Oct 27, 2024, 11:00 AM ET

Compared to the past few weeks, it was a somewhat ho-hum Week 9 in college football. Four AP-ranked teams lost, but each lost to a fellow ranked opponent.

Ohio State and Penn State both survived scares, setting up a top-five showdown next week in State College.

How did Saturday’s action affect our Power Rankings?

Here’s the latest top 25 from our college football experts, who provide their insight on each team’s Week 9 performance.

Previous ranking: 1

In their first game as the No.1 team in the country, the Ducks dismantled No. 20 Illinois with 35 first-half points and a 38-9 win to remain undefeated heading into the final four games of the regular season. After outlasting Ohio State a few weeks ago, Oregon has put together its two best defensive performances on back-to-back weeks, shutting out Purdue on the road and holding Illinois to 293 total yards and nine points Saturday. Teams not named Ohio State or Boise State have not been able to score more than 14 points on the Ducks’ defense, which ranks in the top 20 in the nation at stopping the pass. Overall, Dan Lanning’s defense has been consistent, but if there was something to nitpick, it’s that heading into the game, opponents scored 88% of the time once inside the 20-yard line. On Saturday, Illinois entered the red zone four times and scored only twice. — Paolo Uggetti

Previous ranking: 2

Last we saw Kirby Smart’s Dawgs, they were playing their most defensively brilliant game of the season in a 30-15 win over Texas. UGA’s defensive front was as healthy as it’s been all year and got star performances out of end Mykel Williams and linebacker Jalon Walker. UGA was on bye this week, but the next two offenses the Dawgs will see — Florida’s and Ole Miss’ — have plenty of upside and could test them if they can’t solve their biggest 2024 issue: inconsistency. In five SEC games, they’ve allowed 12, 41, 13, 31 and 15 points. They headed into their bye week ranked just 26th in yards allowed per play and 19th in yards allowed per game. That’s good, but they were great in Austin and might need to show that form more frequently down the stretch. — Bill Connelly

Previous ranking: 6

There were too many penalties and Texas was never able to completely put away Vanderbilt, but the Longhorns bounced back from their disappointing home loss to Georgia to beat the Commodores 27-24 on the road Saturday. The best news for Texas was that quarterback Quinn Ewers also bounced back with three touchdown passes and didn’t blink when he threw an interception on the game’s first possession on a tipped ball. Ewers completed 17 straight passes after that interception. Vanderbilt had committed only two turnovers all season entering the game, but the Longhorns’ defense forced the Commodores into three turnovers. Texas (7-1, 3-1) has now won nine straight road games and will get a bye before returning to action against Florida at home on Nov. 9. — Chris Low

Previous ranking: 5

The Nittany Lions took care of Wisconsin but lost quarterback Drew Allar to a left knee injury. Allar’s status is now in question heading into next weekend’s monster showdown against Ohio State. Sophomore backup Beau Pribula played well in Allar’s place, completing 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in Penn State’s 28-13 victory. But Allar has been among the top quarterbacks in the country this season. He came into the weekend ranked sixth nationally with a QBR of 86.8, and in the first half against the Badgers, he completed 14 of 18 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Allar tried to play in the second half but couldn’t move well enough after “tweaking” his knee. The Nittany Lions have to hope their budding star quarterback can return in time to start in Penn State’s biggest game of the year. – Jake Trotter

Previous ranking: 3

Coming off the loss at Oregon and then a bye, the Buckeyes scuffled at home against Nebraska. Jordan Hancock finally put the Huskers away with an interception with 1:16 left, preserving the 21-17 victory. Most troubling, Ohio State’s once vaunted rushing attack has begun to look stoppable. After getting outrushed by the Ducks, the Buckeyes averaged just 3.7 yards per carry against Nebraska; star running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for only 54 yards on 20 carries. Besides that, one game after losing standout left tackle Josh Simmons to a season-ending knee injury, Ohio State also lost his replacement, as Zen Michalski was carted off the field Saturday with an undisclosed injury. The Buckeyes still have the pieces to win the Big Ten, make the playoff and even capture the national championship. But they need to get the running game back on track, beginning next weekend at Penn State. — Jake Trotter

Previous ranking: 4

The Hurricanes beat Florida State 36-14 in an effort that was far more dominant than the final score indicated. Miami controlled the game, particularly up front, an area of strength on both sides of the line. What has to be encouraging is the way they tackled, an area that they knew they needed to improve on defense headed into the matchup. Miami struggled to get players to the ground in the previous few weeks, particularly in a win over Louisville. Its pass defense was not tested against the Seminoles, who rank as one of the worst offenses in the nation. But this is another area where the Hurricanes have struggled at times and will be a point of emphasis for improvement as the season hits its final stretch. Of its final four opponents, Syracuse might provide the toughest test in that area, but nobody can be overlooked — starting with Duke and a rematch against former head coach Manny Diaz next week. — Andrea Adelson

