The College Football Power Rankings heading into Week 9 saw a further change to the top 10 after four teams fell out last week. Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Clemson, and TCU are the only undefeated teams remaining. And with UCLA suffering a loss to conference foe Oregon, the Pac-12 will likely watch the College Football Playoff from their couches again this season.
Week 9 Top 25 College Football Power Rankings
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
How do you contend with a passing game that features C.J. Stroud, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming, and a recently returned Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Hint: you don’t. Ohio State dropped 54 points on Iowa Saturday, the most the Hawkeyes have allowed since *checks notes* 1995.
The Buckeyes are clicking in all facets, with the defense visibly improved under DC Jim Knowles. They are the team to beat until proven otherwise.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia was on a much-deserved bye this week, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Bulldogs face their toughest stretch of the season, with bouts against Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Kentucky on the horizon.
Tennessee will be the game most have circled, but Kirby Smart’s team can’t get complacent.
3. Michigan Wolverines
After thrashing Penn State 41-17, Michigan received a bye of its own. They won’t face much resistance over the next three weeks, but Illinois should prove to be a solid tuneup game before the Wolverines take on the Buckeyes to close out the regular season.
4. Tennessee Volunteers
It wouldn’t have been surprising if Tennessee struggled (relatively) to put away UT Martin fresh off their slugfest with Alabama the week prior.
Yet, the Vols put up an easy 65 points Saturday. But their celebrations must be short-lived, as Tennessee challenges Georgia in Week 9. Can they pull off the major upset on an SEC favorite twice in three weeks? With Hendon Hooker under center and Jalin Hyatt out wide, they have a puncher’s chance.
5. Clemson Tigers
Yes, DJ Uiagalelei was benched in the third quarter for Cade Klubnik against Syracuse. But let’s pump the brakes. HC Dabo Swinney knew Clemson needed a spark, so he inserted Klubnik at QB. And while the true freshman led the Tigers to victory, he threw just four passes, so it’s not as if Swinney handed him the reigns.
In fact, following the game, he said DJU was the team’s starter — point, blank, period. Still, Clemson must get the passing game in rhythm, or they won’t stand a chance in the playoffs.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
If you thought Mississippi State had any chance against Nick Saban and Alabama after an upset, you were sadly mistaken. The Tide crushed the Bulldogs 30-6, with those last 6 points coming on the game’s final play — which I’m sure only infuriated Saban.
LSU, Ole Miss, Austin Peay, and Auburn are next on Alabama’s revenge tour, and I pray for their well-being.
7. TCU Horned Frogs (Last Week: 8)
For the second straight week, TCU went into halftime down double digits only to leave the stadium victorious. Kansas State held a 28-17 advantage before the Horned Frogs shut them out in the second half.
Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, and the passing game are rolling, but not as much as electric RB Kendre Miller. Miller has rushed for at least one TD every game this season and has rushed for 100+ yards in four of the last five.
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Last Week: 11)
Wake Forest has scored 30+ in every game this season and 40+ in all but two. Sam Hartman and Co. are humming, and the defense has had back-to-back solid outings against Army and Boston College.
However, the final leg of their schedule will push their limits, with games against ranked opponents NC State (Week 10), North Carolina (Week 11), and Syracuse (Week 12) upcoming.
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Last Week: 12)
Coming off a heartbreaker to TCU, Oklahoma State proved its mettle against Texas. The Cowboys outscored the Longhorns 14-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the 41-34 victory.
QB Spencer Sanders went toe-to-toe with phenom Quinn Ewers, tossing 391 yards, two TDs, and one INT to Ewers’ 319 yards, two TDs, and three INTs. A rematch with TCU for the Big 12 crown seems inevitable.
10. Oregon Ducks (Last Week: 18)
Alright, Oregon, it’s time I give you the recognition you deserve. I was out on the Ducks after they were embarrassed by Georgia to open the season. But they’ve been on a tear since, scoring 40+ in six straight.
Oregon handled formerly top-10 ranked UCLA 45-30, tanking the Pac-12’s chances of entering the CFP with them.
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (Last Week: 15)
Penn State rebounded from their loss to Michigan with a resounding 45-17 victory over Minnesota. Sure, Tanner Morgan wasn’t under center for the Golden Gophers, but you can only play the team across from you.
Sean Clifford threw four TDs to four different WRs, and Nicholas Singleton took 13 carries for 79 yards and two scores on the ground.
12. USC Trojans (Last Week: 13)
A bye week to sulk on a crushing one-point loss probably isn’t what USC wanted, but it does give them time to build themselves back up. Not that they needed all that much, with Arizona, Cal, and Colorado as their next three opponents.
However, the Trojans end the season at UCLA and vs. Notre Dame, so they have to make sure the engine is red hot by Week 12.
13. UCLA Bruins (Last Week: 9)
UCLA was the Pac-12’s best shot at a postseason berth, but they couldn’t take care of business in Eugene. You can’t blame RB Zach Charbonnet (20-151-1) or WR Jake Bobo (8-101-1), as both gave their all against a talented Oregon defense.
The Bruins really only have one challenging game remaining: a home contest with inter-city rival USC in Week 12.
14. Syracuse Orange (Last Week: 10)
Syracuse held an 11-point lead and won the turnover battle (4-1). And yet, they still lost to Clemson, as they were held to a goose egg in the second half. Going 3 of 11 on third downs and committing 10 penalties tends to have that effect.
