CFB Week 9 knee-jerk reactions: Big Ten, SEC races heat up

College football’s Week 9 slate wasn’t dramatic or full of upsets, but the results majorly shifted the conference and playoff landscapes.

Here are some knee-jerk reactions to Saturday’s action:

Ohio State hasn’t fully recovered from the loss to Oregon

Despite defeating Nebraska, a 21-17 final score doesn’t suggest the No. 4 Buckeyes took care of business on Saturday. The Cornhuskers led 17-14 deep into the fourth quarter, requiring Ohio State quarterback Will Howard to come up with a game-winning drive. However, the defense still had to survive a tough targeting call that nearly provided Nebraska with a walk-off opportunity. The offense was sluggish with a stalled running game and will only be exploited as Ohio State approaches key clashes with No. 3 Penn State (Nov. 2) and No. 13 Indiana (Nov. 23).

Notre Dame has its clearest path to the CFP

After bombarding No. 24 Navy 51-14 at MetLife Stadium, the Fighting Irish look like they’re all the way back after recovering from the early-season loss to NIU. No. 12 Notre Dame forced six turnovers on Saturday against a Navy squad that had only given the ball up twice up to that point. Granted, it wasn’t a Power Conference opponent, but it was still a ranked win that will count towards Notre Dame’s seemingly inevitable inclusion in the 12-team playoff. Given its performance, Notre Dame looks primed to take care of business in its remaining schedule, which includes No. 23 Army (Nov. 23) and USC (Nov. 30).

The Big Ten race is down to two teams, Penn State is vulnerable

After walking away with a major victory over Ohio State in Week 7, No. 1 Oregon needed to prove it deserved the top rank. Smashing No. 20 Illinois 38-9 at home is another impressive notch in the Ducks’ belt and provides little reason to believe there’s anyone else remaining on its schedule that will threaten its path to Indianapolis. Meeting it there is likely to be the 8-0 Hoosiers. They didn’t just survive a good Washington team without their starting quarterback, they took care of business by putting the Huskies down 31-17.

Entering Week 9, Penn State would naturally be first on the list of challengers to Oregon. But quarterback Drew Allar left Saturday’s 28-13 win over Wisconsin early with a knee injury, creating an air of panic in Happy Valley with how lethargic Penn State’s offense was a majority of the game. There’s a real chance the Nittany Lions are on thin ice for the final month of the season (an opportunity Ohio State could exploit in Week 10).

Alabama isn’t out of the CFP race yet

It was clear Saturday’s contest against No. 21 Missouri would be an elimination game for not only the SEC title but also inclusion in the playoff. The Tigers were embarrassingly shut out 34-0 in Tuscaloosa — losing starting quarterback Brady Cook late in the first half — leaving themselves no path back to the playoff bubble. No. 15 Alabama on the other hand, just reestablished itself as the best two-loss team in the country and has settled right on the bubble with work still to be done. We won’t be done talking about the Crimson Tide as we enter the final month of the season.

Texas, Quinn Ewers still look shaky despite win

The No. 5 Longhorns needed a bounce-back game after falling 30-15 to Georgia in Week 8, subsequently losing its No. 1 crown. Any other year Vanderbilt would’ve been that kind of game but it was just unlucky for Texas to face the Commodores at their hottest (and ranked No. 25). Texas would get its much-needed win 27-24 but quarterback Quinn Ewers was not back playing at his best, throwing two picks which made the affair too close for comfort. Head coach Steve Sarkisian needs to tighten his guys up if he still wants to threaten for the SEC title, potentially getting a rematch with the Bulldogs in Atlanta.

BYU will represent the Big 12 in the CFP

At 8-0, the No. 11 Cougars must be taken as seriously as other conference-leading teams. BYU is the real deal on offense and defense, dispatching UCF 37-24 — a team that was chalked up to be a trap game entering Week 9. With four games remaining, BYU looks to be in prime position to walk into Dallas and claim the Big 12 title with ease. Its only other competitor, No. 10 Iowa State (7-0), has five games remaining, with one of them against No. 16 Kansas State (6-1), who could sneak into the conference title game with a win over the Cyclones.

Marcel Reed is Texas A&M’s only hope to win the SEC

The No. 14 Aggies (6-1) are now the only undefeated team remaining in the SEC, coming from behind to hand No. 8 LSU a crushing second loss 38-24. Texas A&M was 4-for-5 in scoring touchdowns on drives with backup quarterback Marcel Reed under center Saturday, notching a field goal on the one that didn’t find the endzone. Paired with its smothering defense, which picked off LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier three times and sacked him twice, Reed is the only option for the Aggies going forward if it wants to take advantage of the current state of the SEC.