Think of a more chaotic Saturday. Think of the day you managed to get all three kids to three birthday parties, two soccer games, a dance recital and a middle school dance in an 18-hour window. Think of the day you boarded a 6 a.m. flight, connected twice, got delayed twice, canceled once and still managed to make it to your best friend’s wedding in time to look presentable for their forever photos.
Think of that — all of that. Look, we have a good starting point for the carnage wrought by one of the most chaotic Saturdays we’ve ever experienced. Remember it.
Remember the chaos, and remember the instantly infamous date: October 17, 2026. With five ranked matchups and 15 of the 16 SEC programs all in action, we had enough Mentos to drop into the two-liter of soda and make one hell of an eruption. And, big dawg, did we ever.
Week 7's upsets were so complete that my colleague and college football researcher extraordinaire, Vik Sairam, dug deep to find out just how singular today’s many eye-popping outcomes are when grouped into one glorious weekend. And now, there is just one undefeated team left in either the Big Ten or SEC, and it’s Bob Chesney’s UCLA. This is the world we live in, and it’s glorious.
We're about halfway through the regular season, and the College Football Playoff selection committee has to rank teams in just two weeks' time. But here’s how I ranked my top-25 teams in the sport after a wild Week 7. Week 7 game: 27-24 loss vs.
FloridaWeek 8 game: vs. Ole Miss Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns became the first Texas team to lose back-to-back games to unranked opponents as an AP top-10 team — since Darrel K Royal’s 1965 team clinched that dubious honor. This loss was also Texas’ first at home with Arch Manning starting at quarterback.
Sarkisian has claimed he will make some changes, especially offensively, regarding personnel and play-calling. I’ll believe it when I see it, and even if I do, the Longhorns look a long way from competing for the national title. Texas looks like the team that is most likely to beat itself among top-25 opponents.
It’s not that I think James Madison might beat Texas so much as I know Texas will beat itself. Stat to know: The last time an AP top-10 Texas team lost back-to-back games to unranked opponents was in 1965. Saturday also turned out to be the Longhorns’ largest blown lead at home against an unranked opponent since 1965.
Odds to make CFP: +110 (10th-best)Odds to win national title: +1400 (seventh-best) Week 7 game: 49-22 win vs. Georgia StateWeek 8 game: at Appalachian State There is a good argument for the Panthers being the second-best team in the Sun Belt. And that should show you just how far ahead JMU is of its conference opponents.
Running back George Pettaway rushed for 119 yards with a touchdown on just 14 attempts. The Dukes rushed for 250 yards (6.1 yards per carry) in a win they’ll hope the CFP selection committee watched. Stat to know: Running back George Pettaway is one of six FBS players this season to have rushed for 765 or more yards along with seven rushing touchdowns.
He's joined by Missouri's Jamal Roberts, Tennessee's DeSean Bishop, West Virginia's Cam Cook, Duke's Nate Sheppard and Memphis' Jaylin Carter. Odds to make CFP: +185 (16th-best)Odds to win national title: +75000 (tied for 34th-best) Week 7 game: 24-21 win vs. Michigan StateWeek 8 game: vs.
Rutgers In the program’s first game against Pat Fitzgerald, current Northwestern head coach David Braun's predecessor and the man who first hired Braun at Northwestern as defensive coordinator, the Wildcats managed to win on a field goal with two seconds left. Yes, the Wildcats got the win, and quarterback Aidan Chiles kept his streak of not throwing an interception this season. But this is the first time Northwestern has played down to its competition all year.
Stat to know: Quarterback Aidan Chiles is one of five FBS quarterbacks this season to have thrown nine or more passing touchdowns with no interceptions, joining Indiana's Josh Hoover, Boise State's Maddux Madsen, Cincinnati's JC French IV and Oregon's Dante Moore. Odds to make CFP: +950 (tied for 28th-best)Odds to win national title: +35000 (29th-best) Week 7 game: 23-13 win vs. VirginiaWeek 8 game: vs.
Cal The Mustangs are doing enough to keep themselves in the conversation for the CFP with an eye on the ACC championship game. The program’s loss to 3-3 Louisville is its only blemish, and it will have a chance to move up these rankings with a bullet in November when quarterback Kevin Jennings and SMU host Wake Forest and travel to South Bend, Indiana, to play Notre Dame. Stat to know: With his two passing touchdowns against Virginia, quarterback Kevin Jennings is now up to 71 career passing scores at SMU — tied for the second-most in school history.
