Week 7 turned the AP poll into a full-blown scramble, and the top of the rankings is headed for a shake-up. With No. 1 teams losing to unranked opponents in back-to-back weeks - and both of those losses coming on the final play - pollsters are now staring at a ballot unlike anything the AP era has seen before. For the first time ever, five of the top 10 teams lost in the same weekend.
That kind of chaos opens the door for a new No. 1, and BYU looks like the wild-card choice that could cash in. The Cougars are coming off a signature win over No.
2 Notre Dame, and in a week where so many contenders stumbled, that kind of statement may be enough to push them to the top. Miami is the more obvious candidate, but a narrow double-overtime win over Florida State may leave the Hurricanes just short of the top spot.
The biggest movers near the top are the teams that took losses but still have enough résumé strength to avoid a total free fall. Georgia’s loss at home to unranked Auburn will sting, yet its win at Alabama should soften the drop.
Notre Dame and Indiana both took close losses to elite opponents and should stay in the mix near the top after hard-fought defeats to BYU and Ohio State, respectively. Ohio State also survives, helped by a narrow road win at Indiana, though the Buckeyes now have a major concern: quarterback Julian Sayin is poised to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury.
Alabama is another team that should hang around despite a second straight loss. The Tide’s dominant head-to-head win at Kentucky still carries weight with voters, even after the latest setback. Texas, though, is staring at the roughest tumble of the week after falling at home to unranked Florida, one week after losing to unranked Oklahoma.
Florida should be back in the poll after upsetting Texas, and the Gators have a couple of things working in their favor over LSU: one more SEC win and a head-to-head edge via Ole Miss, which beat LSU. LSU, meanwhile, helped itself with a 31-0 shutout of Mississippi State and moved back to .500 in SEC play.
A few teams on the rise should gain ground from both results and timing. Houston took down ranked Oklahoma State, and with Iowa and USC idle, the Cougars should climb several spots.
Kentucky is now 6-1 after a solid win at Oklahoma and looks like a real College Football Playoff contender. Tennessee also has a strong case to move up after its win over Alabama, one that showcased what may be one of the SEC’s best defenses.
Further down the poll, Utah keeps rolling. The Utes are undefeated through six games for the first time since 2015 and tied for first place in the Big 12 heading into a serious clash with Houston next.
UCLA also remains unbeaten, and the Bruins are now the last undefeated team in the Big Ten. Texas Tech stays perfect as well after putting up 53 points on Arizona State, while Ole Miss strengthened its standing with a dominant 31-3 win over ranked Missouri.
The middle and lower end of the projected poll is crowded with survivors and newcomers. Wake Forest improved to 6-1 with a dominant showing at Cal, Northwestern should hold on after its win over Penn State, and SMU’s close win over Virginia likely won’t move the Mustangs much either way. Boise State was idle but remains the favorite in the Pac-12.
At the bottom, Oregon could sneak back in at No. 25 after Dylan Raiola returned against his old team in Nebraska and led the Ducks to a late touchdown drive that lifted them to 4-2. Oklahoma State, despite its loss to Houston, may still hold on thanks to a strong second half and the lack of obvious replacement candidates just outside the rankings. Northwesterns’ place, SMU’s steady spot, and Boise State’s standing all reflect the same thing: in a week this chaotic, even a messy ballot has to leave somewhere for teams that didn’t completely blow up.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Celebration Just Added Another Twist To This Alabama Rivalry
Tennessees latest win over Alabama already carried the usual rivalry weight, and now it has come with an SEC penalty attached. The league fined the Volunteers $500,000 after fans rushed the field following the victory, a scene that has become familiar in college football but still runs afoul of conference policy when it crosses the line into the competition area.
For Alabama, the detail that stands out is where that money is headed. The fine will be paid to the Crimson Tide, while Tennessee does have a path to argue for a reduction if it can show it took steps to prevent the breach or that contact was minimal. The SEC also leaves room for schools to stage on-field celebrations, but only if they submit procedures in advance and get them approved, which gives this rivalry another layer of paperwork to go with the emotion. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Truth After Tennessee Exposed This Weakness
Alabamas trip to Tennessee turned into a blunt reminder of where things stand after a 26-10 loss that sent the Crimson Tide into consecutive regular-season defeats for the first time since 2007. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the line of scrimmage as the defining issue, with Tennessee dictating play and Alabama unable to match the Volunteers physical edge.
The offensive problems only made the night harder to absorb, as turnovers and an ineffective rushing attack left Alabama searching for answers. Tennessees strong ground game helped control the flow throughout, and now the Tide head into an important rebound spot against Texas A&M with pressure to respond quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Bigger Question Than Just The Tennessee Loss
Alabamas 26-10 loss to Tennessee would have been enough to force a reset on its own, but the bigger issue coming out of the weekend is the injury list that kept the Crimson Tide from looking like itself. Head coach Kalen DeBoer spent time afterward updating the status of Zabien Brown, EJ Crowell, Ryan Coleman-Williams, Racin Delgatty and Terrance Green, a reminder that the season is being shaped not just by results, but by who is available to take the field.
The encouraging part for Alabama is that the group is being handled on a week-to-week basis, with some players expected back at practice soon. Still, until those bodies return and the Tide can see how quickly they regain rhythm, the conversation around the program is going to be about depth, availability and whether the roster can stabilize fast enough to keep the loss from turning into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]