College Football Rankings: USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 released after Week 9

In Week 9, a top-five team once again went down. Ohio State fell to USC on the road on Saturday, and that led to some movement in the USA Today coaches poll Top 25 rankings as the calendar flips to November. Miami continues to hold strong at No. 1 in the college football rankings after holding on for a 38-35 victory at North Carolina on Saturday. The Hurricanes jumped up to the top spot after Week 7 and stayed put heading into this week’s showdown at Notre Dame. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage But there were some other notable results across college football over the weekend that led to movement in the rankings. Here is the latest USA Today coaches poll Top 25 following Week 9. 1. Miami (-) In a high-scoring affair, Miami picked up a key road win over North Carolina on Saturday. The Hurricanes took down the Tar Heels 38-35 in Chapel Hill, and they maintain the No. 1 spot in the USA Today coaches poll heading into Week 10. Miami is one of the only remaining undefeated teams left entering November. A huge game awaits on Saturday, though, as the Hurricanes head to South Bend for a top-five showdown against Notre Dame. 2. Georgia (+1) Georgia used a big second quarter to take control in the annual rivalry game against Florida. Kirby Smart’s group got its sixth straight win over the Gators and now sit at No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll after Ohio State’s loss. Saturday’s game was the first of three straight for the Bulldogs against ranked opponents. Up next, they will hit the road for a matchup against Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium which could have a big impact on the SEC race. 3. Indiana (+1) Once again, Indiana found itself in a nailbiter. Upset-minded Minnesota came to Bloomington in Week 9, and thanks to a 60-yard field goal and a Charlie Becker touchdown, the Hoosiers stayed in the top five of the college football rankings. IU has now won its last three games by one score, and the loss to Ohio State in Week 7 came after Nick Marsh was inches out of bounds on what would’ve been the go-ahead touchdown. Indiana will be on a bye in Week 10. 4. Utah (+1) Utah continued its undefeated season with Saturday’s win at Cincinnati. Morgan Scalley is off to an 8-0 start as the head coach at his alma mater, including a 5-0 record in Big 12 play to sit atop the conference standings. A huge rivalry game is coming up in Week 10, though. The Utes will welcome BYU for a big-time showdown on Saturday which has implications not only in the Big 12, but also in the College Football Playoff race. 5. UCLA (+2) In a break from Big Ten play, UCLA cruised past Nevada to stay undefeated. Conference action will resume in Week 10 as the Bruins head to Minnesota for a matchup against the Golden Gophers. It’s been an impressive run for Bob Chesney through his first season in Westwood. UCLA sits atop the Big Ten standings as the only undefeated team in the league heading into the month of November. 6. Notre Dame (-) Through the first half, Navy had total control against Notre Dame in their annual rivalry game. The Irish were able to flip the script, though, with a big second half to come away with the 35-13 victory at Gillette Stadium. Notre Dame stayed put in the USA Today coaches poll after Week 9. The Irish have their highly anticipated rematch against Miami this week which will have a big impact on the college football rankings, no matter the result. 7. Kentucky (+1) Amid a six-game winning streak, Kentucky had a bye in Week 9. The Wildcats will be back in action on Saturday against Tennessee as they look to stay at the top of the SEC standings this season. UK is off to a 7-1 start under new head coach Will Stein, with the only loss coming in Week 2 against Alabama. A trip to Rocky Top is on tap this week as Kentucky meets up with the Vols on Saturday evening. 8. BYU (+1) After last week’s loss to UCF, BYU returned home and picked up a crucial bounce-back win over Arizona State. That got the Cougars back in the win column and kept them tied for second in the Big 12 standings. BYU will head back on the road this week for the annual rivalry matchup against Utah on Saturday. The Cougars have won the last three games between the two, including last year’s game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. 9. Alabama (+1) Prior to the Halloween bye, Alabama snapped a two-game skid with a victory over Texas A&M at home. That brought the Crimson Tide to 6-2 on the year, and they are still squarely in the USA Today coaches poll heading into Week 10. This week, Alabama has a huge matchup against LSU on the road. It will be an important game for the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes as they get ready to take on Lane Kiffin’s Tigers on Saturday. 10. Ohio State (-8) In its first game without quarterback Julian Sayin, Ohio State suffered its second loss of the season. The Buckeyes fell to USC at The Coliseum on Saturday and, as a result, they dropped down the college football rankings after Week 9. Luke Fahey got the start at quarterback for Ohio State while Sayin deals with an arm injury that will keep him out indefinitely. This week, the Buckeyes will return home as Oregon comes to town on Saturday afternoon. 11. Texas (-) In Saturday’s game against Mississippi State, it was all Texas as the Longhorns got the 31-3 victory. It marked their second straight victory after dropping back-to-back games, and they are squarely in the USA Today coaches poll. Texas is now 6-2 on the year, including 3-2 in SEC play, entering a trip to CoMo this week to take on Missouri. Then, in Week 11, the Longhorns make the trip to Baton Rouge for a massive game against LSU. 12. Ole Miss (-) The Ole Miss offense was on full display in Saturday’s game against Auburn. Trinidad Chambliss had three total touchdowns to lead the charge in the 45-15 victory at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It was a good response from the Rebels after the Week 8 loss to Texas on the road. Up next, they will get ready to welcome Georgia in primetime for another important SEC matchup on Saturday night. 