The Week 9 college football slate looked like a lighter one, but there are always surprises to be found. Seven AP Top 25 teams dropped in the first two windows of the day, including five to unranked opponents.
No. 2 Ohio State dropped to USC in the most stunning performance of the day, losing Ryan Day’s second career game against an unranked opponent. No. 1 Miami was also pushed, but ultimately survived.
Of course, No. 3 Georgia continues to flex its muscles, eviscerating rival Florida. No. 4 Indiana, though, needed some late heroics from its kicker. No. 13 Texas Tech finally looked the part of a Big 12 contender, while No. 25 Wisconsin’s season slid to a screeching halt.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 9.
Loser: Ohio State
No. 2 Ohio State’s loss to USC came with a freshman quarterback in the lineup, but there was an awful lot that felt off about it. The Buckeyes were bullied in the secondary, including giving up a 69-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. The offensive line struggled to get consistent push. USC scored on four of its first six drives, with another ending on a fumble in Ohio State territory.
Aside from a late loss to Texas, Ohio State has managed to hold on to games by the skin of their teeth, including a tight battle against a flawed Indiana team. Now, the Buckeyes are proving that they’re mortal. Ohio State had not lost two games before November since 2011.
Winner: Iowa State
The Cyclones went through one of the most dramatic roster transformations of the offseason after losing nearly their entire two-deep to Penn State. Now, Iowa State is putting itself in an unlikely position for a bowl game after stunning No. 24 Oklahoma State 51-49 on a game-winning field goal.
After a few tough weeks against elite competition, running back Aiden Flora broke out again with 221 yards and two touchdowns in the win, including a 75-yard breakaway touchdown. The Cyclones never blinked when potential No. 1 pick Drew Mestemaker kept dropping bombs, and now, they play four straight games against unranked opponents to close the year.
Loser: Nebraska
Only days after announcing a new contract with quarterback Anthony Colandrea that will keep him in Lincoln through 2027, the Cornhuskers lost a brutal game against Washington.
The Cornhuskers led 7-3 until the game’s final 90 seconds, when the Huskies threw a touchdown pass to take their first lead.
With a chance to either tie or win the game, Colandrea stepped back and threw an awful decision to safety Alex McLaughlin, who returned the pass 48 yards for a game-sealing touchdown, only 15 seconds of clock later. Nebraska has now lost three games straight by a combined 13 points. The curse of the Huskers lives on.
Winner: RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
College football got a real scare over the summer when All-American running back Ahmad Hardy suffered a gunshot wound during a concert. There were real concerns about Hardy’s future career and life, especially as doctors opted to leave the bullet lodged in his leg because of the danger of removing it.
Against all odds, Hardy returned to the field against Arkansas on Saturday. He recorded only three carries in his return, but broke off a dramatic 37-yard run in the fourth quarter. While Missouri will benefit from the return of one of college football’s best running backs, his story will inspire fans across the sport.
Winner: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti
How does he keep getting away with it? No. 4 Indiana was dead to rights after Minnesota drilled a 60-yard field goal in the waning seconds of regulation. Cignetti appeared to completely mismanage the clock, letting 40 seconds run instead of taking a timeout.
Then, Indiana miraculously nailed a 60-yard field goal of their own and produced the game-winning play to open overtime in a 23-16 victory against the Golden Gophers. Indiana is clearly diminished from its national title team, but it doesn’t matter. Cignetti just, somehow, manages to find a way.
Loser: Wisconsin
The vibes were exceedingly positive in Madison after an impressive few performances to get Wisconsin back into the AP Top 25 under coach Luke Fickell. All the goodwill was spent in an instant as the Badgers lost a 30-0 stunner against Iowa.
Wisconsin was completely outclassed on both sides of the ball, mustering only 52 yards rushing. They allowed Iowa quarterback Hank Brown to complete 20-of-24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, one of the best quarterback performances in years for the Hawkeyes.
All the momentum from a breakout 2026 season is gone for the Badgers. Closing the year out with four unranked victories to reach nine wins would be nice, but below the expectations of this team after last week’s domination of No. 16 USC.
Winner: Texas Tech
Obituaries were started for Texas Tech’s season after a stunning two-touchdown loss to Cincinnati last week. Instead of panicking, coach Joey McGuire handed the keys to backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos.
The Red Raiders have now outdueled No. 22 Houston and No. 22 Arizona in impressive home performances, launching them into the Big 12 title discussion. With road trips to No. 24 Oklahoma State and Baylor remaining, the Red Raiders have a few more prove-it spots against two of the hottest teams in the conference.
Winner: QB Dylan Raiola, Oregon
The Raiola era at Oregon has been a mess ever since he was forced into the starting lineup in place of Dante Moore. After going down 10-0 against No. 20 Northwestern, it looked like the Ducks were heading towards another disastrous performance.
After the early adversity, Raiola rose to the occasion. The Nebraska transfer completed 22-of-31 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns in one of the best games of his career. New offensive coordinator Jay Johnson did a much better job of letting Oregon’s star-studded receivers make moves in space.
Oregon’s playoff hopes are likely doomed, but a road trip against No. 2 Ohio State next week makes things awfully interesting. It’s a major spot for Raiola to cement himself as a repaired prospect.
Loser: Oklahoma
The Sooners just keep finding new lows as Brent Venables heads towards his third losing season in five years. This time, it was a stunning 42-25 loss to South Carolina at home in a game that likely spelled the end of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
For the first time this season, the Sooners’ defense completely collapsed. The Sooners allowed 28 points in the first half alone and looked outmatched. There were multiple coverage busts, including an 84-yard breakaway for a touchdown from LaNorris Sellers to DJ Black.
At this point, Oklahoma under Venables is bad at everything. The Sooners scored 15 points in garbage time to make the score look respectable, but this was a collapse.
Winner: QB DJ Lagway, Baylor
For the second year in a row, DJ Lagway saw his coach fired. But under interim Baylor coach Joe Klanderman, Lagway played perhaps the best game of his career. Facing one of the stingiest defenses in the Big 12 in UCF, Lagway set back and picked them apart.
He threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, completing 64% of his passes in a 41-9 victory. It could just be a simple dead cat bounce, but Baylor played with more urgency than it has seen in years.
Loser: SMU
With only one close loss on their record, No. 19 SMU looked like a potential spoiler in the College Football Playoff race. The Mustangs were a solid No. 3, within striking distance of Wake Forest and Miami. But after a stunning 30-27 loss against Syracuse, it’s another frustrating season of what-ifs.
The Mustangs have been painfully close the past several years to returning to the College Football Playoff, including a loss to California on the last play of the game. This was similarly painful, giving up a passing touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to a team that entered at 3-4 and searching for any consistency.
Winner: Sacramento State
The Hornets had a brutal transition to FBS, losing their first seven FBS games by an average of 27.5 points per game. But finally, against Kent State, the Hornets recorded their first-ever FBS victory, 31-10. Running back Isaiah Ene rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and the Hornets can build some confidence as the season heads into the home stretch.