The College Football Playoff picture is about to get a whole lot louder.
With the selection committee set to unveil its first Top 25 rankings on Tuesday, Week 9 has turned into the final audition window for teams trying to leave a mark. Some programs need style points.
Others need a signature win. And with chaos always lurking in college football, Saturday has plenty of room to shake up the bracket before the committee even gets involved.
Here’s where things stand heading into the weekend.
Boise State gets one of the more interesting spots on the board with Kellen Moore back on the blue turf for the unveiling of his statue at the school. The current team will need some of that old magic, because it faces a tough one against new Pac-12 foe Texas State.
Indiana is in a similar spot, with what looks like the hardest remaining game on its Big Ten schedule. Minnesota is the opponent, and the Gophers are positioned to make life difficult for the reigning conference champions as they try to get back to the league title game.
Atlanta brings the World’s Largest Domed Cocktail Party, and that one should tell us plenty about Florida. The Gators are trying to prove they belong in the CFP conversation in Year 1 under Jon Sumrall, but the big win over Texas may have been the high point of the season.
Kentucky, meanwhile, is off this weekend, but the Wildcats still have plenty to watch as Tuesday approaches. Their ranking will be one of the more intriguing ones in the committee reveal after an impressive year in Lexington, Ky.
Alabama’s path feels like it may come down to one game when it heads to LSU next Saturday after its off week. That’s the one that could define the Crimson Tide’s season.
BYU also has a tricky setup, with a brunch-time kickoff at home against Arizona State before next week’s Holy War. The Cougars can’t afford to drift ahead to what’s coming next, because the Sun Devils are more than capable of making this uncomfortable.
Utah may have gotten a little extra caution after Cincinnati upset Texas Tech, but the Bearcats still loom as a potential trap. It’s the kind of game that can turn into a let-down spot with BYU waiting the following weekend.
Notre Dame has a rivalry game against Navy, and that gives the Fighting Irish a chance to sharpen things up before the huge matchup with Miami. That one looks like a make-or-break game for the Irish’s CFP hopes.
UCLA gets Nevada at the Rose Bowl, a home game that should let the Bruins clean up a few things before a stretch run that is both tough and winnable. Bob Chesney’s first season has already put UCLA in a surprising place, and Tuesday’s rankings should reflect that.
Ohio State comes out of its off week with a major question hanging over it: life without QB Julian Sayin. The trip to Los Angeles and a sold-out Coliseum should tell everyone a lot about what kind of team this really is.
Georgia should have a chance to jump fast against Florida after getting extra time to sit with that Auburn loss. The Bulldogs have had plenty of reminders that every SEC game is a fight, and that message should be fresh when they take the field.
Syracuse’s late win over North Carolina took some shine off this weekend’s trip back to Chapel Hill, N.C., but it still gives the Orange a strong chance to post an efficient win before heading to South Bend for Notre Dame. If Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney hit their season averages against a Bill Belichick defense, that should also lock up a trip to New York for the Heisman.
In Other News...
Ohio States Bigger Problem In Los Angeles Was Never The Freshman QB
Ohio States trip to Los Angeles quickly became less about a true freshman quarterback making his first real imprint and more about a team that kept tripping over its own mistakes. Luke Fahey did enough to keep the offense moving in the first half, completing 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards, and the coaching staff clearly trusted him to handle the job despite his inexperience. But by halftime, USC had built a 20-6 lead, and the bigger issues were showing up everywhere else.
Missed tackles, penalties, special teams problems and defensive miscommunications all helped put Ohio State in a hole before the game could settle in. Fahey was not the reason the Buckeyes were chasing the scoreboard, and the way the first half unfolded made that plain. The more pressing concern for Ohio State was how many different areas were breaking down at once, leaving the freshman quarterback to absorb blame he never really owned. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than One Road Loss
A road loss in Los Angeles already had Ohio State dealing with the usual fallout from a stumble away from home, but the bigger issue was how USC controlled the game from start to finish. The Trojans held the No. 2 Buckeyes to one touchdown, and Ohio State never found much rhythm with backup quarterback Luke Fahey under constant pressure from a USC defense that stacked up tackles for loss and sacks.
The Buckeyes also had no answer for the explosive play that tilted the night, with Mark Bowman ripping off a 70-yard catch-and-run that helped put USC in position to finish the job. It was a statement win for Lincoln Riley, his first top-five victory with the Trojans, and for Ohio State it leaves a lot more to sort through than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Added More Fuel To Ohio States Ugly Night
USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State was already the kind of result that left a mark, but Lincoln Riley added another layer to the night in the aftermath. In his postgame press conference, the Trojans coach leaned into the idea that the satisfaction came from inside the building, not from outside approval, a fitting tone after a victory that sent Ohio State back to Columbus with plenty to sort through.
The scene around the tunnel at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was less polished. Riley and his family ran into a bottleneck on the way out, and the moment escalated into a verbal exchange in which Riley reportedly directed profanity at Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members. Former Buckeye Maurice Clarett stepped in to try to calm things down, a reminder that even after the final whistle, the emotions from a game like this can linger well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]