College football: 10 best and 10 worst teams of Week 9 – Oklahoma down; Michigan, Ohio State on top

In an effort to find the 10 best and worst college football team performances of Week 9, we explore beyond the box scores and assign data-driven game grades for each FBS program.

The Oklahoma Sooners looked like a legitimate national championship contender through the first eight weeks of the 2019 college football season. Thanks to the nation’s most explosive offense, and an improving defense, Oklahoma posted a 7-0 record, including a 4-0 mark in Big 12 Conference play, while climbing to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25.

On the surface, it appeared the Sooners needed only to win out to make it to the College Football Playoff. After all, both Alabama and LSU were ranked ahead of Oklahoma and the Crimson Tide and Tigers are scheduled to play one another in Week 11. But, of course, the Sooners did not win out. OU lost to Kansas State 48-41 Saturday and fell to No. 10 in the polls as a result.

Now it seems Oklahoma’s national title hopes are gone for good. Or are they?

The Sooners have averaged 9.54 yards per play offensively this season, which ranks No. 1 nationally by a huge margin over No. 2 Alabama (7.72). The Sooners have allowed 5.12 yards per snap defensively, which ranks No. 38. When combined with its elite offensive output, OU has out-gained its opponents by an average of 4.42 yards per play – best in the nation.

Net yards per play is not the most important statistic in college football, but it is a solid representation of overall team performance. In fact, it is the most heavily weighted metric used in the CFB Winning Edge Team Performance rating formula, which assigns an individual game grade to every FBS team in each contest it plays.

And it’s worth noting, the Sooners out-gained Kansas State by an average of 3.54 yards per play Saturday, which was the sixth-best result of Week 9. It’s a big reason Oklahoma had a 65-percent win expectancy rate over the Wildcats, according to college football analytics pioneer Bill Connelly.

In other words, if Oklahoma played Kanas State 100 games, and all the baseline stats stayed the same, we could expect the Sooners to win 65 times. More to the point, though K-State won on the scoreboard, OU played better overall.

Wins and losses surely matter. They determine conference champions, and in the end, the national champion. But, in the CFP era, with the playoff committee determining the top four teams in the country instead of pollsters, how a team performs on the field carries more weight than ever.

Even with its loss in Week 9, which resulted in a team season-low 82.08 grade, Oklahoma has posted the No. 4 average Team Performance rating of the season, according to CFB Winning Edge. Therefore, the Sooners have played like a playoff contender despite a 7-1 record.

With either LSU or Alabama destined to lose, and with the potential for further chaos potentially affecting highly ranked and still-undefeated squads like ACC heavyweight Clemson, and Big Ten rivals Penn State and Ohio State (who also play one another in the regular season), odds are high we’ll see multiple one-loss teams in the mix for a spot in the final four.

And, as long as the Sooners continue to post high Team Performance ratings, we should expect Oklahoma to stay in the conversation. Let’s not forget, every

With that in mind, we take a closer look at the 10 best – and 10 worst – game grades of Week 9:

10 Best College Football Team Performances of Week 9

10. Illinois Fighting Illini, 90.58

One week removed from the biggest upset win of the entire 2019 college football season, a 24-23 win over Wisconsin, Illinois posted its second-highest game grade of the year (and its first top-10 weekly ranking) in a 24-6 victory over Purdue.

Playing in driving rain, the Illini were out-gained by Purdue 271-268 overall, but Lovie Smith’s defense forced two turnovers, including a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown by Tony Adams. Running back Dre Brown led all players with 131 rushing yards, and Reggie Corbin and quarterback Brandon Peters each scored a rushing touchdown.

9. Alabama Crimson Tide, 90.93

No Tua, no problem, at least for now. Despite playing without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama jumped out to a 41-0 lead before halftime and led Arkansas 48-0 in the third quarter of its 48-7 victory. Backup quarterback Mac Jones was 18-for-22 passing for 235 yards (10.7 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns (two to Jerry Jeudy, who led with seven catches and 103 yards) without an interception.

