No.11271, Saturday 20 Dec 2014, The Phantom

This is a typical Phantom puzzle with well thought out stories in each clue. Ticked several including TICKER, DEARTH, OCCUPIED, ALLOWED, CHOOSE, BRANCH, DISC and EXCHANGE. I'm not sure if any theme of sorts is afoot. The only thing I noticed was that 5 answers end in ED and another 5 in ER. If you spotted something I didn't, pitch in.

ACROSS
8 Mountain pass with lofty and rugged peaks forming ring (6) COLLAR [mountain pass=COL + Lofty And Rugged] peaks might have worked better in a down clue?
9 Judge to investigate again, right from beginning to end (8) EXAMINER [investigate again=(r-)E EXAMINE(+R)]? where does the first E go?
10 Quietly I would leave home for companionship (8) PRESENCE [quietly (softly?)=P + home=RESidENCE]
11 Bill’s lost head or heart? (6) TICKER [bill=sTICKER]
12 Need woven thread (6) DEARTH [THREAD]*
13 Busy copper spotted behind officer (8) OCCUPIED [officer=OC + copper=CU + spotted=PIED]
15 Beer to get over bad day is permitted (7) ALLOWED [beer=ALE outside bad=LOW + Day]
17 Without an iota of fear disproves theories (7) BELIEFS [Fear inside disproves=BELIES]
20 Blow hot and cold play is sensual (8) PHYSICAL [Hot Cold PLAY IS]*
22 Select champs according to report (6) CHOOSE [~champs=CHEWS]
23 A secretary involved in chatter about fruit (6) PAPAYA [A + secretary=PA inside chatter=YAP] <=
25 Condemned provost possessed grass? On the contrary (8) REPROVED [PROVost inside grass=REED]
26 Dazed Jules Verne’s traveller, Phileas at base, sleeping (8) BEFOGGED [Phileas=FOGG + base=E sleeping=in BED]
27 Decrypted code he copied (6) ECHOED [CODE HE]*

DOWN
1 Chime rings in valley (8) DOORBELL [rings=O O inside valley=DELL] not sure where 'RB' comes from see comments below
2 Girl’s jumper Mark found in campus’s vacant lecture halls (10) CLASSROOMS [girl=LASS + jumper=ROO + Mark inside CampuS] how do you see one jumper in multiple halls?
3 Bishop looked after church’s subdivision (6) BRANCH [Bishop + looked after=RAN + CHurch]
4 Create first day cover overlooking new leader … (7) DEVELOP [Day + cover=EnVELOP]
5 … bit weak nursing rear end convulsion (8) PARTICLE [weak=PALE outside reaR + convulsion=TIC]
6 One’s broken current record (4) DISC [one's=1S inside current=DC]
7 Difficult to continue by backing out (6) SEVERE [continue=PERSEVERE - by=PER]
14 … thinking hip’s mended, left very upbeat with operation, extremely happy (10) PHILOSOPHY [HIP* + Left + very=SO<= + OPeration + HappY]
16 Former champion’s short temper led to argument (8) EXCHANGE [former=EX + CHampion + temper=ANGEr]
18 Fellow’s unusually earnest for a screw! (8) FASTENER [Fellow + EARNEST*]
19 See, one in road free to wear nothing at all in American state! (7) FLORIDA [{see=LO + one=1 inside RoaD} inside nothing at all=FA] wouldn't one be 'on' the road?
21 Man with the runs swallowed bitter medicine perhaps (6) HEALER [man=HE + Runs outside bitter=ALE] 'the' is superfluous?
22 Photo returned by woman provides code (6) CIPHER [photo=PIC<= + woman=HER]
24 Excited to be visiting synagogue (4) AGOG [T]