Colorado coach Deion Sanders summed it up simply after watching his team give up 587 yards of offense — including 422 on the ground — in a 53-7 loss to Utah Saturday night.

“This is bad,” Sanders said after the worst defeat of his Buffaloes tenure. “This is probably the worst beating I’ve ever had except when my momma whooped me as a kid.”

Sanders knows the value of a good defense. And after another weekend slate filled with high-profile, one-score games, so should every coach leading a College Football Playoff contender as we reach the business end of a 2025 season in which the gap between the nation’s top programs is seemingly narrower than ever before.

LSU and Oklahoma, which each entered Saturday among the country’s top-10 scoring defenses, got exposed in Week 9 losses to Texas A&M and Ole Miss. In Nashville, Tennessee, the dominant defensive lines of Missouri and Vanderbilt engaged in a slugfest in the Commodores’ 17-10 win, while Texas leaned on its defense to charge a 17-point comeback and an overtime victory at Mississippi State.

Elsewhere, CFP favorites Indiana, Miami, Oregon and Texas Tech each held their opponents to seven points or fewer, sharing a combined margin of victory of 161-20.

As we turn the page on Week 9, this week’s power rankings dive into how the nation’s top programs can improve on defense over the final month of the regular season, and for some, beyond. — Eli Lederman

Previous ranking: 1

The Buckeyes are No. 3 nationally in defensive EPA, so nitpicking ways they can be better isn’t easy. Ohio State is tops in the country in third-down defense (21.1%), red zone efficiency defense (16.7%) and fewest points allowed (41 total!). Still, as dominant as the Buckeyes have been under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, they could create more turnovers. Ohio State is tied for 57th with only nine forced turnovers, including only four interceptions (tied for 78th nationally). In the coming weeks, however, the Buckeyes could rack them up. Ohio State’s next three opponents — Penn State, Purdue, UCLA — have combined to commit 33 turnovers already this season. — Jake Trotter

Previous ranking: 2

The Hoosiers, who rank second nationally in defensive EPA, have imposed their will on defense, especially in Big Ten play. No Big Ten offense has scored more than 13 points against the Hoosiers (Oregon put up 20 with a pick-six, and Iowa scored 15 with a safety). Indiana also leads the country with 29 sacks and ranks third in fewest points allowed per game (10.9). So, where can Indiana improve? Well, the Hoosiers are allowing opponents to complete 61.5% of their passes, which is middle of the road in the Big Ten. But even that hasn’t really hurt the Hoosiers, who are giving up just 5.54 yards per passing attempt, the 10th-best number in the country. In other words, Indiana might be giving up completions — but it’s not going for many yards anyway. — Trotter

Previous ranking: 3

The Aggies’ defense has shown a bit of everything during the team’s 8-0 start, and even during Saturday’s 45-24 win at LSU. Texas A&M struggled a bit in the first half, as LSU had touchdown drives of 74 and 75 yards, the latter prolonged by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Aggies also showed their dominant side in the second half, forcing four straight punts and allowing 24 net yards on LSU’s first five possessions. The key for Texas A&M, especially in the postseason, will be complete performances — less of what happened at Notre Dame and Arkansas, and more of what it showed against Auburn, Mississippi State and the second half at LSU. The Aggies could use more interceptions after recording just two in the first eight games. They also must seek complementary pass rushers alongside All-America candidate Cashius Howell, who added two more sacks in the LSU win. — Adam Rittenberg

Previous ranking: 4

The Crimson Tide seem to be playing better against the run in recent weeks, and some of that has been an effort to limit explosive plays. Since allowing six explosive runs for 171 yards in a win over Georgia, Alabama has not allowed that many in a game. In fact, since the start of the second quarter against Vanderbilt, Alabama has given up only four explosive runs for 128 yards over 17 quarters. In a 29-22 comeback win over South Carolina on Saturday, Alabama gave up only three explosive plays, and they were all in the passing game, including a 54-yard touchdown pass. Certainly, limiting the number of explosive touchdowns given up should be on the priority list. In every game in which its opponent has scored this season, Alabama has allowed a scoring play of 20 or more yards — five of them were passing. — Andrea Adelson

Previous ranking: 5

This clearly isn’t Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s best defense, so there are myriad ways the Bulldogs can improve down the stretch to keep their CFP hopes alive. Where to begin? The Bulldogs are tied for 127th in the FBS in sacks (eight in seven games), 133rd in tackles for loss (27), 113th in turnovers gained (two fumbles and four interceptions) and 95th in opponents’ third-down conversions (41.7%). When it mattered most, Georgia couldn’t get off the field on third down, which was a trademark of Smart’s great defenses of the past. The Bulldogs don’t have a dominant edge rusher; linebackers Chris Cole and CJ Allen lead the team with three sacks each. Georgia’s inability to pressure the quarterback has made it more difficult for the secondary, which is breaking in new starting cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and safety Kyron Jones (who’s hurt). The Bulldogs will have to tighten things up the rest of the way. — Mark Schlabach

