 12 has been a dependable chaos machine by way of September and October. Final Saturday alone gave us the Texas Tech upset, the Houston buzzer-beater and the BYU-Utah rally. We’ll gladly keep awake for one more spherical of this good things.

Sleeper choose: No. 25 Michigan at Michigan State, 7:30 on NBC

Calling this a sleeper feels flawed. The Large Ten’s late centerpiece has historical past and the Paul Bunyan Trophy, however it lacks its common hype this season. Michigan is favored by greater than two touchdowns, whereas MSU is 0-4 in Large Ten play and has misplaced every one by double digits. Even so, we by no means know with in-state rivalries … particularly one which had “hassle with the snap” a decade in the past.

Up to date Week 9 school soccer odds

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