The Alabama defense was excellent and forced four takeaways, including an 84-yard pick-six by Trevon Diggs. In all, Bama finished plus-four in turnover margin, which tied Middle Tennessee and Buffalo for the best performance of Week 9. Only the Bulls, who forced five Central Michigan turnovers, took the ball away more from their opponents Saturday.

After out-gaining the Razorbacks 459-213 overall and by an average of 2.95 yards per snap, Alabama ranks No. 4 nationally in net yards per play (3.18) this year.

8. Utah Utes, 91.00

The Utah defense was absolutely dominant in its 35-0 victory over Cal. The Utes allowed just 83 total yards on 43 plays (1.93 yards per snap) and held the Golden Bears to 2.7 yards per pass attempt and 1.1 yards per carry. Utah also allowed just six first downs. Overall, Utah now ranks No. 8 nationally in yards allowed per play (4.26) and has held opponents to just 56.38 rushing yards per contest, which is the best among all FBS units.

The Utes were solid and balanced offensively as well. Quarterback Tyler Huntley averaged 12.6 yards per pass on 17 attempts and running back Zach Moss gained 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also catching three passes for 89 yards.

Utah out-gained Cal by an average of 4.64 yards per play, second only to Clemson (5.57) and UCF (4.90) in Week 9. The Utes now rank No. 8 in the nation in net yards per play (2.56).

7. LSU Tigers, 91.25

It wasn’t the top-rated game grade of the week, but LSU’s 23-20 victory over Auburn was arguably the most important. It was also a more impressive performance than the final score would indicate.

LSU out-gained Auburn 508-287 overall and by an average of 1.61 yards per play. Ed Orgeron’s squad also missed on multiple scoring opportunities, turning the ball over on downs twice inside the Auburn 30-yard line, including once at the two-yard line. LSU also committed two turnovers, one on a botched punt return, and another on a Joe Burrow interception.

Nevertheless, Burrow played like the legitimate Heisman Trophy contender he is and completed 32 of 42 attempts for 321 yards (a solid 7.6 yards per pass) for 321 yards and a touchdown. He ran for another score as well. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire finished with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 51 yards.

LSU, which ranks No. 4 in Team Performance this season (92.12, tied with Oklahoma), also ranks in the top five nationally in net yards per play (2.90).

6. UCF Knights, 92.33

UCF lost its stranglehold on the AAC and its front-runner status for a spot in the New Year’s Six, but the Knights put together a vintage performance beating Temple 63-21 on the road. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel averaged 10.4 yards per pass and threw three touchdowns without an interception, and Otis Anderson – who was one of four Knights with at least one rushing touchdown – gained 205 of UCF’s 385 rushing yards (8.0 yards per carry).

The UCF offense gets most of the attention, and understandably so given it ranks fifth nationally in scoring (46.6 points per game) and second in total offense (561.4 yards per game). However, the Knights have held opponents to just 4.43 yards per play, which is best in the American, second among all Group of Five conference defenses, and ranks No. 10 in the country. Against the pass, UCF has limited opponents to 5.5 yards per attempt this season, which is tied for No. 5 overall and tops among all G5 programs.

Temple gained just 266 total yards, including just 45 rushing yards, and averaged 1.1 yards per carry, against the Knights.

5. Clemson Tigers, 92.43

Defending national champion Clemson, which has fallen from its perch as the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 to No. 4 through no fault of its own, apparently took out its frustration against Boston College in a 59-7 victory. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has been criticized for his imperfect play as a sophomore, was nearly perfect against the Eagles as he completed 16 of 19 pass attempts for 275 yards (14.5 yards per pass) and three touchdowns without an interception.

Overall, the Tigers out-gained Boston College by an average of 5.57 yards per play, which was the best of the week by a large margin. Clemson also posted a plus-0.62 edge in net points per play, which was second-best only to Northern Illinois (0.69).

It was yet another first-rate performance for the Clemson defense, which limited BC to 80 passing yards (4.4 yards per attempt) and 97 rushing yards (2.2 yards per carry). Overall, the Tigers have held opponents to just 3.87 yards per play this season – third-best in the country. Clemson has out-gained its competition by an average of 3.33 yards per play this season, which also ranks third nationally.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions, 92.95

The Penn State defense has been just as good – if not better. This season, the Nittany Lions have held opponents to 3.98 yards per snap, which makes Penn State one of just four units nationally to hold opposing offenses to fewer than four yards per play. The Nittany Lions have dominated opponents at the line of scrimmage, having allowed just 1.99 yards per carry – which is the best in the country by a huge margin of 0.46 yards per attempt.

