College football predictions: JD PicKell gives picks for top Week 9 games

Get ready for more college football predictions for the biggest games of Week 9 of the 2024 season as On3’s JD PicKell gave us the must-watch games.

There are some big headliners but some absurd lines. Still here at On3, no one will shy away from making picks even with lines that might make you look twice.

PicKell broke down the biggest games of the weekend on The Hard Count and made his predictions. Let’s dive in.

LSU (+3.5) at Texas A&M

PicKell: “LSU at Texas A&M. Now interesting, this spread yesterday was favoring A&M by 3.5 points. Since then, it is now down to 2.5 points. Could be nothing. Could be something. We’ll find out … This is the game now where they will be absolutely on fire within Kyle Field. They always are, but it’ll be extra on fire for LSU. Playoff game kind of vibe to it now. LSU unbeaten in the SEC. A&M unbeaten in the SEC. Kind of interesting parallels between their two seasons. A&M, they lose the opener to Notre Dame, bounce back. They’re swinging for the fence right now thinking, College Football Playoff. 

“Same deal for LSU. You lose the opener to USC in Vegas, and everyone’s talking about Brian Kelly, and we got a meme where he’s playing with the table, and like it is what it is. Right now, y’all, LSU, they’re very much so in control. In the same way of their own college football playoff destiny, and their SEC title destiny.”

If Conner Weigman elevates the offense and takes advantage of certain holes in LSU’s defense, this could very well be an A&M victory. However, PicKell is leaning the other way.

There’s just too much to like about LSU right now. He likes them to win on the road and close. Take LSU outright 26-21.

Texas at Vanderbilt (+18.5)

PicKell: “Okay, Texas, going to Vanderbilt. Texas, 18.5 point favorites, huh … I said it at the top of the show. I’ll say it again, if you want to show someone just how bonkers this season has been in college football, dude, this a top 25 matchup. The fighting Diego Pavia’s are ranked. God bless America. God bless college football. Texas obviously ranked. If you’re a Vandy man, like I said it about Jackson Arnold, and I think the same logic applies to Vanderbilt, it’s house money. House money is a dangerous place to be. You’ve already beaten ‘Bama. I know nobody’s going to say this … but I’ll say it for the college football public. Vanderbilt has already overachieved, both from a win losses perspective, on their over under win total, and then in terms of the brand of ball they’re playing, in terms of the way that they have just rebranded what Vanderbilt football is right now, like this year is a success. “

“You could get blown the doors off in this game, lose 50-0. And I don’t think anybody looks at this season in a negative way for Vanderbilt. So that is what it is. I’ll say that right there. The pressure is all on Texas.”

PicKell thinks Texas is going to play clean and bounce back from last week’s loss to Georgia. Vanderbilt is not a team to be trifled with, especially since they’re now in the top 25.

While PicKell is going with the Longhorns to win the game, he’s putting his money on Vanderbilt and Diego Pavia to cover the spread. It is a three-score line after all!

Missouri at Alabama (-13.5)

PicKell: Missouri, Alabama game. This is one that kind of flew under the radar for me a little bit. When we look at this slate, Alabama is a 13.5 point favorite at the crib. If you’re Alabama, a lot of movie references throughout today’s show. We don’t apologize. Every single movie that has a plane or a spaceship or anything that flies. There’s always that scene where the pilot is like barreling towards the surface of the Earth and someone next to them, or someone in their ear saying, pull up, pull up, pull up. This is that moment for Bama. Lose to Vandy, ball up top. Lose to Tennessee. We’re still hurling towards the face of the Earth, pull up. Pull up. Pull up. This has to be that moment where they pull up, because you got Missouri rolling into town. You are a two touchdown favorite. 

“10-2, it’s a discussion for the College Football Playoff. Might need a little bit of help from some of these teams across other conferences to feel great about your chances. But like 10-2 Bama, it’s a discussion. Let’s talk about it. 9-3, you’re not making the playoff and guess what? There’s riots in Tuscaloosa. Vibes are not good, people are not okay. All right, we’ll say that much.”

PicKell is wondering what the real Alabama looks like. Is it the team that beat Georgia or the one that lost to Vanderbilt and Tennessee? The On3 host is still high on the Crimson Tide, at least in terms of this matchup against the Tigers.

There are still some Nick Saban vibes out there that Kalen DeBoer is trying to capture. PicKell is going with the Crimson Tide to cover. A big bet. He simply doesn’t trust Missouri right now.

Nebraska (+25.5) at Ohio State

PicKell: “This game in the preseason had a lot more juice, because you’re looking at the schedule for Nebraska like, hey now, Dylan Raiola is who we think he is. Maybe Nebraska shows up there undefeated. Now, the thing we didn’t account for was the fighting Curt Cignett’s being an absolute wagon. So Nebraska, they roll with two losses. It is what it is. Ohio State’s favored by 25.5 points. I saw that, and I scoffed at it at first, admittedly, but then I remembered that Indiana did darn near 50 piece Nebraska. So I don’t think Nebraska is necessarily that much behind Indiana. I think that game went how it went how it went and got away from Nebraska. Let’s start with Ohio State. They’re off the bye, okay, off the bye, the game before they lost to Oregon. And I mean, like any heartbreak, man, you gave yourself some time. You watch the Matthew McConaughey movies, eat some junk food, you take some time to clear the system. No, I don’t think Ohio State is doing either of those two things, probably just hitting the film room and hitting the reset button on their week. 

“But with that being said, this is the chance now for them to bounce back and at the same exact time with them playing Oregon two weeks ago, now, there’s a chance for a little bit of that ‘Okay, how are we feeling? Are we still? Are we still feeling the weight of that loss? Are we still feeling the weight of that whole situation, or are we able to hit the reset remind ourselves we are in fact one of if not the best team in college football from a roster perspective, and we’re good to go?’”

PicKell is in a tough spot. He can’t see the Nebraska defense slowing down the Ohio State passing offense, especially with the skill level of Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. Will Howard would need to be forced into a lot of mistakes.

He’s going with Ohio State to win the game, but noted 25.5 points is a lot. So, put your money on Nebraska to cover, even if it’s backdoor!