Week 8 didn’t just shake up the AP Top 25 - it rattled it from top to bottom. Seven ranked teams lost, and that kind of mess always sends pollsters back to the drawing board with a pile of tough calls.
Texas gave them one of the biggest ones to sort through. The Longhorns were staring at a third straight loss and another collapse after Ole Miss ripped off 21 unanswered points to wipe out an early 24-3 Texas lead.
Arch Manning had been a problem for the Rebels early, but then came a rough stretch that included a fumble that helped spark the comeback. Still, Texas found enough answers to hang on.
Manning put together a defining 80-yard touchdown drive, finished it with a rushing score, and a late field goal gave the Longhorns some needed breathing room in the win over Ole Miss.
For all the criticism Steve Sarkisian gets, his teams keep showing up in big games. Since last season, Texas is 5-2 in the regular season against AP top-ten opponents, the most wins of any FBS team in that span.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, had chances and didn’t cash them in. Trinidad Chambliss never found a rhythm, the run game never got going, and early on the defense couldn’t contain Arch Manning, which helped Texas build that three-touchdown cushion.
Even after the Rebels climbed back and tied the game in the second half, they couldn’t turn a late takeaway into points and couldn’t really slow the run when it mattered most. The fight was there.
The finishing touch wasn’t. At 3-2 in SEC play, their playoff picture is suddenly a lot shakier.
The same kind of slide is coming for BYU after the Cougars walked into a trap and lost at UCF. Coming off an emotional win over Notre Dame, they had a chance to strengthen their grip near the top of the rankings. Instead, the cross-country trip produced a marquee upset and left AP voters with another mess to clean up.
That leaves a tricky question: what do you do with BYU after Notre Dame was only dropped to No. 4 last week? Miami should stay at No. 1, while idle Ohio State is set to rise to No.
- Notre Dame, also idle, could help cushion BYU’s fall, with the Cougars sliding just one spot to No. 3 despite the loss to unranked UCF.
The Big 12 wasn’t done causing headaches there, either. Texas Tech, which had picked up one first-place vote in last week’s poll, lost on the road at Cincinnati and is headed out of the top ten.
The Red Raiders were beaten up badly, especially on the ground, by a Bearcats team that punched through the nation’s fifth-ranked run defense. Texas Tech hadn’t allowed a rushing touchdown all season before giving up a 58-yarder that sealed the upset and added even more chaos to the conference race.
South Carolina also got into the act, delivering another “Cocktober” twist by edging Tennessee on a last-second field goal. The Vols actually rallied after falling behind by two touchdowns early, leaning on defense and the ground game to fight back on the road. But the Gamecocks’ pass rush finally broke through, forcing and recovering a George MacIntyre fumble that set up the winning kick.
Tennessee may not tumble too hard because the loss came by a razor-thin margin away from home, and that kind of result tends to be easier on SEC teams in pollsters’ eyes. Still, it’s another setback for a playoff hopeful already under pressure, and the Vols will need better showings against Kentucky and LSU to recover.
Meanwhile, LSU kept its own momentum going with a 38-17 win at Auburn, powered by a huge night from Sam Leavitt, who threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns. After taking next Saturday off, the Tigers head into a brutal stretch with Alabama, Texas and Tennessee on deck.
In Other News...
LSU Just Changed The Playoff Conversation With This Road Breakthrough
LSU's trip to Auburn brought more than a needed conference win. The Tigers walked out with a 38-17 victory that ended a frustrating skid of more than two years without an SEC road win, and it came with the kind of balance that has been missing at times this fall. Quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jackson Harris helped drive the offense, while the defense kept Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown from finding much rhythm.
At 6-2, LSU still has a live path in the College Football Playoff discussion, and this was the sort of result that can change how the rest of the season feels. Road wins in the SEC are never easy, and this one mattered not just because of the standings, but because it suggested the Tigers can travel, execute and hold up on both sides of the ball when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Heads To Auburn With Playoff Pressure And A Key Boost
LSU heads to Auburn on Saturday with the kind of November pressure that turns every snap into a referendum on a season, and Jordan-Hare Stadium figures to be a difficult place to manage it. Both teams are carrying two losses and trying to keep their College Football Playoff hopes in view, which gives this one a sharper edge than a typical SEC road trip. The game will air on ABC with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff, setting up an early test for a Tigers team that can no longer afford to waste chances.
A key piece of help is coming back, too, with tight end Trey'Dez Green expected to return from injury. LSU has been working through the final stretch of the regular season without much margin for error, and getting Green back adds another option as the offense tries to navigate a game that could shape the rest of the conversation around its postseason path. Auburn is in the same position, which only raises the stakes for a matchup that already feels like it belongs in the must-win category. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New-Look Lineup Raised One Immediate Concern Before The Opener
LSUs first exhibition look offered a clear glimpse of how much change this roster is carrying into the season. In the 89-87 loss to Florida State, the Tigers started three recently eligible newcomers in Skyy Clark, Saliou Niang and Brice Desser, while Donovan Dent set the tone offensively with 24 points and nine assists. It was the kind of early test that can reveal both promise and pressure, especially for a team trying to sort out roles before the games start counting.
The concern that came out of it was just as obvious as the talent on the floor. LSU still had pieces unavailable, with Gilad Levy sidelined because of eligibility and Austin Nunez out with an injury, leaving the rotation thinner than it will need to be once SEC play rolls around. For a new-look group trying to find chemistry quickly, the opener hinted at how much the Tigers may have to manage in the backcourt and beyond before the lineup is fully settled. [Read more 🡒]