NCAAF · 1 hour ago

Ranking the Top 10 Most Disappointing College Football Teams Going Into Week 9

Grant White

Host · Writer

10. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers already blew their Week 9 assignment. Still, we can't say that we're shocked by the result.

WKU got off to a fiery start against Delaware, going up 14-7 by the end of the first quarter. Subsequently, the Hilltoppers were outscored 28-7 the rest of the way, allowing the Blue Hens to tally 414 passing yards along the way.

Formerly, the Hilltoppers were a top Power 4 team. Currently, they are at risk of missing bowl season for the first time since 2018.
1. Oregon Ducks
We knew Dante Moore meant a lot to the Oregon Ducks, but we thought this program was capable of more.

Since losing their starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender, the sadsack Ducks have waddled to a dismal 1-2 record. And if we're being honest with each other, they probably didn't deserve to beat Nebraska.

A lifeless loss to Illinois was the final nail in the coffin for their 2026-27 season. It also leaves us wondering if Oregon can pick up the pieces for next year.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
There's a strong case to be made that the Alabama Crimson Tide deserve to be ranked ahead of the Oregon Ducks. Another disappointing performance has us wondering what AP Poll voters see in this team.

Bama narrowly survived last week's test versus Texas A&M. Down 20-17 heading into the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide mounted an undeserving comeback against another lackluster program.

Sitting 1-2 against ranked opponents, Alabama is one loss away from being scrubbed from the Top 25. Sadly, we wouldn't be surprised if that came in their next showdown versus LSU.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions have run out of excuses to explain their sad state of affairs.

Penn State is winless in conference play. That's right, a dismal 0-4 record against Big Ten opponents has cast doubt on their ability to even make it to bowl season. Of note, only one of those defeats came at the hands of a Top 25 team.

With only one game left against a team beneath them in the standings, the Nittany Lions are at risk of going winless in conference play. Undoubtedly, that would rank as the worst season in school history.
4. Michigan Wolverines
Every week, the Michigan Wolverines find a new way of crawling under their already low bar. Last week's loss to Indiana only proves that contention.

Michigan was never really in last week's game. They were hovering around 150 total yards of offense before their last drive, but still only faced a 6-3 deficit. Miraculously, the Wolverines marched down the field, setting up shop at the IU 4-yard line with a minute to go. A sack, a field goal, and overtime later, Michigan headed to the locker room with another loss.

The Wolverines should have gone for the win in regulation. But maybe that's a perfect analogy for the state of this program.
5. South Florida Bulls
The Power 4 dominates the national conversation. Still, it's time to shine a light on the South Florida Bulls as an underachieving program.

Under Alex Golesh, USF had established itself as a perennial threat in the AAC. Of course, Golesh was seconded for Auburn's job, leaving Brian Hartline to take over in South Florida. Four games into conference play, we can't say it's been a worthwhile experiment.

The Bulls have dropped games to UTSA and lowly Temple. With some of the conference heavyweights awaiting them at the tail end of the season, we can only imagine that this year ends in disappointment.
6. Clemson Tigers
If not for the non-conference schedule, we'd be lamenting the Clemson Tigers as one of the worst programs in the Power 4. We're not fooled by their wins over Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern, though.

Currently sitting 4-3, the Tigers blew another game in Week 8. They were supposed to be no match for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Instead, Clemson mustered just 16 points on 288 yards, falling to 2-2 in ACC play.

Clemson embarks on a two-game road trip against lesser-than opponents. Still, this team can't be trusted to walk away with wins in both contests.
7. Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners may be coming off a win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but that doesn't excuse how far off this team is from expectations.

Some expected OU to compete against the premier SEC teams this season. While they did secure a win over Texas, that was their only noteworthy accomplishment. The Sooners came up short versus Michigan, Georgia, and Kentucky, and barely survived New Mexico and the aforementioned Bulldogs.

Many are predicting a convincing win over South Carolina in Week 9. John Mateer will find another way of disappointing, and Oklahoma's defense won't have an answer for the Gamecocks' offense.
8. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
The Mountain West Conference underwent an offseason transformation, with several of its blueblood programs departing for the Pac-12. That left the door open for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, who have proceeded to slam the door shut.

Hawaii earned a much-needed win over NIU in Week 8, but it doesn't absolve the Rainbow Warriors of their ineffective performances in MWC action. This team still sits 1-4 in conference play, dropping them to 2-6 on the season.

A bye week in Week 9 could help Hawaii salvage the rest of its season. We think it's more likely that the Rainbow Warriors continue to spiral.
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
We shouldn't be disappointed in the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but we are. The Matt Rhule-led Big Ten program always falls apart in conference play, which is the case again in 2026.

After securing wins against two of the Big Ten's basement dwellers, Nebraska has back-to-back implosions versus Indiana and Oregon. First, the Cornhuskers blew a fourth-quarter lead at home to the Hoosiers. Then, they followed the exact same script in Eugene, letting the Ducks score 11 unanswered to steal the win.

Nebraska had a week to collect itself, but that won't make a difference moving forward. The Cornhuskers will find new ways to blow leads and limp into bowl season yet again.
10. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers already blew their Week 9 assignment. Still, we can't say that we're shocked by the result.

WKU got off to a fiery start against Delaware, going up 14-7 by the end of the first quarter. Subsequently, the Hilltoppers were outscored 28-7 the rest of the way, allowing the Blue Hens to tally 414 passing yards along the way.

Formerly, the Hilltoppers were a top Power 4 team. Currently, they are at risk of missing bowl season for the first time since 2018.
1. Oregon Ducks
We knew Dante Moore meant a lot to the Oregon Ducks, but we thought this program was capable of more.

Since losing their starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender, the sadsack Ducks have waddled to a dismal 1-2 record. And if we're being honest with each other, they probably didn't deserve to beat Nebraska.

A lifeless loss to Illinois was the final nail in the coffin for their 2026-27 season. It also leaves us wondering if Oregon can pick up the pieces for next year.

Ranking the Top 10 Most Disappointing College Football Teams Going Into Week 9

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