Buffalo pulled off one of the most stunning upsets of Week 7, starting the week as massive 21-point underdogs against Toledo and winning convincingly. While the market did sniff out that line, dropping the Rockets to -18.5, the Bulls still cashed for +800 moneyline bettors, further jumbling the MAC. This kind of chaos is exactly why we circle these October dates.
Who Else Shook Things Up?
The wild upsets weren’t just in the MAC. Oklahoma saved its season in the Red River Rivalry, stunning No. 1 Texas thanks to some incredible defense and special teams play. Those units are usually Iowa’s bread and butter, so it was a huge surprise to see them cruise to 40 points in their upset win over Washington on Friday. The Hawkeyes are now sitting at +375 to make the College Football Playoff, and with only No. 25 Northwestern as their remaining ranked opponent, you have to wonder why their odds are so much lower than other teams looking to sneak into the top 12.
Down in the SEC, Kentucky just keeps taking down teams that are allegedly better than them, pulling off those wins with crucial 2-point conversions in overtime. As a direct result, LSU now has two losses on the season, with four more ranked teams still on their schedule. The Tigers are now -250 to miss the CFP, meaning there’s a 71% chance Lane Kiffin won’t be coaching in the playoffs this year. And for South Carolina fans, well, they’ve got to be thoroughly annoyed. Their blowout win at Florida actually hurts the Gators more, who are now -1000 to miss the CFP, than it does anything for the 3-3 Gamecocks. It just feels like they waited too long to finally get their act together.
Big Names, Bigger Questions
Week 6 was a bit of a head-scratcher all around, especially with some questionable coaching calls. Out in Eugene, Oregon went for a 2-point conversion on their first touchdown, which came off a tiny 1-yard drive, and spent the rest of the afternoon chasing that decision. The Ducks looked messy in one of the least aesthetically-pleasing games of the season.
Then there’s the bizarre twist in the Crosstown Rivalry. USC actually did UCLA a favor by knocking out Oregon’s Dante Moore, which led to a Dylan Raiola start. Raiola completed only six of 19 passes and turned the ball over three times. Now, the 5-0 Bruins’ path to a possible College Football Playoff berth (+115) opens wide. That path might even come down to their game against the Trojans at the Rose Bowl. The only problem? They might have to navigate their next hurdle without their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, who is “out indefinitely.” It’s wild to think about a team getting a huge break for their CFP hopes while losing their QB.
What’s Next?
With Iamaleava sidelined, all eyes will be on UCLA to see if they can maintain their perfect record and keep that CFP dream alive. Can someone step up for the Bruins? Meanwhile, the MAC is now a total free-for-all after Buffalo’s shocker. There’s no telling who comes out on top after a win like that. As for the big SEC contenders, Georgia (+500) is still the third choice for the national championship and Alabama (+900) remains right behind them. They’re still the top two favorites for the SEC title, proving that even a narrow loss to Georgia, with a blatant pass interference going uncalled, hasn’t totally changed their long-term outlook. It’s going to be a wild rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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