Absolute mayhem just swept through college football, ripping apart the top of the B/R Top 25 like a tornado. We’re talking No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 4 Indiana, No. 5 Alabama, and No. 8 Texas all getting absolutely clobbered on Saturday. Three more ranked teams outside the top 10 went down too, setting off a total top-to-bottom shake-up in this week’s rankings. It’s official: this championship conversation is wide open heading into the second half of the season.
Clutch Kicks and Turnover Battles: The New Blood Is Here
Talk about a statement win! Auburn, previously unranked at 4-2, stunned No. 1 Georgia with a 27-24 road victory. Quarterback Byrum Brown was a beast, racking up 150 passing yards, 115 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. But the real kicker? They won the turnover battle 3-0, and Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired to seal the deal. Those earlier losses to Florida and Tennessee by a combined 14 points? They don’t look so bad now. Auburn is suddenly sitting at No. 25, facing LSU next week.
Northwestern pulled off their own shocker, beating Michigan State 24-21 to jump into the rankings at No. 24. They were down 21-13 with less than 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Did they fold? Nope! They marched down the field on a nine-play, 77-yard touchdown drive, converted the two-point play to tie it up, and then held the Spartans to just 20 total yards on their next two drives. Jackson Kleather then nailed a game-winning 34-yard field goal with two seconds left. What a start to their surprise season! They’ll host Rutgers next.
Undefeated Streaks and Protecting the Ball: Who’s Building Momentum?
While some were crashing, others were quietly stacking wins. James Madison just keeps rolling. After surviving a close call the week before, the Dukes absolutely cruised against a one-loss Georgia State team, winning 49-22. They put up 515 total yards and seven touchdowns! Quarterback Camden Coleman was super efficient with 185 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-19 passing with zero interceptions. George Pettaway ran for 119 yards and a score, and JC Evans chipped in 101 total yards and three touchdowns. These guys are 7-0 and climbing, now at No. 23. Next up, a road game at Appalachian State.
SMU, now No. 22, also kept their momentum going, beating Virginia 23-13. Quarterback Kevin Jennings had a strong showing, outplaying his counterpart Beau Pribula, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. SMU put the game away with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, ending with a Jennings-to-Jalen Hale touchdown strike. This was their second straight turnover-free game, showing they’re rebuilding their resume well after an early loss to Louisville. They’ll face California at home next.
Even though Boise State had a bye week, they still moved up one spot to No. 21. That Week 1 34-27 loss to then-No. 2 Oregon actually looks pretty good, solidifying them as the team to beat in the Group of Six. They’ve won five straight since then, including solid victories over Memphis and Fresno State, and they should be favored in all their remaining games. Running back Dylan Riley has been the workhorse with 835 yards and six touchdowns on 127 carries, and veteran QB Maddux Madsen has been fantastic at protecting the ball, with 1,296 yards, 13 touchdowns, and zero picks on 66.3% completion. They’ve got a road game at Washington State on deck.
This ain’t your daddy’s college football season, not after Week 7. The championship conversation is blown wide open, with multiple two-loss SEC teams suddenly looking legit and Big 12 undefeateds firmly in the playoff picture. Every single game from here on out is gonna be massive. Keep an eye on Auburn heading into their LSU matchup, and Boise State’s trip to Washington State next week could be huge for their Group of Six aspirations. Seriously, who knows what’s coming next?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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