College football poll: CFP, Heisman, other picks from FOX staff after nine weeks

Welcome to the third edition of the FOX Sports college football staff survey!

We've asked everyone — reporters, editors and more — to share their thoughts on which teams and players are moving the needle across the nation.

As we approach the home stretch of the regular season, a couple of things really stand out, including Tennessee's recent surge. The Vols have made a rapid rise up the charts, inserting themselves squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation along with Georgia and Ohio State. And while those three are heavy favorites to make the playoffs, the staff is split on which team will grab that fourth spot.

Another major change from our last survey — and one absolutely related to Tennessee's rise — is that the staff is far less certain about the Heisman Trophy race than it was just three weeks ago. Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud still leads the polling, but Volunteers QB Hendon Hooker came within a whisper of grabbing the top spot.

[FOX Sports Staff Surveys: After Week 3 | After Week 6]

We'll check in once more at the close of the regular season for an update and to see if things change. Here are the results after nine weeks.

What are your top four College Football Playoff picks in order after six weeks?

Note: We awarded five points for a first-place vote, four points for second place, three for third place and two for fourth place.

1. Georgia (75 points)
2. Ohio State (69)
3. Tennessee (64)
4. (Tie) Clemson, Michigan (12)

Also receiving votes: TCU  (10), Oregon (2).

"I'm picking Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and TCU. These four reflect the nice, pleasant thought that every team in the CFP will walk in undefeated and conference champions. I think both being undefeated and league champ should count for inclusion into the tournament to see who the best team in the sport is." — RJ Young, College Football Analyst

"The Volunteers have wins over five opponents who were ranked at the time those games were played. That includes the single-best result of the 2022 season, when Tennessee knocked off Alabama, 52-49, in an instant classic. The Vols have a résumé deserving of the top spot." — Michael Cohen, College Football Writer 

"I can't remember a time when you could make an argument for as many as seven or eight teams in pretty much any order for the CFP top four. Tennessee has looked mighty impressive and has the quality résumé to match, which edges them out ever so slightly compared to an Ohio State squad that has only one real top-25 win. The only question with Georgia is where among the top four it should check in, and TCU has the best combination of ranked wins and balance on both sides of the ball to lock up the final spot." — Bryan Fischer, College Football Writer

Who are your top three Heisman candidates in order?

Note: We awarded five points for a first-place vote, four for second place, three for third.

1. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State (78 points)
2. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee (76)
3. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan (25)

Also receiving votes: Caleb Williams, QB, USC (16); Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (8); Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina (3); Max Duggan, QB, TCU (3); Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (3).

"Stroud played mediocre football against Penn State and still managed to throw for 354 yards with a touchdown on the road. And that is the worst football he's played all year. That should terrify every team the Buckeyes play in November, including Michigan." — Young

"Stroud has been criticized for subpar performances against Iowa and Penn State the last two weeks. But during those games, he still threw for 640 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception. In other words, the standard he's set is simply higher than everyone else's." — Cohen

"Hooker has been fantastic, and it is still wild to see he has a 52:4 TD-INT ratio since arriving in Knoxville, playing phenomenally in the big games the Vols needed his best in this season. Stroud has the numbers to go up against anybody and is just marginally behind on my list, doing well with a supporting cast that isn't quite at full speed. Corum is in a different class, not only as a running back but in terms of really carrying the Michigan offense on a weekly basis despite looking across the line at a stacked box on pretty much every snap." — Fischer

"Bryce Young is my favorite NFL prospect of the Stroud-Hooker-Young trio, but Stroud's remarkable numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the Heisman Trophy race." — Rob Rang, NFL Draft analyst

What is the most surprising team so far?

The pick: TCU Horned Frogs

"What a job Sonny Dykes has done with the Horned Frogs. There aren't many first-year head coaches who arrive in a Power 5 conference and immediately start knocking off ranked opponents left and right. Dykes' team is two-thirds of the way to potentially crashing the College Football Playoff party." — Cohen

"When offensive guru Dykes took over as head coach at TCU, many of us anticipated that their pro prospects on that side of the ball would flourish. But the defense is still playing with the grit that Gary Patterson helped make synonymous with Forth Worth. And, as one of six remaining Power 5 teams without a loss, TCU has a real chance at earning a playoff berth. With four wins over top-25 teams — including a resilient comeback against Kansas State — the Horned Frogs already have the résumé to be part of the conversation." — Rang

Also receiving votes: Tennessee, Illinois.

"I can't say anyone expected the Vols to be undefeated heading into November, and certainly not with an offense that scores more points and a defense that allows fewer points scored than 2019 LSU." — Young

"Illinois. As much as we all thought Bret Bielema could get the Illini turned around, who could have seen him have a viable College Football Playoff path in Year 2 and one of the best defenses in the country to boot? The answer is nobody, even those in Champaign with orange-tinted glasses." — Fischer

What is the most disappointing team so far?

