As we head to the first week of November, we’re starting to get an idea as to what the intensity behind the new 12-team College Football Playoff will look like. The truth is, the race remains wide open, and the games are about to get way more intense. Here is a recap of what happened during Week 9 of the 2024 CFB season.
1. Texas A&M establishes itself with marquee win
Mike Elko as an Ivy League head coaching hire was always a risk, but his smarts now have the Aggies in the top 10 with a huge win over the LSU Tigers over the weekend. They are now the only remaining undefeated team in SEC play specifically, and a bye in the College Football Playoff is on the table. Afterward, Elko took a clear shot at Jimbo Fisher too.
2. Alabama-LSU collision course for hot seat coaches
With Texas A&M beating LSU, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly is now in a bit of hot water. Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide kept some heat off Kalen DeBoer for a week after they blew out the Missouri Tigers. However, both team have two losses, and both teams have a bye this week before Bama travels to LSU next week. The losing coach will be in serious hot water with the fans.
3. Oregon, Penn St. score big wins; Ohio St. survives
As Dan Lanning’s Ducks continue to get better, they took advantage of playing a ranked team on their home field once again. Oregon absolutely obliterated the Illinois Fighting Illini. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions visited the Wisconsin Badgers and won easily in a very cold, hostile environment. The Buckeyes had to hold off the Nebraska Cornhuskers at home, though, so the top two Big Ten teams are clear.
4. What about Indiana, the SURPRISE college football team?
Yes, we left off the Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti’s team remains undefeated, as they dominated the Washington Huskies with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson over the weekend. While that is impressive, they aren’t a B1G contender…yet. They haven’t beaten one team currently ranked or who was ranked when they played them, so they have way more to prove.
5. Miami still on a roll, but so is Pitt: ACC set for CHAOS
On Friday, the Pittsburgh Panthers blew out the Syracuse Orange. The Hurricanes blew out the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, and the SMU Mustangs held off the Duke Blue Devils while The Clemson Tigers had a bye. All four teams are undefeated in ACC play, while Pitt and The U are just undefeated on the season period.
Pitt still has to face Clemson and SMU, the only matchups between these four. They’ll be underdogs in both, so Miami, Clemson and SMU finishing undefeated is highly possible. With the title game crucial to determining the College Football Playoff race, which to get the nod? Buckle up, as this could become a wild finish.
6. Big 12 has four College Football Playoff contenders
With the BYU Cougars holding off the UCF Knights and the Kansas State Wildcats holding off the Kansas Jayhawks, both teams care in the Big 12 title race. BYU and the Iowa State Cyclones, who had a bye, remain undefeated. Kansas State lost to BYU but gets a chance at redemption vs. Iowa State. What happens if they win, face BYU again and win that game?
Then there’s pesky Colorado. The Buffaloes controlled the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats, and Deion Sanders looks like the coach of the year. His team has already lost to Kansas State, but if Kansas State beats Iowa State and Colorado wins out, which they could without facing ISU or BYU, how do we sort out the Big 12 CFP teams?
7. Notre Dame back at the top of the College Football Playoff race
Two things happened to help the Fighting Irish become a CFP favorite over the weekend. To start, the Aggies look like a better win by the day. Then came their win, a dominating effort by Marcus Freeman’s program against a ranked Group of Five school. That fluke loss to the Northern Illinois Fighting Illini seems irrelevant right now, and they’ll be favored in all four remaining games.
8. Boise State gets breathing room in Group of Five race
All year, we’ve known the Boise State Broncos are the best Group of Five team and the one belonging in the College Football Playoff, but three others were undefeated going into last week. Well, Notre Dame took care of one, beating the Navy Midshipmen in a blowout. The Kennesaw State Owls upset the Liberty Flames as well.
All that’s left is the Army Black Knights, who still play Notre Dame and Navy, to give Boise State a clear field, as their only loss is on the road by three to Oregon. It seems obvious, but don’t write them in yet. Army gets both games on a neutral field plus the potential American Athletic Conference title game, which could be three quality wins, and if they do that, how do you leave them out.
9. Heisman race
1. Cam Ward
2. Travis Hunter
3. Ashton Jeanty
4. Dillon Gabriel
5. Will Howard
10. Top 10
1. Georgia
2. Oregon
3. Miami
4. Penn State
5. Texas A&M
6. BYU
7. Tennessee
8. Texas
9. Notre Dame
10. Iowa State
