We have passed the midway point of the 2021 college football season, and now it’s time to put some separation between the top teams in the country starting this weekend. No conference is more ready to do that than the Big Ten, which is set for a Separation Saturday with two top-25 showdowns between the best teams in the Big Ten East. No. 6 Michigan will travel to No. 8 Michigan State in a top-10 battle of unbeatens to kick off the day, while No. 20 Penn State looks to find some mojo at No. 5 Ohio State after a rough nine-overtime loss to Illinois.
In between, No. 1 Georgia hopes to maintain its momentum and top ranking against rival Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Gators have struggled with losses in three of their last five games but nevertheless stand as the Bulldogs’ greatest remaining test in the regular season. With the first College Football Playoff Rankings set to be released Tuesday, Florida stands in Georgia’s way as the Dawgs hope to stake their claim atop the CFP process.
While winning is all that matters for the standings, we care about whether these teams will cover their spreads. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the ninth full Saturday of the season.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
No. 6 Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State
Latest Odds: Michigan Wolverines -4
Noon | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — While the Wolverines have dominated the scoreboard for most of this rivalry’s history, the Spartans have dominated the spread in recent years. Michigan State has covered 11 of the last 13 meetings and five of the last six in East Lansing, Michigan. I think that trend continues this weekend. Michigan’s rushing attack will cause problems for the Spartans defense, but the Wolverines have not been nearly as impactful in the passing game. It’s hard to cover spreads as a road favorite when you can’t move the ball through the air effectively. Prediction: Michigan State (+4.5) — Tom Fornelli
Florida vs. No. 1 Georgia
Latest Odds: Georgia Bulldogs -14
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Florida is about to be a broken team, and Georgia will shatter it into thousands of pieces. Florida has a quarterback problem, and that’s never a good sign this late in the season. On top of that, it’s going up against the top defenses in the country. Georgia will run a vanilla offense because it won’t feel threatened, and the defense will hold the Gators in single-digits. Prediction: Georgia (-14) — Barrett Sallee
No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 18 Auburn
Latest Odds: Auburn Tigers -3
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — This has the makings of a high-scoring affair that could be decided by an untimely turnover. The unpredictable nature of QB Bo Nix’s play and Ole Miss QB Matt Corral’s newfound prowess in protecting the football make the Rebels a safer bet to navigate the clutch moments. Ole Miss is banged up, but Auburn’s defense has been too inconsistent to trust. Prediction: Ole Miss (+2.5) — David Cobb
No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State
Latest Odds: Ohio State Buckeyes -19.5
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) — This spread is not an accurate reflection of the difference between these two teams at their best, but it accurately depicts where they are right now. Penn State QB Sean Clifford was well below 100% during the Nittany Lions’ loss to Illinois, and if he’s not healthy, an already limited offense becomes even more of a liability. Also, losing defensive lineman PJ Mustipher for the season had a noticeable impact on the Penn State rush defense against Illinois. Now, that same unit has to stop running back TreVeyon Henderson while also covering all the weapons Ohio State has in the passing game. I just don’t see how Penn State can keep up with this Ohio State team right now. Prediction: Ohio State (-18.5) — Tom Fornelli
North Carolina at No. 11 Notre Dame
Latest Odds: Notre Dame Fighting Irish -3.5
7:30 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV (Try for free) — I think there will be a lot of points here, with UNC QB Sam Howell and wide receiver Josh Downs finding success against a Notre Dame secondary that will be without its All-American safety. So if you want to make a play on the game, mine would be to take the over. But even in a shootout scenario, I think the better and more consistent team ends up winning the game by a touchdown. Prediction: Notre Dame (-3.5) — Chip Patterson
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 9, and which top-10 team will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,900 in profit over the past five-plus seasons — and find out.
