Week 9 wrapup: Georgia, Cincinnati, Ohio State win; Pitt, Iowa fall
Here’s a look at the key games in Week 9.
Georgia stays perfect
Top-ranked Georgia left no doubt about who’ll be No. 1 when the first set of College Football rankings are released Tuesday, rolling past Florida 34-7 in Jacksonville.
The Bulldogs actually were outgained 355-354, the most yards they’ve allowed this season, but there was no doubt about the outcome after the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in the final 2:16 of the first half. All three scores came off Florida turnovers, including a pick-six with 7 seconds left in the half.
To that point, Florida’s defense basically had matched Georgia’s. But after the three-TD barrage, it was over. Georgia’s first two touchdowns came on drives that totaled 47 yards.
The Bulldogs should be 12-0 when they play in the SEC Championship Game on December 4. In that scenario, the Bulldogs seemingly would be a lock for a spot in the CFP even if they were to lose in the title game.
Cincinnati eases past Tulane
No. 2 Cincinnati dominated the second half in a 31-12 victory at Tulane, moving to 8-0 and making a final case before the first CFP rankings are announced Tuesday.
The Bearcats (4-0 in the AAC) scuffled a bit in the first half and led just 14-12 at halftime. But their defense turned up the intensity and helped Cincinnati get to 8-0 for just the fourth time in school history. Tulane (1-7) had just 68 total yards in the second half.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder threw for 227 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 47 yards. Two of his scoring passes came in the second half.
The Bearcats don’t figure to be tested that much in their next two games, against Tulsa (3-5) and USF (2-6). Then comes a home game against No. 19 SMU on November 20.
Ohio State gets past Penn State
There was no blowout this week; No. 5 Ohio State (7-1, 5-0 in the Big Ten) had to work for its win this time, beating No. 20 Penn State 33-24 in a game that wasn’t decided until the Nittany Lions’ Jordan Stout missed a 49-yard field goal with 1:19 left.
The Buckeyes had won their past four by a combined 231-44. But this one was a battle because Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 361 yards; he completed 11 passes for 127 yards to Jahan Dotson. Dotson didn’t have a receiving TD, but he did score on a 2-yard run out of the Wildcat formation early in the third quarter. As usual, Clifford received little help from the running game; Penn State had 33 yards on 29 carries.
The difference was Ohio State true freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson, who rumbled for 152 yards and a TD on 28 carries against the best defense the Buckeyes have seen this season. Ohio State managed just 19 rushing yards in the first half, then broke out for 142 in the second half.
One of the more interesting aspects of the first CFP rankings will be Ohio State’s spot, especially in relation to Oregon, who beat the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Baylor keeps itself in Big 12 race
No. 16 Baylor leaned on the two things it has leaned upon all season — defense and its rushing attack — in beating visiting Texas 31-24.
The surprising Bears (7-1, 4-1 in the Big 12) stayed squarely in the Big 12 title race by rushing for 199 yards and three touchdowns and holding star Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson to a season-low 43 yards on 17 carries. Robinson came in with five consecutive 100-yard outings.
Baylor scored two TDs in a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to go from trailing 21-17 to leading 31-21 against the Longhorns (4-4, 2-3).
Oklahoma went into the weekend as the only unbeaten team in league play, while the Bears were one of three teams with one league loss, joining Iowa State and Oklahoma State; Baylor already has beaten Iowa State, which lost Saturday, and fell to the Cowboys. The Bears play host to Oklahoma on November 13.
Miami gets 2nd consecutive upset, this one of Pitt
Miami coach Manny Diaz’s hot seat is getting cooler by the week. For the second game in a row, the Hurricanes beat a top-25 team. Saturday, UM won 38-34 at No. 17 Pitt.
In the process, UM put itself in a position to contend for the ACC Coastal Division crown. Pitt (6-2, 3-1) leads the division, but Miami (4-4, 2-2), which beat NC State last week, is just a game back and obviously owns the tiebreaker advantage. Pitt still must play North Carolina and Virginia, and given Pitt’s shaky secondary, those are dangerous games for the Panthers because of the opposing quarterbacks.
Miami’s Tyler van Dyke was 32-of-42 for 428 yards and three TDs, including the game-winner to Keontra Smith late in the third quarter. That gave UM a 38-31 lead, and both defenses rose up in the final period — a surprise considering how the offenses moved up and down the field earlier.
