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In Week 9, we had 15 games involving at least 1 ranked opponent. In 14 of those 15 games, the higher-ranked team won. In the 15th game (LSU-A&M), the Aggies were ranked lower but they were favored and they were at home. Yet, even though there weren’t any massive upsets, my top 10 changed pretty significantly in the ballot I submitted for Saturday Down South’s official top 25.
My top 5 includes 4 unbeaten teams and Georgia. I dropped Ohio State after a poor showing against Nebraska at home. I dropped Texas again. And I had 2 teams bump into the top 10.
1. Oregon (8-0)
Last week: 1
The Ducks ripped apart the Illinois defense in a 38-9 win. Yes, Illinois was flying cross-country. No, no one has fared well when traveling across multiple time zones in the Big Ten. Yet I came away impressed by the Oregon performance. The Ducks put their foot down in the first half and made yet another statement.
2. Georgia (6-1)
Last week: 2
The Bulldogs were on a bye in Week 9.
3. Penn State (7-0)
Last week: 4
Penn State beat one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten on the road without its starting quarterback. They have a better win than anything I can find on Ohio State’s schedule, and they don’t have a loss. They sit behind a 1-loss Georgia because of the Bulldogs’ wins over Clemson and Texas.
4. Miami (8-0)
Last week: 8
The Hurricanes throttled Florida State. Per Game on Paper, they had a net success rate of plus-13%. Miami has passed every test thus far.
5. Indiana (8-0)
Last week: 9
I bet against Indiana 2 weeks in a row and wound up with egg on my face both times. The Hoosiers blasted Nebraska, then beat Washington by 2 scores with a backup quarterback. Indiana has yet to trail this season. And while they haven’t really played anyone of significance, they handled a Nebraska team Ohio State struggled with. To a degree, you can only play who you play, and Indiana has handled everyone with relative ease. For now, Indiana deserves respect for that.
6. Ohio State (6-1)
Last week: 3
The Buckeyes followed up a loss with a disappointing showing against Nebraska. Problems surfaced on the offensive line, and I’m concerned about the secondary. A win is a win, but Ohio State has questions right now.
7. Notre Dame (7-1)
Last week: 12
Notre Dame may have been fortunate to beat Navy as badly as it did — Navy fumbled 7 times — but the Irish were always winning that game. They’ve won 6 straight and only 1 of those games was decided by less than 18 points.
8. Texas A&M (7-1)
Last week: 13
I had LSU fifth last week, so for A&M to take control in the second half the way it did was a big deal in my eyes. A&M has won 7 straight since the season-opening loss and looks ferocious on the defensive line. While they might have an issue in the pass game, they’re running things on the line of scrimmage. I have A&M ahead of Texas this week, which might ruffle feathers. As far as I can tell, the Longhorns’ best win is a 27-24 victory over Vanderbilt. I count 2 on the A&M résumé that I like better.
9. Texas (7-1)
Last week: 7
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers looks off. Ewers was picked off twice in a 3-point win over Vandy. And the Horns have given up 19 tackles for loss with 11 sacks in the last 2 weeks.
10. Clemson (6-1)
Last week: 6
The Tigers were on a bye in Week 9.
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11. BYU (8-0)
Last week: 15
BYU is unbeaten, but it currently sits well outside the top 10 in SP+, FEI, and FPI. However, BYU is third in ESPN’s strength of record metric and top 10 in game control and average postgame win probability.
12. Iowa State (7-0)
Last week: 10
The Cyclones were on a bye in Week 9.
13. Tennessee (6-1)
Last week: 11
The Volunteers were on a bye in Week 9.
14. Boise State (6-1)
Last week: 14
The Broncos beat a good UNLV team on the road in what is likely their toughest remaining game of the regular season.
15. LSU (6-2)
Last week: 5
Things came crashing down in the second half of LSU’s game against Texas A&M. The Aggies switched quarterbacks, which flipped their entire offensive system, and things snowballed. LSU couldn’t stop Marcel Reed and Garrett Nussmeier inexplicably threw 3 second-half interceptions. Nussmeier has multiple picks in 3 of his last 4 games. That needs to get cleaned up. But, like Brian Kelly said after the game, they need to find more balance within the offense so he isn’t throwing it 40-plus times a game.
16. Kansas State (7-1)
Last week: 16
The Wildcats won their fourth straight, but they had to earn it. They trailed a previously 2-5 Kansas team entering the fourth quarter but inched ahead on a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 to play. A fourth-down hold from near midfield sealed the win. While K-State won the turnover battle, Kansas had a higher success rate in the game. I’ll resort back to my usual refrain here: win your clunkers.
17. Ole Miss (6-2)
Last week: 17
The Rebels trailed Oklahoma at the half and then outscored the Sooners 16-0 in the second half. While they did give up 329 yards to a previously lifeless offense, Ole Miss did generate 10 sacks against the Sooners.
18. Alabama (6-2)
Last week: 20
A 34-0 victory over Missouri was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Crimson Tide. This was an important win for Alabama, but it’s important not to get too carried away. Missouri was clearly one of the most fraudulent teams in the preseason top 25 this season and now has lost to the 2 best teams it has played by a combined 65 points.
19. Pitt (7-0)
Last week: 23
Pitt smashed Syracuse, but the defense actually did most of the heavy lifting. In a 41-13 win over the Orange, the Pitt defense (21 points) outscored both the opposition (13) and the Pitt offense (20). Cuse quarterback Kyle McCord threw 3 pick-sixes in the first 17:30 of the game. I still have questions about the Pitt offense’s ability to scale against good competition — which we just haven’t seen yet — but the defense is on fire.
20. Army (7-0)
Last week: 19
The Black Knights were on a bye in Week 9.
21. SMU (7-1)
Last week: 21
SMU blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation. Then it stopped a 2-point conversion in overtime to escape with a 28-27 road win over Duke. SMU has won 5 straight but the pass defense is becoming a problem.
22. Colorado (6-2)
Last week: 25
The substance finally matches the flash in Boulder. Colorado has won 5 of its last 6 games, with the only loss coming by 3 points at home against Kansas State in a game that saw top receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. leave early with injuries. Colorado responded by smashing Arizona on the road. Then it beat Cincinnati by double-digits while Hunter re-inserted himself into the Heisman discussion.
23. Washington State (7-1)
Last week: unranked
The Cougars are 7-1, have wins over Texas Tech and Washington, and are being led by one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in the country. John Mateer leads the team in passing (2,153 yards, 18 scores) and rushing (575 yards, 10 scores). Last week, he led Wazzu to 15 unanswered in the fourth quarter to get by San Diego State.
24. Tulane (6-2)
Last week: unranked
Tulane is 6-2 on the year with its only losses coming against Kansas State and Oklahoma in the nonconference portion of the schedule. The OU game was in Norman. Tulane was competitive in both, and those early-season challenges have served the team well in league play. They’re 4-0 in the AAC and just notched a road win over a competitive North Texas team. This team might be 8-0 if it had scheduled patsies in the nonconference; I like the ambition.
25. Louisiana (6-1)
Last week: unranked
The Ragin’ Cajuns have won 4 straight. Three of those 4 have come away from home. The only loss this season was by a single score against Tulane, and Louisiana has a win over Wake Forest on the road. Quarterback Ben Wooldridge ranks among the top 10 FBS quarterbacks this season in EPA.
Dropped out
Navy (18), Missouri (22), Illinois (24)
Right on the cut line
Navy, Illinois, Memphis
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
