Alabama Crimson Tide

WhatIfSports 2014 College Football Week 9 Predictions

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine provides game predictions for every D-1 FBS game that upcoming week. The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game including each team's chances of winning (Win%) and the average points scored for both teams.

Check out our 2014 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Upsets of the Week.

The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts and statistically based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension and those players are removed from their team's game simulation for that week.

Game of the Week: Ole Miss at LSU

This goal line Vine of Notre Dame's last-second touchdown against Florida State provides a great view of Irish wide receiver C.J. Prosise engaging with the defensive back and providing the ref enough evidence to throw the flag and call the pick play. The cloudy-gray area on pick plays in football remains, but this view makes the controversial call tough(er) to argue.

With the win, Florida State remained one of four undefeated squads, and the only team outside the SEC West currently ranked inside the top five. Mississippi State, Mississippi, Alabama and Auburn are in, but a familiar brand in LSU has fallen on "tough times"Â and currently sits at No. 24 in the latest poll. The Tigers host the third-ranked Rebels in our WhatIfSports.com Game of the Week.

LSU is very young on offense. Statistically speaking, they are led by sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, freshman Leonard Fournette and sophomore Travin Dural. Jennings is only completing 50 percent of his passes for just over 1,000 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The offense ranks 28th on the ground (220 RYPG), but 98th in pass offense at less than 200 yards per contest.

The good news for Les Miles is a week after his Tigers escaped with a last-second win over an overly-flawed Florida team, LSU dominated Kentucky on both sides of the ball, holding the Wildcats to 2.6 yards per rush, while racking up 303 rush yards with three scores on offense.

The Tigers rank eighth in scoring defense (17.0 PAPG), 14th in total defense, fourth against the pass (156 yards allowed per game) and 69th against the rush although the run game isn't Ole Miss' main approach on offense.

The Rebels are now on the right side bookend of nationally ranked back-to-back contests. Ole Miss' climb up the charts began with their upset win over Alabama followed by a convincing win over Texas A&M in which the Rebels defense held the up-tempo offense to just 20 points. Their rush defense held Tennessee to zero rushing yards in Week 8 and have allowed only six touchdowns all season. That's six touchdowns allowed heading into Week 9. Young Fournette will face the toughest defense of his young career.

On offense, Bo Wallace is closing in on 2,000 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions, although he hasn't tossed a pick in three games. Wallace continues to spread the wealth; Laquon Treadwell, Vince Sanders and Cody Core each have four touchdowns with a combined 1,227 receiving yards.

We simulated the Rebels and Tigers 101 times and the computers like Ole Miss to win 69.3-percent of the time by an average score of 25-19.

