While the Week 9 schedule didn’t set several ranked games, the results of another chaotic week in college football resulted in the loss of several top 25 teams. The upsets will lead to some big changes in the college football rankings, none more impressive than USC’s win over Ohio State in Los Angeles.
USC was previously unranked after falling out of the AP Top 25 poll following a 17-7 loss to Wisconsin. The Trojans endured a lot of pressure all week after the loss, feeling the weight of an underperforming offense and the threat of a top-two ranked opponent in Ohio State. USC immediately answered their offensive questions and jumped out to an early lead, riding that momentum for a rain-soaked signature win for Lincoln Riley. It marked USC’s first win against a top-five opponent as coach and would put the Trojans back in the top 25.
As for Ohio State, it’s projected to be among the lucky ones to lose in Week 9 but not fall too far thanks to wins against Indiana and Iowa State in conference play. But with Saturday’s losses to teams like SMU, Northwestern, Arizona, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin, the door is open for a host of newcomers in the rankings.
Here’s what we expect the new AP Top 25 to look like on Sunday after Week 9:
1. Miami (Last week — 1): Even though the nation’s No. 1 team trailed in the second half, the alarm always seemed a little early when Malachi Toney was on the field. Miami’s Heisman Trophy-contending wide receiver was absolutely electric in the Hurricanes’ 38-35 win, finishing with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
2. Georgia (3): The Bulldogs capitalized on Florida’s early mistakes for easy points and turned in another strong defensive performance to cruise to their sixth straight win in the Cocktail Party rivalry. At 7-1 overall with a convincing win against a quality team, Georgia could get a few first-place votes, but the overall ranking will remain the same for most voters.
3. Notre Dame (5): It took a minute for Notre Dame to go ahead, but voters won’t be in a rush to overreact one way or another to a 35-13 victory against Navy. All eyes are on next week’s clash with Miami, where a firmer decision could be made as the Fighting Irish’s top five team.
4. Utah (6): Credit to Utah for sending an early message against Cincinnati in a week where several top teams have gotten off to slow starts. The Utes were outscored 42-6 and then cruised in the second half as attention turned to next Saturday’s matchup against BYU. The Bearcats setting up Texas Tech for a potential upset point also allowed them to assert an 8-0 record that would earn them more respect from voters.
5. UCLA (7): Voters won’t rush any major adjustments to where the Bruins stand after beating Nevada 27-0. The shutout win, highlighted by four defensive tackles, keeps UCLA’s top seed intact and a zero in the loss column. UCLA is now 8-0 overall, but its best win remains a win over three-loss Oregon earlier this month.
6. Indiana (4): Last week, the Hoosiers held a one-point advantage (1,459 to 1,458) on Notre Dame and less than a 50-point edge over Utah. After another overtime win that was light on offensive production and heavy on offensive scares, Indiana could be willing to give up a few spots to other teams fighting for a top-five spot. Indiana’s resume doesn’t stand up to intense scrutiny, like a “quality loss” argument thanks to top-scoring wins over Nebraska and Northwestern and a four-point loss to Ohio State.
7. BYU (8): The Cougars looked to be cruising early and with a 17-3 halftime lead with a dominant defensive performance, but BYU sweated a little late in the second half in a 27-20 win over Arizona State. Ultimately, a win by any margin should put the Cougars firmly ahead of Kentucky and Alabama in Week 9.
8. Kentucky (9): The Wildcats are off in Week 9 and will be back in action next week at Tennessee.
9. Alabama (10): The Crimson Tide were off in Week 9 and will be back in action next week at LSU.
10. Texas (11): We don’t expect much to change after the Longhorns took advantage of a Mississippi State team without Kamario Taylor and cruised to a 31-3 win to improve to 6-2.
11. Ohio State (2): Ohio State’s drop in the rankings will happen on two fronts. First, Saturday night’s loss came to a previously unranked USC team that changed the analysis for the Buckeyes, as they are now a two-loss team. But the other thing here is that Week 9 is the first time we’ve seen Ohio State play a quarterback without injured quarterback Julian Sayin, and the offensive production numbers reflect a group that isn’t performing at its previous level. That would sway voters looking to place Ohio State among other top-ranked teams, making them more likely to pick Texas State’s head-to-head result as an anchor for the Buckeyes’ new ranking position.
