2023-24 College Football: Week 9 Review

It was a big movement weekend for several conferences, with four Top 25 battles, headlined by a PAC-12 battle to help thin the crowd atop the conference. Some of the SEC's best faced tough battles, while two of the ACCs best went at it to try and keep pace with Florida State. Several teams survived close calls, while a few highly ranked teams were given rude awakenings. 

Game of the Week- Kansas 38, #6 Oklahoma 33 (Lawrence, KS)

Business in the Big 12 is wide open again. All Oklahoma had to do was win out, and they'd be in a great position to make the College Football Playoff. Kansas had different ideas. The Jayhawks controlled the early portion of the game, highlighted by intercepting Dillon Gabriel and returning it to the house. With Kansas ahead 14-7, the game entered an extended weather delay with lightning in the area. Once play resumed, Oklahoma took charge again. They scored two quick touchdowns to take its first lead, leading 21-17 once halftime rolled around. The second half was messy. Once Kansas retook the lead, Oklahoma would drive down and score. After each touchdown, they would go for two, and every time, they were unsuccessful. The two teams combined for five failed two-point conversions in the second half. With the Jayhawks up five deep in their territory, Jason Bean threw an interception, setting up Oklahoma to regain the lead. On the ensuing drive, Bean threw another interception, and it looked like the game was over. However, Oklahoma couldn't pick up a first down, handing the ball back to the Jayhawks with plenty of time left. After a massive conversion on 4th down, Devin Neal forced his way into the endzone, giving the Jayhawks a 38-33 lead with less than a minute left. The Sooners threw one deep into the endzone to try and find a miracle, but Kansas knocked it away to complete one of the biggest wins in the program's recent history. 

Upset of the Week- Georgia Tech 46, #17 North Carolina 42 (Atlanta, GA)

This is the second week in a row where UNC has been my Upset of the Week. After falling apart against Virginia at home last week, the Tar Heels were in Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. UNC came out firing, leading 14-0 after the first quarter, and despite some pushback in the second, led 28-24 at the break. The third quarter was a defensive struggle, but Drake Maye's 14-yard scamper had the Tar Heels up 11 with a quarter remaining. Then, things fell apart again. Georgia Tech scored a touchdown and got the two-point conversion to pull within four. Maye responded two plays later to re-up the lead to ten. A 70-yard touchdown run by Dontae Smith shrunk the lead to three points. After UNC missed a field goal to extend the lead, Haynes King drove the Yellow Jackets down the field and took the lead with 4:28 left to play. In an effort to take the lead back, Maye found Tex Walker down the field, but he was labeled by the defender, forcing him to fumble the ball as Georgia Tech recovered. Walker would be taken to the hospital after the play, and all signs are positive as of Sunday morning. At the end of the day, Georgia Tech sealed the deal, handing North Carolina its second loss of the season.

Other Notable Games

#8 Oregon 35, #13 Utah 6 (Salt Lake City, UT)

Last week, I hyped up Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes after the Utes beat USC. I felt they had a chance to do something special against Oregon this week. It turns out the experience of Bo Nix was way too much for Utah to handle. Making his 55th college start, Nix was incredible, scoring three touchdowns in the first half to get the Ducks ahead early. Oregon's defense did a number on the Utes, holding them to two field goals in the first half and then shutting them out in the final 30 minutes. This game was never that close as the Ducks held steady in the race for the playoffs, while Utah was dealt a huge blow in the conference title picture.  

#18 Louisville 23, #20 Duke 0 (Louisville, KY)

It was clear from the jump that Riley Leonard wasn't played at 100%. Even if he was, I still don't think the Blue Devils stood a chance with the way the Cardinals were moving the ball. Jake Plummer hardly had to do anything. Jawhar Jordan ran circles around the Duke defense, finishing the day with 163 yards and two touchdowns as Louisville controlled Duke from start to finish. I need to give Duke's defense some credit for their performance in the second half. Louisville made a few deep runs but only managed two field goals. 

#1 Georgia 43, Florida 20 (Jacksonville, FL)

Whether in The Swamp or a neutral site, this was a dominant showing by the Georgia Bulldogs. They had a few close calls early in their conference schedule, but they've put together some great weeks to show why they're still the team to reckon with atop the polls. Carson Beck played one of his cleanest games of the season. They ran the ball effectively. The defense was great for three quarters until Florida scored a few garbage-time touchdowns. Plus, they did it without Brock Bowers. The road doesn't get easier from here, but they seem to control the division. 

#21 Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27 (Lexington, KY)

The Volunteers played with fire during their visit to Lexington. If not for a dominant first quarter, we could be talking about this game differently. Tennessee jumped out to a 10-0 in the first, but Kentucky wouldn't go away. By halftime, the lead was down to six after the Wildcats scored 17 points in the second. The game got even closer late in the third after Devin Leary found Dane Key to make it 26-24. A touchdown run by Dylan Sampson extended the lead, and the defense took over from there. It was a spirited effort from the Wildcats, falling short in this rivalry game. 