With two more, he'll pass Tanner Mordecai for the most all time. Odds to make CFP: +700 (tied for 25th-best)Odds to win national title: +30000 (tied for 27th-best) Week 7 game: 31-0 win vs. Mississippi StateWeek 8 game: at Auburn Without star quarterback Kamario Taylor and star running back Fluff Bothwell behind center for Mississippi State, LSU’s defense loaded the box and roughed up an undermanned Bulldogs offense.
Mississippi State traveled back to Starkville, left their side of the scoreboard unbothered and with the day off. Beating the Bulldogs is an expected outcome for a head coach making more annually than every other head coach except two. It was nice to see quarterback Sam Leavitt play his best game since the season-opener against Clemson, too, completing 31-of-38 passes for 289 passing yards with four touchdowns.
Stat to know: Saturday's win was just the second time quarterback Sam Leavitt threw four touchdowns in 31 career games. He led LSU to its first shutout win against an SEC opponent since 2007, which also came against the Bulldogs. Odds to make CFP: +175 (15th-best)Odds to win national title: +2200 (ninth-best) Week 7 game: 17-13 win vs.
NebraskaWeek 8 game: at Illinois Quarterback Dylan Raiola managed to get his revenge win against the Nebraska Huskers after being perhaps the most obvious reason for the Ducks’ Week 6 loss. Not bad for a quarterback who not only got benched against UCLA last week but began the game on the bench against the Huskers. More importantly, the Ducks kept themselves in the College Football Playoff hunt.
This game was an crucial reminder of just how good coach Dan Lanning is at getting into the win column, as evidenced by his 37-1 record against ranked opponents. Stat to know: Quarterback Brock Thomas started the game and was eventually benched in the fourth quarter after going 9-of-20 for 54 yards and an interception. Dylan Raiola entered and went 11-of-18 for 59 yards, including hitting the game-winning touchdown pass with 28 seconds left.
Odds to make CFP: +450 (tied for 23rd-best)Odds to win national title: +5500 (tied for 14th-best) Week 7 game: ByeWeek 8 game: at Wisconsin Stat to know: Quarterback Jayden Maiava is one of two power conference quarterbacks to throw for more than 2,000 yards this season so far, and he's one of three FBS players to eclipse that mark (Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Oregon State's Braden Atkinson). Odds to make CFP: +430 (22nd-best)Odds to win national title: +8000 (tied for 16th-best) Week 7 game: 35-32 loss vs. HoustonWeek 8 game: vs.
Colorado Quarterback Drew Mestemaker played mostly outstanding football with another 350-plus-yard passing performance, which has become habitual for him since the loss to Tulsa. But it wasn’t enough against a Houston defense that bent but didn’t break while the Cowboys defense struggled to keep pace with the Cougars. Oklahoma State gave up 505 yards, including 343 passing and 162 rushing, making the job of winning a shootout too difficult for its offense to overcome.
Stat to know: Quarterback Drew Mestemaker has thrown for at least 300 yards and two passing touchdowns in five straight games, the second-longest such active streak in FBS (Oregon State's Braden Atkinson has done it in six). Odds to make CFP: +1300 (tied for 33rd-best)Odds to win national title: +75000 (tied for 34th-best) Week 7 game: 31-3 loss vs. Ole MissWeek 8 game: Bye Missouri continues to do its Robert Louis Stevenson thing, and by that, I mean the Tigers must’ve read Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and took the whole damn novel literally.
This is particularly true when you know running back Jamal Roberts rushed for at least 200 yards in each of Mizzou’s two previous games but was held to just 39 yards on 20 rushes. Stat to know: After starting the season with 13 passing touchdowns and no interceptions, quarterback Austin Simmons has now thrown an interception in back-to-back games along with just one passing score. What's more, running back Jamal Roberts finished with just 39 rushing yards against Ole Miss, after running for more than 200 yards and multiple scores in the previous two weeks.
Odds to make CFP: +700 (tied for 25th-best)Odds to win national title: +10000 (tied for 18th-best) Week 7 game: ByeWeek 8 game: at Minnesota Stat to know: Running back Kamari Moulton is one of eight power conference players and only Big Ten player averaging at least 100 rushing yards per game. Odds to make CFP: +400 (21st-best)Odds to win national title: +10000 (tied for 18th-best) Week 7 game: 35-32 win vs. Oklahoma StateWeek 8 game: at Utah Quarterback Connor Weigman is making a play for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year with performances like the one he enjoyed against Oklahoma State.
