Massive Upsets, SEC Bias & a 24-Team Playoff Disaster?
That has to be one of the best Saturdays in college football history, and I know I’m not the only one who thinks so. Five of the top ten teams went down this past weekend, completely shaking up the rankings and throwing the playoff race into chaos. We knew heading into Saturday that the slate of games was loaded, but somehow it managed to exceed everyone's expectations. Between two top-ten matchups and several massive upsets, this weekend had everything a college football fan could ask for. With the NCAA already discussing plans to expand the College Football Playoff in 2027, there’s a real possibility that we just witnessed one of the last Saturdays where a single loss could completely change a team's season. If that’s the case, what a way to go out.
Top Ten Loses
Georgia vs Auburn
Nobody saw this upset coming, especially with Georgia entering the game as a three-touchdown favorite. The Bulldogs were riding high after finally getting over the hump and defeating Alabama, a team they have struggled against for years. We see it all the time in college football: a team picks up a massive win, only to come out flat the following week. However, that’s no excuse for Georgia. They should know by now that any team in the SEC can beat you on any given Saturday, especially when you have home-field advantage. The Bulldogs struggled to establish a running game, while their usually reliable quarterback, Gunner Stockton, made some costly mistakes. Luckily for Georgia, their remaining schedule looks much more manageable, giving them a chance to bounce back. Still, in a season where one loss can completely change your playoff hopes, the Bulldogs can't afford another performance like this.
Notre Dame vs BYU
This was the first of two major tests for the Fighting Irish, with a matchup against Miami still looming later in the season. Notre Dame has faced plenty of criticism over the years for its weaker schedules, and this loss will only give those critics more to talk about. The game itself was an instant classic, filled with turnovers, touchdowns, and comeback attempts, but the Fighting Irish ultimately came up just short. Many fans across the country felt Notre Dame was robbed, arguing that there should have been one second left on the clock. Regardless of the controversy, the Cougars found a way to get the job done. Notre Dame may not technically need to win out to make the College Football Playoff, but it certainly feels that way if they want to silence their critics and prove they belong among the nation's best.
Indiana vs Ohio State
Coming into this matchup, the Hoosiers were riding an impressive 22-game winning streak, yet somehow still entered as underdogs. Well, now we know why. The Buckeyes snapped Indiana’s winning streak and got revenge for last year’s Big Ten Championship loss. But at what cost? Ohio State lost starting quarterback Julian Sayin midway through the fourth quarter, and the team has since announced that he will miss “several weeks.” This is the last thing Buckeye fans wanted to hear, especially with the toughest stretch of their schedule approaching and already having one loss on their resume. On the other hand, despite the loss, Indiana is still in a great position to make the College Football Playoff and potentially return to the Big Ten Championship Game. With a manageable schedule remaining, the Hoosiers still have plenty to play for.
Alabama vs Tennessee
For the first time since 2007, the Crimson Tide have suffered back-to-back regular-season losses. Just a couple of weeks ago, many people across the country viewed Alabama as a legitimate national championship contender. Fast forward to today, and the Tide might be lucky just to sneak into the College Football Playoff. With two losses already on their resume and a difficult schedule still ahead, Alabama likely needs to win out to keep its playoff hopes alive. The pressure is once again mounting on Kalen DeBoer, as Alabama fans aren't exactly known for their patience. The Tide's offense struggled mightily against a tough Tennessee defense, while true freshman quarterback Keelon Russell is beginning to show his inexperience. On the other side, the Volunteers have put themselves right back into the playoff conversation. If Tennessee can continue developing its young offense and build on this momentum, the Vols could become a serious threat down the stretch.
