No team in college football is safe.
Multi-million dollar rosters? Historic big brands? Conference juggernauts? Brash unbeatens?
On this Saturday in college football, many of them took a tumble — some of ‘em right out of our Top 10.
No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas — they all lost.
UGA’s loss to Auburn clinched one of many stats on a somewhat historic Saturday: It was the first time in AP Top 25 history that the No. 1 team lost on the final play of a game in consecutive weeks (Texas lost to Oklahoma last week on a field goal, too), and it meant that a top-ranked team lost to an unranked opponent for a second straight week for the first time since 1990!
There are so many more such notes from this chaotic day.
For the first time in the 90-year history of the AP poll, five of the top eight teams in the country lost (No. 5 Indiana lost to No. 4 Ohio State as well).
For the first time since 1996, Georgia, Alabama and Texas all lost on the same day. In fact, the Tide lost back-to-back regular season games for the first time in 220 tries, and Georgia’s 53-game winning streak against unranked teams fell.
Plenty more happened outside of the Top 10. Did you see that Bill Belichick is now 4-2 after UNC knocked off Duke? Northwestern — Northwestern! — is 5-1. Lloyd Carr’s other grandson (not C.J.), Tommy Carr, replaced benched Bryce Underwood to deliver Michigan its first Big Ten win this year (and send Penn State to a fourth straight defeat). And Arkansas snapped a 14-game SEC losing skid at Vanderbilt.
Let’s get to the Top 10!
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: beat Indiana 19-15
Next week: Off
Coordinator Matt Patricia’s defense played a nasty, smashmouth game up front. The Buckeyes only got to IU’s quarterback once for a sack but they held the Hoosiers’ two running backs to less than 70 yards and pressured Hoover enough to rattle him to a 50% completion rate. In bad news, the Buckeyes lost QB Julian Sayin for “several weeks” with a throwing arm injury. Sayin emerged from the locker room in the fourth quarter in an arm sling.
2. BYU Cougars
This week: beat Notre Dame 28-24
Next week: at UCF
If you don’t know about BYU QB Bear Bachmeier, read up! Bachmeier was responsible for every single yard on the Cougars’ 10-play, 55-yard, game-winning touchdown drive and BYU’s defense made a goal-line stand to end it. Bachmeier threw for 224, ran for 45 and scored four touchdowns (he caught a TD too!). BYU did it all without star running back L.J. Martin, who is sidelined with an injury.
3. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Florida State 43-35, 2OT
Next week: vs. Pitt
The Hurricanes survived what would have been an incredibly damaging, resume-busting loss at home to the three-win Seminoles. Miami’s defense needs some work if it plans to compete against the big boys come playoff time. Did FSU exploit some issues? Ashton Daniels threw for 298 and four scores and nearly completed back-to-back Hail Mary-style passes in overtime — the latter of which was ruled an interception on a tight play that was reviewed and upheld.
4. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: lost to Ohio State 19-15
Next week: at Michigan
The Hoosiers missed two field goals, coughed up two costly fumbles and receiver Nick Marsh failed to keep his foot in bounds on what would have been a potential game-winning touchdown catch. The Buckeyes deserve plenty of credit, as noted above, but Indiana shot itself in the proverbial foot in this one. QB Josh Hoover missed on a plethora of open targets in his worst game in an IU uniform. He completed 20 of 40 attempts.
5. UCLA Bruins
This week: beat Wisconsin 17-7
Next week: vs. Michigan State
The Bruins are the last remaining undefeated team in either the Big Ten or the SEC. Let me repeat that. UCLA is the last remaining unbeaten in the country’s two juggernaut leagues. First-year coach Bob Chesney’s has done wonders in Westwood. On a day when the Bruins’ beast of a running back struggled — Wayne Knight had a season-low 23 yards — QB Ty Dieffenbach threw for 264 yards and UCLA’s defense held Wisconsin to 214 total yards.
6. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: lost to Auburn 27-24
Next week: Off
Who was this version of Gunner Stockton? Whatever it is, the Bulldogs don’t want to see him again! Stockton threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the final seconds as Georgia marched toward a would-be game-winning field goal. But did Kirby Smart’s team deserve to win this game? The Dawgs didn’t play like it for much of the affair. Auburn out-rushed them by nearly 100 yards — a shocking result for a previous top-ranked squad.
7. Tennessee Volunteers
This week: beat Alabama 26-10
Next week: at South Carolina
The Vols had ’em and they smoked ’em (cigars) after beating the arch-rival Crimson Tide. Tennessee’s defense is the real dang deal. Jim Knowles’ crew has given up more than 20 points just once and that was in garbage time during a blowout at Georgia Tech. Tennessee sacked Bama QB Keelon Russell five times and he threw two interceptions. Don’t look now but Tennessee RB DeSean Bishop (159 yards on 32 carries Saturday) is putting up some Heisman-type numbers: more than 500 yards rushing and six scores the last three weeks.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders
This week: beat Arizona State 53-25
Next week: at Cincinnati
The Red Raiders finally crack our rankings. Their win over Oregon State earlier this season looks better by the minute and they’ve beaten their last two Big 12 opponents by a combined 82-32 score. QB Will Hammond isn’t necessarily making people forget about Brendan Sorsby, but Tech RB J’Koby Williams is truly carrying the load. He had 165 yards and two scores on Saturday.
9. Ole Miss Rebels
This week: beat Missouri 31-3
Next week: at Texas
The Rebels defense, finally, matched its explosive offense. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns, the Rebels had two backs eclipse the 100-yard mark and Pete Golding’s team converted 64% of its third downs. But how about the D? After a 75-yard opening drive, the Tigers punted on seven of their next eight drives. If Ole Miss pairs a nasty defense with Chambliss’ weapons, can they win it all? Yep.
10. Kentucky Wildcats
This week: beat Oklahoma 21-13
Next week: vs. Vanderbilt
It’s a tough call on what team has been most surprising this year — UCLA under Chesney or Kentucky under first-year coach Will Stein. Stein became the first first-year UK coach to start 6-1 since Alpha Brumage in 1913. That’s right — Alpha. The Wildcats did it with defense in Norman, picking off much-maligned OU QB John Mateer three times and returning one for a touchdown.