Week 9 College Football Picks: Arizona State Sun Devils over Colorado Buffaloes

The Arizona State Sun Devils had a bye for Week 8, but that didn't stop them from making a leap into the BCS rankings. Now that the Sun Devils (5-2) are No. 21 in the BCS polls, don't be surprised to see them play off of this momentum going into the game against the Colorado Buffaloes (1-7).

The Sun Devils and Buffaloes are both coming off of previous losses to the Oregon Ducks, but that obviously doesn't put both teams on the same level. The Sun Devils are one of the best teams in the Pac-12 and will be likely battling it out in the Pac-12 Championship game come November. The Sun Devils are also 31-point favorites going into the matchup.

There really is nothing for the Sun Devils to worry about come Saturday. They are playing at home where they are undefeated, and Colorado is nothing to worry about. The Buffaloes average only 19.7 PPG while allowing 37.1. Look for the Sun Devils' high-powered offense and defense to take advantage of their Week 9 opponent.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler should be able to light up the Buffaloes pass defense. He had a decent game against the Ducks in the first quarter, but did fall off the map over the last three. This game will give Osweiler a great opportunity to get himself back on track going into the final part of the season.

The most difficult thing for the Sun Devils is going to be running back Cameron Marshall making his impact on this game. The Buffaloes have actually been very good at stopping the run, holding their opponents to only 90.9 yards per game. In Week 8 Oregon did tear up the Buffaloes for 371 yards on the ground, so perhaps they are not as good at stopping the run as some may think

The Sun Devils have gotten past their hardest regular season games in Missouri, USC and Oregon, so this is the time to touch things up going into the bowl season. The toughest remaining games are Arizona and Cal, but neither team is much of a real threat.

Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen was knocked out of last week's game against Oregon with a concussion, so he is questionable at the time. If he is out, this game will be even easier for the Sun Devils. Backup Nick Hirschman is a freshman, so his inexperience will be something the Sun Devils will attack all game.

Other things to watch for is Sun Devils cornerback Omar Bolden, who has missed the entire season thus far due to a torn ACL. However, he is looking to make an impact very soon. If the Sun Devils get up enough on Colorado, they may look to insert the standout cornerback in a series or two to get him ready for the weeks to come.

Prediction: Sun Devils 45, Buffaloes 3