Five of the top seven teams in college football just got absolutely floored in Week 7, a kind of chaos we haven’t seen since the AP Top 25 era kicked off way back in 1936. What a weekend, seriously. The college football postseason, especially the College Football Playoff bracket, is looking completely different after this historic run of upsets.
The SEC Meltdown Was Pure Unadulterated Mayhem
This is why the SEC is finally on board for a 24-team College Football Playoff, which could drop as early as the 2027 season. We’re talking about a world where we could see at least two, maybe even several, three-loss SEC teams battling for a CFP spot this year. Chaos just absolutely devoured the conference in Week 7. Texas, who was ranked No. 1 and unbeaten just two weeks ago, saw their CFP path get super murky after they lost to Florida on Saturday. Then, the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs got rocked by Auburn, and Alabama lost a tough one to Tennessee. These were just three of the many jaw-dropping results that shook up this week’s bracket and bowl projections.
Looking at how the second half of the season *could* play out, here are some projected final records, not where these teams sit right now, entering Week 8: Georgia at 10-2, Tennessee also at 10-2, Ole Miss matching them at 10-2. Then you’ve got Alabama at 9-3, Kentucky at 9-3, LSU at 9-3, Texas at 9-3, and Florida also at 9-3, with Missouri rounding it out at 8-4. Good luck trying to figure out the tiebreakers for who even gets to play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. It’s the last one of its kind if we jump to a 24-team playoff next fall. You just know there are going to be a bunch of SEC teams crying to the selection committee because there simply aren’t enough spots for everyone to be happy. This season has been nothing short of exhilarating, and we’re only halfway through.
Bowl Projections Are Starting to Get Wild, Too
This Week 7 madness isn’t just shaking up the CFP picture, it’s messing with the entire bowl lineup. Take the Frisco Football Classic, for instance, where Texas State is projected to go up against USF. Texas State absolutely crushed it earlier this season, crossing the 60-point mark for the second time with a massive 66-27 victory over Colorado State. That’s some serious offensive firepower. USF, though, probably wants to be in the Gasparilla Bowl, which is basically a home game for them, even with their recent attendance issues. Good news for USF fans, they’re expecting to open a brand new 35,000-seat on-campus venue next season.
Over in the Boca Raton Bowl, we’re looking at Western Michigan facing off against Appalachian State. The Mountaineers pulled off a clutch comeback, erasing a 10-point deficit to spoil Coastal Carolina’s “90s Night” game. That pushed them to 1-1 in the Sun Belt. Now, they’ve got a huge Thursday night showdown coming up against unbeaten JMU, who are sitting pretty at 7-0 and might even be ranked when they roll into Boone, N.C. That’s going to be one of the most important Group of Six games left this season. Then there’s the Gasparilla Bowl, which is projected to host Virginia versus Texas A&M. Tampa in December? That’s probably not what Texas A&M had in mind when the season kicked off. A matchup with Virginia in the Gasparilla Bowl would definitely be a letdown for a program spending serious cash.
The rest of the season is going to be a total grind, and if Week 7 was any indication, the road to the College Football Playoff is going to be an absolute brawl. Get ready, because it’s only going to get crazier from here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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