Previous ranking: 8

The Hoosiers’ magical season continued with another resounding win. Backup quarterback Tayven Jackson did enough in a 31-17 victory over Washington, passing and rushing for a touchdown. Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke (thumb) should be back soon. Indiana remarkably still has not trailed this season; according to ESPN Research, the Hoosiers are the first FBS team since the 1998 Kansas State Wildcats to start 8-0 without trailing once. That K-State team was a win away from making the BCS National Championship, falling to Texas A&M in double overtime in the Big 12 title game. Indiana figures to be favorites in three of its last four remaining regular-season games, save for a trip to Ohio State on Nov. 23. It’s past time to think of these Hoosiers as serious playoff contenders. — Trotter

Previous ranking: 9

After squeaking by Oklahoma State last week, BYU put together a stronger performance on the road Saturday, easily taking down UCF 37-24. The Cougars jumped out to a 17-0 lead and led by as many as 24 in the second half to move to 8-0. BYU now heads into the bye with the rivalry game against Utah looming on Nov. 9. With Utah struggling, it’s a game the Cougars should win with ease. However, given the rivalry stakes, it also sets up as game that could get weird. Still, it’s hard to see how Utah’s struggling offense will be able to do much against BYU given the trajectory of both teams. — Kyle Bonagura

Previous ranking: 14

The Aggies put the clamps on LSU and Garrett Nussmeier after a hot start, picking him off three times, a first in his career, and holding the Tigers to just 146 second-half yards. They allowed just 24 rushing yards, and they harassed Nussmeier, who went just 4-of-14 for 89 yards when he was under pressure, including two of those INTs. Still, the Aggies allowed five completions of more than 30 yards, including a 76-yard TD where Aaron Anderson split two Aggie defenders. The A&M defense is creating pressure without much blitzing, but Mike Elko still would like to see more big plays eliminated. There’s hope: The Aggies’ next two opponents, South Carolina and New Mexico State, are ranked 103rd and 127th in total offense. — Dave Wilson

Previous ranking: 7

The 6-1 Tigers are coming off their bye week, and it’s hard to find much to seriously nitpick about their defense in ACC play. Dabo Swinney needed to see improvement from the Tigers’ run defense after Stanford burned them for 236 rushing yards, and they responded by holding each of their past three opponents under 90 rushing yards. He’d also like to see their backups do a better job of getting stops. Clemson has allowed 107 points over five conference games, but 54 of those points were scored in garbage time when the Tigers were up big. Virginia dropped 21 points in the fourth quarter of their 48-31 loss last week. Competitive depth on defense is a must if this team is looking to make a deep CFP run. –– Olson

Previous ranking: 11

The Volunteers were off Saturday after beating Alabama in Week 8, and there are few defenses across the country playing better than Tennessee’s through seven games. Led by fourth-year coordinator Tim Banks and one of college football’s fiercest defensive lines, the Vols rank second in run defense (78.6 YPG), fourth in total defense (259.0 YPG)) and fourth in scoring defense (11.6 PPG) nationally, and they’ve yet to let an opponent go over 20 points. It all starts up front for Tennessee, where 2023 All-SEC selection James Pearce Jr. is putting together another impressive campaign, creating more pressure — 21.0% edge pressure rate — than every pass rusher in the country outside of Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer (22.8%). The Vols’ defense buckled in their lone defeat of 2024, squandering a 14-3 third-quarter lead in a 19-14 loss to Arkansas on Oct. 5, and a unit that’s averaging 4.0 first-half points allowed against SEC opponents has given up double digits after halftime in each of its four SEC games. If Tennessee can tighten up its second-half defense, a great Vols defense can get even better in the program’s pursuit of a first playoff appearance. — Eli Lederman

Previous ranking: 10

The Cyclones are 7-0 for just the second time in program history and hit their final five regular-season games buoyed by the Big 12’s No. 1 defense despite a series of key injuries at the heart of Jon Heacock’s 3-3-5 defense. Off in Week 9, Iowa State will enter its Week 10 visit from Texas Tech leading the conference in total defense (304.0 YPG), pass defense (133.7 YPG) and scoring defense (14.4 PPG) this fall. But injuries to top linebacker Caleb Bacon, Will McLaughlin, Carson Willich and Cael Brezina have decimated the Cyclones’ run defense, leaving Iowa State ranked 15th in the Big 12 giving up 170.3 rushing yards per game. UCF exposed the Cyclones’ issues against the run when it racked up 354 rushing yards in Ames in Week 8, and it’s Iowa State’s trouble stopping the run that poses the biggest threat to the program’s postseason aspirations. — Eli Lederman

