College Football Rankings 2017: Reviewing NCAA Polls Before Final Week 9 Games
Alabama continues to stand atop the college football pack as the 2017 regular season heads toward the stretch run. While the perennially contending Crimson Tide are in a promising position to secure a College Football Playoff berth, the race for the other three spots is wide-open.
FiveThirtyEight projects the Tide with a 69 percent chance to make the CFP. The outlook is far more cluttered beyond that, though. There are nine teams with somewhere between a 20 and 40 percent chance of making it into the final four.
That should make for an entertaining finish to the campaign, and it could become even wilder if Bama is upset somewhere along the way. For now, let's check out the rankings ahead of Saturday's Week 9 action and preview the best game on the slate.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Week 9 College Football Polls
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Penn State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Clemson
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Miami
10. Oklahoma
11. Oklahoma State
12. Virginia Tech
13. UCF
14. Washington
15. NC State
T-16. South Florida
T-16. Washington State
18. Michigan State
19. Auburn
20. LSU
21. Stanford
22. West Virginia
23. Memphis
24. USC
25. Michigan
Game of the Week: Penn State at Ohio State
One year ago, Penn State pulled off a 24-21 upset of second-ranked Ohio State. Now the question is whether the Buckeyes can turn the tables in the latest high-profile Big Ten rivalry clash.
OSU head coach Urban Meyer didn't shy away from embracing that storyline. He just isn't sure whether it will provide the desired result.
"You've got to figure you're dealing with youngsters," he told reporters Monday. "Is revenge a motivator? Hell yeah, it is. I'm not saying this will be it. There have been times we used it and we looked silly using it, and there are times it worked. I don't know yet."
It's hard to get a firm grasp on what to expect from the Buckeyes because of their schedule. Their only serious test so far came in a 31-16 loss to Oklahoma in early September. Otherwise, they've spent most of the year crushing overmatched opponents.
Meanwhile, Penn State is coming off a blowout victory over 19th-ranked Michigan that went a long way to solidifying the Nittany Lions as a serious playoff threat.
The senior quarterback is taking advantage of defenses that crowd the box by consistently beating single coverage on the outside. He's completed 66.8 percent of his throws with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He's also added seven scores on the ground.
On the flip side, the Penn State defense, which hasn't allowed 20 points in a game so far this year, figures to receive its toughest test of the season from the Buckeyes.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett owns a remarkable 21-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and the team averages 6.0 yards per carry, which ranks ninth in the country. Some of that comes from facing weaker opponents, but they are nevertheless impressive numbers.
Don't forget the third phase of the game, either. Penn State is second in the nation in special teams efficiency compared to 54th for Ohio State, per ESPN.com. One big play could swing the game, especially with Barkley returning kicks for PSU.
Ultimately, in the grand scheme of the College Football Playoff picture, this game is more important for the Buckeyes since they already have a loss. Kevin McGuire of NBC Sports discussed the Nittany Lions' added margin for error at this stage:
Penn State could push toward Alabama in terms of CFP likelihood with a marquee win over Ohio State, however, so it's not like there's a lack of motivation on either side.
All told, the result is going to have a massive impact on the Week 10 rankings, regardless of which team comes out on top in what should be a thriller decided in the final minutes.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
