College Football Rankings 2016: Bleacher Report's Week 9 Top 25
It's hard to go unbeaten in college football. Just ask Ohio State and Texas A&M, whose losses thinned the list of FBS teams with perfect records to nine and caused a major shift in the Bleacher Report Top 25.
The Bleacher Report poll is voted on by 19 members of our college football staff: writers Greg Couch, Tyler Donohue, Ed Feng, Matt Hayes, David Kenyon, Sanjay Kirpalani, Kerry Miller, Brian Pedersen, David Regimbal, Barrett Sallee, Damon Sayles, Brad Shepard, Greg Wallace and Christopher Walsh; video staff Michael Felder and Sean McManus; and editors Eric Bowman and Eric Yates.
First-place votes are worth 25 points, with each subsequent vote worth one fewer point all the way down to one for 25th place. The 25 teams with the most poll points make our list, with the rest falling into the “others receiving votes” category.
Check out where everyone stands after Week 8, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
1 of 26
Houston began this season with hopes of making the playoffs as a non-power school, but after losing 38-16 at SMU, the Cougars are a long shot even to defend their American Athletic Conference West Division championship.
The Cougars fell out of our rankings for the first time this season but could get back in with more wins (and help from teams losing above them). Here's a list of the other schools looking to jump in next week after not getting enough votes this time around:
- Houston (17)
- Oklahoma State (13)
- Penn State (11)
- Miami, Florida (10)
- Troy (8)
- Arkansas (5)
- Northwestern (5)
- Stanford (4)
- Toledo (4)
- Notre Dame (3)
- Ole Miss (3)
- USC (2)
No. 25 Washington State Cougars
2 of 26
Poll points: 24
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 8 result: Won 37-32 at Arizona State
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Oregon State
Washington State (5-2, 4-0 Pac-12) won its fifth straight game and is off to its best start in league play in 13 years.
The Cougars got 398 passing yards and three touchdowns from Luke Falk, who was 42-of-53 but also suffered seven sacks. That resulted in WSU's rushing for minus-52 yards, though it did get a three-yard touchdown run from Gerard Wicks.
WSU also got a 100-yard kickoff-return score from Robert Taylor midway through the second quarter.
No. 24 Virginia Tech Hokies
3 of 26
Poll points: 52
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 8 result: Won 37-16 vs. Miami (Florida)
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 27 at Pittsburgh
Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1 ACC) dominated on both sides of the ball in an impressive home win Thursday night, a week after slipping on the road at Syracuse.
The Hokies gained 523 yards and sacked Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya eight times. According to ESPN.com's David Hale, they're just the third Power Five team in the last decade to have 500-plus yards and eight sacks in a conference game.
Jerod Evans had 357 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns, throwing two scores to Bucky Hodges while gaining 98 rushing yards with a score. Travon McMillian ran for 131 yards, and fullback Sam Rogers had two catches for 72 yards and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass.
No. 23 Navy Midshipmen
4 of 26
Poll points: 55
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 8 result: Won 42-28 vs. Memphis
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 28 at South Florida
Navy (5-1, 4-0 American) ran its way to its second straight game with 40-plus points, gaining 447 yards on the ground to stay unbeaten in conference play.
The Midshipmen averaged six yards per carry on 74 runs with four touchdowns, only throwing the ball four times. Quarterback Will Worth still managed to throw for two TDs and 85 yards while also rushing for a career-best 201 yards and three scores.
Navy limited Memphis to 98 rushing yards in extending its home win streak to 14 games.
No. 22 Colorado Buffaloes
5 of 26
Poll points: 98
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
Week 8 result: Won 10-5 at Stanford
Week 9 matchup: Bye
Colorado (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12) clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007. But more importantly, it remained tied for the South Division lead with Utah by surviving a sloppy game at Stanford.
The Buffaloes won despite three missed field goals—two that caused long drives to the red zone to result in zero points. Colorado outgained the Cardinal 359-263 but only found the end zone once, on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sefo Liufau to Shay Fields in the second quarter.
Colorado forced four turnovers and kept Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey under 100 yards rushing to beat the Cardinal for the first time since 1990.