#24 USC 50, California 49 (Berkeley, CA)

Something is wrong with the Trojans. I feel like I've been saying that for four or five weeks now. They were extremely close to being my Upset of the Week. The Trojans were down by 11 at halftime and trailed by as much as 14 early in the fourth quarter. All it took was 21 unanswered points and a failed two-point conversion at the end of the game by California to ensure they didn't drop their third straight. Caleb Williams looked much better, throwing for 369 yards and accounting for four touchdowns in the win. 

Arizona 27, #11 Oregon State 24 (Tucson, AZ)

The Arizona Wildcats are on a mission to make life miserable for the teams atop the PAC-12. After losing to Washington and USC by a combined nine points, Arizona has stormed back to consecutive wins over ranked opponents, beating Oregon State at home this week. Noah Fifita threw for three touchdowns, including two to Michael Wiley in the fourth quarter, to ensure the upset win. Oregon State drops to 3-2 in the conference, while Arizona improves to 3-2. 

What We Learned About Each Power 5 Conference in Week 9

ACC- Florida State is one win away from guaranteeing a spot in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. After them, the race gets a little more complicated. Six teams are either 3-2 or 2-2. Louisville and Virginia Tech are the only teams with one loss. Clemson was knocked out of the race after suffering its fourth conference loss of the season against NC State. Teams will start getting weeded out over the next few weeks, but the race for the final spot in the title game will come down to the wire. 

Big Ten- Nothing changed in the East. Ohio State and Michigan are poised to meet as undefeated teams in the final week to determine the winner. In the West, there's a four-way tie between Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska. The road for each team moving forward is tough. There is plenty of overlap where these four still have to meet later in the season, so this race is far from finished. It likely won't matter because the winner of Michigan-Ohio State will win the conference again. 

Big 12- The search for a frontrunner is back after Oklahoma's loss. Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State all sit at 4-1. Kansas and West Virginia are 3-2. Even the four 2-3 teams have a shot at making it. Oklahoma's loss throws the entire conference into disarray. It also makes it tougher to decide whether they'll have a team in the playoffs at the end of the season. Texas holds the best shot right now, but plenty is left to decide. 

SEC- Of the Power 5 conferences, the SEC saw the least movement. The only big things that happened were Florida likely dropping out of the race and Tennessee staying in it after being Kentucky. Otherwise, Georgia remains the favorite in the East, and the West will likely look clearer after LSU and Alabama meet this coming Saturday. 

PAC-12- Washington remains the top dog in the PAC-12, with USC and Oregon following closely behind with one loss. The real intrigue comes from the next group. Four teams are tied at 3-2, with Utah and Oregon State losing and Arizona and UCLA winning. I still think it will come down to the top three, with some combination of Washington, USC, and Oregon meeting in the conference title game, but don't count out the dark horses yet. 

 

My Top 25

1. Georgia (8-0, W 43-20 Florida) (-)

2. Michigan (8-0, OFF) (-)

3. Florida State (8-0, W 41-16 Wake Forest) (-)

4. Ohio State (8-0, W 24-10 Wisconsin) (-)

5. Washington (8-0, W 42-33 Stanford) (-)

6. Oregon (7-1, W 35-6 #13 Utah) (+2)

Not much changes at the top of the rankings, with three teams winning and one not playing this week. The only change is Oregon at #6. After a dominant win over Utah, the Ducks have established themselves as the best one-loss team in the country. If they were to win the PAC-12 title this season, one would think they'd be a shoo-in for the CFP. 

7. Texas (7-1, W 35-6 BYU) (-)

8. Alabama (7-1, OFF) (+1)

9. Penn State (7-1, W 33-24 Indiana) (+2)

10. Oklahoma (7-1, L 38-33 Kansas) (-4)

There was a little movement for the remainder of the Top 10. Texas is the only team to hold steady, while Alabama moved a spot while sitting at home this week. Penn State re-joins the Top 10, though their odds of making the CFP remain long. Despite their loss, Oklahoma remains in the Top 10, rounding out the group. It was a tough loss, but it shouldn't hurt their odds much. 

11. Ole Miss (7-1, W 33-7 Vanderbilt) (+2)

12. Notre Dame (7-2, W 58-7 Pittsburgh) (+2)

13. Missouri (7-1, OFF) (+2)

14. Louisville (7-1, W 23-0 #20 Duke) (+2)

15. LSU (6-2, OFF) (+3)

Many teams saw movement up the boards as they knocked on the door of the Top 10. Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Louisville earned blowout wins to move up two spots. Missouri also scaled two spots without needing to play. LSU gets a three-spot boost while idle. 

