• Oregon moves up to No. 1: The Ducks are the new top-ranked team in the nation following Texas’ loss.
• Georgia comes in second: The Bulldogs move up to No. 2 after their victory over the Longhorns.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
This year is shaping up to be one of the most insane college football seasons in recent memory. It seems like there’s a new No. 1 team in the country every week. Oregon occupies the top spot this week after Texas suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday.
Ahead of another massive weekend in Week 9, here’s a look at our updated top-25. Please note that these are not the same as PFF’s power rankings.
1. Oregon Ducks (Record: 7-0, Previous: 2nd)
Week 9 Matchup: vs. No. 18 Illinois Fighting Illini
The Ducks become the fourth team in nine weeks to occupy the top spot in our top-25. Oregon took care of business on Friday night with a 35-0 shutout victory over Purdue. The difference between the two was the passing games, as Dillon Gabriel earned an 81.3 passing grade while Ryan Browne posted just a 46.1 mark.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (Record: 6-1, Previous: 6th)
Week 9 Matchup: Bye
Georgia moves up a few spots to No. 2 after taking down previously No. 1 Texas. The Bulldogs' defense was the biggest reason for their victory, allowing just -0.337 EPA per pass.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (Record: 6-0, Previous: 3rd)
Week 9 Matchup: at Wisconsin Badgers
Penn State enjoyed a bye week and will take on a 5-2 Wisconsin squad in Madison this weekend.
4. Miami (FL) Hurricanes (Record: 7-0, Previous: 4th)
Week 9 Matchup: vs. Florida State Seminoles
Miami survived a shootout against Louisville on Saturday, beating the Cardinals by a 52-45 final score. Cam Ward continues to look like the best quarterback in America this year with an 83.4 PFF grade in the win.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes (Record: 5-1, Previous: 7th)
Week 9 Matchup: vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Ohio State was off this past week and will resume play against Nebraska this Saturday.
6. Texas Longhorns (Record: 6-1, Previous: 1st)
Week 9 Matchup: at Vanderbilt Commodores
Texas falls to No. 6 following the first loss of its season. Quinn Ewers had the worst game of his career against Georgia, posting a 40.2 PFF grade with six turnover-worthy plays. The latter is tied for the most by a Power Five quarterback in a game over the last four seasons. It’s the kind of performance that has many wondering if star backup Arch Manning will take the reins soon.
7. BYU Cougars (Record: 7-0, Previous: 8th)
Week 9 Matchup: at UCF Knights
BYU needed a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jake Retzlaff to Darius Lassiter with just 10 seconds left to escape with a 38-35 win over Oklahoma State on Friday night. Retzlaff came alive in the second half, posting a 90.7 passing grade after earning a 64.5 mark in the first half.
8. Iowa State Cyclones (Record: 7-0, Previous: 9th)
Week 9 Matchup: Bye
Just like BYU, Iowa State survived as one of the undefeated teams in the Big 12 by winning 38-35 on Saturday, this time over UCF. The Knights averaged more EPA per play and more yards per play than the Cyclones, but the issue was that UCF only had 62 passing yards total and couldn’t throw the ball when it needed to.
9. LSU Tigers (Record: 6-1, Previous: 11th)
Week 9 Matchup: at No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies
While some thought Arkansas would beat LSU at home just like it did with Tennessee a couple weeks ago, the Tigers had other plans. LSU won the game 34-10. The Tigers didn’t commit any turnovers on Saturday night while the Razorbacks turned the ball over thrice in the loss.
10. Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 6-1, Previous: 16th)
Week 9 Matchup: Bye
In what ended up being a defensive slugfest, Tennessee outlasted Alabama 24-17. The Volunteers held an explosive quarterback in Jalen Milroe in check, as he didn’t complete any of his five deep throws.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.