October was one of the wildest months in recent memory in college football.
Top-ranked teams were toppled, stalwarts were pushed to the brink, and the clutter atop the sport’s two indomitable conferences left even the most knowledgeable fans considering notions that were previously unthinkable. Has the power in the Big Ten shifted from Ohio State and Indiana to UCLA? And are a handful of SEC powers about to be left in the dust by Kentucky?
If you were seeking clarity in Week 10, you got plenty.
Georgia’s loss to Auburn a few weeks back was clearly an aberration — confirmed by its 42-7 annihilation of Ole Miss, and stamped by the committee on Tuesday, which listed the Bulldogs as the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. Kirby Smart’s dynasty might just be restored, and Georgia looks capable of rolling through December and January, and it’s in large part because of Gunner Stockton — not despite him.
That wasn’t the only question answered in the SEC last Saturday.
Alabama? Oh, it’s still very much a contender, and it still owns LSU at Death Valley. Arch Manning also made a statement at Missouri, and Tennessee put a pause on Kentucky’s fairy tale and simultaneously proved it not only has an elite defence, but that it can also turn it into offence — 34 points’ worth in a blowout win that left the Wildcats void of any margin for error from here on out.
Though sighs of relief were breathed in Tuscaloosa, Austin and Knoxville, none were quite as audible as those being exhaled at Notre Dame. The Irish jumped on Miami from the outset of their grudge match in South Bend, then hung on late in a 31-24 win that should assure they’ll be in the playoffs — and likely hosting — next month. A win over the Hurricanes gives Marcus Freeman’s team some breathing room, though it likely won’t need it against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse.
As one of the sport’s most decorated programs reclaimed its pride, another saw its playoff probability go up in flames.
Ohio State lost its third game, and its second in two weeks since Julian Sayin went down for the season. Like in Week 9 against USC, this one can hardly be pinned on Luke Fahey, either. Oregon erased a two-scored first half deficit and dumped 41 points on the Buckeyes’ reeling defence in a demolition that nearly cleared out The Shoe before the end of the third quarter. UCLA, on the other hand, stayed undefeated in what was arguably the most impressive of its nine straight wins to start the year, outgaining Minnesota by 170 yards and pulling away late in a 34-20 road win.
The only other remaining FBS team without a loss resides in the Big 12, with Utah asserting itself in a 28-20 win over BYU, dumping the Cougars outside the playoff picture and allowing Texas Tech to control its fate and earn a conference title berth if it wins out.
There’s plenty still up for grabs, with the Utes visiting Arizona this weekend and the Red Raiders needing to tame potential first overall pick Drew Mestemaker and Oklahoma State in Stillwater. BYU maintained a claim to an at-large bid – for the time being, at least – having salvaged some prestige after Notre Dame’s win over Miami.
The stakes remain high, and you might as well enjoy the chaos of the regular season while you can, with the CFP having officially finalized details with ESPN on the new 24-team format, which takes effect in 2027.
A look at storylines for Week 11:
A new national title favourite has emerged
Losing to Auburn last month was startling enough, but how Georgia lost was as surprising as the result itself. Stockton threw a pair of interceptions, then lost a fumble in the final minute which set up Alex McPherson’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
The Bulldogs used a bye to recover before beating Florida in Atlanta in Week 8, then marched into Oxford and laid a beating on Ole Miss last Saturday, sacking Trinidad Chambliss five times and limiting him to just 170 passing yards on 34 attempts. Stockton passed for four touchdowns despite dropping back just 15 times, and Georgia gashed the Rebels on the ground, rushing for 295 yards and two scores.
Just four weeks after suffering an unimaginable loss to an SEC pushover, Smart’s team has reasserted itself as the favourite to win the National Championship. With Miami’s loss to Notre Dame, Georgia capitalized in the selection committee’s rankings – moving into the top spot in Tuesday’s update.
The concern surrounding Stockton following last season was his inability to stretch the field – a flaw exposed in the Sugar Bowl by Chambliss, who passed for 369 yards and hung 39 points on the Bulldogs in Ole Miss’ win.
Now, the idea of navigating three rounds of playoffs doesn’t seem as daunting, especially with Georgia’s defence establishing tempo. Outside of the Auburn game, it’s allowed 17 or fewer points in each of its six wins, and controlled Keelon Russell with relative ease (16-of-30, 180 yards) in its win over Alabama in Week 6.
