What We Learned as College Football Bettors in Week 9

As the calendar flips to November, both the College Football Playoff picture and the Heisman Trophy field are starting to take shape.

One team was knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens, Michigan, in a top 10 matchup against in-state rival Michigan State, while former Heisman favorite Matt Corral odds took a huge hit in a loss.

Before we head to Week 10, let's talk about some observations from Week 9 of the college football season a day before the first reveal of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Michigan State Announces Themselves as CFP Contender

Michigan State running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Kenneth Walker III (+200 as a member of the "Field") rushed for five touchdowns in one of the games of the year against Michigan.

The Spartans stormed back from down double digits to win and made a compelling case to be inside the top four of the first College Football Playoff reveal on Tuesday night.

Sparty is still undefeated, and has a matchup against Ohio State on the horizon on November 20th.

The team still remains a long shot in the eyes of WynnBET Sportsbook, +8000 to win the National Championship, and I agree with where they stand.

I saw that game as more of an eliminator for the two Michigan schools moreso than taking either team as a serious contender. Ultimately, I see both of these teams coming up short against the Buckeyes and not a threat to with

I wouldn't be rushing to bet either Michigan State futures or Walker to win the Heisman given the treacherous schedule ahead, including this weekend at Purdue.

Matt Corral's Heisman Candidacy is All But Finished

Corral suffered an injury three weeks ago against Tennessee, but played in the following game against LSU. However, he was hobbled once again in the team's loss to Auburn last week with an ankle injury.

He returned, but struggled, completing 21-of-37 passes for 289 yards and an interception.

He now sits at +700 to win the award after once being the favorite. Alabama's Bryce Young is at the top of the odds board at +150 while the group of Walker, Oklahoma's Caleb Williams, and Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson are +200. Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud has also surpassed the Ole Miss quarterback, now at +500.

I don't see a path for Corral to get back in the mix given that Ole Miss is out of contention for the SEC Championship officially and he may miss time with his bulky ankle. He didn't practice on Monday, according to head coach Lane Kiffin.

Young very well could run away with the award, but if Alabama losses another game down the stretch, the door will certainly open for other candidates like Stroud and Williams, who in my opinion are going to be playing in the College Football Playoff.

Cincinnati May Have Peaked?

The Bearcats are on the verge of becoming the first Group of Five school to make the CFP, No. 2 in the AP Poll, but have not put out the best product of late, failing to cover by double digits as more than four touchdown favorites over the past two weeks.

Cincy beat Navy by seven and Tulane by 19, opponents that are a combined a 3-13.

Given that Luck Fickell's team is fighting an uphill battle to make the Playoff given their schedule, they need to destroy their opponents, which hasn't been the case.

It also hurts that their opponent later in the season, SMU, lost for the first time this season against Houston, which is another blow to beating a quality opponent.

There will be a ton of intrigue around how the College Football Playoff Selection Committee views Cincy on Tuesday with several other teams in the mix including: Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon.