College Football Week 9 Picks: Upsets Waiting to Happen Across the Country

Week 9 of the College Football season should provide plenty of intense action as the best teams in the country attempt to take the next step to BCS glory. However, some teams are in store for an unforeseen bump in the road.

As we look at the schedule ahead, there are teams that are being touted as the favorite that are in for a surprise. Here's a look at the teams that should be on upset alert during today's slate of games.

All lines courtesy of Covers.com.

Arizona (+6.5) over USC

The USC Trojans came into the 2012 season as a trendy pick to win the National Championship in their first year coming back from a bowl ban. However, that notion took a major hit when the Trojans lost to the Stanford Cardinal 21-14 early in the season.

Since then USC has bounced back admirably, but another loss would take them out of the championship picture for good. That loss could come this week as the Trojans travel to Tucson to take on Arizona.

Rich Rodriguez has his playing well, even if it isn't always reflected in the win-loss column. The offense has been explosive, scoring 39.1 points per game. The defense has been a concern, but the Wildcats have been in every game they've played in except a 49-0 blowout loss to Oregon.

Quarterback Matt Scott has been fantastic this season, especially at home. Scott has thrown 14 of his 17 touchdowns this season in Tucson and is completing 67 percent of his passes. With the Wildcats at home, expect them to finally spring an upset in the Pac-12.

Notre Dame (+11.5) over Oklahoma

Notre Dame comes in as the higher ranked team with the better record, but oddsmakers don't seem to care—they're a double-digit underdog to the Sooners on the road.

Many of Notre Dame's detractors will point to the fact that the Irish have earned four of their wins by the slimmest of margins, and they have a point. However, there's something to be said for a team that can find a way to pull off the close ones.

Oklahoma has been dominant the past few weeks, since losing 24-19 to Kansas State the Sooners have ripped off wins by 21, 42 and 49 points. Even with all of that momentum, the Sooners haven't seen a defense as good as Notre Dame's since they played Kansas State.

This game is huge for Manti Te'o who could be a legitimate Heisman threat if the season continues to play out the way it has been.

Many expect this to be the game where the Fighting Irish get exposed, but it's just as likely that this is the game the defense shows how dominant it really is. Expect Notre Dame to come up big on the road in Norman.

Michigan State (+6) over Wisconsin

The Big Ten has been wacky this season. At the beginning of the season, these two squads were supposed to be elite teams in the conference, but they both stumbled out of the gate.

After a shaky 3-2 start, the Badgers have ripped off three wins in a row to get back on track and in the Top 25. The Spartans haven't been as fortunate, though, as they are 1-3 in their last four games and have fallen way short of expectations.

So what gives the Spartans a shot at beating the Badgers? Defense.

Despite the mediocre record, the Spartans still have one of the most physical defenses in the conference. Michigan State is 11th in scoring defense, only allowing 15.3 points per game and holds teams to 3.4 yards per carry.

In order to beat Michigan State, the Badgers will be forced to make plays in the passing game. That's bad news for the Badgers—they are 110th in the nation in passing at a paltry 182 yards per game. The Big Ten should continue its unpredictable ways this season with a Spartans upset.