Danny Kanell updates college football rankings after Week 9, calls out polls

After a jaw-dropping slate of games in Week 9, CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell updated his Top 12 college football rankings. Kanell had no shortage of results to consider, with four ranked teams falling this past weekend.

Fans around the country can feel the intensity of each matchup increasing as the season draws to a close and teams fight for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. In Week 9, some teams improved their postseason standing while others came up short.

Kanell adjusted for each outcome in his latest Top 12 rankings. For the complete list, look below.

1. Oregon Ducks

Oregon retained its top spot in Kanell’s rankings this week with a convincing 38-9 win over No. 20 Illinois. In the victory, Illinois had no answers for Oregon’s offense, which amassed 527 total yards.

As usual, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel was the engine pushing the offense forward. In the win, he completed 18-of-his-26 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns while only throwing one interception.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lions didn’t move in Kanell’s rankings either this week, after securing a hard-fought 28-13 triumph over Wisconsin. It was a comeback effort for the Nittany Lions, who clawed their way back from a 10-7 deficit at halftime.

Penn State played backup QB Beau Pribula in the second half after starter Drew Allar suffered an injury. Pribula excelled in the spotlight, completing 11-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a score without throwing an interception.

3. Miami Hurricanes

Miami landed at No. 3 again this week following a 36-14 victory over in-state rival Florida State. While Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward had a solid showing, it was running back Damien Martinez who stole the show.

In the win, Martinez erupted for 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Miami’s defensive secondary had a particularly fantastic showing as well, only allowing FSU’s quarterbacks to connect on 34.4% of their pass attempts for 115 yards.

4. BYU Cougars

Despite entering the game with a 7-0 record, BYU was an underdog against UCF on Saturday. The Cougars put the oddsmakers to shame with a comfortable 37-24 victory over the Knights.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was a standout, racking up 228 yards and two touchdowns through the air while notching 38 yards and a score on the ground, as well. The Cougars had the ball in their hands all night, recording nearly 40 minutes of possession time.

5. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana improved to 8-0 on the season with a 31-17 win over Indiana this past weekend. Hoosiers running back Justice Ellison was unstoppable, collecting 123 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

Indiana’s defense was equally relentless, tallying six sacks and two interceptions against the Huskies. Not to be forgotten, IU quarterback Tayven Jackson threw for 124 yards and a touchdown.

6. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia didn’t play this week but it didn’t need to. Nobody will forget their dominant 30-15 win over Texas anytime soon. In the win, Georgia’s defense was stifling, only allowing Texas to record 259 total yards of offense.

The Bulldogs finished the game with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss while squeezing a season-high four turnovers out of the Longhorns. Texas’ offense was so stumped that head coach Steve Sarkisian temporarily benched QB1 Quinn Ewers for Arch Manning.

7. Clemson Tigers

Since falling 34-3 in Week 1 to the Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson is undefeated. Most recently, the Tigers defeated Virginia in spectacular 48-31 fashion. The Tigers didn’t hesitate to pounce on the Cavaliers, notching 539 total yards of offense.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik looked the part of a Heisman Trophy candidate, completing 23-of-his-35 passes for 308 and three touchdowns while only throwing one pick.

8. Pittsburgh Panthers

Pittsburgh simply can’t stop winning. Thursday was no exception, with the Panthers walking away with a 41-13 win over Syracuse. Pittsburgh’s defense gave Syracuse headaches all night, recording a mind-blowing five interceptions. After the game, sophomore Kyle Louis raved about his team’s performance.

“This has got to be the best performance all-time on this team,” Louis said. “Somebody’s got to show me something better … We’ve got to get put on a wall or something after that performance.”

9. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State enjoyed a bye this week after downing UCF 38-35 in Week 8. It was a well-balanced win for the Cyclones, who generated 274 passing yards and 256 rushing yards against the Knights.

Moreover, the Cyclones showed they’re not only talented but disciplined too. In the win, Iowa State committed just two penalties for 10 yards. For reference, UCF finished the game with seven penalties and also committed two pivotal turnovers.

10. Ohio State Buckeyes

It wasn’t always comfortable but Ohio State escaped with a 21-17 win over Nebraska on Saturday. It was a 12-round slugfest between the two Big Ten foes, with neither team able to amass more than 300 total yards of offense.

“It wasn’t perfect, but a win’s a win,” OSU quarterback Will Howard said after the game. “And we were able to show that when the going gets tough, and when maybe things aren’t going our way, we’re able to win in the fourth quarter.”

11. Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M looks better and better with each performance. The team’s showing in Week 9 was no exception. On Saturday, the Aggies were trailing LSU 17-7 at halftime and walked away with a 38-23 triumph.

Texas A&M finished the game with 242 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Running back Amari Daniels led the way, averaging 7.6 yards per carry and collecting 91 total rushing yards. With the win, the Aggies are 5-0 in conference play this season.

12. Texas Longhorns

Following a lackluster showing against Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Texas Longhorns dropped in Kanell’s Top 12 Rankings. In the heart-racing 27-24 win, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 27-of-his-37 pass attempts for 288 yards and three TDs but also threw two interceptions.

Worse, the Longhorns appeared to lack focus, committing 10 penalties for a 107-yard total loss. Alas, a tally in the win column doesn’t show the final score and Texas will have a bye this week to clean up any issues it spotted.