Previous ranking: 9

After giving up 17 fourth-quarter points in last week’s loss at Georgia, Ole Miss pitched a shutout over the final 15 minutes of its 34-26 win on the road against Oklahoma. Despite a near-complete makeover in the secondary, the Rebels began Week 9 ranked 39th nationally in pass defense — Ole Miss last finished top 50 in the category in 2016 — and made life difficult for Sooners quarterback John Mateer on Saturday afternoon. Less stellar is a rush defense that’s stopping the run less effectively than every SEC team other than bottom-of-the-league Arkansas. Long runs, like the 65-yard touchdown Oklahoma’s Xavier Robinson unleashed on the Rebels, have been a particular weak point. With Ole Miss potentially playoff-bound, the program’s rush defense remains a core weakness for coordinator Pete Golding and the Rebels to address between now and December. — Lederman

Previous ranking: 7

Georgia Tech has held three straight opponents to 20 points or fewer, including a dominant 41-16 win over Syracuse in Week 9. For the year, the Yellow Jackets have one of the ACC’s best scoring defenses, but dig a little deeper and there’s some obvious room for improvement. Six of Georgia Tech’s past seven opponents have run for at least 150 yards, including 157 by the Orange, who had struggled badly running the football in recent weeks. Part of the issue is accounting — Georgia Tech’s limited sack total has bolstered opponent rushing averages. It’s not a lack of pressure, but Tech’s linemen need to finish the job. The other issue is more straightforward, allowing 4.84 yards per rush on designed runs (12th in ACC) and more than 2 yards before contact per designed run (15th in ACC) despite playing against several teams — Colorado, Clemson, Syracuse — that have otherwise struggled against the run this season. — David Hale

Previous ranking: 6

The Ducks’ defense has allowed fewer than 15 points in six of their eight games this season. Their only blemish came in their lone loss of the season against Indiana in a 30-20 defeat. Yet, even in that game, there wasn’t much the unit did egregiously wrong. A closer look, however, reveals an interesting place where the Ducks might be struggling. All three of Indiana’s touchdowns in that game came inside the red zone, and overall, Oregon’s defense ranks 134th (tied for last) in the country in opponent red zone scoring percentage and 132nd in opponent red zone touchdown percentage. But the Ducks don’t allow their opponent to get into the red zone often — only 13 times this season (third fewest in CFB) — but when opponents do, the Ducks haven’t done much to stop them from scoring. It’s something to keep an eye on as they try to return to the College Football Playoff this season. — Paolo Uggetti

Previous ranking: 8

The defense has started slowly the past two games against Louisville and Stanford, and that, in part, is one reason the Hurricanes have looked sluggish in the early part of their past two games. Louisville jumped out to a 14-0 lead after its first two possessions, and that had Miami playing on its heels at times in a 24-21 loss. It was the first time this season Miami had trailed. Then, this past weekend, Stanford drove 74 yards on 12 plays and scored a touchdown on the opening drive to take a quick lead before the defense stymied the Cardinal the rest of the way in a 42-7 win. It is important to note, however, that the defense has massively improved over a year ago and is a big reason Miami is 6-1. — Adelson

Previous ranking: 10

After BYU fell behind 24-10 late in the second quarter against Iowa State, the Cougars’ undefeated season was on the brink. But as they’ve done several times over the past two seasons, the Cougars calmly responded — this time by outscoring the Cyclones 31-3 the rest of the way to win comfortably in Ames. BYU has been outgained the past two weeks, a worrying trend headed into Saturday’s trip to Texas Tech, a matchup that will be one of the biggest games in college football this week. — Kyle Bonagura

Previous ranking: 12

Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia gets a lot of the love nationally, but Vanderbilt’s stingy defense deserves some of the credit for the program’s remarkable turnaround, as well. The Commodores rank 24th in the FBS in scoring defense (18.8 points), 18th in run defense (101.9 yards) and 31st in total defense (322.6 yards). The unit is generating sacks (21) and turnovers (11). So, after eight games, there aren’t a lot of obvious areas in which the Commodores need to improve. But they could get better in the red zone, where opponents have scored 82.6% of the time. Vanderbilt’s defense allowed touchdowns in 13 of the 23 trips inside its 20-yard line. Alabama went 5-for-5 in the red zone in a 30-14 win Oct. 4, when it handed Vanderbilt its only loss of the season. The Commodores have been good on defense, but they could bow their necks a little more near the goal line. — Schlabach

