CFB Wrap-Up: Takeaways from Week 9's biggest games

College Football Wrap-Up recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Kansas takes out Oklahoma

Saturday's slate got off to a sleepy start until a monster jolt of energy arrived just after 4:30 p.m. ET. Kansas ended an 18-game losing streak to Oklahoma and handed the No. 6 Sooners their first loss of the season. It also doubled as the Jayhawks' first home win over a top-10 team in almost 40 years - a result that sparked wild celebrations in Lawrence.

The major talking point will certainly be Brent Venables' end-of-game decisions. Oklahoma looked to have sealed the win after picking off Jason Bean at the Kansas 38-yard line with 2:40 to play. A couple of first downs would've ended things, and a field goal would've pushed the one-point edge to four. Instead, the Sooners ran the ball thrice and committed a penalty on fourth down to move them back to the 40-yard line. The punt accomplished very little, tumbling into the end zone for a touchback and moving the ball only 20 yards.

Bean moved the Jayhawks down the field, with a 37-yard completion on fourth-and-6 eventually leading to the game-winning touchdown.

Kansas is now bowl eligible, while the Sooners drop to 7-1. Oklahoma faces the daunting task of back-to-back games at Oklahoma State and at home to West Virginia. The Big 12 title game may still be in play for the Sooners, but this loss will certainly register with the College Football Playoff committee when the first rankings come out Tuesday.

Oregon cranks up physicality

It's not very often you see a Kyle Whittingham-coached team lose the battle of physicality, but that's exactly what happened when Utah hosted Oregon on Saturday. The Ducks dominated in every facet of the game, coming away from Salt Lake City with a statement 35-6 win.

The same Utes offense that piled up 23 first downs and over 480 total yards last week at USC could barely do anything against the Ducks. The final numbers showed only 13 first downs and a paltry 241 yards of total offense. Oregon's front seven had six tackles for loss and held the Utes without a touchdown for the first time this season.

We already know Oregon can hang with just about anybody in a high-scoring contest - the nail-bitingly close loss at Washington earlier this year proved that. However, Dan Lanning's Ducks reminded everyone they aren't just comfortable playing a physical game decided in the trenches - they welcome it. That ability to play an all-around game shouldn't just have Oregon in great shape for the Pac-12 title but also for a CFP berth.

Georgia toys with Florida yet again

The annual Florida-Georgia rivalry contest doubles as the world's largest outdoor cocktail party. It's probably a good thing there's plenty of alcohol on hand for Gators fans to quickly drown their sorrows and forget about what they just witnessed on the field. The Bulldogs absolutely pounded their opponents for the third straight season, running the combined score to an outrageous 119-47 over that span.

Of course, Georgia's dominance in the SEC East doesn't end with this rivalry game. The Bulldogs have laid waste to the entire division en route to back-to-back national titles.

Carson Beck provided more evidence as to why he should be considered for this year's Heisman Trophy, throwing for 315 yards and two scores in the win. He's topped 260 yards passing in every game this season and has 13 total touchdowns in his last five contests.

The Bulldogs have won 25 straight games and head to November with the toughest part of the schedule awaiting. Three straight ranked opponents are on deck with visits from Missouri and Ole Miss and a trip to Tennessee. The finale versus Georgia Tech could present the Bulldogs with the opportunity to set a new record for longest winning streak ever by an SEC team.

Florida remains one victory away from bowl eligibility with Arkansas visiting next week. The Gators would be well served to get that victory with road trips to LSU and Missouri closing out the SEC schedule and the annual matchup with Florida State rounding out the schedule.

TreVeyon a difference-maker for Ohio State

The last time TreVeyon Henderson was on the field for Ohio State, he was topping the 100-yard rushing mark in a huge win at Notre Dame. The star running back has been sidelined for the last three contests, and the Buckeyes' rushing attack has cratered as a result. That changed Saturday, with a healthy Henderson pacing Ohio State to a crucial road win at Wisconsin. His final tally was 162 yards on 24 carries with an additional 45 yards on four catches.

Having Henderson in the lineup benefits first-year starter Kyle McCord greatly - especially in a road environment like Madison. The onus has too often fallen on McCord and Marvin Harrison to move the ball without the threat of a rushing game. Having Henderson back and in top form changes that and should make things significantly more promising for the blockbuster road matchup at Michigan to end the season.

Clemson is cooked

Clemson's trip to NC State certainly doesn't register as one of the bigger games in the slate, but this might be the last time we get a chance to mention the Tigers in this space for a while. We have enough evidence to provide a verdict: Dabo Swinney's Clemson is officially cooked as a national powerhouse program.

