USC's Lincoln Riley Claims First Top-Five Win as Ohio State Falls

USC coach Lincoln Riley secured his first win against a top-five AP opponent on Saturday, defeating No. 2 Ohio State in front of a home crowd. The victory provided a stark contrast to the rest of the national picture, where ranked teams struggled against unranked challengers. In total, five ranked programs fell to unranked opponents during the Week 9 slate, marking a second consecutive week of such upsets.

The losses extended beyond the Big Ten, though that conference bore a heavy portion of the blow. Iowa State defeated No. 24 Oklahoma State, while the University of Iowa beat No. 25 Wisconsin. These results highlighted the unpredictability currently affecting the top of the polls. Unranked Syracuse and Oregon also delivered decisive conference victories at home, adding to the list of surprises for the weekend.

The shifting dynamics have complicated the path to the 12-team College Football Playoff. Under the new format introduced this season, the four highest-ranked teams receive first-round byes regardless of conference champion status. The remaining eight teams will compete in first-round matchups held at the campus sites of seeds five through eight. Conference champions from Power 4 schools and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team automatically secure bids, with the final seven spots allocated to the next highest-ranked teams.

ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach continue to project the postseason field until official matchups are set on Dec. 6. Their predictions show significant divergence in the quarterfinal bracket. Bonagura sees No. 1 Miami meeting No. 8 Kentucky in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 30, while Schlabach predicts No. 1 Miami will face No. 5 Kentucky in that same slot. The analysts also disagree on the identity of the team facing No. 1 Miami in the semifinals, with Bonagura selecting No. 4 Georgia and Schlabach choosing No. 4 Utah.

The bowl season schedule runs from Dec. 12 to Jan. 25. The Cricket Celebration Bowl kicks off the postseason at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 12. The College Football Playoff semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 14 and 15 in Miami and New Orleans, respectively. The National Championship Game will take place on Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

First-round playoff games are set for Dec. 18 and 19. Bonagura projects No. 12 Boise State to host No. 5 BYU, while Schlabach places Boise State at No. 5 Kentucky. In the other matchups, Bonagura pairs No. 11 Ohio State with No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 10 Alabama with No. 7 Indiana. Schlabach offers different pairings, placing No. 11 Indiana against Notre Dame and No. 10 Wake Forest against No. 7 BYU.