College football does not care how comfortable you feel about your ranking, your record or your championship expectations. Week 7 proved that again. Georgia fell at home, Notre Dame could not escape Provo, Alabama was handled by Tennessee, and Texas let another game slip away. Ohio State survived its showdown with Indiana, Miami needed double overtime against Florida State, and the unbeaten teams in the Big 12 continued building their cases. From dramatic finishes to statement victories, this was a weekend that will leave a lasting mark on the national championship race.
Game rankings reflect the Sportsvival Top 25 entering Week 7. The new Week 8 rankings follow the recap.
Auburn 27, #1 Georgia 24
Georgia entered the weekend unbeaten and holding every first-place vote in the Sportsvival poll. Auburn left Athens having turned that comfortable position upside down.
Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired to finish the upset. Auburn scored 24 consecutive points to build a 24-14 advantage before Georgia rallied to tie the game with 2:58 remaining. The decisive opportunity came when Cody Sigler forced a late fumble and Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered, setting up the Tigers’ winning possession.
Byrum Brown supplied Auburn’s offensive toughness, passing for 150 yards and a touchdown while rushing 26 times for 115 yards and another score. Gunner Stockton completed 22 of 34 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns for Georgia, but also threw two interceptions. Georgia produced enough offense to win, but its mistakes helped Auburn turn a rivalry game into a season-changing victory. The Bulldogs remain in the championship conversation, but their hold on the top spot is gone.
#2 Miami (FL) 43, Florida State 35, Double OT
Miami had an opportunity to benefit from Georgia’s loss, but Florida State nearly prevented the Hurricanes from enjoying it. The Seminoles pushed their rival through four quarters and two overtime periods before Miami finally secured the victory.
Darian Mensah passed for 326 yards, Javian Mallory rushed for 108 yards, and Malachi Toney finished with 154 receiving yards. Florida State countered with 298 passing yards from Ashton Daniels and 113 receiving yards from Duce Robinson. Miami erased a 21-14 fourth-quarter deficit, only to see Robinson answer a late Hurricanes touchdown with a 75-yard scoring reception that tied the game again.
The Hurricanes scored in the second overtime and kept Florida State out of the end zone to finish it. Miami’s defense left plenty to examine, but the offense repeatedly responded under pressure. On a Saturday filled with fallen contenders, the Hurricanes preserved their unbeaten record.
#6 BYU 28, #3 Notre Dame 24
BYU wanted a victory that would command national attention. The Cougars got one, beating Notre Dame in a dramatic finish before a celebrating crowd in Provo.
Bear Bachmeier contributed in just about every way a quarterback could. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 45 yards and two scores, and caught a touchdown pass. His fourth-quarter scoring connection with tight end Walker Lyons put BYU back in front, and the defense protected the advantage with a stop on the final play.
Lyons finished with five receptions for 49 yards, while Kyler Kasper and Legend Glasker each produced 66 receiving yards. Linebacker Cade Uluave led the defense with nine tackles. Notre Dame’s unbeaten start ended, but the Irish still have plenty to play for. For BYU, an unbeaten record now comes with a victory over Sportsvival’s third-ranked team and a much stronger claim to national championship consideration.
#5 Ohio State 19, #4 Indiana 15
The biggest Big Ten matchup of the weekend became a tense defensive battle, and Ohio State made enough critical plays to escape Bloomington.
Indiana outgained the Buckeyes 369-313, but Ohio State converted both fourth-down attempts while the Hoosiers failed on both of theirs. Those possessions mattered in a game with little separation. Neither team established much of a running game, with Ohio State finishing at 78 rushing yards and Indiana at 73.
Julian Sayin passed for 235 yards, while Indiana’s Josh Hoover threw for 296. Charlie Becker delivered a major performance for the Hoosiers with 165 receiving yards, and Jeremiah Smith led Ohio State with 68. Indiana competed well enough to win, but the Buckeyes left with a valuable road victory over the team immediately ahead of them in the Sportsvival rankings.
The victory came with a significant concern. Sayin injured his throwing arm late in the fourth quarter after finishing 15-of-29 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ryan Day said afterward that Sayin would miss several weeks, making Ohio State’s quarterback situation a major storyline moving forward.
#15 Tennessee 26, #7 Alabama 10
Tennessee controlled the second half and handed Alabama another damaging loss, using a determined running game and a defense that gave the Crimson Tide almost nothing after intermission.