16. Tennessee (6-2, W 33-27 Kentucky) (+1)

17. Utah (6-2, L 35-6 #8 Oregon) (-5)

18. Air Force (8-0, W 30-13 Colorado State) (+2)

19. Oregon State (6-2, L 27-24 Arizona) (-9)

20. UCLA (6-2, W 28-16 Colorado) (+1)

The bottom half of the rankings features teams all over the place. Tennessee, Air Force, and UCLA all earned big wins, with the Falcons staying perfect with their win over Colorado State. Utah and Oregon State were on the opposite side of the ledger, dropping games in different fashion. 

21. Kansas (6-2, W 38-33 #6 Oklahoma) (NR)

22. James Madison (8-0, W 30-27 Old Dominion) (+1)

23. Tulane (7-1, W 30-28 Rice) (+2)

24. USC (7-2, W 50-49 California) (-)

25. Fresno State (7-1, W 31-24 UNLV) (+1)

Kansas got a major boost following its win over Oklahoma. The Jayhawks earned the biggest boost of the week, shooting into the Top 25. James Madison kept its perfect season going with a three-point win over the Monarchs of Old Dominion. Tulane pulled out a narrow victory over Tulane. USC remained in place following its comeback win over California, though I'm growing more concerned about the Trojans each week. Rounding out the Top 25 is another new team joining the list as Fresno State moves the fringes of the ranking to #25. 

The Next 5

26. Duke (5-3, L 23-0 #18 Louisville) (-4)

27. Liberty (8-0, W 42-29 Western Kentucky) (+1)

28. North Carolina (6-2, L 46-42 Georgia Tech) (-9)

29. Miami (6-2, W 29-26 (OT) Virginia) (-)

30. Iowa (6-2, OFF) (-)

Week 10 Preview

1. #13 LSU at #8 Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL)

By all accounts, this game should determine the SEC West. While Ole Miss still only has one loss, an Alabama gives them a head-to-head advantage over the Rebels and Tigers, who'd be handed their second loss. An LSU win adds some intrigue to the situation, especially should they win it on the road. 

Prediction- #13 LSU 38, #8 Alabama 31

2. #14 Missouri at #1 Georgia (Athens, GA)

On the other side of the SEC, Georgia looks to keep its stranglehold on the East. The Bulldogs have looked better in the last few weeks and will face one of its toughest tests of the season against a Missouri team that is trying to keep pace with the two-time defending champions. 

Prediction- #1 Georgia 41, #14 Missouri 24

3. #5 Washington at #24 USC (Los Angeles, CA)

USC's last five games have been an incredible rollercoaster, barely winning two games, then losing two games before barely escaping California on Saturday. Washington is the final undefeated team in the conference, looking to pad their resume as they push to make the College Football Playoff. 

Prediction- #5 Washington 48, #24 USC 38

4. #25 Kansas State at #7 Texas (Austin, TX)

In the Big 12, it's open season once again as two one-loss teams look to assert themselves in the race for the conference title. Oklahoma's loss makes Texas the new leader in the clubhouse, while Kansas State is trying to keep their hot streak going. 

Prediction- #7 Texas 34, #25 Kansas State 21

5. #20 UCLA at Arizona (Tuscon, AZ)

Arizona is one of the hottest teams in the PAC-12 following two straight upset wins and nearly a third a few weeks ago against USC. After taking down Oregon State on Saturday, the Wildcats will welcome UCLA, who put together a solid game against Colorado. 

Prediction- Arizona 24, #20 UCLA 20

6. Virginia Tech at #15 Louisville (Louisville, KY)

The remaining one-loss teams in the ACC will meet in Louisville on Saturday to name the heir apparent to the 2nd spot in the ACC title game. Louisville controlled Duke from the very beginning, while Virginia Tech is trying to keep its hot stretch going by shocking the Cardinals. 

Prediction- #15 Louisville 38, Virginia Tech 21

7. #10 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (Stillwater, OK) 

Playing a rivalry game one week after losing their first game of the season could be what Oklahoma needs as it travels to Stillwater for Bedlam. The Sooners have won 17 of the last 20 meetings, though Oklahoma State has plenty of incentive as they try to stay atop the conference. 

Prediction- #10 Oklahoma 41, Oklahoma State 27

8. #23 James Madison at Georgia State (Atlanta, GA)

In 2023, the James Madison Dukes are ranked higher than the USC Trojans, and rightfully so. James Madison has made a seamless transition to the FBS, and will look to remain perfect as they travel to Atlanta to face Georgia State. 

Prediction-#23 James Madison 30, Georgia State 17

9. Miami at NC State (Raleigh, NC)

The crowded situation in the ACC will become slightly less so as two-loss Miami travels to Raleigh to face two-loss NC State. The Wolfpack knocked off Clemson on Sunday, while Miami has won its last two after consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. 

Prediction- Miami 27, NC State 14

10. #22 Kansas at Iowa State (Ames, IA)

In another battle between two teams at the top of the Big 12, Kansas is trying to avoid the post-upset lull as they battle Iowa State. The Cyclones are one of the many teams with one loss in the conference, while Kansas is right behind them with two losses. 

Prediction- #22 Kansas 34, Iowa State 24