I was just watching Season 9 again recently, and I realized how underrated of a season it was for a few reasons.
1. Of course the MoJo vs. hippies drama. I think it was a little overblown by Monica, but it was really at its peak in leg nine when MoJo were yielded and they somehow made up the time to beat the hippies to the mat. That sprint to the finish during leg nine between the frat boys, MoJo and the hippies was epic. I can't really remember a sprint to the finish like that in any season when three teams knew they were battling for two spots in a sprint to the mat. Of course, it ended up being a NEL, but it was still a tension filled sprint to the finish.
2. The personalities of the hippies and the frat boys. Obviously the hippies stand out because they are so different from any team that has ever raced the race, but I think Eric and Jeremy really get underrated. They aren't the typical alpha male team that is dominant and not that interesting. They were a dominant team, but they were actually funny guys.
If you don't want to go back and watch a full season, at least go back and watch the last five or so episodes of Season 9. It was the best back half of a race on this show that I can remember. I was iffy on season 9 before re-watching, but my opinion has drastically changed.