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett threw for 519 yards and three TDs, but also tossed two interceptions, including one at Miami’s 4 with 4:07 left. The Panthers outgained the Hurricanes 587-492. UM had four sacks, Pitt three, which is one reason the teams finished with a combined 132 rushing yards.
Wisconsin beats No. 9 Iowa
Host Wisconsin’s offense didn’t do much, but it didn’t have to as the Badgers’ defense clamped down against No. 9 Iowa in a 27-7 victory.
Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2 in the Big Ten) won its fourth in a row and further muddled the West Division race. Every division team has at least two league losses except Minnesota, which has one and leads the division. Iowa (6-2, 3-2), meanwhile, lost its second in a row, and a Hawkeyes team that looked like a prime Playoff contender three weeks ago instead now is in danger of falling to something like the Citrus or Outback bowl.
The Badgers won despite finishing with just 270 total yards. But they held the Hawkeyes to only 156, with 24 coming on the ground (on 30 carries).
Auburn takes down No. 10 Ole Miss
No. 18 Auburn got its ground game cranked up and stymied No. 10 Ole Miss’ powerful rushing attack to come away with a 31-20 victory — an outcome that kept the Tigers in the SEC West race and may have ended the Rebels’ hopes.
Host Auburn (6-2, 3-1) rushed for 207 yards and three TDs, led by Tank Bigsby’s 140-yard outing. Bigsby had one rushing TD and quarterback Bo Nix had two. But even more impressive was the Tigers’ defensive work against the Rebels; Ole Miss came in averaging a league-leading 263.1 rushing yard per game but managed just 157 (on 39 carries), its second-lowest total of the season. Its lowest total (78) came in the loss to Alabama. Tigers linebacker Zakoby McClain had 14 tackles.
Ole Miss (6-2, 3-2) now has two league losses and faces a steep uphill climb to truly get back in the hunt for the division title.
Nix also threw for 276 yards and a TD.
Auburn plays at Texas A&M next week; A&M already has two league losses. Ole Miss, meanwhile, plays Texas A&M on November 13.
Mississippi State upsets No. 12 Kentucky
No. 12 Kentucky’s hope for a New Year’s Six bowl bid took a hit, as host Mississippi State (5-3, 3-2) beat the Wildcats (6-2, 4-2) 31-17.
The Bulldogs led 17-14 at halftime, then blew it open by outscoring UK 17-0 in the third quarter. Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers was 36-of-39 for 344 yards and a TD. The Bulldogs also rushed for three TDs; they came in with four on the season.
UK managed only 216 total yards and had the ball for just 18:50 as Mississippi State controlled the ball with its passing attack.
While it seems an extreme long shot, Mississippi State kept itself in the hunt for the SEC West title. They trail Alabama and Auburn by a game in the loss column, and still have to play Auburn. The Bulldogs, who lost to Alabama, also have a victory over Texas A&M.
Elsewhere in Week 9
+ Caleb Williams threw for 402 yards and six TDs as No. 4 Oklahoma finally had an easy game against an FBS opponent, blowing out Texas Tech 52-21. OU (9-0, 6-0) remains the only unbeaten team in the Big 12. The Red Raiders (5-4, 2-4), playing their first game since coach Matt Wells was fired, committed three turnovers, and OU turned all three into touchdowns.
+ Marcus Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds left to lift host Houston (7-1, 5-0) past No. 19 SMU 44-37. It was the first loss of the season for the Mustangs (7-1, 3-1 in the AAC), who had kicked a 45-yard field goal to tie it preceding Jones’ return. Jones now has four return touchdowns this season, including two on punts. Jones starts at corner, plays some at wide receiver and is the Cougars’ main punt returner; he has been used sparingly on kickoff returns but now has two TDs on four total kickoff returns this season. SMU plays Cincinnati on November 20; the Bearcats and Houston don’t meet in the regular season but could match up in the AAC title game on December 5.
+ The up-and-down season for No. 22 Iowa State continued, with the Cyclones (5-3, 3-2) basically falling out of the Big 12 race after a 38-31 loss at West Virginia. WVU (4-4, 2-3) shredded Iowa State’s defense, which came in third in the nation in total defense (allowing 262.0 yards per game); the Mountaineers finished with 492 yards, including 370 through the air. WVU was 9-of-15 on third down; Iowa State was 2-of-12.