Week 9 brought us a pretty boring college football schedule during the day.

And an unforgettable nightcap!

The playoff race got a lot more exciting with some wild results on Saturday evening. The Aggies of Texas A&M made our top 10 after storming back to beat LSU. Are the Tigers out? Perhaps. The SMU Mustangs stayed in the playoff race with an overtime win over Duke, which likely slipped out of playoff consideration. Penn State remained undefeated by ending any small playoff hopes Wisconsin had. The Buckeyes survived a scare from Nebraska and eliminated the Huskers.

TCU, down by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter, staged a blitz in the fourth quarter to knock off in-state rival Texas Tech. Notre Dame dropped Navy from the list of undefeated FBS teams (there are now eight undefeated teams remaining).

And then there are the Indiana Hoosiers, who posted an 8-0 record for the first time in more than 50 years. Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns followed the loss to Georgia with a win at Vanderbilt, and Kansas missed a game against rival Kansas State, keeping its CFP and Big 12 title hopes alive.

On to the top 10!

1. Oregon Ducks

This week: Beat Illinois 38-9

Next week: in Michigan

The top-ranked Ducks wasted no time against the Illini, jumping out to 14-0, 21-3 leads and never really looking back. After an emotionally and physically draining win over Ohio State two weeks ago, Dan Lanning’s team has only posted a shutout at Purdue and defeated a top-25 team at home. No team can make a better argument for top spot.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

This week: Defeat Wisconsin 28-13

Next week: vs. Ohio State

James Franklin’s team turned a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter into a two-touchdown win after scoring two points in four quarters. Running back Kaytron Allen scored the sealing score from 24 yards out, which contributed to his strong performance: 11 carries and 86 yards. Next up, the Buckeyes travel to Happy Valley.

3. Georgia Bulldogs

This week: Bye

Next week: vs. Florida (Jacksonville)

Prepare your cocktails! The world’s largest outdoor cocktail party begins next Saturday between the Gators and Bulldogs in Jacksonville. Both teams previously received a bye, and Georgia needed it after a big, emotional win in Austin, where they played their best game of the entire season. Can they keep the mojo going against a desperate Gators team?

4. Miami Hurricanes

This week: Beat FSU 36-14

Next week: vs. Duke

Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes showered the 1-7 Seminoles. Cam Ward wasn’t the star this time. Running back Damien Martinez had 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Miami now hosts former coach Manny Diaz to bring its record to 9-0 on the season.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

This week: Beat Nebraska 21-17

Next week: at Penn State

The Buckeyes have real, real problems on offense. They struggled in pass protection and didn’t open many holes for the running backs. Is this a cause for concern in Happy Valley? Yes that’s it. Ohio State still has Jeremiah Smith at receiver and he caught another touchdown on Saturday.

6. Clemson Tigers

This week: Bye

Next week: vs. Louisville

The Tigers have continued to struggle since their season-opening loss to Georgia in Atlanta. The path to the ACC Championship Game is pretty clear, even though Pitt will be undefeated in a few weeks. And don’t look now, but quarterback Cade Klubnik is putting up some of the best numbers in the country (260 passing yards per game, 20 touchdowns, 3 interceptions).

7. Indiana Hoosiers

This week: Beat Washington 31-17

Next week: at Michigan State

For the first time since 1967, the Hoosiers are 8-0. One of college football’s best and most unlikely stories in 2024 continues to unfold. First-year coach Curt Cignetti didn’t need an explosive offensive performance in this game (IU only had 312 total yards). His defense got a pick 6 and held the Huskies to three third-down conversions.

8. Notre Dame battles Irish

This week: Defeat Navy 51-14

Next week: Bye

With six straight wins and three dominant wins in a row, the Irish look more like the team that won at Texas A&M earlier in the year than the team that pulled off a dud against Northern Illinois. Quarterback Riley Leonard doesn’t have to be a hero in the air because ND’s defense is loaded with talent. Leonard and Jeremiyah Love combined for 17 rushing touchdowns.

9. BYU Cougars

This week: Beat UCF 37-24

Next week: Bye

The Cougars didn’t need a last-second comeback in this game and took a 17-0 lead in Orlando. Kalani Sitake’s team is 8-0, having won a total of five games last season. They rest in Utah before the Holy War on November 9th.

10. Texas A&M Aggies

This week: Defeat LSU 38-23

Next week: in South Carolina

Hello, Marcel Reed! The sophomore came off the bench to lead the Aggies from a 10-point deficit to a two-touchdown win. Mike Elko is 5-0 at the top of the SEC standings in his first season and the path forward is not there The difficult. The Aggies are a legitimate playoff team.

Dropped out: Iowa State (10)