College football is unpredictable and delightful, which is why we live for what happens on Saturdays. And Week 7 absolutely delivered, with five (!) top-10 teams losing on the same day.
Each Sunday, I’ll publish my biggest takeaways from the college football weekend. I’ll highlight the most interesting storylines, track College Football Playoff contenders and specifically shout out individual and team performances that deserve the spotlight.
1. Maybe there are no elite teams in college football this year?
I don’t think there’s any other possible takeaway after a weekend that saw five of the top eight teams in college football fall. And Miami nearly lost to rival Florida State in double overtime! There appear to be a lot of very good college football teams that have flaws that can be exploited. No one is infallible. There are no unbeaten SEC teams left. UCLA (!) is the last undefeated team in the Big Ten. This season isn’t going according to anyone’s plan, with the teams that looked dominant against inferior competition struggling when a team with comparable talent lines up across the field. Or maybe they just succumbed to the SEC’s game of musical chairs. Or perhaps their big-name quarterback no-showed.
The college football environment is flatter than it’s ever been before in the NIL and transfer portal age. Talent is dispersed more widely. If Alabama and Georgia can’t stockpile talent like they used to, then more teams have good players who can beat teams with other good players. It’s very fun but also chaotic. And it seems like it’s one of those years in this beautiful, insane sport.
2. Gunner Stockton is more unreliable than we thought he was.
I’ve never thought Georgia’s starting quarterback was one of the best in the sport. But I figured he was reliably consistent, someone who wasn’t going to cost his team games. That is no longer how I feel about Stockton! His three turnovers against Auburn — in particular, the last-minute fumble — put the Bulldogs in a precarious-to-terrible position. I know that Georgia had an emotional (and physically taxing) win over Alabama a week ago, so Auburn was catching the Dawgs in prime letdown position. But Georgia is supposed to be unflappable. Supposed to be ultra-reliable on defense, and supposed to be putting the team in good positions offensively. What Stockton did to cost his team was both out of character and genuinely shocking. And it’s a red flag.
3. Notre Dame probably should just win out to make the College Football Playoff. Unless it wants a few sleepless nights.
The Irish are in basically the same spot as last year. Their season comes down to two games, and they’ve got to win at least one, you’d think. Notre Dame could certainly use a win worthy of propping up a CFP-worthy resume! To avoid the stress of the bubble, Notre Dame should just beat Miami on Nov. 7. Then, there’s no ifs, ands or buts. Because, otherwise, it’s a 10-2 record with two losses to the two best teams on the schedule — and you’ve got to hope you stay ranked in the top 12 of the CFP rankings. It’s probably best to avoid that stress (and subjectivity) and finish 11-1.
4. BYU’s big win was perhaps even bigger for the Big 12 conference.
5. Ohio State and Indiana both have legit defenses. But what about their quarterbacks?
Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin will probably be out for “several weeks,” Ryan Day said after the Buckeyes hung on to beat the Hoosiers on Saturday. The last time we saw Sayin on the broadcast, he was on the sidelines with his right arm in a sling. Josh Hoover played through a shoulder injury sustained midway through the game as well. But even before they got hurt, neither quarterback really starred in a game mostly defined by the defenses. Sayin and Hoover both missed wide-open receivers, and Sayin’s touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith was only successful because, well, it’s Jeremiah. He adjusted and made the play on the ball.
Even Hoover’s would-be game-winning throw to Nick Marsh should have been a lot simpler — if he got the ball out quicker. That final Indiana play is going to be one that keeps Curt Cignetti up at night; he said after the game it’s “a hard one to swallow.” Have we ever had this many questions about a QB who has an 18-0 TD-to-INT ratio?
Ohio State and Indiana both appear to have championship-caliber defenses. But due to health concerns (with Sayin) and performance concerns (with both when healthy on Saturday), it’s worth wondering what to expect from the quarterback position in big moments going forward.
6. Texas is having a no-good, very-bad time.
Two weeks ago, the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the nation — thanks entirely to that dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State. But they didn’t look like the best team in the country. And now they’ve suffered two bad losses back-to-back. The Longhorn offense remains confounding and unimpressive, which puts more pressure on Steve Sarkisian to potentially give up playcalling. Texas has to do something.
Saturday’s loss to Florida was the Longhorns’ biggest blown lead at home against an unranked opponent since 1965. Against one of the worst pass defenses in the country, Arch Manning and co. accounted for just one passing touchdown and 173 total passing yards (and Manning fumbled with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter).
There is far too much talent on this offense — at least on paper — for this unit to be so ineffective. And now the season feels like it’s slipping away, with two losses already and games against Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU to go.
7. Everything’s coming up JMU — again.
Earlier this week, I wrote about the former James Madison football coaches and what they’re doing at Indiana and UCLA. But how about the current head coach? Billy Napier’s Dukes are 7-0 and the clear favorites to win the Sun Belt. Could JMU get to the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year? The eventual Pac-12 champion will have something to say about that, but it’ll be something worth tracking.