College football top to bottom: The 1-130 rankings after Week 9

On3 imageby:Mike Huguenin11/02/21

MikeHuguenin

Here are the 1-130 rankings after Week 9.

There is one new team in the top 10 and three in the top 25, and there was a massive amount of reshuffling, which isn’t that surprising when you consider that Week 9 was so important.

Here are this week’s 1-130 rankings; the rankings are updated every Tuesday during the season. There are comments on each of the top-25 teams; in addition, there are comments on other noteworthy teams this week.

The top 25

1. Georgia (8-0 / last week’s ranking: 1st)
The buzz: The Bulldogs welcome in Missouri this week. The Tigers aren’t good, but their offense does average 452.8 yards and 34.8 points. Georgia’s defense has allowed just five TDs this season.

2. Ohio State (7-1 / 2nd)
The buzz: The Buckeyes play at Nebraska this week. Ohio State has won six in a row after its loss to Oregon (the average victory margin in those: 32.6 points) and owns a 26-game winning streak against Big Ten opponents.

3. Cincinnati (8-0 / 3rd)
The buzz: It’s homecoming this week for the Bearcats, who welcome in Tulsa. They also welcome in the ESPN College GameDay crew for the first time. Cincy beat Tulsa in last season’s AAC title game, but the Golden Hurricane is 3-5 this season.

4. Michigan State (8-0 / 9th)
The buzz: The Spartans are coming off a huge victory over rival Michigan, are squarely in the Playoff chase and can’t afford a letdown as they travel to Purdue. Michigan State has won eight in a row against Purdue, but this will be just the second meeting since 2015.

5. Alabama (7-1 / 5th)
The buzz: The Tide plays LSU on Saturday and is riding an NCAA-record streak of 34 consecutive games with at least 30 points. The only question about Alabama scoring 30 Saturday is whether it will reach that total in the first half.

6. Oklahoma (9-0 / 4th)
The buzz: The Sooners are off this week to prep for what might be the toughest stretch run in the nation: at Baylor, vs. Iowa State and at Oklahoma State. And if the Sooners make it to the Big 12 Championship Game, one of those three almost certainly will be waiting for them.

7. Oregon (7-1 / 6th)
The buzz: Oregon is at Washington this week in the biggest rivalry in the Pacific Northwest (yes, it’s bigger than the two intrastate series involving these teams). Thing is, the Ducks have owned the Huskies of late, winning 14 of the past 16 games in the series. The past two meetings were Oregon wins and decided by a total of seven points.

college-football-rankings-1-130-after-week-nine-georgia-ohio-state-cincinnati-michigan-state
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Oregon face off against rival Washington this week. (Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

8. Michigan (7-1 / 7th)
The buzz: Michigan welcomes in Indiana this week; the Wolverines are 59-10 all-time against the Hoosiers and have won 24 of the past 25 in the series. But that one loss was last season.

9. Oklahoma State (7-1 / 10th)
The buzz: The Cowboys’ 55-3 mauling of Kansas this past Saturday was their first game this season not decided by 11 or fewer points and just the third that was not a one-score game.

10. Baylor (7-1 / 15th)
The buzz: Baylor is at TCU on Saturday in what will be the Horned Frogs’ first game without Gary Patterson as coach since 2000. It will be the 117th meeting in the rivalry, which dates to 1899, and it’s the most-played series for both schools.

11. Wake Forest (8-0 / 12th)
The buzz: The Demon Deacons are 8-0 for the first time in school history. They’re at North Carolina on Saturday, and the home team has won each of the past six in the series, including UNC’s 59-53 win last season in Chapel Hill.

12. Notre Dame (7-1 / 16th)
The buzz: With this past Saturday’s win over North Carolina, the Irish now have won 38 consecutive games against unranked opponents dating to the 2016 season. That’s the longest active streak in the nation, and the Irish have unranked Navy this Saturday.

13. Texas A&M (6-2 / 14th)
The buzz: Texas A&M’s hopes for a New Year’s Six bid (or more) rest on the next two games: vs. Auburn and at Ole Miss. That’s because the final two regular-season games (Prairie View and LSU) are easy.

college-football-rankings-1-130-after-week-nine-georgia-ohio-state-cincinnati-michigan-state
RB Isaiah Spiller’s performance will be key as Texas A&M faces a tough Auburn defense this week. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

14. Auburn (6-2 / 21st)
The buzz: Auburn has beaten two ranked teams in a row: then-No. 17 Arkansas on October 16 and then-No. 10 Ole Miss last weekend. This week, it’s No. 13 Texas A&M. The last time the Tigers won three in a row over ranked teams was in 2013 — when Auburn made it to the national title game.

15. Ole Miss (6-2 / 11th)
The buzz: Ole Miss hosts Liberty this week, which means Hugh Freeze returns to Oxford. We’re sure the fans will welcome him back in a respectful manner.

16. Kentucky (6-2 / 13th)
The buzz: UK welcomes in Tennessee this week for the Wildcats’ first home game since October 9. The teams have met annually since 1944, and UK has won just nine times in the past 50 seasons. But the teams have split the past four matchups.

