College Football Rankings 2020: Reviewing NCAA Polls Before Final Week 9 Games

Week 9 presents a unique set of challenges for the top three teams in the nation.

The Clemson Tigers will be without Trevor Lawrence after his positive COVID-19 test, the Alabama Crimson Tide play their first full game after Jaylen Waddle's season-ending injury and the Ohio State Buckeyes face a Top 25 road matchup.

Ohio State's showdown with the Penn State Nittany Lions could make them the most vulnerable team in the top five, but it could put that concern to bed early against a depleted opponent.

If any significant movement occurs in the polls after Week 9, it will be due to upsets since the Ohio State-Penn State clash is the only meeting of Top 25 teams Saturday.

Week 9 Polls

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

Clemson will be the first of the top three teams to play Saturday. And its home game against the Boston College Eagles has more attention than expected because of Lawrence's absence.

Freshman D.J. Uiagalelei, who has 102 passing yards in mop-up duty this year, will take over for Lawrence in an offense that has produced more than 40 points in all but one game in 2020.

The Tigers still have running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Amari Rodgers available, and they should make the first-time starter feel comfortable on home soil against an opponent they beat by 52 points in 2019.

Dabo Swinney's side is not expected to lose with the 5-star signal-caller in place, but it may not be surprising if Uiagalelei experiences a bit of difficulty to start.

Alabama will call on its next-man-up mentality to replace Waddle, who left the Week 8 win over the Tennessee Volunteers with a broken ankle.

The combination of DeVonta Smith, John Metchie and Slade Bolden should do plenty of damage to a Mississippi State Bulldogs defense that has not received much support from its offense. Mike Leach's team has 30 points from its past three games, and unless its offense miraculously turns things around against the Crimson Tide, it could be in for a long few hours inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Ohio State carries a three-game winning streak against Penn State into Beaver Stadium, where a depleted Nittany Lions running back corps awaits its defense.

Noah Cain joined Journey Brown in being out for the season. Penn State also lost Ricky Slade to a transfer. That leaves Devyn Ford as Sean Clifford's best backfield partner, and neither player achieved success against the Buckeyes rushing defense in 2019.

Ohio State held Penn State to 99 rushing yards and contained Clifford's aerial production to 71 passing yards. Backup Will Levis recorded 57 yards. If the Buckeyes defense has its way with Clifford and Co., Justin Fields could break open their advantage and keep them in the top three for another week.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys could be in the most danger of any top-10 team since the Texas Longhorns come into their Saturday clash off a 27-16 win over the Baylor Bears. If Texas' defense turns in a similar performance against a more talented offense, it could cause more chaos in the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma State is the only unbeaten team in the conference.

The Kansas State Wildcats could also be in danger, as they face a tricky road trip to West Virginia, who beat them by four points in 2019.

In total, nine Top 25 programs visit unranked opposition Saturday, which might be a recipe for more upsets.

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