Previous ranking: 12

The Irish might well have played their best all-around game in Week 9, dominating Navy 51-14. Riley Leonard threw for two touchdowns, the ground game ran for 265 yards and four scores, and the defense recorded six turnovers — including five fumble recoveries. That it came against a red-hot Navy team was an important step for the Irish, who’ve been trying to live down the brutal loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2. But Notre Dame’s victory over Texas A&M looks increasingly impressive, and another win over a ranked opponent means Notre Dame shouldn’t have to do too much apologizing for its résumé when the first playoff rankings are released in nine days. — David Hale

Previous ranking: 16

So much of the buzz about Pitt’s hot start has surrounded Eli Holstein and the offense, but Thursday’s 41-13 win over Syracuse was all about the D. Pat Narduzzi’s unit looked like it had Syracuse’s playbook, and it absolutely embarrassed Kyle McCord, picking off five passes, including three it returned for touchdowns. The job gets bigger in Week 10 with a trip to Dallas to face 7-1 SMU, and if Pitt’s defense is peaking now, it might be just the right time. — Hale

Previous ranking: 19

Even with the offense having a hard time getting untracked, Alabama never flinched on defense Saturday in a 34-0 home win over Missouri. The Crimson Tide didn’t score their first touchdown until the final two minutes of the first half, but it didn’t really matter. Alabama suffocated Missouri the entire game and forced the Tigers into three turnovers. It’s the second straight week that Alabama has played well on the defensive side after losing 24-17 a week ago to Tennessee. In this game, the Crimson Tide (6-2, 3-2) clamped down on the Missouri passing game. Brady Cook started at quarterback for the Tigers and was clearly not 100 percent. He left the game after injuring his hand. Drew Pyne relieved Cook and was intercepted three times, as Alabama held Missouri to 72 passing yards. Alabama now gets a week off before traveling to LSU on Nov. 9 in a game the Tide will almost certainly need to win to stay in playoff contention. — Low

Previous ranking: 15

The Broncos handled their toughest conference matchup of the regular season against UNLV and escaped with a 29-24 win. Despite an uncharacteristic game from Ashton Jeanty (he still had 128 rushing yards and a touchdown), Boise State was able to hold UNLV scoreless in the second and fourth quarters, which proved to be crucial in the result. At times this season, the Broncos’ defense has been nothing to write home about (they allowed 30 points to Utah State and 45 to Georgia Southern), but they’ve been stout enough, especially in stopping the run and in leading the country in sacks, to allow Jeanty and the offense to handle opponents. The unit is allowing only 117 yards per game on the ground while the passing defense is in the bottom 20 in the nation. As the season continues, Boise will need to shore up their pass defense while also hoping they can create more turnovers (only six so far this season) to keep their run toward a playoff berth going. — Uggetti

Previous ranking: 17

The Wildcats avoided a consequential upset to rival Kansas when Chris Tennant kicked a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left in a 29-27 win. The win keeps Kansas State a game back of both BYU and Iowa State in the Big 12 standings, which means if it wins out it would be guaranteed a place in the conference title game. (It plays Iowa State in the regular-season finale). Defensively, K-State stood tall when it mattered, holding Kansas without a point on its final four drives over which the Jayhawks gained just a combined 30 yards. — Bonagura

Previous ranking: 13

The Tigers coach knows exactly what LSU needs to improve after a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M. “Right now, I’d run the quarterback against us,” Brian Kelly said. And the Aggies did: After holding Conner Weigman to just 6 of 18 passing for 64 yards, Marcel Reed came off the bench and rushed nine times for 62 yards and three touchdowns. “They didn’t really make any adjustments,” Reed said afterward. So there’s a starting place. With Alabama and Jalen Milroe coming up on Nov. 9, the Tigers have a bye week to figure out how to stop him. — Wilson