Stockton has proven capable of orchestrating a big-play offence himself, and did it early last Saturday, connecting with Talyn Taylor for a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Georgia leads the SEC in plays of 40-plus yards this season and is second in the FBS in points scored (41.1 per game).
On Saturday, Georgia gets a visit from Missouri, which hasn’t beaten it in eight tries since Smart took over as head coach in 2016. Jamal Roberts has been one of the best running backs in the nation since stepping in for Ahmad Hardy but has struggled in losses to Ole Miss and Texas over the past month, having been limited to just 95 rushing yards (on 2.4 per carry) while being held out of the end zone. The Bulldogs currently lead the SEC in rush defence (83.8 yards allowed per game) and haven’t allowed an opposing back to rush for more than 90 yards in any game this season.
Arch Manning is on a roll
Manning had his best game this season – and perhaps in college career, considering the potential consequences – last week against Missouri, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-20 win that gave Texas some major cushion in its playoff push.
Attach that to notable wins over Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss, and the Longhorns could absorb a third loss this season and would still have a solid case – though a letdown Saturday night at Death Valley isn’t recommended.
LSU, on the other hand, is on the brink, if it hasn’t been pushed over the edge already. The Tigers held a third quarter lead over Alabama in Week 10 before melting down, allowing three touchdowns in a 31-13 loss – the seventh time the Crimson Tide have beaten them in Baton Rouge in their last eight meetings, and their 14th win in the last 16 games of the series overall. Sam Leavitt passed for 380 yards without a touchdown, and LSU turned it over three times on downs in the final 13 minutes, allowing Alabama to pull away in a game that was much closer than the final score made it appear.
A win over Manning and Texas gives LSU a fighting chance, considering there’s another opportunity on the road against Tennessee next Saturday, though it would still require a bit of goodwill from the committee on selection day. As it stands, the Vols are the fourth SEC team currently in the playoff picture after the latest release – they came in at eighth, with that blowout win over Kentucky adding some insurance to a list of wins that includes a comfortable one over Alabama in Knoxville.
The Longhorns have gotten back on track with a trio of wins following losses to Oklahoma and Florida, and Manning was near-flawless in Week 9, with one of his few mistakes leading to a game-tying touchdown. Trailing 20-13 in the third quarter, Manning had a pass deflected and originally believed to be incomplete, only for Texas to recover for a 12-yard gain that set up a score two plays later. Raleek Brown scored twice in the fourth – first on a pass from Manning, and later on an eight-yard run after a Graceson Litteton interception – as the Longhorns scored the final 21 points to pull away.
There still are concerns with Texas. Left tackle Trevor Goosby is out for the year, and Manning is taking a beating, having been sacked 23 times in six SEC games. The Longhorns did get some positive news on Wednesday, though, with standout receiver Cam Coleman and star edge rusher Colin Simmons not listed on the injury report. Coleman missed the game against Missouri with a shoulder injury, and Simmons was limited after sitting out the previous two with a high ankle sprain.
The Irish have their eyes set on a first-round bye
Needing a win, seemingly, to avoid the same fate as last season, the Irish answered the bell in South Bend against Miami – seemingly locking into a playoff berth in the process. Out of its three remaining games, SMU stands out as the only significant challenge, but with the Hurricanes on its resume, Notre Dame could probably even absorb a loss and still have its ticket punched.
That’s not to say Marcus Freeman’s team is ready to let up, nor should there be an expectation it will. CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes and outplayed Darian Mensah, then watched nervously – alongside 77,662 fans that were in the same boat – as the Irish held on late. The Irish were on the outside-looking-in after last week’s initial CFP ranking, then shot all the way up to fifth on Tuesday’s list, dumping Miami all the way from first to seventh in the process.
Notre Dame hasn’t lost to Boston College since 2008 and has beaten it 10 times since, most recently last November, when Carr passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-10 win. The Eagles have hit the skids after consecutive wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech last month, allowing five rushing touchdowns to Nate Sheppard in a 47-2 loss at Duke in Week 8 before losing to Florida State in its first game since firing Mike Norvell last Saturday. The Irish enter as an enormous favourite, with a spread of more than four touchdowns.
The win over Miami not only vaulted the Irish securely back into the playoff picture – it also gave Carr a boost in the Heisman conversation, with him emerging creeping closer to Jeremiah Smith and Mensah entering the final stretch of the season. It had initially looked like Smith’s trophy in a runaway, but that was before Sayin went down for the season. With Mensah likely to be without Malachi Toney through at least the ACC Championship, it’s looking like it could be Carr’s to lose – and there’s not a ton standing in his way.