13. Texas Tech (+1) Fresh off an upset loss to Cincinnati, Texas Tech and Arizona squared off in a thriller in Week 9. The Red Raiders came out on top, getting the 34-26 victory to keep their Big 12 Championship hopes alive. Thomas Castellanos got the start at quarterback for Texas Tech in Saturday’s game after he didn’t see the field against Cincinnati. This week, West Virginia will come to Lubbock for a primetime matchup. 14. Wake Forest (+1) Out of the bye, Wake Forest picked up another resounding ACC victory. The Demon Deacons flew past Virginia 51-7 to pick up their fifth straight win and sit alone in second place in the conference standings. It’s been an impressive season for Jake Dickert and Co., with the only loss coming to Miami. Wake Forest has a break from ACC action in Week 10 as Merrimack comes to town for a Saturday afternoon matchup. 15. LSU (-2) As LSU comes out of the bye, the Tigers are one of six two-loss teams in the SEC. One of them will be coming to Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon, though, for a highly anticipated matchup. Alabama is next up in the first of three straight ranked matchups for Lane Kiffin’s group. LSU got back-to-back resounding wins prior to the bye and will look to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive in Week 10. 16. Tennessee (+1) After its loss to South Carolina on a walk-off field goal, Tennessee headed into its bye in Week 9. The Vols will be back in action at Neyland Stadium on Saturday as Kentucky comes to Knoxville. With the loss to South Carolina, Tennessee dropped to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play this season. The Volunteers are among the six SEC teams with two losses as the conference race heats up in a big way. 17. USC (+8) In a key game for Lincoln Riley and USC, the Trojans were victorious. They took down Ohio State at The Coliseum on Saturday and successfully bounced back from the loss to Wisconsin in Week 8. As a result, USC moved up in the USA Today coaches poll after sitting at No. 25 last week. The Trojans have a bye in Week 10 before hitting the road to take on Indiana as part of the Week 11 slate. 18. Houston (+1) Houston entered its bye in Week 9 following a close loss to Utah. The Cougars are still in the hunt in the Big 12 as they get ready for a matchup against Cincinnati on Saturday as November gets underway. UH had won four straight games prior to the Utah loss, but Willie Fritz’s group is still squarely in the college football rankings entering Week 10. Four games remain on the schedule as the Cougars look to keep pace in the Big 12. 19. Missouri (+4) Out of the bye, Missouri got back in the win column with a 34-10 victory over Arkansas. The game notably marked the return of running back Ahmad Hardy amid his recovery from a gunshot wound. Jamal Roberts again led the Missouri rushing attack with 23 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown in the effort. This week, Texas will come to town as the Tigers hit a challenging part of their schedule. 20. Iowa (+4) A week after the offense struggled against Minnesota, Iowa flexed its muscle in a big way against Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes pitched a shutout in the 30-0 victory at Kinnick Stadium as part of a bounce-back effort. Iowa is now one of six Big Ten teams with two losses heading into the month of November. This week, the Hawkeyes will make the trip to Evanston for a matchup against Northwestern in primetime. 21. Boise State (+1) Despite a 25-point halftime lead, Boise State had to fight off a Texas State comeback in Saturday’s Pac-12 showdown. Ultimately, the Broncos prevailed and won their seventh straight game as a result. Texas State rallied for 42 second-half points and the two teams traded leads late. Boise State wound up getting the victory, though, and remains the highest-ranked Group of 6 team in the USA Today coaches poll. 22. Arizona (-1) Despite the loss to Texas Tech, Arizona still appeared in the USA Today coaches poll college football rankings after Week 9. The Wildcats fell to 6-2 on the season with Saturday’s defeat, but are in the middle of the pack in the Big 12. Saturday’s game snapped a five-game winning streak for Arizona through conference play. The Wildcats will now return home in Week 10 to take on TCU for a Saturday night matchup in Tucson. 23. Northwestern (-5) Northwestern saw its winning streak come to an end in Chip Kelly’s return to Oregon on Saturday. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, but the Ducks rallied to get the victory at Autzen Stadium, but NU is still in the USA Today coaches poll after Week 9. Northwestern is now 6-2 on the year heading into this week’s matchup against Iowa at New Ryan Field. The loss to Oregon snapped a four-game winning streak, though the Wildcats are still squarely in the Big Ten race. 24. SMU (-8) It came down to the final seconds, but SMU suffered a 30-27 loss at Syracuse after the Orange got a touchdown with 17 seconds to play on Saturday. The Mustangs are still in the USA Today coaches poll, though, checking in at No. 24. SMU entered Week 9 with a five game winning streak and is now 6-2 overall on the year. The Mustangs are also 4-2 in ACC play as they get ready to welcome Virginia Tech as part of the Week 10 slate of games. 25. New Mexico (+4) Amid a five-game winning streak, New Mexico finds itself in the USA Today coaches poll after Week 9. UNM is coming off a victory over San Jose State on Saturday to stay undefeated in Mountain West play this season. The Lobos can put themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation if they continue their winning ways into November. This week, they’ll head to Reno for a Saturday night matchup against Nevada. Others receiving votes: South Carolina 91; Florida 81; UTSA 76; Duke 76; Virginia Tech 53; Oregon 41; Minnesota 10; Oklahoma State 9; Liberty 6; North Texas 4; Wisconsin 3; Memphis 2; North Dakota State 1; Nebraska 1; Cincinnati 1