12. Ole Miss (12): With Georgia coming to town next week, playing a home front, it would be easy for Ole Miss to find itself in a dogfight with an Auburn team that can clearly punch with SEC heavyweights. So credit the Rebels for taking care of business with a 45-17 victory.
13. Texas Tech (13): There’s an argument to be made that Texas Tech’s resume improved significantly with a win over Arizona, but we don’t expect voters to overreact to a one-point home win like a top-15 team. While important for building a new offense led by Tomas Castellanos, the win keeps the Red Raiders mostly in the same spot in the standings.
14. Wake Forest (14): Among the many highlights for Wake Forest in a 51-7 rout of Virginia State was another big day for Carlos Hernandez. The Demon Deacons wide receiver had eight catches on nine targets for 136 yards and a touchdown, the fourth time he’s reached 100 yards in a game this season. Wake Forest is now 7-1 overall and will face FCS Merrimack next week before traveling to SMU for a chance to reach the ACC Championship Game in November.
15. LSU (15): The Tigers were off in Week 9 and will return to action next week against Alabama in Baton Rouge.
16. Tennessee (16): The Vols were off for week 9 and will be back in action next week against Kentucky.
17. USC (NR): Lincoln Riley believes in this team, and now with a key head-to-head win against Ohio State, he’s put the Trojans back in the thick of the Big Ten title race. The challenge for the Trojans now will be to close the deal with more big wins as they will be on the radar of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and will likely be ranked in the first CFP Rankings on Tuesday.
18. Houston (18): The Cougars were off in Week 9 and will return to action next week against Cincinnati.
19. Boise State (20): An injury to Maddux Madsen provides an effective response to Texas State’s upset effort as the Broncos hold on for a 46-45 win behind backup Max Catforth. Madsen was seen on crutches after Pac-12 title contender Boise State’s 7-1 overall victory.
20. Missouri (23): Ahmed Hardy returned to the lineup and Missouri returned to its winning ways with a 34-10 rivalry win at Arkansas to improve the Tigers to 6-2 on the season. It’s been 21 days since Missouri State’s last win, so voters should feel better about Eli Drinkwitz’s group being a top-25 team, and that ranking makes for a very interesting matchup with Texas State in Columbia next weekend.
21. Iowa (NR): In last week’s poll, Iowa ranked 26th in points and Wisconsin tied for 25th Wisconsin compared to 24th Oklahoma. A thorough demolition of the Badgers would lead to a top 25 boost, taking some of those Wisconsin votes along with a level of respect for the dominant nature of the victory.
22. South Carolina (NR): It’s now looked like three seasons in one for South Carolina, which has now put together a three-game winning streak with wins over Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma State after a three-game losing streak. The Gamecocks crushed the Sooners on Saturday, a 42-25 victory in Norman behind another stellar performance from LaNorris Sellers.
23. New Mexico (NR): The Lobos already appeared on several ballots last week, and now at 7-1, could stand out as a more attractive option than some of the teams on the streak with multiple losses.
24. Oregon (NR): The Ducks carry a chaotic string of wins and losses, boasting wins against both USC and Northwestern, but also weighed down by a trio of losses to UCLA, Oklahoma State and Illinois State. Beating the Wildcats in Week 9 could prompt a move back up the rankings as three-loss teams get more attention, and given some other upsets, the door is open for Oregon to sit among the top three-loss teams in the country.
25. Florida (17): The Gators’ woeful offensive performance could result in a quick jump out of the top 25, even as the Gators have the best wins in the country. High-profile wins against Ole Miss and Texas are the reasons Florida is ranked, but as it stands, the team has lost three of its last four and is currently stuck in the mud offensively.
It is predicted to be released: No. 19 SMU, No. 20 Northwestern, No. 22 Arizona, No. 24 Oklahoma State, No. 25 Wisconsin