With a little over five weeks remaining until the end of the 2024 college football season, the playoff picture is quickly taking shape.
Each game from this point could determine the fate of teams whose playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. With this noted, let's review what we learned from this past week.
What Did We Learn In Week 9?
Navy gave it their best, but the read option didn't work against a Notre Dame team that has been on fire. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard got it done both with his arm and his legs and has been playing at a high level in the last few weeks.
BYU is scary, really scary. They scored on the first drive of the game and didn't look back from that point. In a similar way to Indiana, they don't have any standout players; it's a collective group that plays for each other. Now at 8-0, it will be interesting to see if they get into the top 10.
Watch out, here comes Texas A&M. Their win over LSU was impressive for several reasons: firstly, they were down by 10 at halftime, and Conner Weigman finished the game with only 64 passing yards; yet they still managed to score 38 points. Garrett Nussmeier had a heck of a game, but it came with three costly interceptions. That said, the Tigers still have a chance at the playoffs, but they'll likely have to face the Aggies again.
Thankfully, Penn State has an elite defense, because their offense leaves much to be desired. Yes, they're still undefeated, but I wouldn't call this year's version of the Nittany Lions a powerhouse.
Vanderbilt may have lost, but they pushed Texas to the limit. If anything, the Commodores have proven this season that they can compete against anyone.
Speaking of scary teams, Oregon is in a league above everyone else. They took down a very good Illinois team and made it look easy. Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel is proving why he is one of the top overall players in college football and has a strong case for the Heisman Trophy.
Ole Miss pulled off a well-needed win over Oklahoma. Had they lost, the Rebels' playoff hopes would have surely been dashed. That said, their defense was excellent in this game and could be what carries them through for the rest of the season.
Missouri is one of the weakest 6-1 teams in recent memory. Brady Cook's early exit didn’t help, but they showed no fight, no ability to compete with an Alabama team recovering from a tough loss to Tennessee in Week 8. The Tigers are simply not playoff material.
By the skin of their teeth, Ohio State eked out a close win over Nebraska. That said, it's concerning that they still can't activate their run offense with two of the best backs in the nation. Hopefully, Ryan Day and co. can fix that quickly.
After a slow start, Ashton Jeanty and the Boise State Broncos got going and didn't look back. The fact that a 100-yard rushing performance is considered mediocre by Jeanty's standards tells you everything you need to know about him. UNLV was one of the few teams to keep him under 150 rushing yards, but he still found a way to win.
As we said before, it never looks pretty for Indiana, but they always get the job done. As one of the few undefeated teams still left, the playoffs look like a real possibility for the Hoosiers.
To say it was a game to forget for Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord is an understatement. Three interceptions in the first quarter, two of them returned for touchdowns by the Pitt defense, and five total interceptions by the end of the game. Up to this point, McCord was having a strong senior year with the Orangemen. This performance, however, sets him back and may affect his draft stock in the long run.
Week 9 Top Performers
Mr. Everything: CB/WR Travis Hunter - Colorado
-Defense-
LB Suntarine Perkins - Ole Miss
DL Beau Atkinson - North Carolina
DB D'Angelo Ponds - Indiana
DT JJ Pegues - Ole Miss
DL Jahvaree Ritzie - North Carolina
LB Joseph Carter - Liberty
DL Jimari Butler - Nebraska
DL Princely Umanmielen - Ole Miss
DB Nikko Reed - Oregon
LB Matt Jones - Baylor
S Alexander Teubner - Boise State
DL Landon Jackson - Arkansas
DL Darrell Jackson Jr. - Florida State
DL Ashton Gillotte - Louisville
EDGE Quintavious Hutchins - Boston College
S Seyi Oladipo - Boise State
LB Randon Fontenette - Vanderbilt
-Offense-
WR Tetairoa McMillan - Arizona
QB Dillon Gabriel - Oregon
WR Brennan Presley - Oklahoma State
QB Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
QB Sawyer Robertson - Baylor
RB Damien Martinez - Miami
QB Fernando Mendoza - California
WR Makhi Hughes - Tulane
QB Taylon Green - Arkansas
RB Tre Stewart - Jacksonville State
QB Owen McCown - UTSA
QB Tyler Huff - Jacksonville State
QB Jaxson Dart - Ole Miss
RB Kaleb Johnson - Iowa
WR Coleman Owen - Ohio
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