Seven Ranked Teams Fall as College Football Week 9 Shakes Up Playoff Race

Week 9 of the college football season delivered the kind of chaos that reshapes a playoff race. Seven ranked teams lost on Saturday, October 31, the three remaining unbeaten teams all survived scares or statement tests of their own, and the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season — due out Tuesday night — now look far less predictable than they did a week ago.

The headline upset came in Los Angeles, where USC stunned No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 at the Coliseum, handing the Buckeyes a loss that blows open the Big Ten race and the national title picture. Elsewhere, No. 20 Boise State pulled off the comeback of the weekend, No. 1 Miami needed a late rally to stay perfect, and No. 4 Indiana needed overtime to keep its own unbeaten run alive.

USC stuns No. 2 Ohio State in the Coliseum

USC’s 30-18 win over Ohio State was the biggest result of the day and a major blow to the Buckeyes’ championship outlook. The Trojans controlled the featured matchup in Los Angeles, and the defeat drops Ohio State into a far more crowded chasing pack with the season entering its final month.

For USC, the win is a program statement — a top-two scalp at home on Halloween weekend that keeps the Trojans firmly in the playoff conversation. For Ohio State, the road back now likely runs through winning out and getting help elsewhere.

Boise State’s wild comeback keeps the Group of Six race alive

No. 20 Boise State produced the most dramatic finish of Week 9, rallying from a 28-3 halftime lead that had evaporated into a 39-28 deficit to beat Texas State 46-45 on Saturday night. Backup quarterback Max Cutforth threw three touchdown passes in the final seven minutes to complete the comeback.

Texas State had scored 36 straight points to take control, helped by Jayden Bradley’s return of Maddux Madsen’s first interception of the season for a touchdown. Brad Jackson threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns for Texas State, which has still never beaten a ranked team in 13 tries since moving up to the FBS in 2012.

The win keeps Boise State (7-1, 4-0 Pac-12) in front in the race for the playoff spot reserved for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion — the prize that makes the Broncos’ season about far more than conference pride.

The unbeatens survive — barely

Three unbeaten teams remain: Miami (8-0), Utah (8-0) and UCLA (8-0), and none of them had it easy.

No. 1 Miami escaped North Carolina 38-35 in Chapel Hill, needing a go-ahead 2-yard touchdown run from Mark Fletcher Jr. on fourth down with 7:49 left and a critical strip-sack from Marquise Lightfoot, recovered by Justin Scott, to finally shake free. Miami’s high-powered offense then stretched the lead through Darian Mensah’s 9-yard scoring strike to Malachi Toney, before the Hurricanes recovered an onside kick in the final minute to kneel the game out. North Carolina fell to 0-12 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams.

No. 4 Indiana survived Minnesota 23-16 in overtime, while No. 6 Utah stayed perfect with a 49-25 win at Cincinnati behind three Devon Dampier touchdown passes and two defensive scores. UCLA blanked Nevada 27-0 to complete the unbeaten trio’s weekend.

Elsewhere in the Top 25: Georgia rolls, Sellers stars, Iowa State survives a shootout

No. 3 Georgia routed No. 17 Florida 27-8 in Atlanta, recording 11 tackles for loss to sit atop the SEC as the conference’s last one-loss team. Texas routed Mississippi State 31-3 despite allowing five sacks of quarterback Arch Manning, and Ole Miss rolled Auburn 45-15 behind 30 first downs and 224 rushing yards.

South Carolina routed Oklahoma 42-25 in Norman behind a spectacular day from quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who finished 19-of-24 for 301 yards and three touchdowns through the air, plus 13 carries for 96 yards and two more scores on the ground. It was his second straight game accounting for five total touchdowns, and his 397 total yards outgained Oklahoma’s entire offense (359 yards). The Gamecocks have now won three straight and, at 5-3, still hold an outside shot at the playoff — though a brutal closing stretch featuring Texas A&M, Georgia and Clemson stands in the way.

Iowa State outlasted No. 24 Oklahoma State 51-49 in a shootout, Colorado beat Kansas State 27-24 in overtime in Boulder — Deion Sanders’ first Big 12 win in more than a calendar year, celebrated by fans storming the field — and Michigan held off Rutgers 28-21 behind quarterback Tommy Carr, who played through the flu in his second career start. Illinois edged Maryland 20-17 on Ethan Moczulski’s 26-yard field goal as time expired, NC State beat California 31-10, Notre Dame beat Navy 35-13, BYU held off Arizona State 27-20, Texas Tech held off Arizona 34-26, Iowa shut out Wisconsin 30-0, Syracuse stunned SMU 30-27, Oregon rallied past Northwestern 34-26 and Wake Forest buried Virginia 51-7.

What Week 9 means for the playoff

With seven ranked teams falling in a single Saturday, Tuesday’s first College Football Playoff rankings will reward the survivors and punish the teams that slipped. Miami, Utah and UCLA control their own destiny as the last unbeatens, but none has yet played a team currently in the Coaches Poll top 18 — a fact that will fuel debate about their resumes.

Georgia’s position as the SEC’s last one-loss team looks strong, Boise State’s Group of Six lead is intact, and Ohio State’s loss opens the door for a host of one-loss contenders. The next month will sort it out — starting with next Saturday’s marquee matchup, when No. 1 Miami travels to No. 5 Notre Dame in a rematch of last year’s game that ultimately swung a playoff bid to the Hurricanes.

FAQ

How many ranked teams lost in college football Week 9?
Seven ranked teams lost on Saturday, October 31, 2026, including No. 2 Ohio State, which fell 30-18 at USC.

Which college football teams are still unbeaten?
Three teams remain unbeaten: Miami (8-0), Utah (8-0) and UCLA (8-0).

When are the first College Football Playoff rankings released?
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season will be released on Tuesday night, following Week 9.

What was the biggest upset of Week 9?
USC’s 30-18 win over No. 2 Ohio State at the Coliseum, though No. 20 Boise State’s 46-45 comeback win over Texas State — after trailing 39-28 — was the most dramatic finish.

Who is leading the Group of Six playoff race?
No. 20 Boise State (7-1) leads the race for the playoff spot reserved for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion after its comeback win over Texas State.

Sources: Associated Press via theScore, PFF’s Week 9 scores and recaps, and Saturday Down South.