Week 9 of the college football season delivered a few marquee matchups, including Texas A&M versus LSU Missouri versus Vanderbilt and Ole Miss versus Oklahoma. As with the rest of the slate this week, the best college football teams in 2025 showed why they are rated so highly heading into November.
Let’s dive into our latest top 25 college football rankings following Saturday’s Week 9 action.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1)
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The Ohio State Buckeyes are the best college football team right now, which isn’t too surprising. What’s shocking is this upcoming matchup versus Penn State has no real stakes because of how bad the Nittany Lions have been this season. Entering Week 10, the Buckeyes’ defense is allowing the fewest total yards per game (216.9) and the fewest points per game (5.9) in the nation. Meanwhile, first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin boasts an 11-0 TD-INT line with 1,093 passing yards and an 80.7 percent completion rate in his last four games. Ohio State should roll over Penn State.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (2)
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Saturday’s win over UCLA showed another reason why the Indiana Hoosiers are one of the best college football teams in 2025. Entering Week 9, Indiana’s offense averaged 43.9 points per game (4th in FBS) with the seventh-most total yards per game (497.3). While that unit didn’t play up to its usual standard on Saturday afternoon at home, the Hoosiers’ defense put on a clinic that included a pick-six not a single third-down conversion during until garbage time. We’re truly just left counting down the weeks until Indiana vs. Ohio State because that’s the only legitimate competition for the Hoosiers.
3. Texas A&M Aggies (3)
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That’s precisely how the Texas A&M Aggies should’ve looked against an LSU team that had no business being ranked. What’s significant about Saturday’s dominant victory in Baton Rouge is the Aggies looked dominant on both sides of the ball, with Mike Elko having this team prepared for a big game on a national stage. It would take an Indiana or Ohio State loss for the Aggies to move up in the top 25 rankings, but this is the best team in the SEC right now.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (4)
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The Alabama Crimson Tide have absolutely earned the bye week. After an undefeated stretch in four straight weeks against ranked opponents, Bama found itself trailing 22-14 early in the fourth quarter on the road at South Carolina. A clutch touchdown drive by Ty Simpson made it a one-score game, then Alabama’s defense made a game-changing play by stripping LaNorris Sellers of the football and recovering it. Five plays later, Germie Bernard ran in the game-winning touchdown. There weren’t style points in Saturday’s win, but it showed perseverance by this Crimson Tide team heading into the bye.
5. Georgia Bulldogs (5)
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The Georgia Bulldogs come out of the bye week with a three-game win streak, largely thanks to quarterback Gunner Stockton. In victories over Auburn and Ole Miss, Stockton put up 506 passing yards and 85 rushing yards with six total touchdowns, often engineering scoring drives in critical situations. What Kirby Smart has to be hoping for is that the great situational defense the Bulldogs have played in recent weeks can carry over into sustained excellence across four quarters.
6. Oregon Ducks (6)
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If you think a game versus Wisconsin doesn’t mean much to the Oregon Ducks, their game-opening onside kick proved that’s not the case. It wasn’t total domination from the Ducks’ offense on Saturday night, but running back Jordon Davidson put the Badgers in a hole they could never dig out of. For the time being, Oregon is just racking up the wins with the hope that a top-five team goes down.
7. Ole Miss Rebels (7)
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It certainly wasn’t the most efficient afternoon for Trinidad Chambliss and this Ole Miss Rebels offense, but they made it work on the road in difficult weather conditions versus Oklahoma. Mississippi’s high-scoring offense certainly led the way in this one, but we also have to credit the Rebels’ defense (33.3 percent third-down conversion rate allowed) that showed the biggest improvement after the loss to Georgia. Lane Kiffin’s program demonstrated it could quickly rebound from a loss on the road, and now it has a three-game homestand versus South Carolina, Citadel, and Florida that positions this team for a 10-1 record before the Egg Bowl versus Mississippi State.
8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10)
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Even with four starters sidelined, two on each side of the ball, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had very little trouble at home on Saturday with Syracuse. Brent Key always has this team prepared, and that showed up in the Yellow Jackets’ eighth consecutive win with one of the most well-rounded performances by the team this year. Haynes King set season highs in passing touchdowns and passing yards well before the midway point of the third quarter, and the Yellow Jackets’ defense held up very well outside of the first drive in the second half. Now at 8-0 on the season, Key and King should keep it rolling versus NC State to kick off November.