Clemson has lost four games in a season for the first time since 2011 and has an alarming 6-7 record in its last 13 matches versus FBS competition. After making six straight appearances in the CFP semis, the Tigers have been shut out the past two years and are set to miss out for the third time in a row.

The offense was once again a major issue on the road. The Tigers entered ranked 73rd in the nation in yards per play - a number that will drop even further after putting up only 4.5 against the Wolfpack. Cade Klubnik threw two interceptions in the loss, and the team barely registered 100 yards total on the ground.

Since Trevor Lawrence left for the NFL, Clemson has had three different offensive coordinators - and ranked outside the top 70 in yards per play under each one. There might be a bigger issue on offense than just the play-caller.

Swinney has never missed a bowl game since he got the Clemson job in 2009. The Tigers need to win two of their final four games to keep that record intact.

Louisville's a legit ACC threat

The ACC is Florida State's to lose, but Louisville served another reminder Saturday that it should be considered a legit threat to the Seminoles' title hopes. It's usually offensive wizardry that catches our eye with Jeff Brohm's teams, but it was his defense that delivered a shutout over Duke at home.

The Cardinals keyed in on Riley Leonard's limited mobility due to his ankle injury. The Blue Devils were held to just 202 total yards on the game - 32 fewer than Louisville piled up in the running game alone.

Louisville now sits at 7-1 on the season with a 4-1 mark in conference play. That puts it just below Florida State in the conference standings. For most of Saturday night it appeared the Cardinals would be tied with North Carolina as the Tar Heels raced out to a lead on Georgia Tech. However, the Yellow Jackets piled up 246 yards rushing in the fourth quarter alone to storm back and stun North Carolina. That leaves Louisville alone in second with the inside track to the ACC title game.

Good luck figuring out the Big Ten West

If you watch college football for pure chaos, may I direct your attention to the Big Ten West as we enter the final month of the season?

Four teams sport 3-2 conference records with four games to play. All four have offensive units ranked outside the top 75 in the country. The remainder of the season will be full of very tense, low-scoring games featuring teams that simply cannot score. Whoever emerges at the end gets the "privilege" of getting smoked by either Ohio State or Michigan in the conference title game.

Penn State wins ugly

Don't be fooled by the nine-point win - 32-point favorite Penn State was in trouble at home late against Indiana. With the score tied under the two-minute mark in the fourth, Drew Allar hit KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 57-yard touchdown to supply the game-winning points. A safety in the closing seconds made the final 33-24, but the Nittany Lions did very little in this contest to ease concerns after last week's loss at Ohio State.

Allar's winner puts a Band-Aid over the fact that the passing offense only piled up 153 yards prior to that point. The receivers once again struggled to get open, and Allar struggled to move to his secondary read. He also threw the first interception of his career late in the contest, keeping the result in question.

A trip to Maryland and a home date against juggernaut Michigan are up next for the Nittany Lions. While Penn State should be able to handle the Terrapins, it's tough to envision it hanging with Michigan at all if it can't get the passing attack sorted.

West Virginia, UCF headed opposite ways

No coach entered the season on a hotter seat than Neal Brown at West Virginia. It's safe to say he's taken a fire hose to the flame and cooled things considerably as the schedule enters its final month. The Mountaineers are now 5-3 on the season - with only a shocking Hail Mary at Houston keeping them from already being bowl eligible.

Brown's defense was decimated by injuries in the first month of the season, but the offense has risen to the occasion to shoulder the load. The Mountaineers have now topped the 30-point mark in three straight contests. The November schedule offers comfortable games versus Cincinnati and BYU for West Virginia to reach the seven-win plateau.

From a financial perspective, UCF's move to the Big 12 was a massive success. The school is set to eventually receive annual payouts that are over $30 million higher than what it got from the AAC. However, the move has been an absolute train wreck on the field as the Golden Knights are 0-5 in Big 12 play following Saturday's home blowout at the hands of West Virginia. Those losses include a 29-point drubbing by Kansas and blowing a 28-point home lead against Baylor. The combined scoreline for the five contests is now 203-123.

UCF already spent some of that incoming Big 12 money, giving head coach Gus Malzahn a contract extension worth $4 million per year for 2024-25 and $5.5 million for 2026-27. He's 0-3 since signing that deal and has a 3-8 record in the program's last 11 games versus FBS competition.

UCF's far from the only new Big 12 team to struggle with the move, as the four newcomers are 2-14 against legacy teams in the conference with BYU still to play Texas on Saturday.