Five Things Feeding My Soul: Week 9 Takeaways – Another No. 2 Falls as Chaos Reigns
Halloween weekend delivered plenty of tricks, a few treats, in the latest instalment of one of the most unpredictable seasons in college football.
A week after then second-ranked BYU tripped up at UCF, the latest team to occupy the No. 2 ranking, Ohio State, became the latest heavyweight to stumble, falling to USC in Los Angeles giving the bookmakers another fright.
No.1 ranked Miami and unbeaten Indiana survived scares, while Shane Beamer’s South Carolina continued its remarkable transformation from SEC also-rans to a team nobody wants to face.
The Big 12 served up another extraordinary finish, and Georgia reminded everyone of its championship credentials with an emphatic victory over an up and coming Florida team.
With the first College Football Playoff rankings arriving on Tuesday, the contenders are fighting upsets on a weekly basis and, critically, running out of opportunities to establish themselves.
Here's what fed my soul in Week 9.
1. The No. 2 curse strikes again
USC 30, No. 2 Ohio State 18
Being ranked No. 2 in college football is becoming something of a curse.
Ohio State became the latest victim, falling to an inspired USC side in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Buckeyes arrived in California with their national championship ambitions firmly intact, but left with plenty of questions to answer.
The Trojans couldn't have asked for a better start. Quarterback Jayden Maiava connected with Trent Mosley for a 69-yard touchdown on their opening possession, setting the tone for an evening in which USC shook off their anticlimactic season to date and looked determined to make a statement.
Ohio State were without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, but still managed to outgain USC 464 yards to 338 and dominate time of possession, with backup Luke Fahey making a debut that suggests a promising future. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, yards and possession don't necessarily translate into points. USC were clinical when it mattered, while Ohio State struggled to make their opportunities count.
For the Trojans, this was Lincoln Riley's first win over a top-5 ranked team since taking over at USC, the kind of victory that can transform a season. For Ohio State, it was another reminder that reputation counts for very little once the ball is kicked off.
2. Winning ugly is still winning
No. 1 Miami 38, North Carolina 35
No. 4 Indiana 23, Minnesota 16 (OT)
There are games in every team's championship season when their performances become less convincing and simply finding a way to win becomes the most important thing.
For Miami and Indiana, who contested the national championship final last season, this feeling will have become familiar.
The No.1 ranked Hurricanes travelled to Chapel Hill and found themselves in an unexpectedly fierce contest with Bill Belichick's North Carolina. Miami eventually emerged 38–35 winners, preserving their unbeaten record but doing little to suggest they are comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.
Indiana had an equally uncomfortable afternoon against Minnesota.
The defending national champion Hoosiers needed overtime to see off the Golden Gophers 23–16. The closing stages of regulation were extraordinary, with both teams converting field goals from 60 yards before Indiana finally prevailed in overtime.
It wasn't pretty, but the Hoosiers found a way.
These are precisely the sorts of games championship contenders need to win. The ability to overcome adversity, rather than simply overpower opponents, can prove invaluable when the stakes are raised.
Both teams remain on course for a high seeded spot in the College Football Playoff, although there will be more tests ahead in this extraordinary season.
3. South Carolina's remarkable revival
South Carolina 42, Oklahoma 25
A few weeks ago, South Carolina's season appeared to be heading in entirely the wrong direction. Three consecutive defeats to open SEC play had left the Gamecocks facing the prospect of a deeply disappointing campaign.
Fast forward a few weeks and Shane Beamer's team has suddenly become one of the conference's most intriguing stories. Victories over Florida and Tennessee were followed by an emphatic 42–25 win at Oklahoma, and much of the credit belongs to quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Sellers, who showed so much promise in the early part of last season before fizzling out, was outstanding against the Sooners, throwing for 301 yards, adding another 96 on the ground and accounting for five touchdowns.
When their quarterback is playing with this level of confidence, South Carolina possess an offence capable of causing serious problems for even the strongest opponents.
A team seemingly heading nowhere in early October is suddenly playing some of the most entertaining football in the SEC. South Carolina may have left themselves too much ground to make up in the conference race, but they're certainly capable of influencing how it finishes.
4. The Big 12 is gloriously unpredictable
Iowa State 51, No. 24 Oklahoma State 49
If you're looking for predictability, the Big 12 probably isn't the conference for you. If you're looking for entertainment, however, there's nowhere better.
Iowa State and Oklahoma State combined for 100 points and more than 1,100 yards of offence in a game that somehow saved its most dramatic moments until the very end.
The Cowboys appeared to have snatched victory when they took a 49–48 lead with just 53 seconds remaining.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, that was still enough time for Iowa State to respond.
The Cyclones drove downfield and Kyle Konrardy converted a 34-yard field goal as time expired to secure an extraordinary 51–49 victory.
There were outstanding individual performances throughout. Iowa State's Aiden Flora rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, rapidly emerging as a potential top draft pick, threw for 323 yards and five scores.
Elsewhere in the Big 12, Texas Tech came from behind to beat Arizona 34–26, BYU, last week's defeated No.2, held off Arizona State 27–20, and Utah strengthened their credentials with a convincing 49–25 victory over Cincinnati, who had conquered Texas Tech last weekend.
With the conference championship race gathering momentum, there's every chance the Big 12 will continue to produce twists and turns over the coming weeks.
5. Georgia makes a championship statement
No. 3 Georgia 27, No. 17 Florida 8
One of college football's great rivalries took on a slightly different appearance this weekend.
With Jacksonville temporarily unavailable as the traditional home of the Georgia–Florida game, the two teams met in Atlanta. The venue may have changed, but the intensity of the rivalry certainly hadn't.
Georgia delivered one of the weekend's most convincing performances against ranked opposition, overpowering Florida 27–8. This was a victory built on the sort of defensive dominance that has become synonymous with Kirby Smart's Bulldogs.
Georgia forced four turnovers, recorded four sacks and produced the game's defining moment when Chris Cole returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown.
Offensively, the Bulldogs relied heavily on their ground game, rushing for 217 yards, while quarterback Gunner Stockton was required to throw for just 101 yards.
It wasn't particularly spectacular football, but it was ruthlessly effective.
At a time when several of the nation's leading contenders are struggling to impose themselves on opponents, Georgia's performance served as a reminder of just how formidable they can be. The Bulldogs may not always be the most entertaining team to watch, but they're increasingly looking like one of the hardest to beat.
If you'd like to know more about the history and traditions surrounding this wonderful rivalry, take a look at my recent piece on the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
The road to the Playoff
Nine weeks into the season, college football is showing little sign of settling down.
Ohio State's defeat, the narrow escapes of Miami and Indiana, South Carolina's remarkable resurgence and the continuing unpredictability of the Big 12 have given us another weekend packed with talking points.
With the first College Football Playoff rankings arriving this week, we're about to get our clearest indication yet of how the committee views the contenders. Regardless of their selection, Week 10 will likely throw the rankings up in the air once again.
Saturdays Under The Lights
Tony and I talk about the latest news and action across the college football landscape in our podcast Saturdays Under The Lights. You can hear the episodes in full and subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
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