Active Top-10 College Football Teams Assert Themselves in Week 9

All eight of the active top-10 college football teams won convincingly in different ways on Saturday as the first College Football Playoff rankings loom.

Quarterback Marcel Reed #10 of the Texas A&M Aggies is defended by safety Tamarcus Cooley #0 of the LSU Tigers and defensive back A.J. Haulcy #13 during the first half of a game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Oct. 25, 2025. Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images

The gap between serious College Football Playoff contenders and teams hoping to compete in it only grew on Saturday.

From No. 3 Texas A&M winning in Death Valley to No. 4 Alabama avoiding a massive upset, everything went in favor of the nation’s top teams. All eight of the nation’s active top-10 teams won on Saturday, and three did in top-20 matchups.

While No. 1 Ohio State had a bye week, No. 2 Indiana further cemented its standing with a 56–6 rout of UCLA. Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns as his team improved to 8–0 for a second consecutive year—the first time in program history. The Hoosiers also continued their unusual streak of not trailing in the game this season.

“I mean, we try to play every play like it’s nothing–nothing, game on the line, regardless of the competitive circumstances,” Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignitti told reporters afterward.

Texas A&M played with a nothing–nothing vibe against No. 20 LSU and walked out victorious in Death Valley, 49–25, for the first time as an SEC team. The Aggies (8–0) stayed unbeaten as quarterback Marcel Reed accounted for four touchdowns and 310 yards of total offense.

“If you look at teams that have won the SEC and have made a run in the playoffs, they have explosive players. Now, we have them. That makes us a challenging offense,” Aggies head coach Mike Elko told reporters.

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard exploded for his team with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, with a 22–14 deficit against unranked South Carolina. Bernard scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ty Simpson and then a 25-yard touchdown run in a 29–22 victory.

“We knew that this was going to be a dogfight coming in, right?” Simpson told reporters afterward. “But there was not one ounce of non-belief, right? We knew what we had to do and we made sure that we were going to be unbreakable with everything that we had—and that’s what we did.”

Sixth-ranked Oregon, meanwhile, overcame losing quarterback Dante Moore and a night full of heavy rain to beat unranked Wisconsin 21–7. Running back Jordon Davison stepped up in the process with 102 yards and two touchdowns.

“I think he’s going to be in great shape,” Ducks head coach Dan Lanning told reporters afterward regarding Moore. “Was probably in a position that he could have gone in, but for Brock (Thomas) to come in and perform the way he did, really excited for him to be able to do that,” he said.

Seventh-ranked Georgia Tech had an easier go of things en route to an 8–0 start for the first time since 1966. Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King dominated with five touchdowns in a 41–6 romp over Syracuse.

“We’re getting closer to playing a full game,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key told reporters afterward. “The good thing about that is we haven’t peaked yet.”

Eighth-ranked Ole Miss, meanwhile, didn’t blow a late lead in a 34–26 win over No. 13 Oklahoma. The Rebels bounced back from a 43–35 loss to No. 5 Georgia, which had a bye this weekend.

“Same Georgia feeling, crowd started coming alive,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin told reporters. “And then obviously, [a] much different response by us. And I didn’t feel like they ever freaked out. And they had each other’s back.”

Ninth-ranked Miami also bounced back from last week’s loss to Louisville and rolled past Stanford 42–7. Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. shined with 106 yards and three touchdowns after a sluggish start for his team.

“Then, we started cooking and started playing Miami Hurricanes football,” head coach Mario Cristobal told reporters afterward.

Tenth-ranked Vanderbilt, meanwhile, held off No. 15 Missouri for a 17–10 victory and the program’s best start in 84 years. It also marked the most wins by Vanderbilt since 1915.

“There’s limitless potential,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea told reporters. “And we’ve worked really hard to care about this a lot before anyone else has. But what we built can be sustained. And obviously, we have all the plans and designs to take it further.”

All eight of those top-10 teams solidified their potential to be in the College Football Playoff as the committee’s first rankings await on Nov. 4 for the 12-team field based on regular season performances and conference championship games.