9. Vanderbilt Commodores (14)
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Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores do it again, picking up their third victory over a ranked opponent this season. The Commodores might’ve had a little fortune on their side Saturday night, but credit for the win first rests on the shoulders of this defense that shined on third down (5-for-16 conversion allowed) and did an outstanding job locking down when Mizzou moved the football into scoring range. With the way this team is playing, there’s no reason to think Vanderbilt won’t go into Texas next Saturday and win.
10. Miami Hurricanes (8)
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With Carson Beck still seemingly not able to take over a game, Mark Fletcher Jr. stepped up on Saturday night versus Stanford. The junior was a workhorse, turning his 26 touches into 3 touchdowns and 119 scrimmage yards. Naturally, the Hurricanes defense also left its mark on Stanford (2 turnovers and only 144 total yards), with that being all Miami really needed to crush the Cardinal.
11. BYU Cougars (12)
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The BYU Cougars got knocked down early, trailing 24-10 to Iowa State late in the second quarter. It was a wake-up call this team needed on both sides of the ball and they responded to it perfectly. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier led the comeback, delivering a season-best performance (307 yards, 2 touchdowns) and BYU’s defense allowed just 3 points the rest of the way. Now the Cougars get two weeks to prepare for Texas Tech, a matchup of top-12 teams that no one expected having this high of stakes when the season kicked off.
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (120)
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The good news for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they emerge from the Week 9 bye is that the rushing attack, 216.3 rushing ypg in the last three games, has erupted as of late. It serves as the perfect supporting element for young quarterback CJ Carr, who has had far more highs than lows in his first season as the starter. Notre Dame should also be a strong favorite in its next five games, but what we’ll need to see is if defensive coordinator Chris Ash finally has this unit playing up to the standard that’s expected on this side of the ball.
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders (13)
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders still don’t have starting quarterback Behren Morton back yet, but he wasn’t needed versus one-win Oklahoma State. Freshman quarterback Will Hammond continues to show glimpses of why the Red Raiders will be very good beyond the 2025 season. As for the ongoing campaign, Texas Tech made sure it didn’t let its first loss of the season lead to a spiral. This team should keep its momentum rolling next week versus Kansas State, with a win setting the stage for a shot at a signature victory at home versus BYU (Nov. 8).
14. Tennessee Volunteers (16)
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There’ll be plenty of tape from the Tennessee Volunteers to watch and learn from, but they handled a road game at Kentucky far better than Texas did. Joey Aguilar continues to put himself in consideration for All-SEC honors, but its the Vols’ receiving corps that continues to stand out right now. Given the issues the Sooners’ offense is having in recent weeks, we’re not too concerned about how Tennessee’s defense matches up versus Oklahoma at Neyland Stadium in Week 10.
15. Louisville Cardinals (19)
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The theme in College Football Week 9 seemed to be some of the top-25 teams putting themselves in a deficit they had to overcome. So, the Louisville Cardinals got in on the trend. Trailing Boston College 10-7 with jsut a few minutes before halftime, Miller Moss found the end zone and then running back Isaac Brown broke free for a 62-yard house call. Louisville held onto control of the game from then on and now gets to look forward to beating up on Virginia Tech next Saturday.
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (20)
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Make it seven consecutive victories for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Led by dual-threat quarterback Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati came out hot early with a 24-0 lead. It put Scott Satterfield’s team in a position where it could dictate the rest of the game, and they came out of it with a very comfortable victory over Baylor. This is precisely the kind of performance Cincinnati needed on both sides of the ball to build some confidence before making the trip to Utah to face the Utes.
