The Indiana Hoosiers are better than the best team the SEC has to offer.
The Hoosiers dispatched the UCLA Bruins with the kind of dominance that has become their calling card in the Big Ten. It’s not just that IU beats the teams it’s supposed to — it’s that the Hoosiers leave no doubt, sending a clear message nationwide.
They’ve beaten every top-25 team they’ve faced by double digits. The only team to hand Indiana a loss as lopsided as the ones they’ve handed most opponents in the Curt Cignetti era is Ohio State. A showdown in the Big Ten title game feels inevitable.
With that, here’s a look at my Top 25 rankings following Week 9 of the college football season:
Week 9 result: Idle
2. Indiana (8-0)
Week 9 result: Defeated UCLA, 56-6
In eight games this season, the Hoosiers have scored at least 30 points six times, 56 or more four times, and have never allowed more than 20 points in a game. Heck, even Kennesaw State (9) put up more points against IU than UCLA did.
Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines is emerging as a serious Broyles Award candidate if Cignetti nominates him. His defense has held six of eight opponents to 15 points or fewer, and not a single team has cracked the 20-point mark.
Week 9 result: Defeated LSU, 49-25
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-best 108 yards and two scores as the Aggies won in LSU’s Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1994.
Now sitting at 8-0, Texas A&M is off to its best start since the 1992 season.
Week 9 result: Defeated South Carolina, 29-22
Quarterback Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Germie Bernard added two scores late in the fourth quarter to lead the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind win. The Tide have not lost a conference game.
Week 9 result: Defeated Wisconsin, 21-7
The Ducks earned the win, but an injury to standout quarterback Dante Moore is cause for concern. Moore was hit in the head and entered the medical tent during the third quarter. He did not return to the game. Brock Thomas finished the game for the Ducks at QB.
Week 9 result: Idle
Week 9 result: Defeated Oklahoma, 34-26
The Rebels came from behind to beat the last remaining ranked opponent on their schedule. The win keeps Ole Miss in contention to play for the SEC title and make its first trip to the College Football Playoff.
Week 9 result: Defeated Missouri, 17-10
The Commodores earned a hard-fought win against yet another top-25 opponent, keeping pace with Georgia to remain tied for second in the SEC standings. The victory also preserves their chances of reaching the SEC title game and securing their first trip to the College Football Playoff.
Week 9 result: Defeated Kentucky, 56-34
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar completed 20 of 26 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns in the win. A trio of Volunteer receivers — Chris Brazzell II, Mike Matthews, and Braylon Staley — each topped the 100-yard mark, led by Brazzell’s 138 yards and a touchdown.
10. BYU (8-0)
Week 9 result: Defeated Iowa State, 41-27
BYU joined Indiana as the only FBS programs to start each of the last two seasons 8-0. With true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier at the helm, the Cougars have established themselves as the top team in the Big 12.
Week 9 result: Defeated Syracuse, 41-16
Quarterback Haynes King threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 91 yards and two scores on the ground in Georgia Tech’s signature win of the season. The Yellow Jackets are 8-0 for the first time since 1966 and have established themselves as the best team in the ACC.
Week 9 result: Defeated Boston College, 38-24
The Cardinals continued their impressive season, putting themselves in position to slide into the ACC title game if Virginia loses. A win against then-No. 2 Miami — with their only loss coming to a top-25 Virginia team — could even earn them an at-large spot in the College Football Playoff.
Week 9 result: Defeated Stanford, 42-7
After falling behind 7-0, the Hurricanes scored 42 unanswered points to get back to winning and make a push for their first invitation to the CFP.
The Canes’ defense forced two turnovers, sacked Stanford QB Ben Gulbranson twice and held the Cardinal to just 4-of-14 on third down.
Week 9 result: Idle
Week 9 result: Lost to Vanderbilt, 17-10
The Tigers lost star quarterback Beau Pribula to an injury that might keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. With his absence, the team will likely be playing for its postseason future over the remaining four games of the season.
Week 9 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 45-38
For the second straight week, the Longhorns rallied from behind to beat an SEC opponent in overtime, keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive and remaining tied for second place in the league.
Quarterback Arch Manning completed 29 of 46 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in a game where the Longhorns trailed 31-14 before mounting their comeback.
Week 9 result: Lost to Ole Miss, 34-26
Despite 100-yard performances from running back Xavier Robinson on the ground and wide receiver Isaiah Sategna through the air, the Sooners couldn’t avoid their second loss in three weeks.
Week 9 result: Defeated Oklahoma State, 42-0
The Red Raiders led the Cowboys 28-0 at halftime and were dominant defensively against a team that hasn’t beaten an FBS opponent since Sept. 14, 2024.
Week 9 result: Defeated USF, 34-31
Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ comeback win over the top-ranked team in the Group of 6. With the victory, Memphis can now stake its claim as the G6’s best.
Week 9 result: Defeated Michigan State, 31-20
Running backs Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall carried the Wolverines’ offense in the win over their in-state foe. Haynes led Michigan with 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Marshall added 110 yards on the ground and a score.
The Wolverines have now won four straight games in the rivalry.
Week 9 result: Defeated Baylor, 41-20
The Bearcats have won seven straight for the first time since 2021 — the year they became the first and only Group of 6 program to reach the College Football Playoff in its four-team format. The driving force behind this season’s success has been the dual-threat play of quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has rushed for 425 yards and seven touchdowns.
Kicker Stephen Rusnak has also been perfect, remaining the only specialist in the country to make every field goal attempt since the start of last season — making him a clear front-runner for the Lou Groza Award.
Week 9 result: Defeated Illinois, 42-25
Wideout Denzel Boston caught a touchdown and threw for another, finishing with 10 catches for 153 yards in a game in which the Huskies trailed 17-14 in the second quarter.
The win marks just the second over a top-25 opponent in the Jedd Fisch era and keeps the Huskies in the College Football Playoff conversation.
Week 9 result: Defeated North Carolina, 17-16
Quarterback Chandler Morris threw for 200 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Cavaliers, who have won four straight one-score games, including two in overtime.
Week 9 result: Defeated Arizona State, 24-16
Willie Fritz’s Cougars led the Sun Devils 24-0 after three quarters. With just one loss to Texas Tech, Houston has recorded a top-25 win and a top-25 defeat — and avoided matchups against BYU or Cincinnati.
25. USC (5-2)
Week 9 result: Idle
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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