His complete control of the offense as a passer — with dashes of daring runs — was the stuff of the former five-star quarterback he was out of high school. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 343 yards with five passing touchdowns and just one interception. Stat to know: Saturday was the second time quarterback Conner Weigman threw five passing touchdowns in his career (the first came in 2023).
His 20 passing scores on the year are the second-most in FBS, trailing only Oregon State's Braden Atkinson (24). Odds to make CFP: +390 (20th-best)Odds to win national title: +12500 (tied for 22nd-best) Week 7 game: 27-24 win vs. TexasWeek 8 game: Bye The Gators now have two top-10 wins: One was against Ole Miss and the other against Texas on the road.
Those are strong wins, and despite a confounding loss to South Carolina, Jon Sumrall might have something here. And then to have quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. start in place of an injured Aaron Philo — IN AUSTIN — and lead this team to a win, Florida deserves its spot. Stat to know: Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. made his first career start Saturday, completing 22-of-35 passes for 155 yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions, along with 41 rushing yards.
Since 2018, he is the sixth quarterback to play an AP top-10 team in his first career start and win — joining Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Georgia Southern's Max Johnson, Georgia's Stetson Bennett IV, Iowa State's Brock Purdy and LSU's Joe Burrow. Odds to make CFP: +300 (18th-best)Odds to win national title: +6000 (16th-best) Week 7 game: 27-24 win vs. ColoradoWeek 8 game: vs.
Houston Like Texas Tech weeks ago, Utah simply had to survive whatever late-night magic Colorado seems to conjure at Folsom. And that was enough. But this game was the first of the year when I saw a Utah team which could not put away a struggling Colorado after showing itself to be not just talented but also closer to earning a College Football Playoff invitation than any other iteration before.
Quarterback Devon Dampier completed 24-of-41 passes for 278 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a game where his ability to throw the ball was paramount against a Buffs defense determined to stop Utah’s rushing attack. If Utah played either Alabama or LSU on a neutral site, the game very much feels like a pick ‘em, and that’s great news for Utah as it continues to try to climb up the rankings. Stat to know: Quarterback Devon Dampier is the only power conference quarterback to have more than 1,000 rushing yards over the last two seasons.
He is also one of just four FBS players to have 3,500 or more passing yards and 1,000 or more rushing yards in the last two seasons (Byrum Brown, Colton Joseph, Brad Jackson). Odds to make CFP: +115 (11th-best)Odds to win national title: +5000 (13th-best) Week 7 game: 26-10 loss vs. TennesseeWeek 8 game: vs.
Texas A&M The Crimson Tide took their explosive-oriented offense into Neyland and watched it refuse to get lit. Against a defense that was forcing quarterback Keelon Russell and Alabama to drive the length of the field rather than get chunk yardage for quick touchdowns. And their troubles were compounded by four turnovers — two through the air from Russell — and a rush attack that didn’t attack much at all, with just 54 rushing yards for the game.
Alabama's rush defense also got bullied from the first play from scrimmage through the last and gave up 150 rushing yards. Stat to know: Quarterback Keelon Russell finished with 147 passing yards, no passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 94.3 passer rating — all career-lows. Odds to make CFP: -220 (sixth-best)Odds to win national title: +1100 (sixth-best) Week 7 game: 17-7 win vs.
WisconsinWeek 8 game: vs. Michigan State Bob Chesney’s Bruins are the only undefeated team left in the Big Ten or the SEC. They just don’t know how to lose.
Their wins aren’t pretty, their offense isn’t sexy, and the only household name you simply have to know on this team is running back Wayne Knight. But even he wasn’t much of a factor in a game the Bruins won to extend their undefeated start to the season through seven wins. Saturday, backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach took the opportunity to run the offense and played spectacularly, completing 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards with an interception.
Stat to know: Running back Wayne Knight has scored a touchdown in every game this season — he has 11 rushing scores on the year, which is tied for the fourth-most among all FBS players. He is also one of seven players in FBS to have 12 or more scrimmage touchdowns on the season. Odds to make CFP: +145 (13th-best)Odds to win national title: +10000 (tied for 18th-best) Week 7 game: 53-25 win vs.
