Winners and losers of college football's Week 9: Florida sliding in wrong direction; Jim Harbaugh still can't get a signature win

Only a late goal with the game

well out of reach enabled Florida to prevent being blanked for the first time because 1988. Small success will certainly need to be adequate in place of real victories, which have actually shown harder to find by in instructor Dan Mullen's fourth period. illustrated the chasm of space separating the Gators from the top-ranked Bulldogs as well as elevated another round of inquiries concerning whether Mullen has what it requires to shut the gap.It's been that type of year for the Gators. After winning the SEC East as well as putting a scare into Alabama throughout the pandemic year, Florida stands amongst the biggest flops in the Football Bowl Subdivision.While the schedule obtains substantially simpler from here-- South Carolina, Samford, Missouri as well as Florida State-- do not allow an eight-win routine season distract from what's truly at play: Florida is

a team and program heading in the incorrect instructions.< p course=" gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw __ cap gnt_em_img_ccw __ crd" data-c-caption ="Florida head coach Dan Mullen reacts after greeting Georgia head instructor Kirby Smart adhering to the Gators'34-7 loss at TIAA Bank Field."data-c-credit="Kim Klement, U.S.A. TODAY Sports"> The Gators are among Saturday's largest victors and losers: VICTORS Michigan State Down 16 factors in the third

quarter as well as

with an enchanting period on the brink, Michigan State to end up being the only unbeaten group in the Big Ten. The celebrity was running back Kenneth Pedestrian III,-- one of the most Michigan had actually ever allowed to a solitary player. Pedestrian ought to go to or near the top of every Heisman Prize watchlist. Ohio State Hefty faves versus slumping Penn State, the Buckeyes suffered uncharacteristic struggles in the red zone, racking up just one goal in 6 journeys, as well as. On protection, the Buckeyes shut down Penn State's running video game yet failed to get stops on 3rd down, enabling conversions on 11 of 15 efforts. The bright side? Also three goals inside the PSU 20-yard line-- and also OSU had actually been obtaining 6 points on virtually 80% of those journeys-- and a grind-it-out win becomes a blowout.

Looking ahead: Miami (Fla.)The Hurricanes dismayed Pittsburgh 38-34 as well as have actually won back-to-back video games against ranked groups to ideal the ship heading into a huge slate of video games in November. One variable that reflects well on embattled instructor Manny Diaz is the Hurricanes'initiative, which didn't fluctuate in the middle of an extremely bad initial half of the season. This run of solid success has been highlighted by a star turn from young quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who threw for 426 lawns and 3 ratings to outduel Kenny Pickett.Kansas State Much like Miami, the Wildcats havereversed a troubling run of hideous losses with two straight success in Big 12 play. The most recent, 31-12 versus TCU, was keyed by one more all-conference performance from running back Deuce Vaughn, who ran for 109 yards as well as two ratings with one more 49 getting backyards. Kansas State is now 5-3 as well as a digital lock to reach bowl qualification for the 2nd time under train Chris Klieman. Minnesota Tossed aside after last month's loss to Bowling Eco-friendly-- as well as yep,-- Minnesota now beings in first place in the Big Ten West after

a

41-14 win against Northwestern. That makes four straight victories for the Golden Gophers with 2 huge video games ahead in November: Iowa on Nov. 13 and also Wisconsin on Nov. 27. Auburn The Tigers are beginning to make a step under first-year coach Bryan Harsin after a slow begin to the routine period. Auburn is 6-2 and also readied to rocket

up the U.S.A. TODAY Sports

AFCA Coaches Poll after a 31-20 win versus Ole Miss keyed by quarterback Bo Nix, who tossed for 276 yards with 3 touchdowns, two beginning the ground. The win leaves Auburn at 3-1 in SEC play as well as increases the opportunities that the Iron Dish versus Alabama will be for the division. And nothing wacky ever happens in that rivalry, right? LOSERS Michigan There is still no signature moment for Jim Harbaugh, who has actually managed to develop a program that defeats nobodies but can not nail down meaningful wins in the most significant video games on Michigan's timetable. The loss to MSU drops

Harbaugh to 3-9 in rivalry games against the Spartans and

Ohio State and also 2-13 in games against top-10 competition. In games against every person else, Harbaugh's record is 54-10. Iowa State is distressing for a shopping list of reasons, beginning with the reality that dropping&on the road to a group near all-time low of the Big 12 standings essentially removes the Cyclones from opinion for the conference championship video game. In a more comprehensive sense, this is simply the latest trouble for a team once selected to contend for the playoff. Instead,

Iowa State

is the largest letdown in the Huge 12. Iowa flirted with calamity throughout its 6-0 start, when regular failings on offense were papered over by the play of an elite defense. Yet as bad as the Hawkeyes were in losing to Purdue on Oct. 16, that performance had nothing on the egg laid in. The Badgers, consisting of 24 lawns on 30 lugs; forced 3 game-changing fumbles to build a 20-0 halftime lead; and quit simply two third-down conversion in 13 efforts. Texas What do

losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and also Baylor have in common? Beyond the fact that each loss was to a ranked challenger and each sent Texas toppling down the power rankings in the Big 12, the losses are linked by this: In each game, Texas held a double-digit lead in the second half however still handled to give it away. Up by 21 points versus the Sooners and 11 points against the Cowboys, in the third quarter.SMU Right here's one method to lose a game as well as blemish your unbeaten record: SMU kicked a 45-yard field goal to link Houston 37-37 with 30 secs left, only for the Cougars to return the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to carry out a 44-37 win. The returner, Marcus Jones, is just one of the country's greatest; he now has 2 goals on punt returns and one more 2 on kickoffs. The loss puts Houston right into position to satisfy Cincinnati in the American title game.Nebraska It's going to be very hard for new athletics director Trev Alberts to convincingly offer the idea that Scott Frost need to get an additional year if the Cornhuskers complete 3-9 with one win in

Large 10 play, which promises after a 28-23 loss in your home to Purdue. Up following? Simply Ohio State, Wisconsin as well as Iowa, 3 groups Nebraska has actually hardly smelled considering that signing up with the conference a decade earlier. At this moment, the program has much more in common with Vanderbilt and also Kansas than with the upper echelon of the Power Five.Kentucky Kentucky's opportunities of reaching a Brand-new Year's 6 dish took a big hit with a 31-17 loss to Mississippi State, dropping the Wildcats to 6-2 heading into a quite smooth slate of games to top the

routine season (Tennessee, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State as well as Louisville). Having a hard time to rack up factors isn't anything new for UK, which entered Saturday placed 71st nationally in scoring. Yet a typically trusted protection enabled Mississippi State quarterback Will certainly Rodgers to finish 36 of 39 efforts for 344 yards as well as a touchdown.Follow universities press reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter