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3 Upsets That Will Happen During Week 9

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 6:46 AM ET

As we prepare for Week 9 of the college football season, there are several legitimate upset opportunities. Here are three upsets that will happen on Saturday:

Season to Date: 8-10

Kansas State at Kansas (-3.5)

12:00pm, Saturday

This will be the 123^rd edition of the Sunflower Showdown, which began in 1903. Kansas holds a 64-53-5 overall advantage, but Kansas State has won 16 straight, with the Jayhawks last win coming in 2008.

After grabbing a No. 17 preseason ranking, it has been disappointing for Kansas State (3-4) on the field. But after a 1-3 start, the Wildcats have won two of their last three in an attempt to salvage something out of this season. Dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson has been inconsistent, but has still passed for 1,561 yards, 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions while rushing for 238 yards and three touchdowns.

As for Kansas (4-3), after starting 2-0, they have gone 2-3 against P4 competition and 2-2 in the Big 12. Their most recent game was a 42-17 loss at Texas Tech, but they did have a bye last weekend to lick their wounds and prepare for the Wildcats.

Kansas has the advantage of playing at home and having the bye week to prepare for the Wildcats. Even with that, I’m going with Kansas State to extend the win streak between the two to 17 straight. The Wildcats are playing better but need a win to keep the chances of a bowl game realistic. And a victory over the Jayhawks will help that plus ease some of their early season pain.

Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Washington State Cougars Head Coach Jimmy Rogers looks on during the second quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Toledo (-1.5) at Washington State

3:30pm, Saturday

This will be first ever game between the two schools. Washington State has only played two other MAC teams, Ball State in 1984 and Central Michigan in the 2021 Sun Bowl.

Toledo (4-3), which hasn’t had a losing season since 2009, has had a bumpy first half of the season and currently sits at 2-2 in the MAC. Quarterback Tucker Gleason remains the unquestioned leader of the team while transfer running back DeaMonte Trayanum already has rushed for 601 yards and seven touchdowns.

At Washington State (3-4), first year head coach Jimmy Rogers and the Cougars have experienced back-to-back heartbreaking losses. First was a 24-21 loss at No. 4 Ole Miss and then an even tougher 22-20 loss at No. 18 Virginia.

The Cougars could fold after these two brutal losses, but my take is that it will unite them, which leads to a victory over the Rockets. Toledo has lost both MAC road games, so a trip to Pullman, Wash. will seem like a trek to the other side of the world. Expect a low scoring close game that ends with Washington State getting back to .500.

Colorado State at Wyoming (-4.5)

7:30pm, Saturday

This will be the 117^th edition of the Border War, which began in 1899. Colorado State holds a 60-51-5 advantage, but Wyoming has won seven of the last nine games. Colorado State did win last year’s game, 24-10.

Colorado State (2-5) fired Jay Norvell on Sunday after he went 18-26 during his time in charge of the Rams. The offense is led by quarterback Jackson Brousseau, who took over as the starter during the third game of the season. On defense, linebacker Owen Long leads the nation with 93 total tackles.

Wyoming (3-4) began the season 2-0 but has lost four of five since then, including three at home. The offense is led by quarterback Kaden Anderson, but the heart of the unit are a trio of running backs who each have more than 250 yards on the ground: Samuel Harris, Sam Scott and Terron Kellman.

Don’t expect a pretty game here, and I’m going with Colorado State to win the slugfest. Even though the Rams are undergoing a head coaching change this week, that has given other teams an immediate boost this season. Just take a look at UCLA, UAB and Virginia Tech. The boost may not last, but initially it provided a spark. Look for the same to happen here for the Rams in this rivalry game.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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