Notre Dame is the new No. 1 in ESPN’s Football Power Index after Week 9, and the change at the top came with plenty of shake-up behind it.
The Irish climbed one spot after beating Navy to improve to 7-1, and they did it the hard way. Notre Dame had to survive a tricky opening stretch before blowing the game open with 28 unanswered points. That was enough to push it past Ohio State, which slid to No. 2 after a surprising loss to USC.
Now the spotlight shifts fast. Notre Dame’s next test is undefeated Miami, and that matchup carries major weight for the Irish’s playoff path. Notre Dame already has a loss to BYU, so another defeat would make the road much steeper.
Ohio State’s drop was about more than just the final score against USC. Julian Sayin’s absence hurt, and the Buckeyes also failed to get the stops they needed when the game tightened up. With Oregon coming to Columbus next, Ohio State suddenly has very little margin for error as November begins.
The rest of the top 25 also saw the usual late-season churn. Miami sits at No. 3, followed by Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Texas. Indiana checks in at No. 8, with Ole Miss and Utah rounding out the top 10.
ESPN FPI Rankings after Week 9
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Georgia
- LSU
- Alabama
- Texas
- Indiana
- Ole Miss
- Utah
- Wake Forest
- Oregon
- Texas Tech
- Tennessee
- USC
- BYU
- Nebraska
- Louisville
- Missouri
- Houston
- Iowa
- Florida
- Texas A&M
- Northwestern
- South Carolina
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 🡒]