College Football Rankings 2020: Week 9 Polls and Top 25 Standings Predictions

The Big Ten may have expected its marquee clash of Week 9 to determine the league's College Football Playoff front-runner.

After the Penn State Nittany Lions' loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, however, a whole different set of circumstances surround their home clash with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Saturday night's contest is still valuable to Ohio State's playoff hopes, but it does not have a chance to earn a top-10 victory, like the Alabama Crimson Tide earned over the Georgia Bulldogs. The No. 1 Clemson Tigers, meanwhile, are scheduled to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Week 10.

Ohio State is one of seven undefeated teams in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 and the Amway Coaches Poll. If the Buckeyes win and an upset or two occur to programs in the teens, a few Group of Five programs could continue their surges up the rankings.

Week 9 AP Top 25

1. Clemson (6-0)

2. Alabama (5-0)

3. Ohio State (1-0)

4. Notre Dame (5-0)

5. Georgia (3-1)

6. Oklahoma State (4-0)

7. Cincinnati (4-0)

8. Texas A&M (3-1)

9. Wisconsin (1-0)

10. Florida (2-1)

11. BYU (6-0)

12. Miami (5-1)

13. Michigan (1-0)

14. Oregon (0-0)

15. North Carolina (4-1)

16. Kansas State (4-1)

17. Indiana (1-0)

18. Penn State (0-1)

19. Marshall (5-0)

20. Coastal Carolina (5-0)

21. USC (0-0)

22. SMU (5-1)

23. Iowa State (3-2)

24. Oklahoma (3-2)

25. Boise State (1-0)

Coaches Poll

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Notre Dame

5. Georgia

6. Oklahoma State

7. Cincinnati 

8. Texas A&M

9. Florida

10. BYU 

11. Wisconsin

12. Miami

13. North Carolina

14. Michigan

15. Oregon

16. Kansas State

17. Penn State

18. Marshall

19. Indiana

20. USC

21. Coastal Carolina

22. Iowa State

23. SMU

24. Oklahoma

25. Army

Standings Predictions

Ohio State Doesn't Gain Any Ground with Win Over Penn State

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Ohio State carries a few disadvantages compared to Alabama and Clemson in its hunt to be the No. 1 team in the rankings.

The Buckeyes started late and do not have many opportunities to beat the high-quality teams that the Crimson Tide and Tigers could roll.

Week 9 was supposed to feature a top-10 showdown between the Buckeyes and Penn State, but instead the Nittany Lions are hovering on the edge of the top 20 and may be knocked out of the rankings with a defeat. 

Ohio State has won seven of its past eight meetings with Penn State. Last season's 11-point win was the largest margin of victory in the series since the Buckeyes won in 2015. If Ryan Day's team rolls to another double-digit victory, it may not impress the voters much since Penn State would be 0-2 and far removed from the College Football Playoff discussion.

Clemson and Alabama do not face a slew of Top 25 teams, but their toughest opponents are still in the mix for a title. Alabama controlled the second half versus Georgia to take control of the SEC, and Clemson can put a stranglehold on the ACC title race by beating Notre Dame.

Since both of those wins would be top-five victories and Ohio State would be left with a win over 18th-ranked Penn State, it would not move up from No. 3 with a Week 9 triumph inside Beaver Stadium.

The good news for Ohio State is that the Michigan Wolverines could be in the top 10 by their December 12 clash and that the Indiana Hoosiers may land in the top 15 by November 21. But for now, it has to wait for its first top-10 victory.

Marshall, Coastal Carolina Continue to Climb

Paul Kieu/Associated Press

If Penn State stumbles at home, it could open the door for the Marshall Thundering Herd and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to inch closer to the top 15.

Marshall moved up three spots to No. 19 in the AP Top 25, while Coastal Carolina used a five-spot surge to pull ahead of the USC Trojans at No. 20.

If the Thundering Herd defense continues to hold opponents under 20 points, it should dispense of the Florida International Panthers on Friday night. Marshall held three foes to single digits, including the Florida Atlantic Owls in Week 8.

If that is the case, the Herd could sit back and project how far their next leap in the standings could be.

Coastal Carolina could do the same following its early-afternoon clash with the Georgia State Panthers.  The Chanticleers possess four double-digit victories and have a ranked victory in tow from knocking off the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.

With Penn State hosting Ohio State and Kansas State facing a tricky road test against the West Virginia Mountaineers, there could be two spots available for Marshall and Coastal Carolina to slide into.

If more upsets occur to top-15 teams, one or both could land in that echelon of the rankings Sunday, but it is more likely that a gradual climb occurs.

Both teams need more losses from the teams ahead of them and for the Cincinnati Bearcats to slip up at some point to be real players in the race to be the Group of Five representative in the New Year's Six. No. 7 Cincinnati faces a potentially tricky home game against the Memphis Tigers in Week 9, while the BYU Cougars are expected to produce another blowout win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Marshall and Coastal Carolina can continue to close the gap between themselves and Cincinnati and BYU, but they must remain perfect in the process of hoping for more upsets to push for the New Year's Six.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.