AP College Football Poll 2020: Week 9 Top 25 Rankings Announced

The return of the Big Ten created plenty of drama Saturday, leading to some significant shifts in the college football landscape. 

Penn State suffered a dramatic overtime loss to Indiana to fall out of the Top 10, while Ohio State proved it was worthy of its early ranking. Clemson, Alabama and Notre Dame all had easy wins as well to stay near the top of the latest Top 25.

The Associated Press poll continues to see significant changes as teams begin their seasons at different times, but the top teams are still separating themselves as the year continues.

Here is a look at the latest rankings heading into Week 9.

AP Poll

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Notre Dame

5. Georgia

6. Oklahoma State

7. Cincinnati

8. Texas A&M

9. Wisconsin

10. Florida

11. BYU

12. Miami (Florida)

13. Michigan

14. Oregon

15. North Carolina

16. Kansas State

17. Indiana

18. Penn State

19. Marshall

20. Coastal Carolina

21. USC

22. SMU

23. Iowa State

24. Oklahoma

25. Boise State

The biggest story of Week 8 was undoubtedly the finish between Indiana and Penn State.

After the Hoosiers tied the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute of regular, they went for the win in overtime with another two-point conversion. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took it himself and gave everything he could to get to the edge:

In a heavily debated ruling, officials decided the ball crossed the plane before touching out of bounds, giving Indiana the 36-35 win.

Penn State was ranked No. 8 but fell to No. 18, while Indiana debuted at No. 17 in the new rankings.

Oklahoma State was another Top 10 team that had some trouble Saturday, although the Cowboys pulled out the 24-21 win over Iowa State. Chuba Hubbard again carried the load offensively with 139 rushing yards and a touchdown, while the defense made big plays when needed to hold on for the win and improve to 4-0.

Ohio State had no such trouble in its first game, beating Nebraska 52-17 while scoring 38 of the final 41 points.

Justin Fields completed 20 of his 21 pass attempts, totaling 276 passing yards with two touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground. Still, the quarterback wasn't completely satisfied after the game.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we can be really good," Fields said, per Bill Landis of The Athletic.

The Buckeyes jumped from No. 5 to No. 3 after showing what they could do on the field.

Clemson was also able to pull away late for a big victory, turning a 24-14 game at one point into a 47-21 win behind three Travis Etienne touchdowns. Alabama's offense was just as impressive as Najee Harris scored three touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide to a 48-17 win over Tennessee.

Notre Dame had no issues against Pittsburgh, with Ian Book totaling 312 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 45-3 win.

Michigan began last week No. 18 in the polls but moved up to No. 13 this week after a statement win on the road against Minnesota.

The Wolverines always seem to have high expectations but lived up to them in the first game, rushing for 253 yards and five touchdowns as a team in a 49-24 beatdown over the Golden Gophers. Minnesota was No. 21 but dropped out of the rankings.

The Big Ten will be front and center again next week when Ohio State takes on Penn State next Saturday.