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.

Rank Indiana above Ohio State

Curt Cignetti started his Indiana tenure by grabbing a microphone and spitting some absolute fire during a break at a Hoosiers basketball game in December.

"I've never taken a back seat to anybody, and I don't plan on starting now," Cignetti yelled to a roaring crowd. "Purdue sucks ... but so does Michigan and Ohio State."

If the first part got the crowd roaring, the second part sent it into a frenzy. And here's the wild part: He's not wrong, at least when comparing those teams to Indiana so far. Purdue and Michigan are a combined 5-9, while Ohio State - ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll - just finished off a narrow 21-17 win over a Nebraska team that the Hoosiers pounded 56-7 last week.

A comparison between Ohio State's and Indiana's home performances against the Cornhuskers offers a glimpse into how good the Hoosiers have been this year.

Nobody is going to argue that Indiana's roster is as talented as Ohio State's. One could also make the argument that if the two swapped schedules thus far, it would be the Hoosiers with one loss and the Buckeyes with the undefeated mark. However, Saturday's 14-point win over Washington with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson at the helm means Indiana is 8-0 for the first time since 1967, with all eight wins coming by at least two touchdowns. Indiana has scored at least 30 points in every contest this season - something Ohio State can no longer say after the Nebraska game.

Indiana now takes on the state of Michigan with a trip to East Lansing and a home date versus the Wolverines to start November. Then it's a bye week with the biggest contest of the year to follow: a road trip to face the Buckeyes on Nov. 23. It's then that Cignetti can prove whether Ohio State truly "sucks," but judging by how things have gone this year, don't be shocked if that's one of the games of the year in the Big Ten.

Where's the Buckeyes' run game?

One of Ohio State's best moments in its loss to Oregon was TreVeyon Henderson ripping off a 53-yard run. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, seeing Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, and Will Howard running in open space has been rare in recent weeks. Taking away that 53-yard run, Ohio State's rushing attack has run the ball 63 times for just 174 total yards the past two games. Those measly 2.7 yards per run are well below how Chip Kelly's offense started the year, ripping off over 6 per carry.

Injuries to the Buckeyes' offensive line continue to be an issue, but every season presents health issues for every team. Ohio State desperately needs to get in the lab and fix the run game this week, with Penn State and the nation's 14th-ranked rushing defense next on the schedule.

Oregon makes AP voters look wise

The Associated Press rewarded Alabama for its Week 4 win over Georgia with the No. 1 ranking in the poll. The Crimson Tide promptly lost to Vanderbilt. Texas was then hit with the No. 1 ranking - a spot it held for just two weeks before losing at home to Georgia last weekend. Next up was Oregon, and it's probably safe to say the Ducks ain't goin' down like that.

Playing in their first game as the No. 1 team since 2012, the Ducks did exactly what a top squad should - beat the heck out of a ranked opponent in No. 22 Illinois. Oregon scored five touchdowns on its first six drives and held Illinois to just three points during that time. The result was a bloated 35-3 halftime edge to render the second half essentially meaningless in Eugene.

After its stirring win over Ohio State two weeks ago, Oregon has beaten Purdue and Illinois by a combined 73-9 margin. The offense will get the headlines, but it's the defense that's truly dominating on a weekly basis. The Ducks have held the last two opponents to a combined 254 yards passing with six sacks, 17 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Relentless, perfect, BYU

Seven drives and six scores, and BYU is a perfect 8-0. The Cougars absolutely raced out of the gates in Orlando on Saturday with four touchdowns and two field goals on their opening seven drives to build a whopping 34-10 lead on the road against UCF. If you could award extra points for style, what would a fake field goal that featured two different snaps on the play receive?

The Cougars scoring on six of their first seven drives Saturday follows four straight scoring runs to end last week's win over Oklahoma State. Add that up, and you have points on 10 of 11 drives and a pretty simple explanation why BYU remains undefeated heading into a bye week.

Notre Dame slowly erasing NIU blemish

It turns out that Notre Dame's playoff chances didn't end after a shocking Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. Slowly, the Fighting Irish are making their case for a spot in the 12-team postseason by handling their business while others drop games. The latest resume-builder came Saturday with a blowout of previously undefeated Navy.

The Midshipmen have been one of the stories of the early season and entered ranked second in the nation with a plus-12 turnover margin. The offense hadn't turned the ball since Week 1 - a period of 307 plays. That run ended in disastrous fashion, as Notre Dame's defense forced a six-pack of turnovers. That turned any chance of an upset into an absolute rout for the Fighting Irish.

The Luck of the Irish was in play for some of the day, as four of the six turnovers were certainly more Navy mistakes than Notre Dame forcing the issue. However, Marcus Freeman's program took full advantage and ran up the score as a result.

A bye week is next on the schedule for the Irish before back-to-back home games against unranked Florida State and Virginia. Wins in both those contests should make Notre Dame a top-10 team with only games against Army and USC left on the slate.