The Big Ten could have even more clutter after Saturday
You’re reading it right, and have been all season: UCLA is undefeated, and seemingly unbothered by anyone in its path. In Week 9, the Bruins travelled two time zones east and dispatched Minnesota, winning 34-20 – Ty Dieffenbach’s third straight as a starter since Nico Iamaleava tore his ACL.
On Saturday, UCLA is home to Illinois, and USC travels to Indiana for another game that could add more chaos to the clutter that’s developing below the Bruins in Big Ten. The Hoosiers are in sole possession of second place in the conference, but a Trojans win in Bloomington could lead to a tie between as many as seven teams at 5-2. Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin would be amongst the others in that boat if they win – and each is favoured to do just that this weekend.
It makes for a competitive finish to the regular season but doesn’t exactly bode well for the Big Ten as a whole, as it’s looking more likely with each passing week that it will be a two-bid playoff league.
Commissioner Tony Petitti was the driving force behind the expansion from 12 to 24 teams, and though his wish came true on Monday, his only regret might be that he didn’t push for it early enough to come into effect this year. The Big Ten also hasn’t done itself many favours in going 4-10 in non-conference games against Power Four opponents.
Indiana is favoured by slightly more than a touchdown against USC, though the Trojans did upset Ohio State as an underdog two weeks ago and could further revive their season with a win over the Hoosiers.
Indiana dropped five spots to ninth in the CFP rankings while on bye last week, which may have been a correction of their controversial standing on the initial list. It’s had considerable offensive issues for over a month, and Curt Cignetti hasn’t yet named Josh Hoover his starter yet for Saturday, only claiming his quarterback was “on the mend.” Hoover injured his throwing arm in Indiana’s loss to Ohio State in Week 7, then struggled in an overtime win over Michigan before being replaced by Grant Jackson in the second half of another overtime win over Minnesota on Oct. 31.
USC will have to overcome a couple hurdles of its own. The Trojans are just 7-9 in true road games outside the Pacific Time Zone under Lincoln Riley, and just 6-15 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, though they’ve won on the road against Rutgers and Penn State this season and got that ranked win over Ohio State in Los Angeles two weeks ago. If they come up short against Indiana on Saturday, they might get a chance to play spoiler when they visit UCLA in Pasadena in Week 13.
Quarterbacks are the story in the Big 12
Devon Dampier won Newcomer of the Year in the Big 12 last season and opted to stay at Utah after Kyle Whittingham stepped down and took the head coaching job at Michigan, taking offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him.
While things have quickly unraveled in Ann Arbor – the Wolverines are last in the Big Ten in points scored and have already fired Beck – Dampier has continued his ascent, announcing his presence in the Heisman conversation with after accounting for all four of the Utes’ touchdowns in their 28-20 takedown of BYU in Week 9.
Utah moved up to second in the CFP rankings after its win in the Holy War – still undefeated under Morgan Scalley, who had been the defensive coordinator since 2016 and had served on Whittingham’s staff for 20 years. Only Arizona, TCU and West Virginia stand in the way of an 11-0 regular season, which would result in a berth in the Big 12 Championship and a near-certain spot in the playoffs even if it loses in Arlington. As it stands, Utah would face Texas Tech in December – though the Red Raiders have a significant challenge of their own in Mestemaker and the Cowboys this weekend.
Dampier has emerged as the best dual-threat quarterback in the sport – or perhaps triple-threat, since he can even catch passes – and Mestemaker has lived up to the standard he set at North Texas last season, throwing an FBS-high 29 touchdown passes thus far in his first year at Oklahoma State. In a year where Manning has wavered and nearly half quarterbacks in the Big Ten have had their seasons upended by injuries, the Big 12 has housed some of the best passers in all of college football. On Friday, Connor Weigman will aim to get 14th-ranked Houston back into the playoff conversation, and Dampier faces a significant challenge of his own in Tucson against Noah Fifita on Saturday.
The Big 12’s wild card still resides in Provo, with 10th-ranked BYU currently still in a playoff position even after its Week 9 loss in Salt Lake City. The Cougars are home to Baylor this weekend, before finishing with matchups with Cincinnati and Kansas – a pair of teams that are a combined 3-9 in the conference this season.