College Football Week 9 Predictions
Matchup	Win %	Avg. Score
Syracuse Orange	33.7	17.9	Boxscore
@ Clemson Tigers	66.3	24.1
Miami (FL) Hurricanes	42.6	20.4	Boxscore
@ Virginia Tech Hokies	57.4	23.2
North Carolina Tar Heels	49.5	21.9	Boxscore
@ Virginia Cavaliers	50.5	20.8
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	65.3	24.4	Boxscore
@ Pittsburgh Panthers	34.7	20.2
Boston College Eagles	68.3	21.6	Boxscore
@ Wake Forest Demon Deacons	31.7	15.0
Michigan Wolverines	29.7	17.5	Boxscore
@ Michigan State Spartans	70.3	25.2
Rutgers Scarlet Knights	32.7	18.3	Boxscore
@ Nebraska Cornhuskers	67.3	25.7
Maryland Terrapins	38.6	19.8	Boxscore
@ Wisconsin Badgers	61.4	23.3
Ohio State Buckeyes	66.3	23.7	Boxscore
@ Penn State Nittany Lions	33.7	18.0
Minnesota Golden Gophers	73.3	28.1	Boxscore
@ Illinois Fighting Illini	26.7	20.9
Massachusetts Minutemen	19.8	19.6	Boxscore
@ Toledo Rockets	80.2	28.6
Kent State Golden Flashes	41.6	20.1	Boxscore
@ Miami (OH) RedHawks	58.4	20.6
Ohio Bobcats	48.5	24.4	Boxscore
@ Western Michigan Broncos	51.5	25.3
Akron Zips	50.5	22.9	Boxscore
@ Ball State Cardinals	49.5	22.5
Central Michigan Chippewas	60.9	25.7	Boxscore
@ Buffalo Bulls	39.1	22.3
Northern Illinois Huskies	88.1	30.2	Boxscore
@ Eastern Michigan Eagles	11.9	17.4
Oregon State Beavers	40.6	22.0	Boxscore
@ Stanford Cardinal	59.4	27.1
USC Trojans	51.5	25.4	Boxscore
@ Utah Utes	48.5	24.1
Oregon Ducks	62.4	31.4	Boxscore
@ California Golden Bears	37.6	28.0
Arizona State Sun Devils	61.9	25.8	Boxscore
@ Washington Huskies	38.1	21.0
Arizona Wildcats	68.3	34.6	Boxscore
@ Washington State Cougars	31.7	28.0
UCLA Bruins	78.2	29.8	Boxscore
@ Colorado Buffaloes	21.8	18.9
Vanderbilt Commodores	21.8	15.0	Boxscore
@ Missouri Tigers	78.2	25.5
UAB Blazers	31.2	22.1	Boxscore
@ Arkansas Razorbacks	68.8	29.3
South Carolina Gamecocks	37.1	19.1	Boxscore
@ Auburn Tigers	62.9	23.0
Mississippi State Bulldogs	69.3	24.8	Boxscore
@ Kentucky Wildcats	30.7	19.2
Ole Miss Rebels	69.3	25.3	Boxscore
@ LSU Tigers	30.7	19.2
Alabama Crimson Tide	74.3	24.2	Boxscore
@ Tennessee Volunteers	25.7	15.3
San Jose State Spartans	47.0	23.5	Boxscore
@ Navy Midshipmen	53.0	24.6
Texas Tech Red Raiders	22.8	22.9	Boxscore
@ TCU Horned Frogs	77.2	32.2
Texas Longhorns	40.6	21.4	Boxscore
@ Kansas State Wildcats	59.4	25.4
West Virginia Mountaineers	48.5	27.8	Boxscore
@ Oklahoma State Cowboys	51.5	27.1
Florida Atlantic Owls	19.8	20.0	Boxscore
@ Marshall Thundering Herd	80.2	30.9
North Texas Mean Green	39.6	21.1	Boxscore
@ Rice Owls	60.4	23.3
Old Dominion Monarchs	43.6	28.1	Boxscore
@ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	56.4	30.1
UTEP Miners	46.5	24.2	Boxscore
@ UTSA Roadrunners	53.5	24.9
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	57.4	24.9	Boxscore
@ Southern Miss Golden Eagles	42.6	22.7
UNLV Rebels	26.7	21.2	Boxscore
@ Utah State Aggies	73.3	26.8
Wyoming Cowboys	33.7	23.2	Boxscore
@ Colorado State Rams	66.3	29.4
BYU Cougars	43.6	22.4	Boxscore
@ Boise State Broncos	56.4	25.0
Nevada Wolf Pack	77.2	28.8	Boxscore
@ Hawaii Rainbow Warriors	22.8	21.6
Troy Trojans	31.7	22.2	Boxscore
@ South Alabama Jaguars	68.3	28.4
Texas State Bobcats	46.5	24.0	Boxscore
@ Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks	53.5	26.4
Arkansas State Red Wolves	67.3	28.4	Boxscore
@ Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns	32.7	22.8
Georgia Southern Eagles	73.3	31.5	Boxscore
@ Georgia State Panthers	26.7	22.9
Connecticut Huskies	27.7	20.7	Boxscore
@ East Carolina Pirates	72.3	27.3
South Florida Bulls	29.2	21.8	Boxscore
@ Cincinnati Bearcats	70.8	28.4
Temple Owls	41.6	22.1	Boxscore
@ UCF Knights	58.4	24.6
Memphis Tigers	87.1	30.0	Boxscore
@ SMU Mustangs	12.9	16.5