No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels
6 of 26
Poll points: 114
Last week's ranking: 22nd
Week 8 result: Won 35-14 at Virginia
Week 9 matchup: Bye
North Carolina (6-2, 4-1 ACC) won its ninth straight true road game to stay a half-game ahead of Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division lead as quarterback Mitch Trubisky had another efficient afternoon.
Trubisky was 24-of-31 for 310 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 18 TDs this season. Other than a hurricane-impacted 13-of-33 performance in UNC's loss to Virginia Tech two weeks ago, Trubisky has completed 75.4 percent of his throws.
Elijah Hood ran for 107 yards and a TD, and T.J. Logan added 61 rushing yards and a score for the Tar Heels, who outgained Virginia, 488-253.
No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers
7 of 26
Poll points: 130
Last week's ranking: 18th
Week 8 result: Bye
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at South Carolina
Tennessee (5-2, 2-2 SEC) is riding a two-game skid in which its ability to rally from large deficits is no longer getting the job done. The Volunteers forced overtime at Texas A&M, but they got pasted by 39 points at home against Alabama last week.
Turnovers have plagued Tennessee, with eight lost fumbles and nine interceptions thrown on the year. Those giveaways have contributed to an offense that's averaging 393.6 yards per game.
Joshua Dobbs' nine interceptions are already four more than he had all of last season, and he's failed to complete 60 percent of his passes in five of seven games.
No. 19 Western Michigan Broncos
8 of 26
Poll points: 135
Last week's ranking: 20th
Week 8 result: Won 45-31 vs. Eastern Michigan
Week 9 matchup: Bye
Western Michigan (8-0, 4-0 Mid-American) extended its best start in 75 years thanks to a big game from quarterback Zach Terrell.
The senior threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-35 passing, giving him 20 TDs for the season, though he did throw his first interception in 209 attempts. Carrington Thompson had two of those scores on eight catches for 177 yards. Corey Davis had five receptions for 87 yards and a TD, moving to fifth in FBS history with 4,517 yards for his career.
Jarvion Franklin ran for 114 yards and a TD, and Jamauri Bogan added two rushing scores for the Broncos, who have matched last season's win total.
No. 18 LSU Tigers
9 of 26
Poll points: 136
Last week's ranking: 23rd
Week 8 result: Won 38-21 vs. Ole Miss
Week 9 matchup: Bye
LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC) remained unbeaten under interim coach Ed Orgeron (3-0), who for the first time got to send out Leonard Fournette to help his cause. Fournette came through in spades.
Held out of the Tigers' previous two games because of an ankle injury, Fournette ran for a career-best 284 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries. He also broke LSU's single-game rushing record. He scored on runs of 59, 76 and 78 yards as LSU ran for 311 yards overall.
Fournette's 78-yard TD run with 13:38 left in third quarter broke a 21-all tie as LSU scored the game's final 17 points. It outgained Ole Miss 515-325 and overcame three turnovers.
No. 17 Utah Utes
10 of 26
Poll points: 183
Last week's ranking: 19th
Week 8 result: Won 52-45 at UCLA
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Washington
Utah (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) stayed tied for the South Division lead with Colorado by pulling out a shootout, one in which its ability to run the ball trumped anything UCLA could do offensively.
The Utes ran for 360 yards with senior Joe Williams gaining a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Williams, who had retired after the second game of this season only to come back to the team last week, has run for 511 yards and five TDs the last two contests.
Utah won despite allowing 464 passing yards and five TDs through the air because it also had four interceptions, part of five takeaways. The Utes also got a 99-yard kickoff return TD from Cory Butler-Byrd on the first play of the game.
No. 16 Florida Gators
11 of 26
Poll points: 196
Last week's ranking: 16th
Week 8 result: Bye
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Georgia (in Jacksonville, Florida)
Florida (5-1, 3-1 SEC) rests up for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party while sitting atop the East Division thanks to Tennessee's consecutive losses. The race is far from over, though. The Gators still have crossover games against Arkansas and LSU—both on the road after the latter was moved from Gainesville following its hurricane-related postponement—in addition to the rivalry game next week.