Texas vs Florida
The Longhorns have struck again! Year after year, Texas enters the season with sky-high expectations because of its loaded roster, only to fall short of the hype. This year is starting to look no different. The Longhorns have now suffered back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, and their playoff hopes are quickly slipping away. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has said he is evaluating everything within the program, which is never a good sign for a team that entered the season with national championship aspirations. Outside of the fourth quarter against Ohio State in their biggest win of the season, Arch Manning has looked average at best. He continues to make costly mistakes that you would expect from a younger, inexperienced quarterback. The defense hasn't been much better, struggling to stop the run, and things have only gotten worse with the injury to star defensive player Colin Simmons. Luckily for Texas, its wins over highly ranked Ohio State and Tennessee teams still give the Longhorns a strong argument for the playoff. However, with two losses already on their resume, it feels like they will need to win out if they want any chance of making the postseason.
24-Team Playoff
Before the weekend, reports surfaced that college football officials are finalizing plans to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams. Many fans across the country aren't happy about the potential change, and for good reason. This past weekend was a perfect example of why expanding the playoff could hurt the sport. It would take away what makes college football so special: the importance of the regular season.
College football has arguably the best regular season in all of sports because every game matters. Teams are fighting week in and week out to keep their playoff hopes alive while also competing for conference championships. Expanding the playoff to 24 teams would take away some of that excitement, as teams could afford to lose multiple games and still have a good chance of making the postseason. There have also been discussions about eliminating conference championship games under the proposed format, which would be another major blow to the sport. Winning a conference title means a lot to programs across the country, and for many teams, it's one of their biggest goals entering the season.
Another question I have is simple: Do we really believe there are 24 teams capable of winning a national championship every year? I don't think so. We haven't even seen 12 teams that are truly capable of competing for a title in the current format, so why double the field? How competitive will the games actually be? We've already seen several blowouts in the 12-team format, and expanding to 24 teams could lead to even more lopsided matchups. More football sounds great on paper, but is it really worth sacrificing what makes the college football regular season so exciting? In my opinion, the answer is no.
However, there are some positives to the potential expansion. Teams might be more willing to schedule tougher nonconference opponents, knowing that one loss wouldn't completely destroy their playoff chances. Fans would also get more postseason football, fewer weeks without meaningful games, and an even longer playoff atmosphere. The networks would seemingly also make bigger profits as well.
AP Poll Reaction
After an absolute bloodbath of top-ten teams this past weekend, AP voters had their work cut out for them trying to sort out the rankings. Miami got the nod for the top spot, climbing to No. 1 for the first time since 2002. The BYU Cougars also earned a well-deserved No. 2 ranking, their highest since winning the national championship in 1984.
However, the new rankings have already sparked plenty of controversy. Many fans across the country aren't happy with Notre Dame and Miami both sitting inside the top five, especially considering they are each scheduled to face just one ranked opponent all season: each other. I also can't help but question how Georgia is still ranked inside the top five after losing at home to an unranked Auburn team. To make matters worse, Texas is somehow ranked one spot ahead of Florida despite the Gators going into Austin and beating the Longhorns. Oh, and did I mention they have the exact same record?
The SEC currently has nine teams ranked inside the Top 25, yet not a single one remains undefeated. To me, this poll shows some serious SEC bias, and it could create plenty of controversy when the official College Football Playoff rankings are released. If the AP voters are having this much trouble sorting things out now, just imagine the chaos we're going to see when the playoff committee gets involved.
Biased Baller Top 10 after Week 7
BYU Cougars
Ohio State Buckeyes
Miami Hurricanes
Indiana Hoosiers
Ole Miss Rebels
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Georgia Bulldogs
UCLA Bruins
Tennessee Volunteers
For this week's Top 10, I rewarded teams for picking up big wins in tough environments while punishing others for costly losses. These rankings aren't necessarily based on who I think the ten best teams are, but rather who has earned their spot through their performances on the field. For example, I believe Miami is the best team in the country, but the Hurricanes haven't faced a tough enough schedule to deserve my No. 1 spot just yet. Notre Dame dropped in my rankings for a similar reason, while Georgia took an even bigger hit after losing at home to an unranked Auburn team. At the end of the day, I'm ranking teams based on what they've proven, not just how talented they look on paper.
