There’s chaos, and then there’s historical carnage.
Last weekend, five of college football’s top seven teams lost – a first in the 90-year history of the AP Poll.
For the second straight Saturday, the top-ranked team succumbed to a last-second field goal – Georgia, against Auburn, after Texas had against Oklahoma the previous week – the first time since 1990 that the AP’s number one had lost to an unranked opponent in back-to-back weeks.
Sighs of relief were breathed as well, particularly in Coral Gables, where third-ranked Miami hung on for dear life in a double-overtime win over four-loss Florida State – though it was actually the Seminoles who were flagged for holding on a negated Hail Mary touchdown that might’ve forced a third extra frame. If that wasn’t controversial enough, a second Hail Mary attempt was ruled an interception after the Hurricanes were rewarded on a ball that looked equally possessed by safety Bryce Fitzgerald and receiver Duce Robinson.
Suddenly, the much-maligned 24-team playoff doesn’t seem like that bad of an idea.
Sure, it might rob us of the weekly drama and high stakes that make college football one-of-a-kind, but it also might be the best shot at seeing some of its most beloved big brands playing meaningful games next December.
Notre Dame is still very much alive this season after its loss to BYU, but the Irish will need some luck if they lose when Miami visits next month. And Alabama? It went from looking revolutionary to rundown over the course of two weeks — bruised and battered by Tennessee just seven days after a hard-luck loss against Georgia. Now, the Tide are clinging to their playoff hopes, having lost twice in a row in the regular season for the first time since 2007.
At Texas, the Longhorns are also fighting to save their season, and Arch Manning might be playing to save his job. And if Steve Sarkisian does end up leaning on an untested quarterback in a season with genuine national title hopes, he won’t be the only one – Ryan Day was forced into that position at Ohio State, with Julian Sayin out indefinitely after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder last Saturday in a win over Indiana. The Buckeyes are on bye this week before turning things over to true freshman Luke Fahey and second-year passer Tavien St. Clair – a shift that could also have an impact on Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman campaign.
We’re on the figurative back nine, and everything is still up for grabs.
Week 8 isn’t packed with ranked-on-ranked matchups like the previous – there are just two, after we got five in Week 7 – but there’s still plenty to look forward to.
Seasons might be blown up. Hope might be regained. And as always, there will be plenty to be unpacked.
A look at storylines:
It’s do-or-die for Arch Manning and Texas
Sarkisian said Texas would evaluate “everything” surrounding its offence after losing to Florida last weekend, and reports surfaced on Monday that redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. would see increased reps in practice this week. Pressed on it later that day, Sarkisian insisted change wasn’t impending, but he did apply a bit of pressure, adding that he needed “a better version of Arch Manning.”
After throwing two fourth-quarter interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma in Week 6, Manning was limited to 173 yards and one touchdown on Saturday against a Gators defence that was ranked last in the SEC in passing yards allowed coming in. Once again, a late turnover was his undoing – this time, on a strip sack at midfield inside the final two minutes with Texas attempting to get in range to tie or win the game. Manning was sacked five times by Florida, and has been dumped a total of 17 times in three conference games this season.
So what’s next for Manning and his beleaguered offensive line? Just a visit from Ole Miss, which seemed to correct a lot of its defensive concerns in a blowout win over Missouri last Saturday. The Rebels had their own share of issues in a 52-28 loss to Florida last month, but have bounced back with a pair of wins following a bye, outscoring Vanderbilt and Missouri by a combined score of 83-20 while forcing five total turnovers (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries). After getting torched by Jadan Baugh for 149 yards and three touchdowns, Pete Golding’s team managed to hold Jamal Roberts to just 39 yards after he’d rushed for 233 and five touchdowns in his previous two games.
Of course, the Longhorns’ defence will have its own challenge in trying to slow Trinidad Chambliss, who’s done plenty to affirm his status as a likely first-round pick next April. In six games, he’s thrown 14 touchdown passes and rushed for six more, and he’ll get a major break with the absence of Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who leads the FBS with 10.5 sacks but is expected to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain suffered against Florida.
The new number one resides in the ACC.
Even for all the trouble it had with Florida State, Miami still emerged as the new number one in the AP Poll – the first time the Hurricanes have held that post since they faced Ohio State in the National Championship at the end of the 2002 season. On Saturday, they’ll look to stay undefeated in a home game against Pitt.
Darian Mensah isn’t completing passes at the rate that Steph Curry makes free throws anymore, but he’s still been the best passer in college football to this point. Mensah is the runaway leader in the FBS in quarterback rating (204.2 – comfortably ahead of runner-up Gunner Stockton, who’s at 185.7) and has 18 touchdown passes against just 1 interception, with 12 of those scores coming in four ACC wins. He was pressured 14 times in last Saturday’s double-overtime win over Florida State, but still passed for 326 yards and was at his best from the fourth quarter onward, leading four touchdown drives and hitting Malachi Toney for what stood as the game-winner in the second extra period.
Pitt doesn’t figure to pose much of a challenge this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium, especially with quarterback Mason Heinstschel out for the year and both Holden Greiner and Corey Dailey having looked uncomfortable in his place. But things do get a little challenging for Miami beginning next Saturday, first with a meeting against a North Carolina team that might actually have a pulse under Bill Belichick this season, followed by that game against Notre Dame – a rematch of the one the Hurricanes won last year that ended up being the decider in them making the playoffs over the Irish.
Big 12 is gaining prestige.
