Week 9 of the college football season delivered a slate of surprises, with seven AP Top 25 teams losing in the first two windows, including five to unranked opponents. No. 2 Ohio State fell to USC, marking Ryan Day's second career loss to an unranked team, while No. 1 Miami survived a scare and No. 3 Georgia dominated Florida.
Loser: Ohio State – The Buckeyes were bullied in the secondary, surrendering a 69-yard touchdown on the second play, and the offensive line struggled as USC scored on four of its first six drives. Ohio State had not lost two games before November since 2011.
Winner: Iowa State – The Cyclones stunned No. 24 Oklahoma State 51-49 on a game-winning field goal. Running back Aiden Flora rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard score, and Iowa State now faces four straight unranked opponents.
Loser: Nebraska – Days after signing quarterback Anthony Colandrea to a 2027 extension, the Cornhuskers led 7-3 until the final 90 seconds, when Washington threw a go-ahead touchdown. Colandrea then threw an interception returned 48 yards for a sealing score. Nebraska has lost three straight by a combined 13 points.
Winner: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy – After suffering a gunshot wound over the summer that left a bullet lodged in his leg, Hardy returned against Arkansas and broke a 37-yard run in the fourth quarter, providing an inspirational comeback.
Winner: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti – Despite apparent clock mismanagement, Indiana forced overtime with a 60-yard field goal and won 23-16 over Minnesota, keeping the Hoosiers' playoff hopes alive.
Loser: Wisconsin – The Badgers were shut out 30-0 by Iowa, managing only 52 rushing yards while allowing Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown to complete 20-of-24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Winner: Texas Tech – After a loss to Cincinnati, coach Joey McGuire turned to backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos, leading to impressive home wins over No. 22 Houston and No. 22 Arizona, putting the Red Raiders in the Big 12 title conversation.
Winner: Oregon QB Dylan Raiola – After a 10-0 deficit against No. 20 Northwestern, Raiola completed 22-of-31 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing a rebound performance ahead of a road game at Ohio State.
Loser: Oklahoma – The Sooners collapsed in a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina, allowing 28 first-half points and an 84-yard touchdown pass. The defeat likely ends offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's tenure and marks a third losing season in five years for Brent Venables.
Winner: Baylor QB DJ Lagway – Under interim coach Joe Klanderman, Lagway threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a 41-9 rout of UCF, completing 64% of his passes.
Loser: SMU – The No. 19 Mustangs fell 30-27 to Syracuse after surrendering a passing touchdown with 17 seconds left, continuing a string of near-misses in the College Football Playoff race.
Winner: Sacramento State – The Hornets earned their first-ever FBS victory, 31-10 over Kent State, after losing their first seven FBS games by an average of 27.5 points. Running back Isaiah Ene rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
