Trojans’ Mark Bowman tops player rankings after viral highlight; Mike Norvell leads coaches following FSU dismissal
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Big Ten showdown in Los Angeles dominated the College Sports Social Pulse rankings in Week Nine of the college football season.
Ohio State finished No. 1 among teams and Southern Cal No. 2 in the weekly rankings produced by the Social Media Insights Lab at the University of South Carolina. The Buckeyes topped the rankings despite losing 30-18 to the Trojans while playing without injured starting quarterback Julian Sayin.
But it was a spectacular 70-yard reception by Southern Cal tight end Mark Bowman that set social media on fire. Bowman hurdled a defender and powered through other tacklers on a play that helped propel him to No. 1 in the Pulse rankings. One Instagram video of the play recorded more than 638,000 likes, while a post from @MLFootball generated more than 10,000 likes and 490,000 views on X.
“One highlight moment can upend the week on social media,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the University of South Carolina. “But it’s the ongoing analysis of the conversation that helps programs understand how fans are responding and which narratives are gaining momentum. That's where social media data becomes valuable intelligence.”
Analysis of the social media conversations around the game revealed that the upset generated widespread attention, but fans and commentators also questioned Ohio State’s game strategy and expressing concerns that the Buckeyes have little margin of error in their pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth.
The Pulse, which measures the influence of college football teams, players and coaches on social media, is published weekly in partnership with the Sports Business Journal.
Teams
| Rank | Team | Pulse Score | Last Week's Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ohio State | 100 | 5 |
| 2. | Southern Cal | 84.1 | 65 |
| 3. | Indiana | 64.1 | 7 |
| 4. | Florida State | 62.4 | 55 |
| 5. | UGA | 61.1 | 26 |
| 6. | Florida | 57.1 | 43 |
| 7. | Kentucky | 54.7 | 9 |
| 8. | Iowa State | 53.3 | 30 |
| T9. | Texas | 52.8 | 6 |
| T9. | Utah | 52.8 | 8 |
Players
| Rank | Player | Team | Pulse Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mark Bowman | Southern Cal | 100 |
| 2. | Charlie Becker | Indiana | 57.5 |
| 3. | DeSean Bishop | Tennessee | 56.7 |
| 4. | Noah Fifita | Arizona | 56.5 |
| 5. | Malachi Toney | Miami | 55.9 |
| 6. | LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina | 55.3 |
| 7. | Ahmad Hardy | Missouri | 55.0 |
| 8. | Devon Dampier | Utah | 54.5 |
| 9. | Drew Mestemaker | Oklahoma State | 53.8 |
| 10. | Darian Mensah | Miami | 53.3 |
For the second week running, the firing of a high-profile coach drove the rankings. Mike Norvell’s dismissal at Florida State propelled him to No. 1 in the rankings. Fans debated his reported $50 million buyout and FSU’s controversial exclusion from the 2023 College Football Playoff.
Coaches
| Rank | Coach | Team | Pulse Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mike Norvell | Florida State | 100 |
| 2. | Kirby Smart | UGA | 69.7 |
| 3. | Curt Cignetti | Indiana | 60.8 |
| 4. | P.J. Fleck | Minnesota | 58.1 |
| 5. | Steve Sarkisian | Texas | 57.3 |
| 6. | Bob Chesney | UCLA | 56.0 |
| 7. | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | 55.9 |
| 8. | Ryan Day | Ohio State | 54.8 |
| T9. | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | 53.8 |
| T9. | Mario Cristobal | Miami | 53.8 |
The Week Nine rankings are based on social media activity from Oct. 27 – Nov. 2.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the College Sports Social Pulse™ transforms social media conversation into insight about the teams, athletes and coaches shaping the culture and business of college sports.
The Pulse tracks the national conversation across major social platforms and uses advanced analytics to identify who is generating attention, engagement and emotional response — regardless of what happens on the scoreboard.
Learn more about the College Sports Social Pulse™ here.