DeSean Bishop carried 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, both coming on five-yard runs in the second half. Cooper Ranvier kicked four first-half field goals, helping Tennessee take a 12-10 lead into the locker room before Bishop and the offensive line took over.
George MacIntyre passed for 197 yards for Tennessee. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell finished with 147 passing yards, and the Crimson Tide managed only 54 rushing yards. Tennessee shut Alabama out over the final two quarters and earned a victory worthy of a climb in the Sportsvival poll. Alabama’s margin for another mistake became considerably smaller.
#8 Texas Tech 53, Arizona State 25
Texas Tech stayed clear of the weekend’s upset drama, overwhelming Arizona State with a first-half explosion.
The Red Raiders built a 43-10 halftime lead behind big plays on both sides of the ball. J’Koby Williams rushed for a career-high 165 yards, including touchdown runs of 62 and 38 yards. Ben Roberts added a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping Texas Tech establish control early.
Will Hammond passed for 232 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing score. Texas Tech finished with 502 total yards, including 260 rushing yards, while holding Arizona State to 35 yards on the ground. The Red Raiders continue to pair offensive explosiveness with control at the line of scrimmage, a combination that makes their unbeaten start increasingly difficult to overlook.
Florida 27, #9 Texas 24
Texas needed a response after its loss to Oklahoma. Instead, the Longhorns surrendered another opportunity, watching a 17-3 advantage disappear against Florida.
The Gators controlled possession for 38:11 and ran 81 offensive plays compared with Texas’ 50. Florida converted both fourth-down attempts, while the Longhorns went just 2-of-10 on third down. Those numbers explain how the Gators kept working their way back into the game.
Tramell Jones Jr. passed for 155 yards, and Jadan Baugh supplied 91 rushing yards. Arch Manning finished with 173 passing yards for Texas, with Emmett Mosley V leading the receivers at 76 yards. Florida stayed within reach and ultimately finished the comeback. Texas is now facing difficult questions about its ability to sustain offense and protect a lead.
#10 Ole Miss 31, #13 Missouri 3
Ole Miss delivered one of the strongest statements of the weekend, taking a matchup between ranked SEC teams and turning it into a convincing victory.
The Rebels controlled the ground game, rushing for 257 yards while holding Missouri to 39. Kewan Lacy led Ole Miss with 122 rushing yards, and Trinidad Chambliss passed for 241.
Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons threw for 339 yards, but the Tigers struggled to turn that production into points. Missouri finished 6-of-17 on third down and failed on both fourth-down attempts. Ole Miss showed the balance and defensive strength of a team capable of climbing higher, while Missouri suffered a loss that exposed the difference between accumulating yards and controlling a football game.
#11 UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7
UCLA kept its unbeaten season intact behind a productive performance from Ty Dieffenbach in his first FBS start.
Dieffenbach completed 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards, with Semaj Morgan catching five passes for 84 yards. The Bruins improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play, continuing a start that has pushed them steadily upward in the Sportsvival rankings.
Wisconsin cut UCLA’s 10-0 lead to three points after a Marvin Burks Jr. interception helped set up a Colton Joseph touchdown run. The Bruins answered with a fourth-quarter touchdown to restore their cushion. UCLA outgained Wisconsin 384-214 and limited the Badgers to 66 passing yards. It was another example of the Bruins doing enough defensively to keep a competitive game under control.
#12 Utah 27, Colorado 24
Utah had to withstand a major momentum swing in Boulder before escaping with its unbeaten record.
The Utes led 13-0 at halftime, but Colorado scored 17 consecutive third-quarter points to move in front. Devon Dampier answered with touchdown passes of 16 and six yards to Braden Pegan, helping Utah reclaim control before the Buffaloes made another late push.
Dampier finished with 278 passing yards, Wayshawn Parker rushed for 98, and Creed Whittemore led Utah with 88 receiving yards. Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson passed for 256 yards against his former team. Utah had more difficulty than it wanted, but its response after falling behind was encouraging. The Utes absorbed Colorado’s best stretch and found the plays necessary to leave with a victory.
#16 Houston 35, #20 Oklahoma State 32
Houston and Oklahoma State delivered one of the weekend’s best offensive battles, with Conner Weigman providing the difference.
Weigman completed 24 of 33 passes for 343 yards and five touchdowns. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Koby Young in the fourth quarter pushed Houston’s lead to 35-25, giving the Cougars enough room to withstand Oklahoma State’s final scoring response.
