What a wild Saturday in college football. Five of the AP Top 7 teams lost on the same Saturday for the first time ever. The last time we came close to this kind of chaos was January 2, 1989, when five of the top eight teams lost.
SEC Chaos
Three of the SEC’s biggest teams were taken down on Saturday. Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia, unranked Florida beat No. 7 Texas, and No. 14 Tennessee rolled No. 6 Alabama. Ah, I love Saturdays down south. The last time Georgia, Alabama, and Texas lost on the same day was in 1996, when Georgia fell to Kentucky, Texas was beaten by Colorado, and Alabama lost to Tennessee.
Outside the SEC, No. 5 Indiana fell to Ohio State, and No. 2 Notre Dame lost to No. 8 BYU.
Ohio State ended Indiana’s 22-game winning streak, but college football being college football, the Buckeyes couldn’t even enjoy the victory without receiving an injury report. Their quarterback, Julian Sayin, is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a shoulder injury.
And it all happened on the third Saturday in October.
The Third Saturday in October
The University of Tennessee and the University of Alabama have a rivalry dating back to 1901. Nearly every regular season matchup has been played on the third Saturday in October.
Tennessee has faced Alabama more often and recorded more victories against the Crimson Tide than any other program. While Alabama leads the rivalry, the Vols have won the last three games played in Neyland Stadium. Tennessee held Alabama to 201 yards of offense, forced four turnovers, and shut out the Crimson Tide in the second half. Basically, the Tide got rolled!
Saturday’s game was LOUD and smoky, with a stadium full of fans celebrating with victory cigars. The tradition dates back to the 1960s and was started by Alabama. Smoking cigars is an NCAA violation, but it’s deeply rooted in tradition. The winner knowingly violates the NCAA rule and reports the violation in honor of tradition.
#1 Stunners
Cue Big Tymers: #1 Stunna (If you said Wh-what, wh-what, what? Then you grew up in the best generation of hip-hop.) Okay, back to the chaos. For the first time since 1990, the No. 1 team lost in back-to-back weeks.
Texas was the previous No. 1 and has Peyton and Eli questioning whether Arch was adopted into the Manning family for his disappointing play. Two weeks ago, all the hype was “Texas is back!” Yeah, back to blowing double-digit leads, back to disappointing its fans, and back to reminding everyone that preseason expectations don’t win football games.
Georgia entered Saturday ranked No. 1, but unranked Auburn left Athens with the biggest upset of the weekend. Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton committed three turnovers, including a costly late fumble.
More Chaos
And after all that chaos, Miami is No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time since 2002. Yes, Miami. The Hurricanes are back on top, and apparently, we’ve traveled back to the early 2000s. It’s fitting because former players still look like they enjoy the “white-out” game.
Seven weeks into the season, college football has taught us one very important lesson: Don’t get too comfortable at No. 1. The crown apparently comes with an expiration date, and this season, it’s shorter than a Lane Kiffin commitment.
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