Diehard Picks: Week 9

Conference races and College Football Playoff positioning in the American and the Pac-12 are on the line this week. Army visits Memphis in a top-10 American matchup Saturday night on ESPNU. FAU and North Texas meet Thursday on ESPN with the week's highest over/under at 73.5. Oregon State travels to Fresno State and Boise State hosts Texas State in a pair of Saturday night Pac-12 games that could shape the road to November 14, when the Beavers and Broncos play each other in Boise.

All rankings are from the Diehard G6 Top 25, our weekly poll of the top 25 teams outside the Power 4.

Three upset picks this week: App State over Georgia Southern, South Alabama over Louisiana Tech, Kennesaw State over Middle Tennessee.

Three ATS fades: FAU +13.5 at North Texas, Army +6.5 at Memphis, Troy +20.5 at JMU.

One push: Jacksonville State -3 at New Mexico State (predicted margin exactly 3).

Last week: SU 19-9 | ATS 15-13

Season: SU 207-64 (.764) | ATS 140-121-5 (.536)

Tuesday

Delaware (3-4, 1-2 CUSA) at Western Kentucky (3-4, 2-1 CUSA)

DEL -1.5 | O/U 55.5

Pick: Delaware 30, Western Kentucky 21 — Delaware covers

Sam Houston (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) at Missouri State (2-5, 1-2 CUSA)

MOST -6.5 | O/U 49.5

Pick: Missouri State 34, Sam Houston 17 — Missouri State covers

Wednesday

Jacksonville State (5-2, 3-0 CUSA, DG6 No. 15) at New Mexico State (3-4, 2-1 CUSA)

JXST -3 | O/U 49.5

Pick: Jacksonville State 27, NMSU 24 — Push

Kennesaw State (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) at Middle Tennessee (4-3, 2-1 CUSA)

MTSU -3 | O/U 50.5

Pick: Kennesaw State 30, Middle Tennessee 24 — Kennesaw State covers and wins outright

Thursday

FAU (5-2, 2-1 American, DG6 No. 18) at North Texas (5-2, 3-0 American, DG6 No. 6)

UNT -13.5 | O/U 73.5

Pick: North Texas 47, FAU 38 — FAU covers

Troy (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) at James Madison (7-1, 4-1 Sun Belt, DG6 No. 5)

JMU -20.5 | O/U 51.5

Pick: James Madison 31, Troy 24 — Troy covers

Friday

Tulane (3-4, 1-2 American) at Charlotte (1-6, 1-2 American)

TULN -10 | O/U 46.5

Pick: Tulane 34, Charlotte 21 — Tulane covers

Kent State (3-5, 2-2 MAC) at Sacramento State (1-7, 0-5 MAC)

KENT -10.5 | O/U 46.5

Pick: Kent State 41, Sacramento State 24 — Kent State covers

Saturday

Army (5-2, 4-1 American, DG6 No. 9) at Memphis (6-2, 3-1 American, DG6 No. 10)

MEM -6.5 | O/U 58.5

Pick: Memphis 31, Army 27 — Army covers

Oregon State (5-2, 3-0 Pac-12, DG6 No. 4) at Fresno State (4-3, 1-2 Pac-12, DG6 No. 23)

ORST -6.5 | O/U 56.5

Pick: Oregon State 37, Fresno State 21 — Oregon State covers

Texas State (4-3, 2-1 Pac-12) at Boise State (6-1, 3-0 Pac-12, DG6 No. 1)

BOIS -11.5 | O/U 63.5

Pick: Boise State 38, Texas State 24 — Boise State covers

New Mexico (6-1, 3-0 MW, DG6 No. 2) at San Jose State (4-4, 2-2 MW)

UNM -14.5 | O/U 41.5

Pick: New Mexico 42, San Jose State 24 — New Mexico covers

App State (5-2, 2-1 Sun Belt, DG6 No. 7) at Georgia Southern (3-4, 2-1 Sun Belt)

GASO -5.5 | O/U 54.5

Pick: App State 27, Georgia Southern 24 — App State covers and wins outright

Northern Illinois (0-7, 0-3 MW) at UNLV (4-3, 2-1 MW, DG6 No. 25)

UNLV -24.5 | O/U 53.5

Pick: UNLV 44, Northern Illinois 17 — UNLV covers

UTEP (1-6, 0-3 MW) at North Dakota State (6-2, 3-2 MW, DG6 No. 8)

NDSU -25.5 | O/U 43.5

Pick: NDSU 37, UTEP 10 — NDSU covers

FIU (3-4, 1-2 CUSA) at Liberty (6-1, 3-0 CUSA, DG6 No. 11)

LIB -14 | O/U 45.5

Pick: Liberty 34, FIU 17 — Liberty covers

Bowling Green (2-6, 2-2 MAC) at Western Michigan (5-3, 3-1 MAC, DG6 No. 17)

WMU -14 | O/U 43.5

Pick: Western Michigan 31, Bowling Green 14 — Western Michigan covers

UAB (4-3, 2-1 American) at South Florida (5-2, 1-2 American, DG6 No. 13)

USF -7.5 | O/U 41.5

Pick: South Florida 26, UAB 17 — South Florida covers

Louisiana Tech (5-2, 3-0 Sun Belt, DG6 No. 16) at South Alabama (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt)

LT -5.5 | O/U 56.5

Pick: South Alabama 27, Louisiana Tech 24 — South Alabama covers and wins outright

UConn (4-4) at Air Force (5-2, 3-2 MW, DG6 No. 22)

AF -3 | O/U 53.5

Pick: Air Force 30, UConn 21 — Air Force covers

Marshall (4-3, 1-2 Sun Belt) at Old Dominion (2-6, 1-4 Sun Belt)

MRSH -3 | O/U 44.5

Pick: Marshall 24, Old Dominion 17 — Marshall covers

Coastal Carolina (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) at Georgia State (4-3, 1-2 Sun Belt)

GAST -6.5 | O/U 59.5

Pick: Georgia State 35, Coastal Carolina 24 — Georgia State covers

Temple (2-5, 1-2 American) at East Carolina (3-4, 1-2 American)

ECU -5.5 | O/U 49.5

Pick: East Carolina 27, Temple 20 — East Carolina covers

Southern Miss (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt) at UL Monroe (1-6, 1-2 Sun Belt)

USM -3 | O/U 53.5

Pick: Southern Miss 24, UL Monroe 17 — Southern Miss covers

Washington State (1-7, 0-4 Pac-12) at San Diego State (3-5, 2-2 Pac-12)

SDSU -3 | O/U 48.5

Pick: San Diego State 26, Washington State 17 — San Diego State covers

Colorado State (3-4, 1-2 Pac-12) at Utah State (2-5, 1-2 Pac-12)

USU -6 | O/U 63.5

Pick: Utah State 34, Colorado State 27 — Utah State covers

#5 Notre Dame vs Navy (2-5, 1-4 American) (at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.)

ND -29.5 | O/U 53.5

Pick: Notre Dame 44, Navy 10 — Notre Dame covers

Nevada (3-4, 2-2 MW) at UCLA

UCLA -22.5 | O/U 44.5

Pick: UCLA 42, Nevada 17 — UCLA covers