Conference championship game races across the Power Four are still wide open heading into Week 10 of the college football season.
A Julian Sayin-less Ohio State struggled offensively in its 30-18 upset loss to Southern California in Week 9, complicating the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff chances. True freshman Luke Fahey looked like a quarterback making his first career start in the loss, and Ohio State's murky quarterback situation isn't inspiring much hope going forward, especially with it needing to win out to feel good about making the CFP.
No. 1 Miami, No. 4 Utah and No. 5 UCLA are the only unbeaten teams remaining in college football, but that could change
in Week 10: The Hurricanes face No. 6 Notre Dame in a pivotal matchup on Saturday, Nov. 1, while the Utes and Bruins face two formidable opponents in BYU and Minnesota, respectively.
Ohio State faces unranked Oregon in Week 10, in a game that could shift not only the Big Ten standings, but also the CFP. The Ducks are technically still not eliminated from contention, and with a win they could put themselves back in the conversation while knocking Ohio State into CFP bubble territory.
Here are the latest risers and fallers across college football heading into Week 10:
College football risers after Week 9
USC
Who said Lincoln Riley was dead? The fifth-year Trojans coach might still not be the long-term option in Los Angeles, but USC's 30-18 win marked Riley's first win against a top-five ranked team as a head coach since 2017, when he was at Oklahoma.
USC is 7-2 and still controls its own destiny going forward. Maybe a win over Ohio State is the momentum USC needs to win out and make the CFP for the first time under Riley.
South Carolina
Shane Beamer arguably was on the hottest seat in college football after South Carolina's 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky on Oct. 3. He might have saved his job in the weeks since, though.
The Gamecocks have looked like a different team the last month, with a 38-19 win over Florida, a 27-24 win over Tennessee and a dominant 42-25 win over Oklahoma on Nov. 1. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is playing like a top-tier NFL prospect again, and South Carolina is now 5-3 after starting the year 2-3.
Vibes are high with South Carolina, one of the hottest teams in the country right now.
Wake Forest
Wake Forest looks like the second-best team in the ACC this season, and is a real contender for a CFP berth.
Second-year coach Jake Dickert has done one of the best jobs in college football the last two years, leading the Demon Deacons to a 9-4 record last season with a 7-1 start in 2026. Wake Forest is coming off dominant wins against California and Virginia, winning 41-7 and 51-7 in back-to-back weeks.
Quarterback Gio Lopez, an afterthought in the transfer portal after struggling at North Carolina last season, has been one of the best additions in the entire sport, with 24 total touchdowns to one interception so far. As of now, it looks like Wake Forest will get another shot at Miami after its narrow loss earlier this season.
College football fallers after Week 9
Ohio State
Ohio State's offense wasn't at its best without Sayin at the helm. It could cost the Buckeyes their season, and Jeremiah Smith a Heisman Trophy.
With remaining games against Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan without its starting quarterback, Ohio State is in danger of missing the CFP, despite having one of the most talented rosters in college football. Coach Ryan Day has his work cut out for him moving forward as he looks to get Fahey — or Tavien St. Clair — ready to win games at quarterback.
Indiana
Indiana hasn't looked like a national championship contender this season after losing numerous contributors from last season's title squad. The Hoosiers have scored 51 combined points in their last three games, with quarterback Josh Hoover struggling enough to make coach Curt Cignetti hand the offense to backup Grant Wilson, who led Indiana to a narrow 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota in Week 9.
Indiana needed a 60-yard field goal and overtime to beat Minnesota on Oct. 31, a week after the Hoosiers needed OT vs. a Michigan team with an abysmal offense. Its own offense has serious questions going forward.
Oklahoma State
First-year coach Eric Morris deserves credit for Oklahoma State's high-powered offense. It's clear the defense will be a point of contention heading into 2027, though.
The Cowboys' defense allowed 51 points in a 51-49 loss to Iowa State in Week 9. The Cowboys have now allowed 24 or more points in five consecutive games this season, including in matchups against Colorado and UCF.
Their loss puts Oklahoma State in a hard-to-overcome spot regarding Big 12 championship game contention moving forward, with two conference losses.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football risers and fallers: USC, Ohio State trending in opposite directions
