College Football Rankings Week 9: Oregon Falls, Memphis Rises

Week 9 in college football? Wild. The rankings are shifting fast, and the Playoff picture is finally starting to make sense—or at least, it feels that way. Every game now feels like it could tip the scales for a dozen teams. From upsets to close calls, this week really had a bit of everything.

So, what’s new in the rankings? Let’s dig in.

The Athletic 136: Key Rankings and Movements

The Athletic 136 shook things up again. No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 7 Vanderbilt both jumped ahead of Miami after strong wins over Oklahoma and Missouri. Miami did hammer Stanford, but their earlier win over South Florida doesn’t look as impressive now that USF lost to Memphis.

Top Teams on the Rise

BYU climbed after rallying to beat Iowa State. Oregon slid a couple spots after a gritty, rain-soaked 21-7 win over Wisconsin. Their resume is getting some side-eye—maybe their best win is against Northwestern?

Oregon now sits 10th in ESPN’s strength of record. Their next road game at Iowa? That one could change everything for them.

Virginia’s Narrow Escapes

Virginia nudged up to No. 14, but wow, it hasn’t been easy. Their last three wins came by just six points combined.

They got past Washington State with a game-winning safety and barely survived at North Carolina, where a two-point try fell just short. Their win over Louisville keeps them in the conversation, but it’s been a stressful ride.

Cincinnati and Houston Make Moves

Cincinnati jumped in the rankings after taking care of Baylor. Oklahoma and Missouri slipped after close losses to top-10 teams.

Houston broke into the top 25 after beating Arizona State to go 7-1. Washington and Memphis also joined the top 25—Memphis bounced back from a UAB loss by handling USF.

Rising Stars and Falling Giants

Iowa’s 41-3 blowout of Minnesota pushed them up the board. Pitt’s on a four-game tear and could play spoiler for Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, and Miami soon.

Wake Forest jumped 22 spots after nailing a last-second field goal to beat SMU. That’s the kind of win that changes a season’s vibe.

Teams to Watch

Navy’s sitting at 7-0 and up to No. 36, but their schedule gets rougher with a trip to North Texas looming. Kansas State shot up to 50 after crushing Kansas 42-17.

Cal dropped after losing at Virginia Tech. UCLA slipped to No. 58 after their three-game streak ended in a blowout loss to Indiana.

Shifting Fortunes in the Lower Ranks

Washington State kept climbing after beating Toledo, stringing together some good games. New Mexico moved up after defeating Utah State and their old coach, Bronco Mendenhall.

Colorado tumbled after getting thumped by Utah. Southern Miss, now 6-2 overall and undefeated in Sun Belt play, moved up to No. 76 after handling ULM.

Virginia Tech and UConn

Virginia Tech rose after beating Cal. UConn, though, slid after falling to Rice in overtime.

North Carolina bumped up a bit, coming heartbreakingly close to wins over both Cal and Virginia.

Mid-Major Movements

Miami (Ohio) stayed perfect in MAC play after beating Western Michigan and moved up to No. 88. Arkansas State climbed to No. 98 after notching a third straight win, this time over Georgia Southern.

Rice moved up after beating UConn. Wyoming’s 28-0 shutout of Colorado State helped them rise, but they’re still behind Air Force because of a head-to-head loss.