17. Fresno State (7-2 / 25th)
The buzz: Thanks to back-to-back big wins over Nevada and San Diego State, the Bulldogs are in control in the West Division of the Mountain West, by far the league’s toughest division. And the tough games continue this week, as they have to play at Boise State.

18. Houston (7-1 / 38th)
The buzz: CB Marcus Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD with 17 seconds left to lift Houston over SMU this past Saturday. This season, Jones has two punt-return touchdowns, two kickoff-return touchdowns, one receiving touchdown and one interception.

Marcus Jones’ kickoff return with 17 seconds left lifted Houston past previously unbeaten SMU. (Joe Buvid/for Houston Athletics)

19. Iowa (6-2 / 8th)
The buzz: On October 9, after beating then-No. 4 Penn State, the Hawkeyes were 6-0 and thinking, “Hey, the Playoff is a possibility.” Two games later, they’re 6-2 and thinking, “Man, we could end up in the Citrus Bowl.” (They also should be thinking, “Man, our offense is not good.”)

20. NC State (6-2 / 27th)
The buzz: The Wolfpack plays at Florida State on Saturday, and FSU is all about the run. But NC State has allowed a nation’s-low one rushing TD; that was against Clemson on September 25.

21. SMU (7-1 / 20th)
The buzz: Mustangs QB Tanner Mordecai is second nationally with 32 TD passes. He’s thrown at least three TD passes in every game but one.

22. Penn State (5-3 / 18th)
The buzz: The Nittany Lions play at Maryland on Saturday. It’ll be the 45th meeting in series history, and Penn State owns an almost unbelievable 40-3-1 advantage. But one of those Maryland wins came last season.

23. Louisiana (7-1 / 23rd)
The buzz: The Ragin’ Cajuns can clinch the Sun Belt West Division title and a berth in the league title game if they beat Georgia State on Thursday night. It would be Louisiana’s fourth consecutive division crown.

24. San Diego State (7-1 / 22nd)
The buzz: The Aztecs are coming off their first loss, to Fresno State, and have to travel to Hawaii this week. They need to win to stay in the hunt for the West Division title in the Mountain West.

25. BYU (7-2 / 35th)
The buzz: The Cougars play FCS Idaho State this week. Idaho State is 1-7.

Teams 26-50

26. Wisconsin (5-3 / 39th)
The buzz: OK, so the offense is … we’ll be nice and say mediocre. But, man, the defense is incredible. The Badgers rank first nationally in total defense and rushing defense, second in defensive yards per play and third-down conversion defense and eighth in scoring defense.

LB Leo Chenal is a physical force for a Wisconsin defense that is one of the best in the nation. (David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletics)

27. Coastal Carolina (7-1 / 26th)
28. Utah (5-3 / 29th)
29. Arkansas (5-3 / 28th)
30. Pitt (6-2 / 19th)
31. Iowa State (5-3 / 17th)
32. Mississippi State (5-3 / 43rd)
33. Kansas State (5-3 / 34th)

34. Clemson (5-3 / 36th)
The buzz: It took a while — seven games — but the Tigers finally managed to score 20 points in regulation against an FBS opponent this past Saturday in a 30-20 win over Florida State.

35. Minnesota (6-2 / 46th)
36. Arizona State (5-3 / 24th)
37. UTSA (8-0 / 37th)
38. Purdue (5-3 / 47th)
39. Virginia (6-3 / 33rd)
40. Nevada (6-2 / 40th)
41. UCLA (5-4 / 30th)
42. Oregon State (5-3 / 31st)

43. Texas (4-4 / 32nd)
The buzz: This past Saturday’s loss to Baylor means this will be the 11th time in the past 12 years that the Longhorns will have lost at least four games in a season. The only time in that stretch that it didn’t happen was last season, when Texas finished 7-3.

44. Appalachian State (6-2 / 45th)
45. Washington State (5-4 / 51st)
46. LSU (4-4 / 41st)
47. Florida (4-4 / 42nd)
48. Maryland (5-3 / 49th)
49. Louisville (4-4 / 44th)
50. West Virginia (4-4 / 55th)

Teams 51-75

51. Miami (4-4 / 60th)
The buzz: Don’t look now, but it’s not a stretch to think the Hurricanes win out and finish 8-4. It would be their second consecutive eight-win season.

Hot-seat talk about Miami coach Manny Diaz has cooled the past two weeks, and there could be zero chatter by the end of the season. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

52. Boston College (4-4 / 48th)
53. Western Michigan (5-3 / 53rd)
54. Tennessee (4-4 / 55th)
55. Texas Tech (5-4 / 50th)
56. Boise State (4-4 / 57th)
57. TCU (3-5 / 52nd)
58. Indiana (2-6 / 58th)
59. North Carolina (4-4 / 59th)
60. Air Force (6-2 / 62nd)
61. Florida State (3-5 / 61st)

62. Syracuse (5-4 / 68th)
The buzz: One more win means the Orange will have tied its victory total for the past two seasons, when Syracuse was a combined 6-17. RB Sean Tucker has become a genuine star; he is second in the nation in rushing at 140.8 yards per game.

