Oct 29, 2026 · 27 min
Klatt tests the Week 9 spreads against rivalry pressure
Week 9 Picks & Predictions: Ohio State-USC, Florida-Georgia, Wisconsin-Iowa & More
The picks turn on whether injuries, coaching adjustments and recent mistakes can outweigh home-field stakes and playoff consequences.
- 1Klatt questions whether Georgia can cover 11.5 points against Florida after a costly loss to Auburn.
- 2Wisconsin-Iowa and Ohio State-USC emerge as tests of form, defensive execution and coaching response.
- 3Big 12 matchups and Northwestern-Oregon broaden the slate beyond the weekend’s headline rivalries.
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Klatt challenges Georgia’s 11.5-point spread against Florida and weighs whether its bye-week corrections can produce a rebound after Auburn.
The brief
Joel Klatt opens with a humorous reaction to Iowa’s defensive and special-teams performance, then sets up a Week 9 slate built around spread picks and playoff stakes.
The Florida-Georgia rivalry supplies the central tension: Klatt questions whether Georgia’s 11.5-point advantage is too large despite its need to rebound from Auburn.
Klatt argues Georgia’s bye week could give Kirby Smart time to correct turnovers, penalties and other mistakes before facing Florida.
The broader card includes Wisconsin-Iowa, Ohio State-USC, key Big 12 matchups and Northwestern-Oregon, with injuries, form and coaching adjustments shaping each pick.
After weighing the major matchups, Klatt recaps his selections, leaving the episode’s clearest test with Georgia’s ability to turn a reset into a cover.
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