Halloween weekend shook up the top of the ESPN college football rankings, and the biggest jolt came at No. 1. South Carolina moved into the top spot after a month that turned its season completely around.
The Gamecocks were 0-3 in SEC play not long ago. Now they’re riding a three-game winning streak that includes victories over ranked Tennessee and Florida, plus a road blowout of Oklahoma in which they piled up more than 500 yards against a strong Sooners defense. With Texas A&M and Arkansas next, the path ahead looks manageable.
Elsewhere in the rankings, the chaos kept coming. Seven AP-ranked teams lost to close out October, and the selection committee has plenty to sort through when it meets this week in a 2026 season that has already been packed with surprises and upsets.
Iowa made the week’s loudest jump after hammering ranked Wisconsin 30-0. The Hawkeyes threw for more than 200 yards, held the Badgers scoreless for a second straight year, and now head to Northwestern at 6-2.
USC also made a major statement. After a rough loss at Wisconsin a week earlier, the Trojans bounced back with a dominant win over national title hopeful Ohio State. For Lincoln Riley, it stands as the biggest win of his embattled tenure, and the pressure now shifts to what comes next.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is suddenly staring at real trouble. The Buckeyes were upset at USC, and the absence of Julian Sayin mattered.
So did a defense that couldn’t get stops when it needed them most. Oregon comes to Columbus next, and the playoff picture around Ohio State looks far less secure heading into November.
Indiana survived one of the wildest finishes of the weekend. After giving up a 60-yard field goal, the Hoosiers answered with a kick of their own to force overtime, then beat Minnesota in extra time. That keeps their Big Ten title and playoff hopes alive, though the quarterback situation now hangs over everything.
The Big 12 picture stayed crowded at the top, with Utah still unbeaten after building a 42-6 halftime lead at Cincinnati and cruising from there. The Utes are 8-0 and now turn to a home game against rival BYU, which should help sort out the conference race.
Texas Tech also kept itself in the mix. The Red Raiders looked like they were headed for a second straight loss before storming back in the second half to beat ranked Arizona, preserving their College Football Playoff hopes and keeping them near the top of the Big 12 standings.
BYU, for its part, escaped Arizona State 27-20. Bear Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown, and the Cougars shut out the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter to set up a huge Holy War matchup at Utah next Saturday.
Miami stayed unbeaten, but not without some nerves. The Hurricanes gave away a pair of leads at North Carolina, including one in the fourth quarter, before holding on after another late UNC score. They’ll need a cleaner defensive effort when they go to Notre Dame next.
Notre Dame handled its own business, too. The Irish were tested early by Navy, then ripped off 28 unanswered points to improve to 7-1 and set up a heavyweight showdown with undefeated Miami. Their playoff margin is still thin, especially with a loss to BYU already on the résumé.
A few other teams kept their place in the rankings by surviving or outlasting their opponents. Missouri welcomed Ahmad Hardy back for his first action of the season after he recovered from a gunshot wound, but the rest of the offense did the heavy lifting in a win over Arkansas. The schedule gets much tougher now, with Texas, Georgia, and Kentucky coming up.
Louisville remained in the mix despite being idle, and ESPN’s algorithm still likes the Cardinals’ 5-3 record even though they trail the ACC leaders. After beating Stanford, they now head into road games at Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
Nebraska lost again, but not by much. The Cornhuskers led Washington 7-3 with 1:31 left before allowing two touchdowns in the final quarter, including a pick-six. That makes three straight losses by a combined 13 points, yet the efficiency has been enough to keep them ranked.
Wake Forest powered past Virginia by leaning on the ground game, rolling up more than 300 rushing yards in a 7-1 start. Merrimack is next.
Ole Miss kept rolling after a slow start against Auburn, turning a tight game into a 45-15 rout with 28 unanswered points. The Rebels are 6-2 and now get Georgia at home in a marquee matchup.
Georgia did its part against Florida, too. Gunner Stockton didn’t throw a touchdown, but the Bulldogs ran for 217 yards and held the Gators to 1.7 yards per carry. Florida, meanwhile, was outrushed 217-48 and saw its playoff hopes disappear in the Cocktail Party game.
Texas got a crisp passing performance from Arch Manning, who went 16 of 20 for 3 touchdowns and no turnovers in a win over Mississippi State. The Longhorns only managed 60 rushing yards, and now they head into back-to-back road games at Missouri and LSU.
Alabama stopped its two-game slide with a 31-20 win over Texas A&M, though it was closer than expected. The Crimson Tide sit third in the SEC and travel to LSU next with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
LSU is coming in hot. The Tigers have won two straight, outscoring Mississippi State and Auburn 69-17, and now face Alabama in a home game loaded with College Football Playoff implications.
Tennessee, idle over the weekend, dropped to 3-2 in SEC play after its surprise loss at South Carolina last week. The Vols host Kentucky next, and the Wildcats are suddenly sitting in first place in the SEC.
And then there’s the team that started this whole shake-up: South Carolina. The Gamecocks are now the new No. 1, and after the way October ended, they’ve earned the spotlight.
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