College Football Rankings: Projected Week 9 AP Top 25
The Week 9 college football rankings might be the hardest to figure out all season. That's what happens when a third of teams in the AP Top 25 lose. There were five ranked-on-ranked matchups on Saturday, so we expected a bit of carnage, but some shocking top 20 upsets added to the chaos. Seriously, who saw Miami and Texas Tech taking a fall this week?
The Hurricanes and Red Raiders were both humbled by conference foes. Meanwhile, Georgia, Alabama and Vanderbilt put the hurt on conference rivals Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU respectively, setting the stage for a competitive SEC title race.
Then there were the rivalry matchups. The Holy War between BYU and Utah and the Greatest Intersectional Rivalry in College Football between USC and Notre Dame. The Cougars and Fighting Irish both defended their home turf to keep rising up the rankings.
Of course, there were those who fell as well. Memphis and Nebraska kept their visit to the rankings land short with losses to UAB and Minnesota. Those were easy drops.
Dropped out of Rankings: Nebraska, Memphis
No. 25-21
25. Utah Utes
How far should Utah slide for losing on the road by three to their rival BYU? The Utes took the lead in the fourth quarter, but proceeded to give up the next two scores. A late touchdown from Devon Dampier to Larry Simmons was too little too late, resulting in a 24-21 loss. The Utes' only losses this season are to the Cougars and Texas Tech. And they beat Arizona State. They're a tricky team to rank. On the one hand, teams like Michigan and Navy could make their arguments to get in instead.
In the end, it was more of a debate between Utah, who plays Colorado next, and USC battling for the higher spot in the rankings but I gave it to the Trojans.
24. USC Trojans
I wouldn't be surprised at all if the voters dropped USC from the rankings. But those who consult advanced stats may keep them from a quick exit. The Trojans' only losses are to Illinois and Notre Dame on the road, both in difficult weather conditions. And they rank in the top 20 of most advanced models, including FEI, FPI, SP+, Massey, Sagarin, etc.
If they do drop out, the Trojans will kick themselves for not pouncing on their opportunities in South Bend. USC fell 34-24 on a rainy night after giving up a kickoff return touchdown and fumbling away an attempted wide receiver pass. They'll lick their wounds during a bye and prepare for another away trip to Nebraska.
23. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois was one of the few teams on bye this week and they're rewarded for it by inching back into the top 25. The Illini were the last team out last week. Since so many other ranked teams lost, they climb by default. They'll stay ranked next week if they can survive a trip to face the Washington Huskies in Seattle.
22. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns got out of Kentucky with an overtime win, 16-13. So why do they drop here? Because they remain entirely unimpressive. Texas' defense is legitimate. That's earnest praise I can give Steve Sarkisian's squad. But his offense? Yikes. Arch Manning was 12-of-27 for 132 yards against Kentucky. He had 11 carries for -1 yards. The Longhorns settled for field goals for most of the game, so it was fitting they won on an overtime field goal after the defense held the Wildcats scoreless in the extra period. It'll take passing the eye test of Texas to deserve a higher ranking than this.
21. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville went into Hard Rock Stadium and stunned Miami on Friday night. Miller Moss threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score while the Cardinals defense forced Carson Beck into four interceptions. It was a great rebound from their narrow loss to Virginia. Now Jeff Brohm's outfit is 5-1 with a signature win and a quality loss on their résumé.
If they keep this up, look out for Louisville in the ACC title race. The path is clear with Boston College representing their next challenge.
No. 20-16
20. Arizona State -- Beat Texas Tech
Make sense of the Big 12, I dare you to try. Arizona State just beat Texas Tech, who beat Utah, who blew out ASU. BYU is now the only undefeated in the conference. Cincinnati, ASU and Houston are right on their heels hoping to contend for the conference title. That's not a position the Sun Devils looked like they'd be in last week after falling to the Utes by 32 points. Their 26-22 upset of the No. 7 team in the country puts them right back into the mix.
Sam Leavitt returned to action with 319 yards and a touchdown while Raleek Brown punched in the game-winning touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock. Now the Sun Devils are out to prove Leavitt's absence accounts for their previous slip up. They face Houston next.
19. Cincinnati Bearcats
While several other newcomers to the rankings face planted this weekend, Cincinnati left no doubt. They went into Stillwater and poured even more cold water on an Oklahoma State fanbase hung out to dry. The Bearcats romped to a 49-17 win led by Brendan Sorsby's four total touchdowns. At 6-1 and 4-0 in conference play, Cincinnati controls their destiny in the Big 12. They get Baylor next before an intriguing road trip to face Utah.
18. South Florida Bulls
South Florida isn't exactly facing the stiffest competition in the American so far. This weekend they routed FAU 48-13, with Byrum Brown throwing three touchdowns and amassing 111 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Next week's matchup with Memphis will add much more intrigue.
