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Nine weeks into the season, we still have dozens of teams in College Football Playoff contention, and that makes every week an adventure.
From the moment the 12-team format was announced, my immediate reaction was that the regular season would have so many more meaningful games. More teams would have a tangible goal beyond just making a bowl game. At the same time, name-image-likeness money and the transfer portal flattened the top of the sport, creating closer games and more crowded conference races.
Every league looks up for grabs, and only the Big Ten looks particularly top-heavy at the moment. We have Indiana, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the top 10, with Texas Tech and BYU just on the outside. Anything is possible.
Week 9 may have lacked the major upsets of previous weeks, but plenty of games played a key role in conference races and the Playoff picture.
Here is this week’s edition of The Athletic 136.
Only a couple of slight changes in this group. No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 7 Vanderbilt leap Miami for their wins against Oklahoma and Missouri. Miami started slow before ultimately clobbering Stanford, but the Canes’ win over South Florida took a hit with the Bulls’ loss to Memphis.
BYU moves up after a comeback win at Iowa State. Oregon slips a couple of spots after a surprising battle with Wisconsin, a 21-7 win in a rainstorm. I think Oregon is a really good team, but what exactly is the resume right now? Its best win is maybe Northwestern? The teams ahead of the Ducks have better accomplishments, and I can’t keep Oregon near the top five like the polls have just based on brand name. Oregon is 10th in ESPN’s strength of record, too. Go beat Iowa on the road in a couple of weeks, and things can change.
Virginia is up to No. 14, but man, the Cavaliers are living lucky, winning their last three games by a total of six points. Last week’s game-winning safety against Washington State was followed this week by an escape at North Carolina on a two-point conversion that came up inches short. But they have that win against Louisville, so the Hoos keep creeping up. Cincinnati jumps up after handling Baylor, while Oklahoma and Missouri drop after one-score losses to top-10 teams.
Houston moves into the top 25 after beating Arizona State to get to 7-1. Washington does as well after beating Illinois, and so does Memphis, which followed the loss to UAB with a win over USF.
Iowa’s 41-3 win against Minnesota sees the Hawkeyes jump up. Pitt has won four in a row and has a chance to wreck the Playoff hopes of Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Miami down the stretch. Wake Forest rises 22 spots after beating SMU on a last-second field goal. Navy is 7-0 and up to No. 36, but now its schedule really gets going, beginning with a trip to North Texas this week. Kansas State climbs up to 50 after a 42-17 demolition of Kansas.
Not many big moves in this group, as most teams either lost or didn’t play. Cal dropped after its loss at Virginia Tech, and UCLA dropped to No. 58 as its three-game winning streak ended with a blowout loss at Indiana. Washington State climbs after beating Toledo, continuing a stretch of good play, and New Mexico is up after beating Utah State and former coach Bronco Mendenhall. Colorado drops after getting walloped at Utah.
Southern Miss is 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the Sun Belt, up to No. 76 after handling ULM. Virginia Tech climbs after beating Cal. UConn tumbles after losing to Rice in overtime.
North Carolina bumps up a few spots. Bill Belichick’s team has seemed to turn its first corner, coming literally inches away from beating both Cal and Virginia. Miami (Ohio) is 4-0 in MAC play after beating Western Michigan and up to No. 88. Arkansas State gets up to No. 98 after beating Georgia Southern for its third win in a row.
Rice climbs after beating UConn. Wyoming beat Colorado State 28-0 to move up but remains behind Air Force for the Cowboys’ head-to-head loss. Buffalo, which has been living on the edge, drops after a loss to Akron. South Alabama gets a bump for beating Georgia State. Oklahoma State remains the lowest-ranked Power 4 team, still at No. 123 after a 42-0 loss to Texas Tech.
Break up the Golden Flashes! Kent State has three wins and has broken into the top 130 after beating Bowling Green. The team has kept fighting under interim coach Mark Carney after going just 1-23 over the previous two years. But UMass remains at the bottom after a 38-13 loss to Central Michigan.
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