The SEC just went absolutely wild, man, with its three highest-ranked teams all taking L’s, including two legit upsets by unranked squads. It was a shocking week of extreme rivalry hangovers that shook up everything we thought we knew. No excuses for these teams, none at all.
The SEC’s Top Dogs Just Fell Hard
First up, Florida went and smacked No. 7 Texas, 27-24. Then, No. 14 Tennessee delivered a brutal 26-10 beatdown to No. 6 Alabama. But the real shocker? Auburn took down No. 1 Georgia, 27-24. Talk about a “Hangover Saturday.” These losses came hot on the heels of Georgia beating Alabama 20-17 and Texas falling 27-24 to Oklahoma in Week 6. The SEC has now seen two schools lose their No. 1 ranking in as many weeks! No. 2 Notre Dame was set to inherit that top spot with a prime-time victory over No. 8 BYU; if not them, then No. 3 Miami if they beat Florida State. This kind of weekend totally changes the impact of a 12-team playoff, making that “NFL Lite” vibe with a nine-game SEC conference schedule go completely haywire. Even commissioner Greg Sankey’s shift to a 24-team playoff starts to make sense now, lessening the blow of days like this.
Longhorns Stumbling Hard, And Arch Manning Is Feeling The Heat
Man, Texas is looking rough at 4-2. The Longhorns have been absolutely outscored 34-14 in the second half over their last two weeks in those losses to the Gators and the Sooners. Remember, this is the same Texas team that somehow came back from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to win 24-23 against Ohio State back on Sept. 12. But that magic is long gone. Quarterback Arch Manning is taking the brunt of this, and honestly, can you blame him? He threw two costly interceptions against Oklahoma. Against the Gators, he took five sacks and fumbled with just two minutes left, a killer mistake. Coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t pull any punches either. He said, “We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated.” And when asked about Manning, Sarkisian was clear: “I have to evaluate everything.” Manning even agreed with those comments himself. Is this a faux quarterback controversy, or is it for real? Texas shouldn’t be this bad on offense, not with three projected first-round picks in Manning, tackle Trevor Goosby, and receiver Cam Coleman. Next week, Ole Miss, with their best-looking SEC quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, rolls into Austin in prime time. That’s a potential elimination game for the Longhorns, putting Sarkisian and Manning squarely on the spot.
Bama’s Back-to-Back Losses Put Kalen DeBoer On The Hot Seat
Over in Tuscaloosa, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is definitely feeling the heat. The Crimson Tide are 5-2 now, and they just lost for the third straight time at Neyland Stadium against the Volunteers. This is huge: Alabama hasn’t had back-to-back losses since 2013, which was way back in the “Kick Six” and Sugar Bowl hangover loss to Oklahoma era. Quarterback Keelon Russell was completely stifled by Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense, with only four passing yards at the end of the first quarter. Russell finished 19 of 29 for 147 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble. And the run game? A measly 54 rushing yards. DeBoer now has more losses to the Vols in three years than Nick Saban did while piling up a 16-1 record. That’s a stat that’s gonna sting.
These varying degrees of difficulty for the rest of the season just got a whole lot tougher for Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. This wild weekend just blew open the entire college football picture. Texas faces Ole Miss next, a game that could literally end their playoff hopes. These teams need to figure it out FAST if they want to keep any playoff dreams alive in this bonkers season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply