Okay, first of all I just wanted to say I LOVE this thread and waited to post in here until the part 2 was opened, but had to get that out of the way.
Now I also have to apologize because I KNOW people are going to hate me after this post since all I do is pretty much disagree with everyone else. I'm not a jerk, I swear! I seriously love reading all the input from the posters in this thread! And I probably should be in bed, but I just had to write something in this thread to make my night complete.

So, starting with Ray/Yolanda...
I totally disagree with everyone about their underdog edit and that they're still a possibility to win. I'm totally against this idea. In my opinion, you can make a case for anyone besides B/T and E/J to be considered the "underdog" team this season. I don't necessarily define underdog as someone who is always in the back of the pack, it also means competing against other heavy competers, which is basically everyone besides the two alpha male teams. If they were the underdog edit, I think we'd see a lot less balance between their competitive side and their relationship side. Every winner thus far has had some conflict amogst eachother and to a lesser extent with its competition. Some people were talking about R/Y vs. L/M but I don't really see that. There has been no developing story with these two besides that they're always at the back of the pack and that Yolanda has mucho respect for her partner. That's all fine and dandy, but where's the doubt? Even Eric/Jeremy, who have been pretty one-dimensional until this last episode had something we knew them for, their way with the ladies. Ray/Yolanda just don't have a compelling story, and if they were to reach the final three or win the race, I am pretty sure we would have seen something along these lines. It would be unbalanced to have one underdeveloped team win when all five remaining teams (a case could be made for MoJo, but I think the viewers can still recognize them and there's been doubt with them), in my opinon, are extremely well developed and known. Ray/Yolanda have been in the back of the pack, but are never given the focus. Mind you this would be easy for the editors to hit on, too. How hard would it be for them to show misdirection in the previews as "Ray and Yolanda struggle to find the route marker," or something along those lines. However, they never get this kind of focus. I just can't see them making it farther than 5th or 6th place. I'm sorry!

Eric and Jeremy have started a more competitive fued with the hippies, which is interesting to say the least. With the double D's gone, it was all competition for these two, which bodes well for them but yet they still lack that story that all previous winners have had. If D/D would have lasted longer, I think it would've been more substancial for them (A la Chris/Alex and Tara) but it seems like that will be their only storyline this season. I think we're being set up for a Yield where either the Frats yield the Hippies or vice-versa. These two teams might be one anothers' downfall. Is it crazy for me to think that these two teams won't even make the final three, and might be our 5th and 4th place finishers? I know, far fetched and doesn't seem to make ANY sense...but you never know. That's just my gut feeling right now. One of them gets yielded and they get eliminated, then the other team makes some critical error when the other teams are bunched, thus eliminating them also. Most likely, one of these teams will be in the final three, but definitely not both. If I were to take a guess, I would go with B/T just because I think the slight negativity last episode makes people waver on them a little more than anything.
Ooh, I just had a thought. Could that pointless wheelchair race actually MEAN something? Thinking back to it, it pretty much describes their whole relationship since the beginning "Yeah Jeremy you can beat 'em, he's ahead! Go!" with Jeremy finishing before Tyler (or was it BJ?). We should really look back at that again.

MoJo had focus this episode when honestly we didn't need it. And their focus in the "Previously on" segment was also uneeded. This team is always geting manipulated focus which is peculiar and I have no doubt they'll be in the final three. How easy would it have been for the editors to have been like "Yolanda shows her strength at the detour" instead, we see Mojo's struggles. If they were invisible this ep and focus was put on R/Y, I'd say they'd be done for, but there's just too much going on with this team to ignore it.

Okay, now on to Fran/Barry, the team I'm hoping makes the final three so I don't get the "I told you so" from all the posters in this thread! Haha...
One thing which really separates these two in my mind is that they aren't our generic older couple! Besides Teri and Ian (although I don't usually count them as an old couple because they were only 50!) all older teams on the race get this sympathetic, against-all-odds edit, and we're sad to see them go but it's reasonable why they left. The negativity which is thrown in there (albeit very subtle) makes them stand out a lot differently than their previous racing counterparts. They've had inter-team conflict, they've had intra-team conflict, and think about this too: how often have Fran/Barry been shown to the casual viewer? Tons of focus the first episode, and how many teams do we get "Will Fran and Barry be able to do this?" in the previews for the following week, when they're not even in danger? Meredith and Gretchen finished in fourth, and I can't remember much focus on them except for when Gretchen fell and also their elimination episode. I just can't see them as a fourth place finish, because like I said before they really aren't our fan favorite sympathetic team. And, like I was hoping, the Fued with Lake/Michelle did continue, and just the right amount, too. It really is still the only substancial teams conflict in this race so far.

Lake/Michelle aren't the usual villians which is nice to see, and in some ways their endearing. They haven't really been shoved down our throats, but they're always there and overcome all their mistakes. This "michelle is always right" thing reminds me alot of Tara/Wil's relationship in TAR2. They definitely won't win, but I would not be surprised to see them come frightfully close to the million in the end.
So this is how I see it playing out:
6: R/Y
5: E/J--We'll get a whole "shocking elimination" preview so we'll know it's either the frats or the hippies. The hippies will feel threatened by E/J and decide to yield them so they have a better chance at winning. This will most likely be when all the teams are bunched and everyone has a chance to pass them.
4: B/T--I don't know HOW this will happen, but this is our simple, fan favorite finish. bad flight? bad luck? I really have no idea, but like I said before, it only takes one mistake to lose the race.
3: L/M--The fued with Fran/Barry will take them to the finale, I think. L/M won't win, but I can definitely see them coming in second. But third just fits in my mind.
2: F/B--Can they do it? Are they actually going to win? I can't believe they made it this far! Oh, they're neck and neck! Wait, they're 10 minutes late, congratulations to...
1: J/M-- Enough story but not too much, building arch. Enough manipulation by the editors for me to declare them the winners of TAR9.
So that's all I have to say. Bashers welcome! haha, hopefully that wasn't all tea leaves and some people can see what I'm saying...