Saturday, Penn State held Michigan State to 2.7 yards per carry and 4.2 yards per pass attempt in a 28-7 victory. The Nittany Lions only out-gained the Spartans 302-265 overall, but finished plus-three in turnover margin after forcing two interceptions and recovering a pair of fumbles.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys, 93.20

It’s been an up-and-down season for Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys were riding high in a 34-27 road victory over Iowa State Saturday. Through the Pokes were out-gained 468-402 overall, and managed just 14 first downs to the Cyclones’ 30, Oklahoma State (which entered as a 10.5-point underdog) came up with big plays when it mattered most.

The dynamic duo of running back Chuba Hubbard (116 rushing yards, 1 TD) and receiver Tylan Wallace (131 receiving yards, 1 TD) played a big role, as did an opportunistic defense that forced three interceptions, including the game-winning 26-yard pick-six by Malcolm Rodriguez. Oklahoma State held the Cyclones to 856 rushing yards and 3.4 yards per carry, and though it allowed 382 passing yards, Iowa State QB Brock Purdy needed 62 pass attempts and settled for a modest 6.1 yards per pass.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes, 93.83

LSU may have moved up to No. 1 in the AP poll, but Ohio State has played like the No. 1 team in the country this year. In fact, after beating a Top-15 Wisconsin team 38-7 Saturday, the Buckeyes rank No. 1 overall in Team Performance with an average game grade of 93.90.

Ohio State ran at will against what had been the top-rated defense in the country and gained 264 rushing yards and scored three times on 50 carries (5.3 yards per attempt). Running back J.K. Dobbins ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Justin Fields added a rushing score and accounted for three total touchdowns.

But the big story is the Ohio State defense, which held the Badgers to just 83 rushing yards on 34 total carries (a 2.4-yard average) and limited Jonathan Taylor to 52 yards on 20 rushing attempts (2.6). Led by elite pass rusher Chase Young, who had 4.0 sacks against Wisconsin and now leads the nation with 13.5 this year, the Ohio State defense now leads the nation in yards allowed per play (3.59).

Combined with its balanced and efficient offense, Ohio State is closing the gap with Oklahoma in net yards per play. The Buckeyes have out-gained opponents by an average of 3.58 yards per play, which ranks second only to the Sooners (4.42).

1. Michigan Wolverines, 94.63

Ohio State might be No. 1 overall, but the Michigan Wolverines edged out their archrivals for the honors in Week 9 after beating Notre Dame 45-14. Michigan was largely impenetrable defensively in driving rain and held the Fighting Irish to just 280 total yards and an average of 3.0 yards per snap. The Irish gained a paltry 47 rushing yards on 31 attempts – 1.5 yards per carry – and managed only 4.6 yards per pass. The Michigan defense ranks No. 6 in the country in yards allowed per play (4.17).

Overall, the Wolverines out-gained Notre Dame by 3.15 yards per play, which was the eighth-best margin of the weekend. Michigan rolled up 303 rushing yards (its best performance of the season on the ground) and averaged 5.32 yards per carry (second-best of the year). The Wolverines also threw for three touchdowns without an interception and averaged a solid 9.6 yards per attempt despite horrible weather.

10 Worst College Football Team Performances of Week 9

10. Akron Zips, 70.28

Akron was shut out 49-0 by Northern Illinois Saturday (its second straight shutout loss and third straight game without a touchdown) to fall to 0-8 overall, and 0-4 in MAC play. Not surprisingly, the Zips held on to the No. 130 spot in overall Team Performance as the team was outscored by an average of 0.69 points per play, which was the worst result of Week 9.

9. New Mexico State Aggies, 70.25

New Mexico State ranks No. 128 in net yards per play (-1.86) after being out-gained by an average of 3.29 yards per snap this week against Georgia Southern in a 41-7 loss. The Aggies fell to 0-8 overall, and sit No. 128 this year in Team Performance.

