Week 8 could not have been more chaotic, from a pick-six in Tennessee vs. Alabama to a game-winning safety for Virginia over Washington State.
The chaos that is college football can be summed up with the term "Havoc" — a measurement of a team’s volatility on both sides of the ball. Indiana continues to lead the nation in Defensive Havoc, while Texas A&M has become the safest offense in FBS.
Havoc is the collection of stats that can derail offensive momentum on the defensive side of the ball. The summation includes tackles for loss, pass breakups, forced fumbles, interceptions and sacks.
Havoc allowed, meanwhile, is a stat used to quantify an offense's ability to avoid chaos that creates a negative play. Offenses that are elite in Havoc allowed have a low number of fumbles, interceptions and tackles for loss.
Let's take a look at our Week 9 college football predictions for Houston vs. Arizona State and Week 9 Havoc Rankings for the upcoming week.
College Football Pick, Havoc Rankings for Week 9
Houston vs. Arizona State Odds, Pick
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | +245 |
| Arizona State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | -305 |
Defensive Havoc: Arizona State 10th · Houston 37th
Havoc Allowed: Arizona State 39th · Houston 59th
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham pulled off one of the biggest surprises in Week 8, beating the undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders in a Big 12 battle.
Arizona State is looking to return to the Big 12 Championship with a potential College Football Playoff run thanks to a healthy quarterback in Sam Leavitt, who threw for over 300 yards in the upset.
The Sun Devils have explosive playmakers in wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and running back Raleek Brown, but the defense is the reason this team finds itself in contention for a conference title.
Defensive coordinator Brian Ward's group boasts a national rank of 10th in Defensive Havoc.
The Sun Devils have high marks in tackles for loss and fumbles recovered, but the work in coverage has turned the defense into one of the best in the nation. Arizona State ranks sixth nationally in passes defensed, a combination of interceptions and pass breakups.
IMG
Houston has had a rough go in the 2025 season under head coach Willie Fritz, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
The Cougars rank 59th in Havoc allowed but are near dead last in pass blocking. In fact, quarterback Connor Weigman has been pressured 77 times in 193 dropbacks.
Houston's analytics are poor on both offense and defense, which is a bit of a surprise considering the Cougars rank ninth in strength of schedule.
Action Network's betting power ratings call for Arizona State to be favored by 11, giving the current market value on a rising Big 12 home team.
Pick: Arizona State -8 or Better