The Gators entered the weekend second nationally in scoring defense, at 12 points allowed per game. They've allowed only 34 points in their five victories, which include a shutout and three other contests in which they held their opponent to single digits.
Florida's 5.89 yards per play in SEC games is fifth-best in the league, a bump from being third-worst in 2015.
No. 15 Auburn Tigers
12 of 26
Poll points: 210
Last week's ranking: 21st
Week 8 result: Won 56-3 vs. Arkansas
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Ole Miss
Auburn (5-2, 3-1 SEC) won its fourth consecutive game with another dominant rushing performance, gaining 543 yards with seven touchdowns on 57 carries. It was the most rushing yards ever by one team in an SEC regular-season game.
Kamryn Pettway paced the ground attack with 192 yards and two TDs, following up the 169 yards and three TDs he had last time out at Mississippi State. Eli Stove scored on a 78-yard run four minutes into the game, while Stanton Truitt had two rushing scores and a receiving TD. Kam Martin and Sean White also ran for TDs.
In addition, White threw for 77 yards and a TD, and Auburn's defense held Arkansas to 215 total yards, including 25 on the ground.
No. 13 (tie) Oklahoma Sooners
13 of 26
Poll points: 213
Last week's ranking: 15th
Week 8 result: Won 66-59 at Texas Tech
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Kansas
Oklahoma (5-2, 4-0 Big 12) won its 11th consecutive league game and needed every one of its 854 yards to do so in a contest that set numerous FBS single-game records.
Baker Mayfield threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns on 27-of-36 passing, and Joe Mixon had 377 all-purpose yards and five scores as the Sooners combined with Texas Tech to produce 1,708 yards of total offense. That broke the previous mark of 1,640 set by San Jose State and Nevada in 2001.
The 1,279 passing yards between Mayfield and Tech's Patrick Mahomes (734, which tied Connor Halliday's single-game mark) beat the old record of 1,261 set in 2014 by California and Washington State. Mahomes had 819 yards of total offense, also an FBS record.
Oklahoma trailed just once and scored on 10 of 14 possessions but couldn't build a lead bigger than 14 points. Mixon's final TD, a 42-yard run (his fourth TD of 40-plus yards) with 5:03 left proved to be the difference. He ran for 263 yards on 31 carries and had four catches for 114 yards. Dede Westbrook added 202 yards and two TDs on nine catches.
No. 13 (tie) Boise State Broncos
14 of 26
Poll points: 213
Last week's ranking: 14th
Week 8 result: Won 28-27 vs. BYU
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Wyoming
Boise State (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West) remained in position to be the Group of Five representative in a major bowl game by surviving a wild Thursday tilt in which it committed five turnovers.
Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien threw for 442 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions returned for TDs. Boise lost three fumbles to negate a massive 577-322 edge in total offense.
Jeremy McNichols provided the game-winning score with a four-yard TD run with 10:37 left. He had 249 all-purpose yards, with 140 on the ground and 109 through the air, including a 76-yard TD catch in the game's opening minute.
No. 12 Florida State Seminoles
15 of 26
Poll points: 232
Last week's ranking: 11th
Week 8 result: Bye
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Clemson
Florida State (5-2, 2-2 ACC) has seen its defense rise up the last two games after being torched during its first five. In wins over Miami (Florida) and Wake Forest, the Seminoles allowed only 25 combined points and 4.19 yards per play, compared to yielding 35.4 points and 6.98 yards per play before that.
Junior running back Dalvin Cook is creeping closer to becoming the school's career rushing leader. His 900 yards this season give him 3,599 overall, just 361 from passing Warrick Dunn for the all-time lead, and his 34 touchdowns are nine behind Greg Allen's school mark.
Quarterback Deondre Francois' 268 passing yards per game is tops among all freshman passers.
No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies
16 of 26
Poll points: 289
Last week's ranking: sixth
Week 8 result: Lost 33-14 at Alabama
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. New Mexico State
Texas A&M (6-1, 4-1 SEC) put a scare into a six-figure crowd in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by taking a one-point lead just over two minutes into the second half. But after Trevor Knight's 25-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk helped give the Aggies a 14-13 lead, it was all downhill.