Drew Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns for the Cowboys. Caleb Hawkins contributed 125 receiving yards and 68 rushing yards, while Houston received 126 receiving yards from Amare Thomas and 77 rushing yards from Makhi Hughes. Houston also converted all three fourth-down attempts. The Cougars had trouble slowing Oklahoma State, but Weigman repeatedly delivered when another scoring drive was needed.
#18 Kentucky 21, #23 Oklahoma 13
Kentucky followed its victory over LSU with another important win, this time on the road against an Oklahoma team coming off its upset of Texas.
Kenny Minchey completed 21 of 28 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, both to Willie Rodriguez. Their second scoring connection gave Kentucky a fourth-quarter lead. Jordan Castell then returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown with 1:17 remaining to give the Wildcats breathing room.
Kentucky intercepted four passes and recorded five sacks, repeatedly disrupting Oklahoma’s offense. The Wildcats trailed 13-7 entering the fourth quarter before scoring the final 14 points. Oklahoma could not carry its momentum from the Texas victory into another win, while Kentucky added another result that strengthens its place in the Sportsvival Top 25.
#22 LSU 31, #21 Mississippi State 0
LSU needed a strong response after its loss to Kentucky, and the Tigers delivered one on both sides of the football.
Sam Leavitt completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. His efficient performance allowed LSU to keep producing points while the defense prevented Mississippi State from finding an answer.
TJ Dottery led LSU with 12 tackles, and Davhon Keys contributed 10 tackles and half a sack. The shutout was LSU’s first at home against an SEC opponent since its 2006 win over Kentucky. For Mississippi State, this was a difficult setback against a team immediately behind it in the Sportsvival poll. For LSU, it was the kind of complete performance needed to begin rebuilding momentum.
#24 SMU 23, Virginia 13
SMU worked through a competitive afternoon before putting Virginia away with the only touchdown of the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs led 13-10 at halftime and 16-13 after three quarters. Kevin Jennings finished with 246 passing yards, Kendrick Raphael rushed for 124 yards, and Yannick Smith led SMU with 87 receiving yards.
SMU outgained Virginia 404-258 and converted four of five fourth-down attempts. The Cavaliers stayed close, but the Mustangs extended enough possessions and found the late touchdown needed to secure the victory. It was a solid result for an SMU team trying to strengthen its position in the ACC and establish a more comfortable place in the Sportsvival rankings.
Idle This Week: #14 USC, #17 Iowa, #19 Boise State and #25 Arizona
USC, Iowa, Boise State and Arizona had scheduled byes. All four return to a national picture that looks considerably different after a weekend of major losses around them.
When the smoke cleared, Week 7 had left the Sportsvival Top 25 ready for a serious reshuffling. Miami survived, BYU earned a signature victory, and Ohio State won its heavyweight battle with Indiana. Tennessee and Ole Miss made emphatic statements, Texas Tech continued rolling, and Utah and UCLA protected their unbeaten records. Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama and Texas now have to respond to setbacks that changed the direction of their seasons. The championship race remains wide open, but the opportunities to recover are getting fewer. Here is how the new Sportsvival Top 25 looks heading into Week 8.
Sportsvival Week 8 Top 25
Miami takes over at No. 1, Ohio State moves into second following its road victory over Indiana, and BYU climbs to third after beating Notre Dame. Unbeaten Texas Tech and UCLA round out the top five.
Rank Team Record
1 Miami (FL) 6-0
2 Ohio State 6-1
3 BYU 6-0
4 Texas Tech 6-0
5 UCLA 6-0
6 Georgia 6-1
7 Utah 6-0
8 Notre Dame 6-1
9 Ole Miss 5-1
10 Indiana 6-1
11 Tennessee 6-1
12 USC 6-1
13 Houston 6-1
14 Alabama 5-2
15 Iowa 5-1
16 Boise State 5-1
17 Kentucky 6-1
18 LSU 5-2
19 Wake Forest 6-1
20 Florida 5-2
21 SMU 5-1
22 Arizona 5-1
23 Texas 4-2
24 Oregon 4-2
25 Missouri 5-2
The rankings have changed, but the pressure is only growing. The unbeaten contenders have bigger targets on their backs, while the teams coming off losses must respond before another setback puts their championship hopes in jeopardy. Week 7 reminded everyone how quickly the picture can change. Week 8 brings another opportunity to prove who belongs.