BYU’s thrilling win over Notre Dame didn’t just bolster its playoff hopes – it provided an immeasurable boost to the entire Big 12, which is hoping to have multiple bids for the first time since the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 2024. The last two years, the formula ended up being pretty simple – win the conference and you’re in. Lose, and you’re out of luck.
Generally regarded as “the people’s conference” for its parity in the absence of one single dominant team, the Big 12 might actually have something bigger to hang its hat on this season. Not only does it have arguably the best non-conference win in the entire sport – it also boasts three of the six remaining undefeated FBS teams, with Utah and Texas Tech stacked alongside BYU. The Utes will put that on the line on Saturday in their first particularly challenging matchup of the season at home against 14th-ranked Houston.
Devon Dampier was one of the biggest revelations in the conference in 2025, but Connor Weigman was just as good in his first season after leaving the SEC, leading the Cougars to 10 wins while establishing himself as one of the best dual-threats in college football. This year, he leads all Power Four teams with 20 touchdown passes, including five in Week 7 in a 35-32 shootout win over Oklahoma State and potential first overall pick Drew Mestemaker. Dampier’s been nearly as good, but did have a bit of a hiccup last Saturday against Colorado, throwing two interceptions and taking three sacks in a 27-24 win that was a lot closer than Utah likely bargained for.
Things should only heat up from here on out in the Big 12, with BYU and Utah poised to clash in the Holy War in Week 10, and Texas Tech hosting Noah Fifita and Arizona on Halloween before a challenging visit to Mestemaker and the Cowboys in November.
These days, the parity in the Big 12 looks a little different. Instead of housing a collection of ordinary teams, it actually looks like it might be home to some of the best teams in the nation.
Is Indiana still the team to beat in the Big Ten?
To say Curt Cignetti has an “Ohio State problem” might be a little unfair, considering Indiana beat the Buckeyes in last year’s Big Ten title game a month before winning the National Championship. But the facts do carry some weight – the Hoosiers are 1-2 since 2024 against Ohio State and 32-1 against everyone else, with each of their three lowest-scoring games over that span coming against Ryan Day’s team.
The good news? They’re clear of the Buckeyes, at least until this year’s postseason.
Indiana had its 22-game win streak snapped last Saturday by one single misstep, with Nick Marsh unable to keep his left foot inbounds in the end zone on fourth down with a minute remaining against Ohio State. Instead, the Hoosiers lost 19-15 – a result Cignetti is hoping will be a mere misstep in itself, with a remaining schedule that includes just one more meeting with a team that’s currently ranked (USC, which visits Bloomington on Nov. 14).
This weekend, Indiana heads to Ann Arbor to face Michigan, with Kyle Whittingham not yet having tipped his hand on whether Bryce Underwood or Tommy Carr will be starting, after Carr came off the bench to lead the Wolverines back to beat Penn State in Week 7.
Quarterback play figures to be a major factor moving forward in the Big Ten as a whole, with Ohio State and UCLA currently holding the inside track on conference title berths, though they’re likely to be leaning on backups the rest of the way. Fahey seems to have the upper hand on St. Clair in Columbus for the time being, and the Bruins are leaning on Ty Dieffenbach after Nico Iamaleava’s season-ending ACL injury, having already won their first game over Nebraska in his absence. Then there’s Oregon – like Indiana, in the mix with just one conference loss – still without Dante Moore, who’s been ruled out again this weekend due to the concussion he suffered against USC in Week 4.
Things are getting messy in the SEC.
The SEC is known to eat its own, and that’s rarely been as true as it was in Week 7. Georgia suffered that unthinkable loss to Auburn, Florida added to Manning’s misery, Alabama got pushed to the brink by Tennessee and Missouri had its momentum stifled in a blowout against Ole Miss. Each team has at least one conference loss, and there are still seven weeks left for them to keep beating each other up.
Watch Alabama vs. Texas A&M LIVE Saturday at 3:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. on TSN2, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
LSU already has a pair of narrow losses in its first year under Lane Kiffin and is probably playing to save its season this weekend on the road against Auburn – similar to the corner Alabama is backed into against Texas A&M, who it hosts in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Wins by both the Tigers and Crimson Tide would add a good deal of intrigue to their meeting at Death Valley in two weeks – a matchup that would likely end up being a playoff elimination game for the second time in the past three years.
Watch LSU vs. Auburn LIVE Saturday at 12 p.m./ 9 a.m. on TSN2, the TSN App, and TSN.ca
Tennessee lost at home to Texas in Week 4, but has regained its footing since with a trio of SEC wins – the past two of which were quarterbacked by George McIntyre, who’s been unspectacular but good enough since stepping in for true freshman Faizon Brandon. The Vols’ pulverizing defensive front made life difficult for Keelon Russell last week, sacking him five times (bringing Tennessee’s total for the season to an FBS-high 30) and picking him off twice while limiting Alabama to just 201 total yards of offence. On Saturday, they’re a slight underdog on the road against South Carolina, which showed signs of life for the first time this season in a 19-point win over Florida in The Swamp in Week 6.
And can you talk about the SEC without mentioning Kentucky? In basketball, no – and apparently not in football, either. The Wildcats have had one of the biggest breakthroughs in the sport in their first year under Will Stein, who’s worked the same magic on Kenny Minchey that he’s used on Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Moore as the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Kentucky is tied with Georgia atop the conference at 4-1, and came back in the fourth quarter on the road against Oklahoma last weekend for its third straight win.