Previous ranking: 11

The Red Raiders’ defense isn’t too shabby, ranking fourth in scoring defense, fourth in yards per play and ninth in yards per game. The Red Raiders have lost only one game, and gave up just 26 points to Arizona State in the loss, but they allowed a last-minute drive to Sam Leavitt. They bounced back against a woeful Oklahoma State team this weekend, the first time since 2000 that Texas Tech scored more than 40 points and pitched a shutout, and only the second time since the Big 12 was formed. The Red Raiders will be tested the next two weeks against Kansas State in Manhattan and then against BYU in Lubbock. Currently, according to ESPN Analytics, Tech has a 60% chance to enter bowl season with two or fewer losses. This stretch, before perhaps a spot in the Big 12 title game, will be its biggest hurdle. — Dave Wilson

Previous ranking: 14

It seems almost quaint to remember the apoplexy that followed Notre Dame’s 0-2 start and the abysmal pass defense that helped create it. Two weeks into the season — against two teams that are a combined 14-1, by the way — Notre Dame was allowing nearly 8 yards per dropback. Since then, the Irish have figured things out — and gotten Leonard Moore healthy — and the defense has turned it around. In its past five games, Notre Dame is surrendering just 5.8 yards per dropback and has picked off a best-in-FBS 12 passes in that span. The Irish were off in Week 9, but the remaining schedule (Boston College, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse, Stanford) doesn’t look likely to challenge that pass defense much either. — Hale

Previous ranking: 16

Virginia’s defense struggled to defend the middle of the field in the first half of Saturday’s 17-16 win over North Carolina, but in a credit to the coaching staff, the halftime adjustments were nearly flawless. UNC threw for just 35 yards on 11 attempts in the second half, giving the Hoos a chance to escape in overtime. The secondary has not been a strength for Virginia this year, but defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s ability to scheme around some weaknesses has given the Cavaliers a shot in every game, and the offense has — often barely — made enough plays to come away with the win all but once. The challenge gets a bit bigger next week against talented freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Cal, and even bigger still in three weeks against Darian Mensah and Duke. Virginia’s playoff hopes are alive, but the margin for error is thin, and that puts extra pressure on Rudzinski & Co. to continue to find answers on the back end. — Hale

Previous ranking: 18

Any improvement would be welcome for Tennessee’s defense. The Volunteers came into Saturday’s game at Kentucky having allowed at least 24 points against every FBS opponent to date (plus 17 against ETSU), and they allowed 34 points and 476 yards to a shaky UK attack. The offense scored 56, thanks to Joey Aguilar‘s 396 yards and three touchdowns, and Tennessee moved to 6-2 overall. But defense is an obvious Achilles heel. Kentucky’s Cutter Boley threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns, and the Vols’ pass rush, a strength to date, managed just one sack. If there was a bright spot, however — besides the win — it’s that an inefficient run defense stepped up, allowing just 3.7 yards per carry to Kentucky running backs. And hey, it’s always better to talk about what needs improvement after a win. — Bill Connelly

Previous ranking: 20

There’s a lot to like about this Cardinals defense and the improvements it has made through seven games. The unit is a top-25 defense in a ton of categories and ranks second in the ACC with 16 takeaways after nabbing three more in a 38-24 win over Boston College on Saturday. Last year, the defense finished with 17 through 13 games. Louisville has allowed only one rush of 20-plus yards this season and is getting stops on 67% of third downs. The Cardinals’ defense got stuck on the field for most of the first half against Boston College and had to defend 82 plays, but five three-and-out drives and three fourth-down stops helped seal the win. — Max Olson

Previous ranking: 19

As great as Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats’ offense have been over their seven-game win streak, defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt deserves some credit for how his unit is stepping up in Big 12 play. Cincinnati held Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson to just 137 passing yards, his fewest as a starter against a Big 12 defense, in a 41-20 rout Saturday. The Bearcats have made good progress on defense over the past month since winning a 37-34 shootout at Kansas and are finding ways to get timely stops. Cincinnati’s defense still ranks last in the Big 12 in interceptions (one) and tackles for loss (17) in conference play. As this squad gets into more high-stakes ballgames the rest of the way, it will need bigger plays in big moments. — Olson

Previous ranking: 15

It’s hard to critique Mizzou’s defense, considering the Tigers gave up 17 points and 265 yards to Vanderbilt, which came in averaging 41.4 points and 457.7 yards per game. Despite losing starting quarterback Beau Pribula to an ankle injury, and blowing a couple of prime scoring opportunities in the third quarter, the Tigers came within inches of forcing overtime, falling 17-10 after a completed Hail Mary came up short. The defense was the primary reason this went down to the wire. If we’re nitpicking, though, big plays have been an occasional issue, and Makhilyn Young‘s 80-yard touchdown for Vandy in the third quarter was a pivotal play in such a tight game. Still, the Commodores averaged only 4.2 yards per play, otherwise. Mizzou’s defense did its job. And if Pribula is out long term, the Tigers will have to lean on said defense all the more. — Connelly