17. Virginia Cavaliers
Washington State may be 3-4 but they're not making it easy for anyone they've faced lately. They pushed Ole Miss in a 24-21 loss last weekend and then turned around and gave Virginia a similar home scare. The Cavaliers came back from down 10 going into the fourth quarter, ultimately overcoming the Cougars via a safety with just under three minutes to play. It wasn't the most conventional way to win a football game, but it got the job done.
Virginia will look to make Bill Belichick's North Carolina even more miserable next week.
16. Missouri Tigers
Missouri also survived a scare, needing double overtime to put away a pesky Auburn team. Even though the Tigers led going into halftime, Auburn took control early in the fourth quarter. Ahmad Hardy's touchdown with five to play sent the game to overtime where Beau Pribula ran in the winning score. After throwing two interceptions, the quarterback needed a moment like that.
Like Washington State, Auburn has been a tough nut to crack in SEC play. Of course, Missouri will need a better effort at Vanderbilt next.
No. 15-11
15. LSU Tigers
LSU's loss to Vanderbilt had Tigers fans calling for Brian Kelly's head. The Commodores are on the rise while it feels like Brian Kelly's program is stuck in the mud. On Saturday, Diego Pavia buried LSU with 160 yards through the air and 86 on the ground with three total touchdowns. The Tigers tried to keep it close, but Garrett Nussmeier and the offense couldn't ride one of their better outings of the season to victory.
It only gets more difficult from here. LSU hosts Texas A&M and then travels to face Alabama after a bye week.
14. Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee has been playing with fire in the SEC, needing overtime to beat Mississippi State before surviving a late push from Arkansas in a three-point win over the Razorbacks. It turns out, Alabama was much more capable of putting them away. The Vols lost in Tuscaloosa, 37-20. DeSean Bishop's fourth-quarter touchdown made it interesting by pulling the Vols within 10, but Bama never really sweated in this one.
With two of the better losses in college football — to Georgia and Alabama — Tennessee doesn't really deserve to fall too far. The rest of their schedule opens up a bit too, starting with a road trip to Kentucky.
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders -- Lost to ASU
Just when it felt like the Big 12 had a clear frontrunner, Texas Tech fell flat on their face in Tempe. ASU took advantage of Behren Morton's absence by bottling up Will Hammond and the Tech offense for most of the game. Hammond flipped the script in the fourth quarter, erasing a 12-point deficit, but the Sun Devils made a late push to take back the lead, winning 26-22.
The Red Raiders should be able to shake it off next against Oklahoma State. The loss is a setback but they're still very much in the mix to conquer the Big 12.
12. BYU Cougars
Congratulations BYU! You're now the clear frontrunner in the Big 12. A loss for Texas Tech and a rivalry win over Utah has the Cougars in control with a date against Iowa State coming next followed by a massive showdown with the Red Raiders. BYU's defense has given up at least 20 points in each of their four Big 12 matchups but their offense is operating as a strong enough clip to make up for it. Bear Bachmeier utilized his legs for 64 yards and a touchdown to go along with another through the air. And LJ Martin led the way on the ground with 122 yards in the 24-21 victory.
The toughest tests are yet to come for BYU, but so far they've taken care of business enough to continue their climb up the rankings.
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame has been walking a tightrope ever since losing their first two games of the season, but they've yet to fall. Arguably their biggest remaining test of the season came in the form of USC in South Bend. Jeremiyah Love exploded for 228 yards on the ground, making up for a shaky performance from CJ Carr, as the Fighting Irish took down their rivals, 34-24. Conditions weren't ideal and it wasn't the prettiest performance, but Notre Dame's goal at this point is winning out. Style points would only be a bonus. And a victory over USC gives them a quality win to go along with their strong losses.
The Irish get a week off before heading on the road to take on Boston College.
No. 10-9
10. Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt is off to their best start in 75 years thanks to their 31-24 win over LSU. Diego Pavia was immense as the Commodores kept the Tigers in their rearview mirror most of the way. Clark Lea and his team took advantage of their week off to prepare for LSU and shake off the disappointment of their loss to Alabama. After that defeat, you'd have been forgiven for wondering if Vandy would falter, their proverbial balloon popped. But you'd have been wrong. This Vanderbilt team looks perfectly capable of making more waves in the SEC.
Of course, there are still challenges ahead. They take on Missouri next before heading to Austin to take on Texas.
9. Oklahoma Sooners
What better way to get the bad taste of a rivalry loss out of your mouth than a relatively stressfree conference victory. Oklahoma got that over South Carolina, winning 26-7 in Columbia. The Sooner defense kept LaNorris Sellers from doing much damage, sacking him six times. John Mateer bounced back from his rough performance against Texas. He threw for 150 yards and a touchdown in an effective performance.
With the quarterback looking more like himself and a defense that remains stout, the Sooners now prepare for the toughest stretch of the season with games against Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU. Wins will not be easy to come by there.
No. 8-7
8. Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss cleared the LSU hurdle then survived Washington State in a look ahead spot, but when it came time to overcome their biggest challenge of the season, they just ran out of juice. In a shootout, the Rebels grabbed a nine-point lead going into the fourth quarter but they squandered it. Georgia scored the final 17 points of the game to win 43-35. On the plus side, Trinidad Chambliss continues to ball out. He had 263 yards and a touchdown through the air with 42 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Unfortunately, that effort didn't match up to Gunner Stockton's big day.
The Rebels aren't buried. They have one of the easier schedules the rest of the way, traveling to Oklahoma next. After that they have manageable outings against South Carolina, Citadel, Florida and Mississippi State. Lane Kiffin and company should still be aiming for 11-1.
7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech had their handsful with Duke, trailing the Blue Devils midway through the third quarter. A fumble return touchdown accounted for their only touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter. In the end, the late offensive explosion was enough. Haynes King capped the 27-18 win with a 28-yard touchdown run.
The Yellow Jackets have moved up into the top 10 by default and we won't actually know much about their true level until they take on Georgia at the end of the regular season (They won't see Virginia, SMU or Louisville in conference play). Until then, they can look ahead to their next matchup with Syracuse.
No. 6-5
6. Oregon Ducks
Rutgers had the unfortunate privilege of being the punching bag Oregon took out all their frustration on after their loss to Indiana. The Scarlett Knights scored first and last. Outside of that first quarter field goal and fourth quarter touchdown, it was all Oregon all the time. The Ducks dropped 42 in the first half alone, ultimately heading home with a 56-10 victory.
For Oregon, the rest of the way is about avoiding any trip ups. They host Wisconsin next and don't have a ranked opponent the rest of the way aside from USC (assuming they stick around).
5. Georgia Bulldogs -- Beat 5 Ole Miss
Georgia rode a stellar performance from Gunnar Stockton to the aforementioned 43-35 win over Ole Miss. The Bulldog quarterback tossed four touchdown passes and added another on the ground. The Rebels had no answer for tight end Luckie Lawson, who hauled in three of Stockton's scoring throws. This win puts Georgia right back on track as they vie for the top spot in the SEC, and the favorable playoff seeding that will come with it.
With their second ranked win of the season locked in, Georgia will enjoy a bye before hosting Florida.
No. 4-3
4. Alabama Crimson Tide -- Beat 11 Tennessee
Remember when Alabama fans wanted Kalen DeBoer fired after losing the season opener to Florida State? Well, that loss looks worse and worse as the season rolls on, but the Crimson Tide look better and better. They faced a murderers row of games against ranked Geogia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and finally Tennessee, coming through with four victories in four. That's the most impressive stretch in college football this year, almost impressive enough for me to argue they deserve to be ranked ahead of Texas A&M. I won't go that far, but it had to be considered.
Things lighten up ever so slightly for the Crimson Tide with a trip to face South Carolina coming up.
3. Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M is undefeated with an impressive road win over Notre Dame, so I expect them to stay ahead of Alabama and any of the other SEC contenders...but a three-point win over Arkansas doesn't ease my concerns about the strength of their résumé. The Razorbacks are playing most teams tough, so it's a good win on the road. Marcel Reed scored four total touchdowns to overcome the high point total Arkansas managed.
The Aggies will prove their worth over the next few weeks. First they head to Baton Rouge to battle LSU, then get a bye before another road test at Missouri. We'll know much more about them then.
No. 2-1
2. Indiana Hoosiers
For a second there, it looked like Indiana was going to play with their food, letting Michigan State lead until midway though the second quarter. Then Curt Cignetti's boys kicked it into high gear and smashed the Spartans, 38-13. Fernando Mendoza continues to soar up draft boards and Heisman power rankings and the momentum won't stop after going 24-of-28 for 332 yards and four touchdowns. The Hoosiers are a machine and he's the engineer.
Frankly, it would be a surprise if Indiana doesn't make it to 12-0, booking an inevitable date with Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. The Hoosiers do get the tricky matchup of a revived UCLA team next though.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Wisconsin was no match for Ohio State. The Buckeyes boast the best defense in college football and are seeing Julian Sayin blossom before their eyes. In Saturday's 34-0 win, Sayin tossed four touchdowns on 36-of-42 passing for 393 yards. Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith are impossible matchups. Caleb Down and Arvell Reese are menaces. Ohio State has no equal and like Indiana, it's tough to see who will stand in the way of them and a 12-0 record.
We know one thing, Ohio State won't win next weekend...they're on a bye. Then it's time to face off with James Franklin-less Penn State.