College Football Week Nine Recap: Winners and Losers - jmik58's Blog

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jmik58's Blog

College Football Week Nine Recap: Winners and Losers Stuck

Posted on October 29, 2012 at 03:02 PM.

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The marathon of the college football season is starting to take its toll on the pretenders.

Teams once thought of as national title contenders are playing horribly on the road while Oklahoma can't figure out a way to beat ranked teams at home. College football is a crazy game that walks an analogous path to that of the emotional roller-coaster of its amateur participants -- young men barely out of their teenage years.

The only thing predictable about the sport, like its athletes, is that it's unpredictable -- and that the BCS loves the SEC a lot. Here are five winners and losers from week nine of the college football season.

FIVE TEAMS ON THE RISE

#1 Alabama (7-0)
Week 9: #11 Mississippi State, won 38-7
Week 10: #5 LSU (7-1)

The Crimson Tide are averaging forty points per game while only surrendering eight. Unfortunately for 'Bama, LSU had two weeks to prepare for their matchup in the Bayou.

Georgia (9-0)
Week 9: #2 Florida, won 17-9
Week 10: Ole Miss (5-3)

The Bulldogs should cruise easily through the rest of their schedule before a potential SEC Championship matchup. Georgia will benefit from losing early and could work their way to a BCS appearance should they find a way to take home the SEC title -- even with one loss.

#5 Notre Dame (8-0)
Week 9: #8 Oklahoma, won 30-13
Week 10: Pittsburgh (4-4)

The Fighting Irish are on fire after a huge road win against the Sooners. Don't overlook that garbage touchdown in the closing minutes either as the seventeen-point margin of victory could push the computers in their favor. Notre Dame should run through the rest of their schedule before the finale on the road at USC.

Ohio State (9-0)
Week 9: Penn State, won 35-23
Week 10: Illinois (2-6)

The Buckeyes may not get the prestigious number-rank as a preface to their school name the rest of the year (not eligible for BCS) but they're playing well regardless. Unfortunately, Ohio State has been as volatile as any Big Ten program this year and could fall in any of their remaining contests -- not counting Illinois. Their points per game (38.6) and points allowed per game (24.1 -- 50th in the nation) paint a grim story for what looks like a pristine record.

#3 Kansas State (8-0)
Week 9: #14 Texas Tech, won 55-24
Week 10: Oklahoma State (5-2)

If Collin Klein wants the Heisman it's essentially his. The Wildcats -- ranked #2 in the BCS -- also are in position for the national championship if they want it. The rest of their schedule is against squads with floundering defenses (TCU and Baylor on the road), capped by a contest at home against the potentially-solid Texas Longhorns.

FIVE TEAMS ON THE DECLINE

#7 Oregon State (6-1)
Week 9: Washington, lost 20-17
Week 10: Arizona State (5-3)

Seattle has been home to some strange things this year. The Packers were hosed by the replacement officials in an NFL contest and the USC Trojans had their national title hopes dashed all on the same field. Add the Beavers to the list as well as the injury bug was too much to overcome against the home-happy Huskies.

#2 Florida (7-1)
Week 9: #10 Georgia, lost 17-9
Week 10: Mizzou (4-4)

Being the hottest team in the country not named "Alabama" has its rewards, but it also means you get everyone's best. The Gators learned the hard way that no conference has it tougher than that of the SEC. Their biggest misfortune may be in the timing of their loss as the Bulldogs are positioned ahead of them at the present time and likely won't slip up with only a few weeks to go.

#8 Oklahoma (5-2)
Week 9: #5 Notre Dame, lost 30-13
Week 10: Iowa State (5-3)

Poor, Big-Game Bob. You can't blame the Sooners for trying to boost their chances by taking on the Irish, but two losses -- and at home -- make this season a loss for OU as their national title hopes are now replaced by that of the Irish.

#9 USC (6-2)
Week 9: Arizona, lost 39-36
Week 10: #4 Oregon (8-0)

Maybe the Trojans were caught looking ahead to their matchup with the Ducks. Maybe the football gods had enough of their jersey-swapping shenanigans. Perhaps Lane Kiffin just isn't a championship-caliber coach. Now watch as they inexplicably end the Oregon Ducks' season by winning at The Coliseum.

#24 Ohio (7-1) -- #15 Rutgers (7-1)
Week 9: Lost vs. Miami (OH) & Kent State, respectively.
Week 10: Who cares?

The last remaining BCS-buster is gone in the Ohio Bobcats. The only remaining challenge to Louisville Cardinals (who barely won) is gone, rendering the Big East irrelevant still. Yay, SEC.

Sound Off: Who are your winners and losers from week nine of the college football season?

Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @long_snapper