Saturday rewrote the AP poll record book.
For the first time since the Associated Press top-25 rankings began in 1936, five different teams ranked in the top seven all lost on the same day. The chaos spread across the sport and turned into a day that had no precedent in the poll’s history.
The first hit came early, when No. 7 Texas dropped its second straight game, this time against an unranked Florida team that had entered the matchup on a two-game losing streak of its own.
Then came the showdown between No. 4 Ohio State and No.
5 Indiana, a game that guaranteed one top-8 team would go down. It came down to inches.
Hoosiers receiver Nick Marsh looked open for a game-winning touchdown, but he couldn’t complete the catch without his toe landing out of bounds. That ended the threat on downs and sent the Buckeyes home with the win.
The biggest stunner arrived next: No. 1 Georgia lost at home to Auburn on a walk-off field goal.
It was the first time since 1990 that the AP No. 1 team lost in back-to-back weeks to unranked opponents. It also snapped Georgia’s 53-game winning streak against unranked teams.
Not long after, No. 6 Alabama was knocked off as Tennessee rolled to a 26-10 win.
The Crimson Tide have now lost back-to-back games for the first time in the same regular season since 2007. And with Georgia and Texas also falling, it marked the first time since 1996 that Alabama, Georgia and Texas all lost on the same day.
The final top-8 loss of the night was inevitable once the rankings were set, with Notre Dame and BYU both sitting inside that range. In the end, it was the home underdog Cougars who delivered, holding on for a 28-24 win with a stop on the final play.
That sent the No. 2 Irish to defeat and made it the first day since Nov. 17, 2012 that both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams lost.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Has A Troubling EJ Crowell Question
In the middle of a playoff chase, Alabama suddenly has to monitor the health of one of its key young pieces. EJ Crowell is among several notable college football players across the CFP race who are dealing with injuries of varying severity, and the uncertainty around his status is the kind of thing that can ripple through a tight late-season stretch. Coaches have given only limited detail, which has left the picture cloudy for a position group Alabama can least afford to lose depth from.
Crowell is not the only name on the list, with Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover, LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons also working through injury situations that could affect availability. For Alabama, the concern is less about what is known right now and more about what is not, since even a short absence can matter when the margins shrink this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Facing A Much More Serious Absence Than Fans Expected
Jalen Hurts latest setback is far more serious than the usual soft-tissue injury update fans were bracing for. According to his agent, Nicole Lynn, the quarterback has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his injured calf and bilateral pulmonary emboli, a condition that has taken him out of football activities while he undergoes treatment with blood thinners.
Hurts is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery, but the timeline alone changes the conversation around Alabamas quarterback room and the months ahead. With an absence projected at about three months, the focus now shifts from when he might return to whether the Tide can navigate the early part of the season without one of the most important players on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Rookies Finally Broke Through On A Huge NFL Sunday
Week 6 turned into a notable Sunday for a handful of former Alabama standouts, with Josh Cuevas and Germie Bernard both reaching the end zone for the first time in the NFL. The rookie breakout came on a day when Alabamas pro pipeline was especially visible, and it was part of a broader slate that also included Jerry Jeudy helping the Cleveland Browns in a win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Henry TooToo was back on the field for Houston after injury and contributed on defense as the Texans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, adding another familiar name to the mix. Bernards day stood out even more because of the way it landed in Pittsburgh, where he also set a Steelers rookie receiving mark, leaving a reminder that this group of former Crimson Tide players is still finding new ways to make noise at the next level. [Read more 🡒]