63. USC (3-5 / 63rd)
64. Liberty (7-2 / 64th)
65. Virginia Tech (4-4 / 66th)
66. Nebraska (3-6 / 65th)
67. UCF (5-3 / 67th)
68. Stanford (3-4 / 56th)
69. Missouri (4-4 / 69th)
70. Rutgers (4-4 / 70th)
71. Kent State (4-4 / 71st)

72. Washington (4-4 / 77th)
The buzz: The Huskies rushed for a season-high 229 yards in this past Saturday’s win over Stanford; it was their second 200-yard game of the season, and they also rushed for 176 against Oregon State. But in their other five games, they totaled 378 rushing yards (76.5 per game).

73. California (3-5 / 81st)
74. UAB (5-3 / 74th)
75. Memphis (4-4 / 75th)

Teams 76-100

76. Georgia Tech (3-5 / 73rd)
77. Illinois (3-6 / 76th)

78. Utah State (6-2 / 78th)
The buzz: Blake Anderson has overseen an impressive turnaround in his first season as coach. The Aggies won eight games total in the past two seasons, including 1-5 last season, and they have a great shot at nine wins this season.

college-football-rankings-1-130-after-week-nine-georgia-ohio-state-cincinnati-michigan-state
WR Deven Thompkins’ productivity (63 receptions, 1,099 yards, six TDs) is a big reason Utah State is 6-2. (Courtesy of Utah State Athletics)

79. South Carolina (4-4 / 79th)
80. East Carolina (4-4 / 80th)
81. Northern Illinois (6-2 / 82nd)
82. Tulsa (3-5 / 72nd)
83. Toledo (4-4 / 84th)
84. Marshall (5-3 / 85th)
85. Wyoming (4-4 / 83rd)
86. Ball State (4-4 / 86th)
87. Central Michigan (4-4 / 88th)

88. FAU (5-3 / 91st)
The buzz: The Owls play host to Marshall on Saturday; the winner becomes the team most likely to win the East Division title in Conference USA.

89. UTEP (6-2 / 89th)
90. Army (4-3 / 91st)
91. San Jose State (5-4 / 98th)
92. Northwestern (3-5 / 92nd)
93. Tulane (1-7 / 93rd)
94. Colorado (2-6 / 94th)

95. Hawaii (4-5 / 95th)
The buzz: Hawaii is averaging 157.7 rushing yards per game; that doesn’t sound like much, but it would be the Rainbow Warriors’ highest total since 1995.

96. Louisiana Tech (2-6 / 87th)
97. Colorado State (3-5 / 97th)
98. Navy (2-6 / 103rd)
99. Duke (3-5 / 99th)
100. Eastern Michigan (5-3 / 100th)

The bottom 30

101. Miami (Ohio) (4-4 / 101st)
102. Buffalo (4-4 / 96th)
103. Middle Tennessee (4-4 / 104th)
104. Western Kentucky (4-4 / 106th)
105. Georgia State (4-4 / 107th)
106. Charlotte (4-4 / 102nd)
107. USF (2-6 / 105th)
108. Bowling Green (3-6 / 113th)

109. ULM (4-4 / 109th)
The buzz: ULM finishes the season with games against LSU and archrival Louisiana; the Warhawks aren’t winning those games. But each of the next two, against Texas State and Arkansas State, are eminently winnable, and finishing 6-6 almost certainly would get ULM just its second bowl appearance in school history.

110. South Alabama (5-3 / 114th)
111. Temple (3-5 / 110th)
112. Troy (4-4 / 112th)
113. Kansas (1-7 / 111th)
114. Rice (3-5 / 108th)
115. New Mexico (3-5 / 115th)
116. Vanderbilt (2-7 / 116th)
117. Arizona (0-7 / 119th)
118. North Texas (2-6 / 120th)

119. Old Dominion (2-6 / 127th)
The buzz: The Monarchs beat Louisiana Tech by three points this past Saturday on a last-play field goal; it was their first win over a FBS opponent since they beat North Texas by three points on a TD run in the final 20 seconds on November 10, 2018.

Nick Rice nailed a 46-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give Old Dominion the win over Louisiana Tech. (Courtesy of ODU Athletics)

120. Georgia Southern (2-6 / 117th)
121. Ohio (1-7 / 118th)
122. Arkansas State (1-7 / 121st)
123. Texas State (2-6 / 122nd)
124. Akron (2-6 / 123rd)
125. UNLV (0-8 / 124th)
126. Southern Miss (1-6 / 125th)

127. FIU (1-7 / 126th)
The buzz: This is almost certainly the final season for Butch Davis. FIU has lost seven in a row and surrendered at least 31 points in each of the past six games and at least 45 in three of them.

128. UMass (1-7 / 128th)
129. UConn (1-8 / 129th)
130. New Mexico State (1-7 / 130th)