8. South Alabama Jaguars, 70.03

South Alabama’s meager bowl hopes came to an end following a 30-3 home loss to Sun Belt leader Appalachian State. The Jags were out-gained by an average of 3.66 yards per play in the loss. Only Boston College (-5.57), Temple (-4.90) and Cal (-4.64) fared worse nationally in Week 10.

7. FIU Panthers, 69.45

FIU, which had played its way back from a disastrous start to the season with a three-game winning streak, lost 50-17 to Middle Tennessee Saturday to fall to 4-4 overall. The Panthers finished minus-four in turnover margin, which tied two others for worst of the week. Only Central Michigan (5) turned the football over more in Week 9.

6. Old Dominion Monarchs, 69.35

Like South Alabama, Old Dominion is no longer in contention for a bowl game after its 41-3 home loss to FAU dropped the Monarchs to 1-7 overall. The Monarchs are now 0-4 in Conference USA. ODU ranks No. 127 in net yards per play (-1.82), after having posted a -3.56-yard average against the Owls, which was fifth-worst of the week.

5. UTEP Miners, 69.30

UTEP lost 42-21 to Louisiana Tech Saturday to fall to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in C-USA play. It was the sixth straight loss for the Miners, who were out-gained 490-325 overall, and lost the turnover margin 3-1. UTEP, which leans heavily on the ground game, managed only 98 rushing yards and 2.88 yards per carry in the loss.

4. Kent State Golden Flashes. 68.58

After starting 2-0 in MAC play with wins over Bowling Green and Akron, respectively, Kent State has now dropped two in a row in the league after back-to-back losses to Ohio and Miami-Ohio. The Golden Flashes were out-gained 467-336 overall and by an average of 2.58 yards per play in the 23-16 loss to the RedHawks Saturday.

3. East Carolina Pirates, 67.95

East Carolina is still searching for its first conference victory after losing to USF 45-20 at home in Week 9. The Pirates were held to 2.7 yards per rushing attempt and allowed 8.7 yards per carry to the Bulls while falling to 3-5 overall and 0-4 in league action.

2. Army Black Knights, 67.30

Not long ago, Army took Michigan to overtime and was knocking on the door of the Top 25. But the Black Knights, who lost 34-29 at home to San Jose State in Week 9, have now lost four straight games and have fallen to 3-5 overall. Making matters worse, both Air Force and Navy picked up their sixth victories of the season Saturday.

1. Massachusetts Minutemen, 66.68

The Minutemen have allowed opponents to gain 7.71 yards per play this season, including an FBS worst 6.57 yards per rushing attempt and 9.3 yards per pass, which is tied with two others for the bottom of the national leaderboard. Not only does Massachusetts rank dead last in yards allowed per snap, Colorado, which has surrendered more than 6.93 yards per play, is closest – a gap of 0.78 yards. For reference, the gap between No. 1 Ohio State (3.59) and No. 9 Georgia (4.32) is just 0.73 yards.

Thanks in large part to its poor defensive play, UMass has posted -3.20 yards per snap this season. No FBS team has been out-gained more on a per-play average.

Top 10 Teams of 2019, average Team Performance

10. Oregon Ducks, 88.81

9. Florida Gators, 89.13

8. Baylor Bears, 89.91

7. Georgia Bulldogs, 90.33

6. Penn State Nittany Lions, 91.27

T-4. Oklahoma Sooners, 92.12

T-4. LSU Tigers, 92.12

3. Clemson Tigers, 92.27

2. Alabama Crimson Tide, 93.41

1. Ohio State Buckeyes, 93.90

Worst 10 Teams of 2019, average Team Performance

121. UTSA Roadrunners, 71.53

122. Texas State Bobcats, 71.35

123. New Mexico Lobos, 70.87

124. South Alabama Jaguars, 70.33

125. Old Dominion Monarchs, 69.95

126. Rice Owls, 69.55

127. UTEP Miners, 69.15

128. New Mexico State Aggies, 67.47

129. Massachusetts Minutemen, 66.83

130. Akron Zips, 66.29

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