Georgia, Alabama and Texas, three of the sport's bluebloods, all lost on the same Saturday for the first time since October 1996, and the shakeout is already redrawing the College Football Playoff picture with six weeks left in the regular season.
USA Today reported that the Week 7 carnage marked the first time the three programs fell on the same day since Oct. 26, 1996. Sports Illustrated's weekly Forde-Yard Dash column, published Saturday, put several preseason title contenders on formal crisis watch, and the list is longer than most fans expected in August.
Texas Is Officially in Trouble
The Longhorns opened the year at No. 5 in the AP poll, climbed all the way to No. 1 for four weeks, and now sit at No. 19 after back-to-back losses to unranked opponents. Both defeats came after Texas held double-digit leads.
According to Sports Illustrated, the problem now sits at the feet of head coach Steve Sarkisian, who calls his own offensive plays for a team stocked with one of the largest payrolls in the sport. The defense has not forced a turnover in three games, and the schedule only gets harder: Ole Miss, a road trip to Missouri, a road trip to LSU, and a rivalry closer against Texas A&M.
At 10-2, the Longhorns likely make the playoff without much argument. At 9-3, the debate gets uncomfortable.
Alabama's Momentum Hits the Wall
Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide rose to No. 6 after a 5-0 start, then scored a combined 27 points over the last two weeks in losses to Georgia and Tennessee. Quarterback Keelon Russell, a first-year starter with enormous upside, has now committed eight turnovers this season, four interceptions and four lost fumbles.
Sports Illustrated noted the familiar pattern for DeBoer: every high point in Tuscaloosa has been followed by a stumble. The road ahead softens considerably, with only one ranked opponent left, a Nov. 7 trip to LSU that could function as a playoff elimination game.
Notre Dame and the Clock That Wouldn't Tick
The Fighting Irish lost at BYU on Saturday in a game that ended in controversy. The Big 12 acknowledged a clock error, according to Sports Illustrated, meaning the game ended when one second should have remained for Notre Dame to run one more play. Irish fans also fumed over an uncalled pass interference in the end zone on that final snap.
The bigger issue is the pattern. Notre Dame is 16-0 against teams outside the AP top 10 since last season and 0-3 against top-10 teams, with a combined losing margin of eight points. Newly minted No. 1 Miami visits South Bend on Nov. 7, and the Irish likely need that win to avoid a repeat of last year's playoff snub.
Ohio State's Quarterback Question
The Buckeyes stayed at No. 3 after a road win at Indiana, but coach Ryan Day said quarterback Julian Sayin will miss several weeks with an injury. Freshman Luke Fahey got the emergency reps in Bloomington and went 0 for 2 passing, while presumed backup Tavien St. Clair has not played since Sept. 19.
Ohio State gets a much-needed open week before traveling to USC on Oct. 31, then hosts Oregon and No. 24 Northwestern before closing with Nebraska and Michigan.
Georgia and Miami Survive, Barely
Georgia's home loss to Auburn featured three crippling turnovers from quarterback Gunner Stockton and a roughing-the-passer penalty that set up the winning field goal. Kirby Smart's program has looked largely past its one-meltdown-a-year habit, but Saturday looked like a relapse, Sports Illustrated wrote.
Miami, the new No. 1 in the AP poll, needed double overtime to survive Florida State, a rival that had not won a road game since 2023. The Hurricanes' defense gave up season highs in points, yards and yards per play in the 35-point shootout.
Fox News reported that playoff expansion to 24 teams looms as the sport's leaders weigh a format that could soften the blow of losses like these in future seasons.
Where Iowa Fits In
Amid the wreckage, the Hawkeyes are quietly climbing. Iowa checked in among Sports Illustrated's also-considered teams for the playoff field, and the Hawkeyes rose to No. 15 in the Week 8 AP Top 25 poll after the chaos of Week 7. With Miami grabbing the top spot, Iowa's steady climb stands in sharp contrast to the programs imploding above them.
Sports Illustrated's current 12-team field includes BYU, Miami, Ohio State, UCLA, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas Tech and Boise State, with Iowa listed alongside Wake Forest, Utah and Northwestern as the first teams out.
Penn State's Slide Continues
Former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has not found his footing at Penn State. The Nittany Lions have lost four straight and remain winless against power-conference competition, with quarterback Rocco Becht struggling against Big Ten defenses. Michigan's 21-18 win in State College extended the misery.
Oklahoma joins Penn State in the ongoing crisis category. The Sooners shocked Texas in the Red River Rivalry but have scored just 36 total points across three losses, and quarterback John Mateer threw three more interceptions Saturday against Kentucky.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the last time Georgia, Alabama and Texas all lost on the same day?
Before Saturday, it had not happened since Oct. 26, 1996, according to USA Today.
Which teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 this week?
Miami holds the top spot in the AP poll, with the Hurricanes surviving Florida State in double overtime. Ohio State sits at No. 3 despite uncertainty around injured quarterback Julian Sayin.
Is Iowa still in the College Football Playoff conversation?
Yes. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 15 and were listed by Sports Illustrated among the first teams outside its projected 12-team playoff field.