College football’s national championship race was thrown into turmoil Saturday as powerhouse programs collapsed in rapid succession during a historically disruptive Week 7.
For the first time since Oct. 26, 1996, Georgia, Alabama and Texas all lost on the same day, USA TODAY Sports reported. In addition, Saturday marked the first instance in the 90-year history of the Associated Press poll where five teams in the top eight lost, according to ESPN Insights.
Top-ranked Bulldogs and Longhorns tumble
Top-ranked Georgia fell 27-24 to unranked Auburn after Tigers defenders capitalized on a costly late miscue. Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton threw two interceptions before losing a fumble when he ran into an offensive lineman, Yahoo Sports reported. Auburn recovered the loose ball and converted a walk-off field goal as the clock expired to seal the upset.
Texas endured its second consecutive defeat against an unranked opponent, dropping a 27-24 decision at home to Florida. The Gators rallied from a 17-3 second-quarter deficit behind 24 unanswered points, Bleacher Report reported. Florida relied on backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., who stepped in for injured starter Aaron Philo, to engineer the comeback against Texas passer Arch Manning. Yahoo Sports noted that Texas became the first team ranked No. 1 to drop consecutive games to unranked opponents since 1961.
The losses left every team in the Southeastern Conference with at least one league defeat, according to Yahoo Sports, intensifying the race for the conference crown.
Big Ten battles and Crimson Tide stumble
In Knoxville, Tennessee handled Alabama 26-10. Tennessee relied on four field goals before adding a late touchdown to seal the win, USA TODAY Sports and Yahoo Sports reported. The loss marked the second consecutive setback for the Crimson Tide following their three-point defeat against Georgia the previous week.
Meanwhile, in the Big Ten, Ohio State earned a narrow 19-15 victory over Indiana, USA TODAY Sports reported. However, the win proved costly for the Buckeyes. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin sustained an apparent right arm and shoulder injury during a fourth-quarter sack and will miss several weeks, according to Yahoo Sports. Freshman Luke Fahey is expected to start for the Buckeyes in two weeks against Southern California.
Mid-major milestones and conference shifts
Beyond the marquee matchups, several other programs made notable strides or suffered stinging setbacks across the country, according to Yahoo Sports:
- Army routed Florida Atlantic 56-24 as quarterback Cale Hellums completed one of two passes for 2 yards while rushing 25 times for 195 yards and five touchdowns.
- James Madison moved to 7-0 on the season by defeating Georgia State 49-22 behind four rushing scores and three passing touchdowns.
- Boston College defeated Pittsburgh 27-21 behind 295 passing yards from quarterback Mason McKenzie.
- Northwestern edged Michigan State 24-21 on a 34-yard field goal by Jackson Kleather with two seconds remaining.
The upheaval leaves the national landscape fractured entering the second half of the season. Updated rankings will arrive Sunday when coaches and media voters sort through the historic slate of results.