The pick: Texas A&M Aggies

"I listed Texas A&M in this space nearly a month ago, and nothing has changed my view since, with the Aggies losing four consecutive games. Texas A&M — which entered the season ranked No. 6 in the country — is currently dead last in the SEC West at 1-4, and 3-5 overall. Technically, Texas A&M is tied with Auburn. Considering that Auburn fired Bryan Harsin this week, Jimbo Fisher's seat can't possibly get much hotter." — Rang

"There's a good chance Fisher would have been among the in-season dismissal crew were his buyout not so large. The Aggies are loaded with talent across the board and sit dead last in the SEC West. It's been an abominable season for Fisher & Co." — Cohen

Also receiving votes: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Baylor.

"The Baylor Bears won the Big 12 last season and, even with some key losses, you expected them to be right there in the running to go back-to-back. Not only have they lost three games before November, but the offense hasn't clicked like you thought it would with Blake Shapen at quarterback — a move many saw this offseason as a way to help increase the team's ceiling. Combine that with a defense that is shockingly suspect and it's been quite disappointing around Waco." — Fischer

"The Irish began the season as a consensus top-five program and have only shown brief signs of that in a loss to Ohio State and wins against BYU, North Carolina and Syracuse — hardly what we thought Marcus Freeman's Year 1 would look like." — Young

Who is the most surprising player so far? 

The pick: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

"No one but no one thought Hooker would be one of the men who could win the Heisman Trophy outside of Knoxville, and now it's all but assured he's going to receive an invitation to the ceremony after averaging 292.3 passing yards per game, with 21 TDs and just one interception since Nov. 13. 2021. However, the emergence of his most prolific target cannot be ignored, as Jalin Hyatt has already broken the school record for TDs in a season and had five against Nick Saban's Crimson Tide." — Young

Also receiving votes: Max Duggan, QB, TCU; Bo Nix, QB, Oregon; Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina; Chase Brown, RB, Illinois; Michael Penix, Jr., QB, Washington.

"Is there anybody steadier and more durable than Chase Brown? The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder leads the nation in rushing and has topped 100 yards in every game this season. He's averaging 33 carries per game in Big Ten play." — Cohen

"Drake Maye. The North Carolina QB leads the country in touchdowns and despite starting for the first time, has just three picks, too. He's been carrying the Tar Heels in a big way (potentially to a division title) and looks way older than a redshirt freshman. The throws he makes sometimes make you go 'wow' to the point where he could be the first overall draft pick in 2024." — Fischer

"Maye tossed one touchdown (against Wofford) while serving as Sam Howell's backup last season. Expectations were high, but for Maye to be currently tied for the national lead with 29 touchdown passes through eight games — after Howell threw just 24 in 12 games a year ago — underscores what a remarkable breakout campaign he's enjoyed for Mack Brown and the Tar Heels." — Rang

Which team or player has the biggest turnaround from earlier this season?

The pick: Oregon and Bo Nix.

"Bo Nix and Oregon are the twin answer. I recall thinking during that Georgia loss that maybe the Ducks could be in bigger trouble than expected with the Auburn transfer under center and a completely new coaching staff. Instead, they've established themselves as the class of the Pac-12 right now and are rolling on both sides of the ball." — Fischer

"There are several worthy candidates, but given how thoroughly Oregon and quarterback Bo Nix were dominated by Georgia in Week 1, and their unblemished record since, I cannot imagine a more impressive turnaround." — Rang

Also receiving votes: North Carolina; Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU; Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State.

"The Tar Heels lost a one-score game to Notre Dame. That's one win from perfect with a Heisman candidate at quarterback in Drake Maye, who has put up better numbers than C.J. Stroud, Hendon Hooker and Stetson Bennett this season — 333.9 passing yards per game, 29 TDs and just three INTs." — Young

"There was uncertainty about how things would go for QB Jayden Daniels after transferring from Arizona State to LSU, where he's the first signal-caller of the Brian Kelly era. But Daniels has looked more and more comfortable as the season progresses and had two A-plus performances in LSU's most recent wins over Florida (349 passing yards, 44 rushing yards, 6 total TDs) and Ole Miss (248 passing yards, 121 rushing yards, 5 total TDs)." — Cohen

What is the best rivalry in college football?

The pick: Michigan-Ohio State.

"Come on, this one's easy. No other rivalry features teams with this much historical importance to college football. Ohio State and Michigan are torchbearers." — Cohen

"This is the best opportunity in years for 'The Game' to produce the national champion — something that hasn't happened since 2014." — Young

"Despite the fact that I graduated from a different institution of higher learning in the great state of Washington, I've thoroughly enjoyed the passionate Apple Cup rivalry my entire life. That said, with all due respect to UW and WSU (as well as the bitter rivalry Washington has with Oregon), the best rivalry in college football — and in sports — is "The Game" between Ohio State and Michigan. Like last season, this year's showdown has national implications, making it that much more exciting." — Rang

Also receiving votes: Auburn-Alabama, Army-Navy, Oregon-Washington, UCLA-USC, Texas-Oklahoma.

"There are so many to pick from that it's hard to narrow it down, but the default should be the Iron Bowl. Yes, Ohio State-Michigan at high noon in late November is special, and I'm always partial to the soon-to-resume Texas-Texas A&M rivalry, but it's just hard to get past how much Alabama vs. Auburn dominates that entire state 365 days of the year and results in a tension-filled game that almost always has national title implications." — Fischer

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