This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Three Upset Picks in Week 9
We're heading into Week 9 of the college football season. While the weather is cooling down all across the country, the action on the gridiron is starting to heat up. Like in past weeks, there aren't a ton of marquee games, but there are some exciting battles on tap. Here are a few potential upsets, as well as a player to pop on the fourth Saturday in October.
Stanford Cardinal vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Ahh, nothing says Atlantic Coast Conference football like a team from Palo Alto, Calif. Battling one from Winston-Salem, N.C. This whole situation is hard to get used to.
Wake Forest hits the road for The Farm, making what is easily its longest trip of the season. The Demon Deacons have won their only previous road games at NC State and at UConn, but this one figures to be a lot more challenging. Former Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier has started to show some signs of life under center, while RB Demond Claiborne has stepped up his play by racking up eight rushing scores.
For Stanford, the defense has really struggled lately, giving up 31 or more points in four straight outings. But, it has been a rough part of the schedule against Clemson, Notre Dame, SMU and Virginia Tech.
The Cardinal should be able to get a much-needed victory as short 'dogs at home, and you can bet WR Elic Ayomanor will be a big part of the win.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders at TCU Horned Frogs – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
The Red Raiders visit Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth against the Horned Frogs, looking to stay hot.
Texas Tech has five victories and is looking to secure bowl eligibility before November. The Red Raiders had their win streak snapped at home by Baylor last time out, falling 59-35, but Texas Tech has won four of the past five games while going 3-1-1 against the spread.
QB Behren Morton has been on fire, leading the resurgence for Texas Tech, completing 63.7% of his pass attempts while racking up 1,926 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Nobody will confuse him for a dual-threat, however, as he is an old-school pocket passer.
The Red Raiders halted a four-game skid in the series with the Horned Frogs by winning 35-28 last season against TCU. The Horned Frogs offense has really had issues lately, going for just 16.0 points per game, and there is concern that they don't have enough firepower to hang with the Red Raiders.
Houston Cougars vs. Utah Utes – Saturday, 12 p.m. ET
The Utah Utes are a hurting bunch. After opening the season with four victories in four tries, including a victory over Baylor and Oklahoma State, the offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks.
Utah is once again adjusting to life without QB Cam Rising, as he is sidelined again due to a hand injury. QB Isaac Wilson has struggled to lead the team, with Utah averaging just 12.0 points per game in the past three outings, all losses. The Utes have had to re-adjust their team goals as a result.
The Cougars have also had a difficult time on offense, going for 14 or fewer points in three of the past four games, including two shutout losses. If QB Zeon Chriss is able to shake off a shoulder injury, he has shown some signs of life, and he has been way more productive than QB Donovan Smith.
These are two teams skidding hard and two teams in dire need of a victory to save their season. As a result, we should see a lot of urgency in this Big 12 contest. The disclaimer here is that if Chriss is healthy enough to play, Houston is a slam-dunk play. If Smith is in there, it will be more of an uphill climb. Still, UH is at home, so it is worth a look.
Week 9 Player To Pop
Anthony Colandrea, QB, 
Virginia
The Cavaliers play host to the defensively-challenged Tar Heels at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon.
The Virginia offense has been surprisingly effective lately and was able to score 31 points on the road at Clemson this past weekend. That makes is six times in seven games the Cavaliers have gone for 20 or more this season.
Colandrea threw for 159 yards and two scores at Clemson before getting pulled in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. A game against UNC should be much closer. The sophomore signal-caller has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions across the past four outings, and he ran for 84 yards in the narrow loss at home against Louisville on Oct. 12.
The North Carolina defense ranks 101st in the country with 399.9 total yards per game and 239.6 passing yards per game to rank 100th in the nation. Adding on, UNC coughs up 30.4 PPG. Look for Colandrea and the Hoos to move the ball up and down the field early and often.
