By and large, the top teams in the country were insulated from the madness that has become commonplace across college football in October. Not all avoided an upset, though.

No. 2 Ohio State lost to USC 30-18 on the road, a dispiriting result for the Buckeyes in their first game without quarterback Julian Sayin. For the Trojans, it was one of, if not the, biggest win of the Lincoln Riley era — and it kept their slim College Football playoff hopes alive. At the very least, USC will return to the top 25 this week.

There wasn’t much more drama among the upper echelon of the ranked teams. No. 1 Miami avoided an upset against North Carolina with a 38-35 victory. No. 8 BYU escaped a second consecutive loss against Arizona State, escaping with a 27-20 triumph. And No. 4 Indiana outlasted Minnesota in overtime 23-16. It was the Hoosiers’ second straight overtime win, and it featured two 60-yard field goals down the stretch, an unheard-of feat in college football history.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti celebrates as he walks off the field after defeating Minnesota at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 31, 2026, in Bloomington, Indiana.© Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti celebrates as he walks off the field after defeating Minnesota at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 31, 2026, in Bloomington, Indiana.© Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Teams ranked No. 17-25 were largely not safe this week. Only two (No. 20 Boise State and No. 23 Missouri) won. And with all these openings available for a spot in the top 25, many teams on the cusp did not take advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

No. 19 SMU was stunned by Syracuse 30-27. No. 20 Northwestern fell to Oregon 34-26 on the road. No. 24 Oklahoma State lost a 51-49 shootout to Iowa State. And No. 25 Wisconsin’s stay in the top 25 was short-lived, as a 30-0 shutout to Iowa will end it (and propel the Hawkeyes back into the rankings).

The next set of rankings comes out on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Here’s how Athlon Sports projects the AP Top 25 will look after Week 9.

Graphic created with Claude
Graphic created with Claude

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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Source: Yahoo Sports