Shakeup Saturday: Five AP Top-Eight Teams Lose on the Same Day for the First Time in the Poll Era, as Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama and Texas All Fall
Week 7 of the college football season produced a Saturday unlike any before it. Five of the top eight teams in the AP Top 25 — No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas — lost on the same day. USA Today, citing ESPN Insights, said it was the first time five top-eight teams had lost on a single day in the 90-year history of the AP Poll. Sportsnet, citing Sportradar, said the last remotely comparable day came on January 2, 1989, when five of the top eight lost in bowl games.
Top-ranked Georgia fell 27-24 at home to unranked Auburn. Georgia, a 20½-point favourite that had won 53 straight games against unranked opponents, lost on Alex McPherson's 34-yard field goal on the final play. Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw two interceptions and fumbled with less than a minute to play, while Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown ran for 132 yards, excluding sack yardage, and a touchdown. It was Auburn's first win in Athens since 2005 and the programme's first road win over the nation's No. 1 team since beating Florida in 1994. Georgia dropped to 6-1.
No. 2 Notre Dame lost 28-24 at No. 8 BYU. Bear Bachmeier's third-and-goal touchdown pass to tight end Walker Lyons with 1:47 to play put the Cougars in front, and Notre Dame's final drive was
stopped inside the 10 as BYU fans rushed the field. It was the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 teams had lost on the same regular-season day since Oregon and Kansas State both fell in 2012.
In the day's only top-five matchup, No. 4 Ohio State escaped with a 19-15 win at No. 5 Indiana. Indiana had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but receiver Nick Marsh was ruled out of bounds on what would have been a 27-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-four, and the Hoosiers turned the ball over on downs. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith caught a 38-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play — his 12th touchdown catch of the season and the 39th of his career, matching Braylon Edwards'Big Ten career record. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin left with a right shoulder injury, and coach Ryan Day said he would miss several weeks. The loss was Indiana's first since the 2024 College Football Playoff and ended its 19-game home winning streak; the Hoosiers are 6-1.
No. 7 Texas was upset at home by unranked Florida, 27-24, the Gators'second top-10 win of the year. Texas, a 10½-point favourite, saw quarterback Arch Manning complete 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked five times and fumbled with under two minutes to play. Texas, 4-2, has lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time since 2021.
No. 6 Alabama lost 26-10 at No. 14 Tennessee in the rivalry known as the "Third Saturday in October." Tennessee's defence held Alabama to 201 total yards, recording five sacks and four takeaways, while running back DeSean Bishop ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns. The Volunteers, 6-1, won the matchup for the third straight year despite missing starting quarterback Faizon Brandon, who was out with a shoulder injury; George MacIntyre filled in. Alabama, 5-2, lost its second straight game and played without leading receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams.
No. 3 Miami survived, beating rival Florida State 43-35 in double overtime to remain unbeaten. Georgia, Alabama and Texas all losing on the same day had not happened since October 26, 1996, according to the SEC, and the No. 1 team losing to unranked opponents in consecutive weeks — Texas to Oklahoma a week earlier, Georgia on Saturday — had not happened since 1990. Miami is widely expected to take over the No. 1 spot in Sunday's new poll, with Ohio State and BYU also in the discussion.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：杨百翰大学拉韦尔·爱德华兹体育场资料照片（杨百翰本轮在此主场击败圣母大学；为场馆资料图，非本场比赛现场图）。摄影：Ken Lund／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0。File photo: LaVell Edwards Stadium at Brigham Young University, where BYU beat Notre Dame this week; a venue file photo, not a picture of the game. Photo by Ken Lund via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