Arizona StateWeek 8 game: at Cincinnati Quarterback Will Hammond and the Red Raiders led the Sun Devils, 43-10, at halftime. Frankly, Hammond didn’t have to do too much because running back J’Koby Williams rushed for 165 yards with two touchdowns on just 11 rushes against an Arizona State team forced to play backup quarterback Mikey Keene for most of the game. Stat to know: Running back J’Koby Williams became the fifth Texas Tech player since 2000 to rush for more than 165 yards in a game, joining Cameron Dickey, DeAndre Washington, Tahj Brooks and Taurean Henderson.
Odds to make CFP: -125 (eighth-best)Odds to win national title: +4000 (tied for 10th-best) Week 7 game: 31-3 win vs. MissouriWeek 8 game: at Texas Honestly, I just want to know where the hell all of this was against Florida in the Swamp? Particularly this defense that didn’t allow a single touchdown and stopped the hottest running back in the sport (Jamal Roberts).
And stopped him cold. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has enjoyed more 300-yard passing performances than not at Ole Miss. But this game wasn’t one of them, in large part because running backs Kewan Lacy and Makhi Frazier each rushed for more than 100 yards in the win.
Stat to know: Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss finished with three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown against Missouri. He's now tied with Alabama's Keelon Russell and Virginia Tech's Ethan Grunkemeyer for the most games this season with at least three passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown. Odds to make CFP: -115 (ninth-best)Odds to win national title: +1600 (eighth-best) Week 7 game: 21-13 win vs.
OklahomaWeek 8 game: vs. Vanderbilt The Wildcats moved to 3-0 on the road in SEC games with a gutsy win in Norman for the first time since 2009, and they have their defense to thank for that. Willie Stein’s squad forced four turnovers out of the Oklahoma offense, including three interceptions against Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
Quarterback Kenny Minchey and the Kentucky offense did just enough to win — not commit any turnovers — and are beginning to look like a team that will find its way into the CFP selection conversation in late November. Stat to know: Since throwing an interception against in a Week 2 loss to Alabama, quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown nine touchdown passes and also rushed for one, leading Kentucky to five straight victories. Odds to make CFP: +230 (17th-best)Odds to win national title: +8000 (tied for 16th-best) Week 7 game: 26-10 win vs.
AlabamaWeek 8 game: at South Carolina Running back DeSean Bishop rushed for at least 130 yards for the third consecutive game. This time, he carried the rock 32 times for 159, and the yards he picked up were mostly violent and reminiscent of 2024 Tennessee with former running back Dylan Sampson in the backfield. You’ll remember that’s the last year the Vols made the CFP.
If Josh Heupel can get this team to the playoff after benching his five-star, true freshman starter (Faizon Brandon) for George MacIntyre, it might be his best coaching job to date. Stat to know: Since Week 5, no FBS player has more rushing yards than DeSean Bishop, who racked up 517 in his last three games. He also has six rushing touchdowns, which is the third-most in FBS in that span.
Odds to make CFP: +135 (12th-best)Odds to win national title: +4000 (tied for 10th-best) Week 7 game: 19-15 loss vs. Ohio StateWeek 8 game: at Michigan The Hoosiers saw their 22-game winning streak end, but not before giving themselves an opportunity to win the game late. Had quarterback Josh Hoover and wide receiver Nick Marsh connected in-bounds, Indiana likely would have defeated the Buckeyes.
But they did not. Still, Hoover played admirably, even after the offense gave up back-to-back turnovers to start the second half. This program still looks like a top-10 one — particularly on the defensive line — and is capable of playing championship football, as evidenced by its performance against a Buckeyes program, which, like Indiana, is seeking the national title.
Stat to know: Wide receiver Charlie Becker finished with nine receptions for 165 yards, both career-highs. He is seventh in FBS in receiving yards (694) and tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns (eight). Odds to make CFP: -650 (fifth-best)Odds to win national title: +850 (fifth-best) Week 7 game: 28-24 loss vs.
BYUWeek 8 game: Bye The Fighting Irish lost this game on the road against a BYU opponent that did not have the services of its 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, LJ Martin, and squandered the chance to win the game late. The ejection of star defender Boubacar Traore early in the game negatively affected Notre Dame's ability to pass rush. It can still win the national title, but it’s safer now to say it needs to win out to assure entry into the CFP.
And the Fighting Irish will probably need to beat Miami to prove their mettle to the CFP committee. Quarterback CJ Carr had a chance to win this game late with the final possession. That was his chance to make a Heisman moment.