Explosive RB Sean Tucker likely wasn’t pleased with his usage in the biggest game of the year, earning just 10 total touches on the day. He did make the most of them, producing 54 rushing yards, 18 receiving yards, and a score.
And 6’5″ TE/WR Oronde Gadsden II continued to put himself on the national map, hauling in six catches for 86 yards.
15. Ole Miss Rebels (Last Week: 7)
Undefeated no more, Ole Miss will look to get back on track vs. Texas A&M before Alabama comes to town. Jaxson Dart was supposed to be the savior, with Matt Corral making the leap to the NFL. Well, he was outdueled by Jayden Daniels this week as LSU stormed to a 45-20 victory.
On the bright side, freshman RB Quinshon Judkins continued his breakout, recording his fourth two-TD performance in five weeks. And Malik Heath showed life at WR, blitzing his way to 145 yards and five catches.
16. North Carolina Tar Heels (Last Week: 14)
Drake Maye. That’s all you need to know about North Carolina. He’s powered this offense to 30+ points in all but one week — a 27-24 win over Miami. Even though Maye is just a redshirt freshman, he’s showcased NFL-level anticipation and accuracy. He may end up a better prospect than both Sam Howell and Mitch Trubisky before him.
17. Illinois Fighting Illini
It’s a difficult five-game end to the season for Illinois, but Bret Bielema’s program is up for the fight. QB Tommy DeVito has been efficient, and RB Chase Brown was a PFN first-team Midseason All-American for a reason. But the real star of the show has been the defense.
The Illini lead the nation in points (8.9) and yards allowed (221) this season. And they own one of the nation’s best secondaries with CB Devon Witherspoon, CB Jatavius Martin, and S Kendall Smith.
18. Utah Utes (Last Week: 19)
Utah may be the best team in the conference, but they didn’t show up against Florida and UCLA. After an emotional win over USC last week, the Utes got to enjoy a bye to celebrate and get their nerves back on track.
The rest of their schedule is relatively easy, but they will make the trip to Autzen Stadium on November 19 to battle the Oregon Ducks.
19. LSU Tigers (Last Week: 22)
Jayden Daniels has quietly completed nearly 70% of his passes for 1,564 yards, 10 TDs, and just one INT this season. He was the catalyst to LSU’s upset over No. 7 ranked Ole Miss, going 21 of 28 for 248 yards and two scores. But he also torched the Rebels on the ground, gaining 121 yards and three TDs on 23 attempts.
Hopefully, the Tigers can keep their form against Alabama next week, giving us a semi-competitive outing.
20. Kansas State Wildcats (Last Week: 16)
After QB Adrian Martinez went down with an injury, backup Will Howard led Kansas State to four straight touchdown drives. However, the Wildcats’ five possessions in the second half were the complete opposite: missed field goal, INT, turnover on downs, missed field goal, INT.
With Oklahoma State and Texas next on the docket, this may be the last time we see K-State in the College Football Power Rankings.
21. Kentucky Wildcats (Last Week: 20)
Will Levis still hasn’t played his best football, but he will need to, with Kentucky taking on Tennessee next week. And that may not even be their toughest game of the season, with a home date with Georgia in Week 12. Nevertheless, no one can take away from what the Wildcats have done this year.
Kentucky could very easily be 7-0, with the 22-19 loss to Ole Miss stemming from self-inflicted mistakes and the 24-14 defeat to South Carolina resulting from an offense struggling without Levis. Oh, and the defense has allowed just 12 TDs in seven games.
22. Tulane Green Wave (Last Week: 24)
Scoring just three points after halftime is usually a death knell in football — that is, unless you score 35 in the first half. That’s exactly what Tulane did against Memphis, outlasting the Tigers 38-28.
QB Michael Pratt just needed to keep the ball safe, with Tyjae Spears (24-125-1) powering forward on the ground, the defense forcing four turnovers, and Jha’Quan Jackson returning a punt 90 yards for a TD.
23. Cincinnati Bearcats (Last Week: 25)
Cincinnati has yet another stellar defense, even with several key losses to the draft last cycle (Sauce Gardner Defensive Rookie of the Year, anyone?). But the Bearcats will go as far as the offense can take them.
Ben Bryant is a significant downgrade from Desmond Ridder, but RB Charles McClelland is producing at elite levels. He entered Week 8 averaging 6.6 yards per attempt and exploded for 129 yards and a score on just 16 carries vs. SMU.
24. South Carolina Gamecocks (Last Week: Unranked)
QB Spencer Rattler’s poor play aside (12 of 25 for 168 yards in Week 8), South Carolina has only lost to Arkansas and Alabama this year. The defense had a ridiculous 12 pass deflections and one interception against Texas A&M, and Xavier Legette took a kick return 100 yards to the house.
If the offense can get the gears turning, the Gamecocks could be a dangerous team to close out the season.
25. Oregon State Beavers (Last Week: Unranked)
Oregon State is 6-2, with their losses coming against ranked USC and Utah. They steamrolled Colorado 42-9 in Week 8, with RB Damian Martinez carrying the team on his back. He took 22 carries for 178 yards and three TDs, bowling over every defender in his way.
It’s worth noting the Beavers have been without QB Chance Nolan, who suffered a concussion on October 1. It’s a worrying situation, as Nolan has yet to be cleared from the concussion protocol 20+ days later.
Teams on the Outside Looking In
- Maryland Terrapins
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
- North Carolina State Wolfpack
- Washington Huskies
- UTSA Roadrunners
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