Previous ranking: 18

The Mustangs survived a wild 28-27 overtime win over Duke, in which they turned the ball over six times and still found a way to come out with the victory and stay undefeated in ACC play. Though much of the focus has been on the offense and quarterback Kevin Jennings, SMU’s defense has been among the most consistent in the ACC — particularly at creating turnovers and stopping the run. Indeed, Duke scored zero points off those six SMU turnovers because the Mustangs defense stepped up every time. But if there is one area for improvement, red zone defense has been an area in which they have struggled. Opponents have gotten inside the red zone 24 times this season, and scored 20 touchdowns. Up next is a big matchup with ACC championship games against undefeated Pitt. — Andrea Adelson

Previous ranking: 23

The Rebels’ defense put together a dominant second-half performance in the 26-14 win over Oklahoma, shutting out the Sooners by allowing just 94 yards on 2.5 yards per play. Pete Golding’s defense teed off on a struggling Sooners offensive line with a season-high 10 sacks and got stops on eight of nine third downs. That’s a confidence-building effort coming off the overtime loss at LSU. Ole Miss’ defensive line has been excellent thus far and benefited from getting Princely Umanmielen back in the lineup against the Sooners. They have all the talent they need and have allowed just 39 total points over their six wins. The name of the game now is staying healthy and playing with poise under pressure. We’re now less than two weeks away from Georgia coming to Oxford. — Olson

Previous ranking: 20

While rival Navy was self-destructing early and getting beaten up by Notre Dame, Army was on bye, watching on television and getting ready for a tricky pair of games. First, Air Force visits West Point for a bitter rivalry game; then the Black Knights visit North Texas. A win in the latter game would all but lock up a spot for Army in the AAC championship, but it could require a little bit of stiffening in pass defense. North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris is a relentless and efficient passer, but Army came into the bye week ranked just 113th in completion rate allowed (64.6%). UNT’s defense will have to make some stops against a dynamite Army offense, but the Mean Green are happy to make this one a track meet if Army can’t make stops either. — Connelly

Previous ranking: NR

Back in the spring, Colorado coach Deion Sanders guaranteed a bowl berth this season, and the Buffaloes have already accomplished that eight games in after a 34-23 win over Cincinnati. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter took on starring roles again, but the entire team has taken a step forward after a 4-8 debut season under Sanders, which also included a 1-8 mark in league play. Colorado is 4-1 in the Big 12 with more to come. The Buffaloes have been vastly improved in many areas, but one where they can continue to get better in is run defense, where they are allowing nearly 4 yards per carry. Colorado is off next week before going on the road to play Texas Tech to keep its sleeper Big 12 championship hopes alive. — Adelson

Previous ranking: 25

Wazzu continues to find a way to win, having come out on the winning side of the four one-score games it has been in. Against San Diego State on Saturday, the Cougars trailed 26-14 in the fourth quarter before scoring touchdowns on drives of 80 and 63 yards to win. Even at 7-1, there is a lot WSU needs to get cleaned up. SDSU’s 414 yards of offense were the most it has gained against an FBS opponent all season and is part of a trend in which the Cougars have been easy to move the ball against (they’ve allowed more than 400 yards in six games this season). They have a manageable remaining schedule with Utah State, New Mexico, Oregon State and Wyoming, but an 11-1 record probably won’t be good enough for a playoff spot. — Bonagura

Previous ranking: 22

The Fighting Illini did not look like the 20th-best team in the country Saturday as they traveled to Eugene and effectively lost the game in the first half, if not the first quarter, allowing 35 points before the break. Oregon took their foot off the gas in the second half and won 38-9, but the statement was made quite loudly and it left Illinois looking like a team that didn’t belong. Despite wins against Kansas, Nebraska and, most recently, Michigan, Illinois’ defense ranks 79th in the country at stopping the run. To revive their season in the final four games, the Illini also need to be far better at stopping teams on third down. The Ducks converted six of 11 third-down attempts Saturday and overall, Illinois is allowing a 45% conversion rate on third down — good for 118th in the country. — Uggetti

Previous ranking: 24

Brady Cook pulled off heroics a week ago against Auburn, suffering a high ankle sprain, reentering the game and leading a fourth-quarter comeback. As it turned out, attempting something similar against an angry Alabama team in Tuscaloosa, after missing most of a week of practice, was too tall a task. Cook went just 7-for-12 for 30 yards and left the game late in the first half. Backup Drew Pyne threw three interceptions, and despite the Tigers’ defense playing one of its best first halves of the season, Mizzou fell 34-0. In the second half, Mizzou’s biggest defensive issue — big plays — began to rear its ugly head. Alabama enjoyed rushes of 32, 28, 35 and 62 and finished the game with 282 non-sack rushing yards at 8.1 yards per carry. Offense lost this game, but if the Tigers still want to make something of the season, the big-play issues still need cleaning up. — Connelly