College Football in Ohio – Week 9

The Buckeyes were off this week, but the Bearcats brought the national attention with their seventh straight win. Miami (Ohio) leads the MAC, and Dayton and Youngstown State are playing great FCS football.

#1 Ohio State 7-0 (4-0 in the Big Ten)

Ohio State had the week off. They’ll see action again on November 1^st when they host Penn State. The Buckeyes suffered a tragedy when legendary offensive lineman Nick Mangold passed away at age 41, from kidney disease.

Heartbreaking 💔 praying for the Mangold family. This hits close to home because I have family who have kidney health troubles, who have had transplants, and are on dialysis. I was hoping he'd be able to find a donor and beat this. Hug your loved ones. You just never know. https://t.co/3R5xaCM0xY

— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) October 26, 2025

Please remember the Mangold family in your prayers.

#10 Cincinnati 7-1 (5-0 in the Big 12)

The Bearcats are in a tie for first place in the Big 12 with BYU. They had a solid test against Baylor. While Brendan Sorsby and the offense have been the story for UC this year, their defense had their hour against Baylor. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson is the nation’s leading passer in yards and touchdowns. UC held him to a season low of 137 yards and two touchdowns passing. That was his lowest yards in a Big 12 game since 2023.

Miami (Ohio) 5-3 (4-0 in the MAC)

My Butler County guys sit alone at the top of the MAC right now after their win over Western Michigan. The Broncos led Miami 17-9 going into the fourth quarter, but the RedHawks owned the final quarter. Miami would score 17 unanswered to win, 26-17. Quarterback Dequan Finn had 312 total yards of offense and two touchdowns in the win. Miami will play Ohio next in their Battle for the Bricks Rivalry on November 4^th. The Winner will be in control of first place in the MAC.

Ohio 5-3 (3-1 in the MAC)

This game was closer than I expected. Ohio and Eastern Michigan were tied 14-14 going into the fourth quarter. Ohio would win the battle in the final stanza, 14-7. Running back Sieh Bangura had 18 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Chase Hendricks had 10 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Hendricks and Bangura led Ohio to victory. Next, the Bobcats have a pivotal game in the Battle for the Bricks against Miami (Ohio).

Bowling Green 3-5 (1-3 in the MAC)

Bowling Green had the perfect opportunity to move to 4-4 with their game against Kent State. Losing is always difficult, but blowing an 18-point third-quarter lead is the kind of loss that can linger. Eddie George and Bowling Green will try to get back on the right track at home against Buffalo on Saturday.

Toledo 4-4 (2-2 in the MAC)

Having a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense made me think Toledo was going to beat Washington State. The Cougars are better than I thought, and now Toledo has to rebound against Northern Illinois. Luckily, they’ll be at home in the Glass Bowl as they try to rebound from the 28-7 loss.

Akron 3-6 (2-3 in the MAC)

Akron had the surprise game of the week. They went on the road to Buffalo, and despite a couple of turnovers, quarterback Ben Finley led them to the 24-16 upset victory. Finley had 242 total yards of offense and three touchdowns. The Zips’ defense, though, was the deciding factor. They had five sacks and 10 tackles for a loss, and forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. They’ll have Saturday off before playing a weeknight game on November 4^th against UMass.

Kent State 3-5 (2-2 in the MAC)

The victory over Bowling Green wasn’t just crucial for Kent State; it was an epic victory. Down 21-3, midway through the third quarter, the Golden Flashes rallied. They scored 21 unanswered points, capped off by a halfback pass that would take their first lead, which would prove decisive. They’ll have Saturday off before playing Ball State on November 5^th.

Dayton 6-2 (4-1 in the Pioneer League)

Backup quarterback Drew VanVleet led the Flyers to the upset win over previously unbeaten and #19 Presbyterian. Dayton played it smart. They had a run-heavy game plan that didn’t depend on VanVleet to win the whole game himself. In return, he kept the Blue Hose defense honest. He was 10 of 12 for 104 yards and a touchdown. The Flyers’ rushing game and defense shouldered the load. Vincent Firnze had a pick-six, as Dayton picked off the Presbyterian quarterback three times.

#22 Youngstown State 5-3 (2-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference)

YSU did what they should have against Murray State. The Racers were 0-7 coming into the game, and Youngstown State made sure they were 0-8 leaving town. Star quarterback Beau Brungard had another big game. Brungard was 22 of 25 for 248 yards and two touchdowns passing the football. He added 64 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground as YSU won 51-17. YSU plays at #1 North Dakota State next. NDSU is fresh off of drubbing #2 South Dakota State 38-7. This will be a tough test for the Penguins.

Bill Willis Award Player of the Week

I mentioned the Flyers’ rushing attack helped them in their big win over Presbyterian. Their two top running backs are the players of the week for Week 9. Junior Gavin Lochow had 17 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Luke Hansen had 15 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Flyers’ rushing attack would total 274 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

Writer’s Note: The FBS rankings are from The College Football Power Rankings at TheForkball.com. The FCS rankings are from the FCS STATS Poll.