17. Virginia Cavaliers (18)
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It was an ugly rivalry game for the Virginia Cavaliers. Playing hurt, Chandler Morris was sacked six times, and the Cavaliers’ offensive line allowed seven tackles for loss to North Carolina. Virginia’s offense mustered just 16 first downs and kept stalling out on drives with negative plays, allowing the Tar Heels to stay in the game. Fortunately for UVA, its defense played fairly well, and North Carolina’s game-winning two-point attempt in OT came up inches short because the Tar Heels’ player didn’t fully extend his arms right at the goal line. The Cavaliers’ last two wins, by a combined three points, haven’t exactly inspired a ton of confidence in this team.
18. Oklahoma Sooners (9)
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Well, at least Xavier Robinson provided Sooner Nation with something positive to point to in Week 9. Since returning early from the broken bone in his hand, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer has completed just 57.9 percent of his pass attempts with two total touchdowns and three interceptions. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, it doesn’t have anyone else it can depend on to take over. It’s only making matters worse for the Sooners that Brent Venables’ defense surrendered 431 total yards on Saturday. Heading to Neyland Stadium next Saturday, there’s a very good chance Oklahoma is out of the top 25 rankings by this time next week.
19. Texas Longhorns (25)
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Credit where it’s due for Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns. In a dire situation on the road versus Mississippi State, it felt like the Longhorns’ season was effectively over, trailing 38-21 early in the fourth quarter. Manning delivered, given the context of the situation, his best performance of the season. The 24 unanswered points from Texas made the difference in a 45-38 OT victory. Now, the Longhorns get to head home, and there’s at least a glimmer of hope now in Texas of beating Vanderbilt.
20. Memphis Tigers (Unranked)
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A week after losing their first game of the season, the Memphis Tigers found themselves down at home 31-17 entering the fourth quarter. Ryan Silverfield’s program rose to the occasion versus a top-20 ranked South Florida Bulls team, responding with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. It’s a signature win for the program that suddenly reopens the door to Memphis potentially making the College Football Playoff.
21. Michigan Wolverines (24)
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Where would the Michigan Wolverines be without Justice Haynes? Certainly not viewed by anyone as a top-25 team. The junior running back put Michigan’s offense on his back Saturday night against Michigan State, carrying this program to another victory. It certainly works against lesser competition and Haynes will probably be enough to beat Purdue, Northwestern and Maryland in November. That matchup agaisnt Ohio State, though, well…recent history is the only reason to think Michigan has a chance in The Game.
22. Missouri Tigers (15)
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Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt was painful in a number of ways for the Missouri Tigers. Unfortunately, the long-term blow is the Beau Pribula injury on the failed fourth-and-goal that will likely sideline the quarterback for the season. That devastating blow came in the same game where kicker Robert Meyer missed a critical field goal. With a matchup versus Texas A&M up next, Mizzou’s time in the top 25 likely ends soon.
23. South Florida Bulls (17)
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The South Florida Bulls forgot to bring their defense to Memphis in Week 9. Alex Golesh’s offense shined on the road, putting up 31 points, 29 first downs and 564 total yards. Unfortunately, a single interception for Byrum Brown on the opening drive turned into a Tigers’ touchdown three plays later. That was enough for USF to lose on a day when its defense surrendered 17 points in the fourth quarter. On the bright side, the Bulls’ two losses this season will now have come versus ranked teams.
24. Navy Midshipmen (Unranked)
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An undefeated record entering November deserves a spot in the top 25 college football rankings. The Navy Midshipmen certainly don’t have a ‘marquee’ win this season, with victories coming against the likes of FAU, Temple, Rice and Tulsa. If this 2025 season has taught us anything, though, it’s that staying undefeated for two months is extraordinarily difficult. Blake Horvath and the Midshipmen will have their chance at a ‘signature’ win come Saturday afternoon at North Texas.
25. San Diego State Aztecs (Unranked)
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It’s time for the San Diego State Aztecs (6-1) to get some national recognition. They went on the road in Week 9 and beat a Fresno State team that was previously 5-2. What really stands out with the Aztecs this season is the defense. San Diego State is top-10 nationally in total yards per game allowed (255) and boasts the second-best scoring defense (7.3 PPG allowed) in the country. With upcoming matchups against Hawai‘i (6-2) and Boise State, the Aztecs have a shot at two very important wins, and victories would all but guarantee a 10-win campaign in Sean Lewis’ second season.
Matt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college … More about Matt Johnson