College football takeaways: Key storylines and performances from Week 9 - ESPN

Week 9's slate of electric matchups brought Top 25 upsets, dominant wins, big losses and a coach being shown the door.

Texas A&M handed LSU its third loss of the season in a 49-25 victory for the Aggies in Baton Rouge. Following that blowout loss, LSU decided to part ways with head coach Brian Kelly on Sunday after three full seasons and eight games of 2025.

Texas A&M is focusing on its dynamic offensive trio that has provided explosive plays, especially in its big road matchups, and Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who was once a Heisman Trophy favorite, is looking for ways to bounce back from the Sooners' 1-2 record since his return from a hand injury.

What's next for LSU? Could Texas A&M's explosiveness be the answer to it potentially landing a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff? Can Mateer find his groove again in the final month of the season?

Our college football experts break down key storylines and takeaways from Week 9.

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How good is Oregon? | A&M's explosiveness
Sooners, Mateer teetering | Future in Boulder

The Ducks were flat — to put it kindly — in their 21-7 win against a now 2-6 Wisconsin team that's on a perpetual did-they-fire-the-coach-yet watch. The weather was horrible. Dante Moore's nose was a bloody mess. And yet… it opened the door to question how good this team really is.

Oregon's best win was Sept. 27 in double overtime at Penn State, which at the time seemed impressive. The College Football Playoff selection committee isn't going to penalize Oregon for winning this game — but it's not going to do it many favors, either.

The Ducks have beaten FCS Montana State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State, which are a combined 2-14. Rutgers, Penn State and Wisconsin are a combined 9-14. That