10 Biggest Winners From College Football Week 9

Surrounded by distractions all week, the North Carolina Tar Heels saved their season with a dramatic 28-27 road win over Virginia. The Tar Heels could easily have given up after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, but their much-maligned defense made enough plays to keep the game close.

After an earlier loss to Michigan State on the road, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have bounced back nicely and continued their winning streak with a 42-24 win over Rutgers. Ameer Abdullah also boasted his Heisman credentials by setting a school-record with 341 all-purpose yards and three more touchdowns.

After being thoroughly dominated by Arizona State, Stanford reclaimed their identity on Saturday by crushing Oregon State at home 38-14. Stanford's defense held the Beavers to just 12 yards rushing and 221 total yards while the offense gained 438 total yards, 151 of them coming on the ground.

Coming off an upset win over Baylor the week before, the West Virginia Mountaineers showed no signs of a letdown by easily dismantling Oklahoma State in Stillwater 34-10. Clint Trickett threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while the Mountaineers' defense kept the explosive Cowboys out of the end zone.

Since Nick Saban was "pissed" about how Alabama was winning games, the Crimson Tide have dominated their past two opponents. Against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 27-0 lead in the second quarter and easily rolled 34-20. Amari Cooper caught nine passes for a school-record 224 yards and also added two long touchdown receptions.

Kansas State played another efficient game on Saturday and posted a shut out over Texas 23-0. The Wildcats nearly held the ball for 40 minutes and held the Longhorns to just 196 yards of total offense.

Playing less than 24 hours after coach Les Miles' 91-year-old mother died, the LSU Tigers played an inspired football game against Ole Miss and outlasted the Rebels 10-7. LSU ran the ball for 264 yards on the Rebels' "Landsharks" defense and made enough plays on offense to overcome four turnovers. With the game still in doubt, Ronald Martin intercepted Bo Wallace's pass with just seconds to go to seal the win.

For the sixth time in the past seven seasons, the "little brother" Michigan State Spartans defeated the "big brother" Michigan Wolverines, this time by a score of 35-11. Jeremy Langford carried the ball 35 times for 177 yards and scored three touchdowns as MSU controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Spartans' defense once again dominated Michigan's offense, holding the Wolverines to just 186 total yards.

Facing a South Carolina team that is better than their record indicates, the Auburn Tigers proved they can execute late in close games and outlasted the Gamecocks in an offensive shootout 42-35. Cameron Artis-Payne and Ricardo Louis each ran for over 100 yards as the Tigers ran for 395 total yards and the defense sealed the game with an interception by Jonathan Jones, who had two in the fourth quarter alone.

Mississippi State took care of business in their first game as No. 1, and also saw their in-state rivals get knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten. Facing a dangerous Kentucky team, the Bulldogs pulled away late on a onside kickoff return touchdown to win 45-31. The Bulldogs ran for 326 yards on the Wildcats' Heisman Trophy favorite Dak Prescott accounted for three touchdowns.