But in Winning Time, he came up short. Stat to know: Notre Dame’s 16-game win streak ended with the loss to BYU. Each of those 16 wins came by 10 or more points, which ends as the third-longest winning streak of at least 10 points in the AP poll era (Army won 21 straight games by 10-plus points between 1944 and 1946, and Miami won 17 straight games by double digits between 2000 and 2001).
Odds to make CFP: -1500 (second-best)Odds to win national title: +480 (second-best) Week 7 game: 28-24 win vs. Notre DameWeek 8 game: at UCF Quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw a touchdown, caught a touchdown and rushed for two more in the biggest win of his career at BYU — and the biggest win of coach Kalani Sitake’s too. The Cougars joined Miami, Texas Tech, Utah and UCLA as the only remaining undefeated teams left among the Power Four, and they have one of the best wins in the sport.
BYU did it all without star tailback LJ Martin on the field, meaning the Cougars can conceivably be a stronger team in November than they are after defeating Notre Dame on Saturday night. This is BYU’s first ranked win — albeit a big one. Stat to know: BYU is 6-0 for the third consecutive season — a first for the program.
The Cougars have eight 6-0 starts in school history, with four of them coming under Sitake (2024-26, 2020). Saturday's win over No. 2 Notre Dame is also BYU's first win against an AP top-2 team since 1990, when the Cougars defeated No.
1 Miami, and second overall. Odds to make CFP: -155 (seventh-best)Odds to win national title: +4000 (tied for 10th-best) Week 7 game: 27-24 loss vs. AuburnWeek 8 game: Bye Sanford Stadium had been a fortress.
From 2019 to 2024, no visiting team walked into the stadium the Dawgs called home and left with a win. But since 2025, Alabama and Auburn have each beaten teams quarterbacked by Gunner Stockton between the hedges. It’s like as soon as I ranked Georgia as the top college football team, it then decided to play down to its unranked competition.
And the Bulldogs lost the game in large part because of that. Georgia played its worst against Auburn and still only lost that game on a walk-off field goal. The Dawgs are good.
They’ve just been humbled too. Stat to know: Before Georgia’s loss to Auburn, the AP No. 1 team had won 93 consecutive home games against unranked opponents.
Odds to make CFP: -900 (third-best)Odds to win national title: +470 (first) Week 7 game: 19-15 win vs. IndianaWeek 8 game: Bye The Buckeyes gutted out their victory against a top-5 opponent on the road, but it appears to be closer to a pyrrhic victory rather than an absolute win. Ohio State does not appear to be a top-5 team without starting quarterback Julian Sayin behind center.
Perhaps backup quarterback Luke Fahey will prove me wrong. Worst yet, the Buckeye offensive line is the reason Sayin is out for several weeks after leaving Saturday’s game with his throwing arm in a sling. The five men up front tasked with protecting Sayin failed terribly, allowing their quarterback to get hit often enough to not just affect his play but also lead to his injury.
Stat to know: Receiver Jeremiah Smith recorded his 39th career receiving touchdown, tying Braylon Edwards for the most in Big Ten history. His 52 receptions on the season are tied for most in FBS, and he ranks second in receiving yards (984) and receiving scores (12). Odds to make CFP: -750 (fourth-best)Odds to win national title: +490 (third-best) Week 7 game: 43-35 2OT win vs.
Florida StateWeek 8 game: vs. Pitt The Miami Hurricanes nearly lost a crucial rivalry game to a Florida State team that they should’ve boat-raced, based on previous outcomes for both of these programs. Until Saturday, Miami looked unstoppable.
Until Saturday, Miami looked like it'd be playing in the national title game for a second consecutive year. Until Saturday, quarterback Darian Mensah looked extra special instead of simply good. Now we know the Hurricanes can be tamed by a program that calls a city home, Tallahassee, less than two hours from the beach.
Look, Miami is ranked No. 1 here in pencil. Better still, Miami’s real estate here is rented.
It doesn’t own. After a weekend like this one, someone has to be. But please don’t mistake this ranking for my belief that The U has separated from the rest of the 137 teams in the FBS so much as it simply gets to occupy the spot for the time being.
Stat to know: Wide receiver Malachi Toney finished with 154 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns vs. Florida State, marking the second time in his career he's reached at least 150 receiving yards and at least two receiving scores in a game. Since the beginning of last season, he has been one of five power conference players with multiple stat lines in that span (Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, TCU's Eric McAlister, Baylor Josh Cameron, USC's Makai Lemon).
Odds to make CFP: -3000 (first)Odds to win national title: +650 (fourth-best)
