The college football world got rocked this past weekend when USC absolutely stunned Ohio State, pulling off the biggest upset of Week 9. But that wasn’t even the half of it, because we were *this close* to pure chaos with Miami, Indiana, and BYU all barely dodging their own upset bullets. Indiana even needed overtime to get it done. With a ton of fringe Top 25 teams adding a second or even third loss to their record, the door just got kicked wide open for a couple of one-loss Group of Six contenders: UTSA and New Mexico. These guys are officially in the conversation, and you better believe the experts at B/R just dropped their updated Top 25, and it’s wild.
The Near Misses and Who’s Crashing the Party
Man, Week 9 could have been an absolute nightmare for a lot of ranked teams. Miami, BYU, and especially Indiana, who had to go into overtime, all pulled out narrow wins. It means the Top 25 got a shake-up, but not a total demolition. What it *did* do, though, is pave the way for some new blood. With teams getting multiple losses, the spotlight is now on UTSA and New Mexico. Both are sitting pretty at 7-1, and they are legit contenders from the Group of Six. New Mexico’s only hiccup all season was a 14-6 loss to Oklahoma way back in Week 3. Their defense is just NASTY, not allowing any opponent to crack 20 points this entire year, and they are perfect in Mountain West play. They beat San Jose State 21-16 last week, even after their QB Toa Fa’avae threw three picks, thanks to a monster running game from Kiefer Sibley (102 yards on 12 carries) and Scottre Humphrey (87 yards, 2 TDs on 16 carries). That Wyoming game on November 21 is going to be HUGE.
UTSA, meanwhile, had a bye week, chilling at 7-1 with their lone loss to Texas in a non-conference game in Week 3. They’re chasing Boise State in the Group of Six race, but they are right there with New Mexico as the next team up for a playoff bid if Boise State falters. Owen McCown brings veteran stability at quarterback, and their rushing attack is averaging almost 185 yards per game. Next week’s defense against Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp will be a test.
New Faces and Big Swings in the Rankings
Beyond the Group of Six surge, we’ve got some other movers and shakers. South Carolina, who started 0-3 in SEC play, just stomped Oklahoma 42-25 on the road, thanks to LaNorris Sellers going off for 301 passing yards, 96 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns. They won that one despite three turnovers and nine penalties, proving they can beat a good conference foe even when they aren’t playing their cleanest game. Missouri is also climbing, now 3-2 in conference play after taking down Arkansas 34-10. Austin Simmons (179 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) and Jamal Roberts (138 yards, 1 TD) led the offense, and their defense snagged four takeaways.
On the flip side, Arizona dropped from 15th after losing 34-26 at Texas Tech. They were up 23-17 in the third quarter but gave up 17 unanswered points and couldn’t complete the comeback. Noah Fifita threw for 417 yards, but their running game was nonexistent with only 12 rushing yards, making them super predictable down the stretch. That second loss puts their Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff dreams on serious longshot territory. And Iowa? They just embarrassed Wisconsin, 30-0. That’s a statement win if I’ve ever seen one.
This college football season is absolutely bonkers, and these rankings are gonna keep shifting. Keep an eye out for the next update after the Boise State vs. Texas State game tonight. Could be another shake-up on the way!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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