The Aggies allowed 20 unanswered points from there, including a defensive score. The inability to effectively run the ball caught up to A&M, which is 28-0 under coach Kevin Sumlin when rushing for 200 or more yards but managed only 114 yards on 38 carries.
Knight threw for 164 yards and two TDs but was only 14-of-31 with an interception. Trayveon Williams, who led all FBS freshmen in rushing coming into the game, gained just 23 yards on nine carries.
No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers
17 of 26
Poll points: 305
Last week's ranking: 10th
Week 8 result: Won 17-9 at Iowa
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Nebraska
Wisconsin (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) continued its impressive play through a nightmarish league schedule, leaning on its defense to outlast Iowa on the road to claim the Heartland Trophy.
The Badgers, who lost in overtime to Ohio State last week and fell by seven to Michigan earlier this month, held Iowa to 236 yards and three field goals, never trailing. Backup quarterback Bart Houston's 17-yard touchdown pass to Troy Fumagalli helped give them a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. And Corey Clement's one-yard scoring run in the third proved to be the game-winner.
Clement ran for 134 yards on 35 carries as Wisconsin gained 423 yards. He's amassed 298 yards in the past two games in topping the 100-yard mark for the third time this season.
No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers
18 of 26
Poll points: 316
Last week's ranking: 13th
Week 8 result: Won 34-10 vs. TCU
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Oklahoma State
West Virginia (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) is using defense to make a mark in its offensively slanted conference, holding another opponent to fewer than 20 points, its fourth such effort.
The Mountaineers forced three turnovers and allowed only 300 yards, holding TCU to 30.2 points and 230.7 yards below its season average. A week ago they held Texas Tech's explosive offense to 17 points after the Red Raiders managed at least 38 in every other game.
Skyler Howard paced WVU's offense by throwing for 231 yards and four touchdowns on 16-of-23 passing. Rushel Shell added 117 rushing yards on 24 carries.
No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers
19 of 26
Poll points: 336
Last week's ranking: eighth
Week 8 result: Won 27-14 vs. Purdue
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Wisconsin
Nebraska (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) continued its best start in 15 years by rallying from a small deficit and posting a shutout in the second half.
Purdue led 14-10 at halftime but failed to do anything on its final nine possessions as the Cornhuskers defense took over. The unit forced two turnovers and held the Boilermakers to 24 rushing yards, while Nebraska's own run game produced 157 yards and two scores.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. had one of those rushing TDs along with 51 yards. He also threw for 252 yards and a TD. His 40-yard TD throw to De'Mornay Pierson-El proved to be the game-winner early in the third quarter.
No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes
20 of 26
Poll points: 337
Last week's ranking: second
Week 8 result: Lost 24-21 at Penn State
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 vs. Northwestern
Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) blew a 14-point second-half lead to lose at Penn State for the first time since 2005, putting the Buckeyes in a likely win-out situation in order to get back to the playoffs.
The Buckeyes led 12-7 at halftime and built that lead to 21-7 with 8:31 left in the third quarter thanks to a 74-yard Curtis Samuel touchdown run and a safety. After that, OSU was forced to punt three straight times while Penn State pulled to 21-17. Then the Nittany Lions took the lead with 4:27 left after Tyler Durbin's 45-yard field-goal kick was blocked and returned for a TD.
OSU managed only 12 yards on the ensuing 10-play drive, with J.T. Barrett getting sacked on the final two plays. He was sacked five times in the second half and had only 26 rushing yards on 17 carries along with 245 passing yards and a TD.
The loss snapped OSU's 20-game road win streak under head coach Urban Meyer. The last time the Buckeyes lost a true road game was in November 2011 at Michigan.
No. 6 Baylor Bears
21 of 26
Poll points: 338
Last week's ranking: ninth
Week 8 result: Bye
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Texas
Baylor (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) sat out for the second time in three weeks, an odd scheduling quirk in which its only game since Oct. 1 was a 49-7 blowout of Kansas.
