SEC 'Hangover Saturday' with Texas, Alabama and Georgia losses comes with no excuses originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Maybe this is why SEC commissioner Greg Sankey changed his stance on the looming College Football Playoff expansion to 24 teams.
The SEC's three highest-ranked teams all lost – including two upsets by unranked opponents – in a shocking week of extreme rivalry hangovers. Florida beat No. 7 Texas 27-24. No. 14 Tennessee beat No. 6 Alabama 26-10. Then, Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24. It was a stunning series of events that unfolded before No. 2 Notre Dame took on No. 8 BYU in prime time.
Those losses also came after Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 and Texas lost 27-24 to Oklahoma in Week 6. The SEC had two schools lose their No. 1 ranking in as many weeks – and the Irish stand to inherit that spot with that victory. If not Notre Dame, then it will be No. 3 Miami should the Canes beat Florida State.
The Longhorns are 4-2. The Crimson Tide are 5-2. The Bulldogs are 6-1. It is varying degrees of difficulty the rest of the way. A 24-team playoff lessens the impact of weekends like this. In a 12-team playoff? The NFL Lite motif with a nine-game SEC conference schedule just went haywire.
BENDER: Florida leaves Texas no margin for error after upset
Texas in trouble with Arch Manning
The Longhorns have been outscored 34-14 in the second half in the last two weeks in the losses to the Gators and the Sooners. Remember, this is the same Texas team that trailed by 20 points before a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback in a 24-23 victory against Ohio State on Sept. 12.
Manning will take the brunt of that. He threw two costly interceptions against Oklahoma. He took five sacks and had a costly fumble with two minutes left against the Gators.
"We're not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward.
Steve Sarkisian asked about the quarterback's performance. "I have to evaluate everything." https://t.co/w0pQZIzYXy
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) October 17, 2026
Manning agreed with those comments. Is this a faux quarterback controversy? The Longhorns should not be this bad on offense – not with three projected first-round picks in Manning, tackle Trevor Goosby and receiver Cam Coleman. Plus, Ole Miss – who has the best-looking QB in the SEC in Trinidad Chambliss – visits Austin in prime time in Week 8.
This is a potential elimination game for the Longhorns – which puts Sarkisian and Manning on the spot.
Crimson Tide, Kalen DeBoer take another loss
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will be under a little more heat again. The Crimson Tide lost for the third straight time at Neyland Stadium against the Volunteers. Alabama had back-to-back losses for the first time since 2013 – which was the "Kick Six" and the corresponding hangover loss to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.
Keelon Russell had four passing yards at the end of the first quarter, and Alabama was clueless against Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' defense. Russell finished 19 of 29 for 147 yards, two interceptions and a fumble. The Crimson Tide managed 54 rushing yards. DeBoer now has more losses in three years to the Vols than Nick Saban while piling up a 16-1 record on the Third Saturday in October.
The good news? Alabama has one ranked team left on the regular-season schedule – a Nov. 7 date at LSU. But there is no runway left – and the Vols only have one loss. This was a costly dud the week after the loss to the Bulldogs.
Georgia falls from No. 1 with Auburn loss
AP Top 25 teams had won 93 straight games against unranked teams before Auburn kicker Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the Tigers' upset in another classic SEC rivalry.
Down goes Georgia! AP No. 1 teams had won 93 straight home games against unranked opponents entering the day. 🤯 https://t.co/LxDIaNQR0B
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 17, 2026
Georgia had a 14-0 lead in the first half before Auburn scored 24 unanswered points. The Bulldogs tied the score in the fourth quarter behind Gunner Stockton, who finished 22 of 34 for 272 yards, two TDs, two interceptions and a critical fumble late in the fourth quarter. Yet a roughing the passer call on Gabe Harris Jr. on Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown set up the game-winning field goal.
Was this karma for the missed pass interference call in the fourth quarter against the Crimson Tide? Maybe, but it confirmed what we suspected. The SEC does not have an untouchable juggernaut team – and that could make a three-year drought in the CFP championship game all that more conspicuous heading into the second half of the season. This was a flagrant loss.
What do losses mean for the SEC?
Texas and Alabama failed to live up to Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, who always said, "Don't let a team beat you twice." Georgia flat-out did not live up to the billing of the No. 1 team as a three-TD favorite. You can't complain about the Irish's schedule and have losses like that.
Blame the SEC schedule if you want, but it's not an excuse for any of these teams. Georgia remains in great shape with a rare mulligan against an unranked team, but Alabama and Texas still have to play LSU – which already used up its two losses. One – maybe two – of those four teams will not be in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
In a 24-team setup? Those losses would come and go – especially considering the conference entered the weekend with nine ranked teams. In the present tense, however, you have to call for what it is.
Three really, really bad hangovers.