Previous ranking: 13

For the first time this fall, Brent Venables’ defense looked vulnerable during the first half of the Sooners’ 34-26 defeat to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. Still, there’s only so many critiques to be made of a unit that entered Week 9 tied for first in sacks nationally while leading the SEC in pass defense, run defense and points allowed. Oklahoma rebounded mightily after halftime Saturday, and upcoming trips to Tennessee and Alabama present its defense with high-visibility chances to get back on track. One problem the Sooners need to fix: missed tackles. Oklahoma averaged 16 of them across its initial three SEC games and entered Saturday ranked 84th nationally in the category (13th in the SEC). Missed tackles aren’t a perfect metric for measuring a defense — aggressive units like Venables’ are bound to produce more missed tackles — but among the nation’s top-10 scoring defense leaders, Oklahoma is one of only three that rank lower than 30th in the state. — Lederman

Previous ranking: 25

The Midshipmen’s defense is about to face a gauntlet with North Texas, Notre Dame, South Florida and Memphis up next. Navy is going on the road for three of these next four, too. Can this unit get enough stops to survive this challenging stretch? The Midshipmen’s defense got the job done when it mattered most in the fourth quarter of close wins over Air Force and Temple. Navy was firmly in control against FAU on Saturday, leading 42-19 with three minutes left, before giving up a late scoring run in a 42-32 win. Now, the Midshipmen’s No. 117-ranked pass defense must find answers for slowing down North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker after he just threw for 608 yards vs. Charlotte. — Olson

Previous ranking: 24

In its two biggest games — and only two losses — the Wolverines struggled to tackle. On Sept. 6 at Oklahoma, Michigan had 15 missed tackles. In the Oct. 11 defeat at USC, the Wolverines missed 12 tackles. At 6-2 and 4-1 in the Big Ten, Michigan remains on the fringes of the conference championship and playoff conversations. But the Wolverines have to tackle better down the stretch, especially when they face high-powered Ohio State at the Big House in the regular-season finale. — Trotter

Previous ranking: 21

The Longhorns haven’t made it easy on themselves over the past month. On Saturday, they picked a heck of a time for their worst defensive showing of the season in Starkville, giving up 38 points to a Mississippi State team that had lost 16 straight SEC games before overcoming a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and pulling out a win in overtime. This time, the offense — and Oklahoma hero Ryan Niblett, once again — saved the day. Arch Manning had his best game of the season with 346 yards and three TDs before leaving because of a possible concussion in overtime. Texas has three top-10 teams remaining on the schedule — Vanderbilt in Austin this weekend, followed by Georgia in Athens on Nov. 15, then closes with a dangerous Arkansas team and a surging Texas A&M team that seems to be getting stronger by the week. The Horns will need to hit their stride here soon or the final stretch could get tough. — Wilson

Previous ranking: NR

Willie Fritz, the ultimate builder, has done a masterful job at Houston in Year 2, getting the Cougars to 7-1 and beating Arizona State for their first road win versus an AP-ranked opponent since 2017. Much of that has to do with their offense, led by Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman, who had 201 passing yards, 111 rushing yards and 2 TDs. But the Cougars have also been great at complementary football. Their defensive numbers aren’t stellar across the board, ranking 45th in yards per game (357.4) but what’s most important is that they’re allowing just 21.3 points per game, 28th nationally. This weekend’s upset at ASU, the Sun Devils’ first home loss in two years, was a great example: The Cougars allowed 426 yards of offense, but zero points through three quarters. — Wilson

Previous ranking: NR

What a way to earn your place back into the rankings. The Utes, playing with backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin, stitched together one of the most dominant performances of the season, beating Colorado 53-7. The final score does not do the blowout justice; Utah was up 43-0 at halftime, having gained 398 yards on offense and held the Buffs to minus-18 total yards. The second half was not as ugly, but the final result was indicative of what the Utes’ defense is capable of — holding Colorado to only 38 rushing yards and 102 passing yards while forcing two turnovers. It was total domination. — Uggetti

Previous ranking: 22

The bye week was welcome for the Trojans’ defense, which is coming off its worst performance of the season against Notre Dame, allowing 306 rushing yards. It’s never a good sign when your offense is ranked No. 1 in the country, per SP+ and in average yards per game, and there is still disappointment regarding the season. Sloppiness against Illinois cost them that game, while the defense, which had already been struggling and ranks 50th in SP+, got exposed against the Irish. USC will continue to be tested — Nebraska, Iowa and Oregon still await — as it attempts to salvage this season and gives itself a shot at making the 12-team playoff field. — Uggetti