The Bears are scoring 43.7 points per game, but more impressive is their 17.2 points allowed per contest and 4.15 yards yielded per play, down from 28.3 and 5.19, respectively, last season. They've limited opponents to 3.45 yards per rush and only three passing touchdowns, a year after giving up 30 scores through the air.
Baylor's run game remains its best offensive weapon, with four players (including quarterback Seth Russell) gaining more than 300 yards so far. As a team, it's averaging 282.8 yards per contest.
No. 5 Louisville Cardinals
22 of 26
Poll points: 400
Last week's ranking: seventh
Week 8 result: Won 54-13 vs. North Carolina State
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Virginia
Louisville (6-1, 4-1 ACC) pounded North Carolina State into submission via a 44-0 first half as quarterback Lamar Jackson set a school record.
Jackson had 431 yards of total offense and accounted for four touchdowns—three passing and one on the ground. That gives him 34 total TDs—the most by a Cardinals player in one campaign.
Jeremy Smith added two rushing scores, Blanton Creque was good on all four field-goal tries and Louisville held NC State to 250 yards (14 rushing) while forcing three turnovers.
No. 4 Washington Huskies
23 of 26
Poll points: 423
Last week's ranking: fifth
Week 8 result: Won 41-17 vs. Oregon State
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Utah
Washington (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12) led 31-0 at halftime and then eased up on the gas but still scored more than 35 points for a 10th consecutive game—all victories.
The Huskies gained 519 yards, with quarterback Jake Browning accounting for 312 total yards with four touchdowns. He threw for 291 yards and three TDs on 14-of-28 passing and ran in a score, while Myles Gaskin provided 128 rushing yards and a TD.
John Ross and Dante Pettis each had more than 110 receiving yards, with Pettis hauling in two TD catches.
No. 3 Clemson Tigers
24 of 26
Poll points: 437 (one first-place vote)
Last week's ranking: fourth
Week 8 result: Bye
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Florida State
Clemson (7-0, 4-0 ACC) had its fourth close call of the season last time out, beating North Carolina State in overtime after its opponent missed a short field goal at the end of regulation. The Tigers have won four games decided by seven or fewer points—three of which have been at home.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been improving his accuracy as the season has progressed, up to 63.6 percent with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had 378 yards on 39-of-52 passing last time out, but like the rest of Clemson, he's been struggling to convert in the red zone.
The Tigers' 75.8 percent conversion rate ranked 108th in FBS entering the weekend, with only 57.6 percent of 33 possessions resulting in TDs.
No. 2 Michigan Wolverines
25 of 26
Poll points: 447
Last week's ranking: third
Week 8 result: Won 41-8 vs. Illinois
Week 9 matchup: Oct. 29 at Michigan State
Michigan (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) was on the winning end of another lopsided game—as has been the case almost every week—a result that was determined after the first quarter.
The Wolverines led 21-0 after 15 minutes and 31-0 at halftime as they gained 561 yards on the day, with 270 of that coming on the ground. Wilton Speight threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-23 passing, while they got rushing scores from Karan Higdon, Khalid Hill and De'Veon Smith.
Michigan limited Illinois to 172 yards in holding a fourth opponent to single digits this season.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
26 of 26
Poll points: 474 (19 first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: first
Week 8 result: Won 33-14 vs. Texas A&M
Week 9 matchup: Bye
Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) won its 20th consecutive game by dominating from almost start to finish, with the exception being on the final drive of the first half and first possession after halftime.
The Crimson Tide led 13-0 late in the first half when kicker Adam Griffith missed a short field goal. A&M scored just before halftime and then again early in the third quarter to take a one-point lead, then it was all 'Bama.
Calvin Ridley's four-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Hurts put the Tide back up by six, then Jonathan Allen scored on a 30-yard fumble return late in the third.
"Alabama has scored at least one defensive or special teams touchdown in every game since last year's Cotton Bowl, and it now has 12 non-offensive TDs in eight games this season," Sports on Earth's Matt Brown wrote.
Hurts threw for 164 yards and two TDs and added 93 rushing yards and a score, part of 287 yards on the ground for 'Bama.
All slides written by Brian J. Pedersen. Follow the author on Twitter at @realBJP.
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Fans React to Simpson Pick 😱")