Week Seven really shook up the top of the rankings and suddenly the CFP field has largely shrunk to the usual suspects plus a certain other team that plays in Orange. Tennessee finally got a win over Alabama in a thrilling game which was settled by a field goal as time expired.
The Volunteers last beat Alabama 15 years ago and they are 6-0 for the first time since 1998. Ironically that was the last time they won the National Championship. This win puts them in contention but with a trip to Georgia still to come it’s a little early to predict them ending that 24-year drought.
Three other previously unbeaten top-ten teams also lost this week and overall eight of the 19 ranked teams lost. This has made it hard to see a path to the playoffs for many teams and there are only nine unbeaten teams left.
The Winners
UCLA & Ohio State didn’t play this week but both saw their prospects improve as rivals slipped up. The Bruins are now the only unbeaten team in the PAC-12 while The Buckeyes now know that a win over Michigan will most likely put them into the Big Ten Championship game. Mind you that’s by no means certain given how easily Michigan disposed of Penn State.
In The Big 12, the game of the night saw TCU edge it in double OT. There is a big chance that they will meet Oklahoma State again in the Big 12 Championship game and we wouldn’t be surprised if the result was reversed. Still, they are in pole position which few will have seen coming.
In The ACC both Clemson & Syracuse won to set up an intriguing game next week. The game will be at Clemson and the winner will be in a strong position both in the conference and in the CFP poll. The Orange are 6-0 for the first time since 1987. Orange must be this year’s lucky colour!
The Losers
Kansas lost again, this time at Oklahoma and their hopes of a major bowl have diminished greatly. Still, we would guess that most Jayhawks fans would have taken bowl eligibility before the season started. They still need another win but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem
USC also saw their stock take a dive thanks to Utah’s gutsy last-minute 2-point conversion. The PAC 12 has done a nice job of beating up on itself and it is hard to see a scenario where they get a team onto the CFP places.
The night’s final big loser was the Sun Belt who saw the two remaining unbeaten Group of Five teams both lose. No 25 James Maddison suffered their first defeat as an FBS side going down 45-38 at Georgia Southern. This despite putting up 675 yards of offense. Still, it’s hard to win when you turn the ball over 4 times and also have a punt blocked for a TD. It was a doubly bad night for the conference as Coastal Carolina also lost.
With no unbeaten G5 teams left the race for the “at large” place in the Cotton Bowl is now wide open. Maybe it’s for the best as it now saves the FBS from being in the embarrassing position of having to leave a ranked JMU out of a bowl game.
Anyway, the top 25 results are below and there were some thrillers:
All Ranked Games
No. 3 Alabama 49 @ No. 6 Tennessee 52
No.10 Penn State 17 @ No.5 Michigan 41
No.7 USC 42 @ No.20 Utah 43
No.8 Oklahoma State 40 @ No.13 TCU 43
No.15 NC State 9 @ No.18 Syracuse 24
No.16 Mississippi State 17 @ No.22 Kentucky 27
SEC Games
Vanderbilt 0 @ No.1 Georgia 55
Auburn 34 @ No.9 Ole Miss 48
A canter for Georgia against an OK Vanderbilt should keep them top of the rankings, while The Rebel’s win over Auburn leaves them unbeaten.
Big Ten Games
Minnesota 14 @ No.24 Illinois 26
Nice to see the Fighting Illini involved in a more entertaining game than last week. Still, they are 5-1, and that sole defeat was by 3 points. Apart from their trip to Michigan, their remaining schedule is winnable and they could end up having their best season since 2001.
Big 12 Games
No.19 Kansas 42 @ Oklahoma 52
Iowa State 21 @ No.22 Texas 24
Texas didn’t have things as easy as last week but they are definitely one of the best two-loss teams in the FBS
ACC
No.4 Clemson 34 @ Florida State 28
The Tigers didn’t impress, but that may be because Florida State is actually quite good. Next week will answer a lot of questions.
Sun Belt
No.25 James Madison 38 @ Georgia Southern 45
The Dukes didn’t stay ranked very long but getting in was a huge achievement for a team who have just moved up from the FCS
Entertaining Game of the Week
Plenty of these in the top 25 however here is one you might have missed…
North Carolina 38 @ Duke 35
A bit of everything here 1078 yards of offense, seven lead changes, and a last-gasp TD to snatch the win. Plenty of big plays to enjoy as you will see in the highlights below.
A Win – Finally
Cal 13 @ Colorado 20 OT
Colorado finally shed the unwanted tag of being the only FBS team without a win. It looked like their luck might be out again when Cal tied the game in the last seconds, however, their defense got a vital 4th down stop to seal the win in overtime.
On The Up
Tulane 45 @ South Florida 31
The Green Wave have not had too many headlines, however, they are 6-1, and this win at USF leaves them top of the AAC. Right now they are arguably the best G5 team and thus in line for the at-large place in the Cotton Bowl. If they make it then it will be their first NY6 bowl game since they played in the 1940 Sugar Bowl.
Still Unbeaten
A rather short list now, and all from Power Five Conferences. Those still standing are:
ACC
Clemson 7-0
Syracuse 6-0
Big 12
TCU 6.0
Big Ten
Michigan 7-0
Ohio State 6-0
Pac 12
UCLA 6-0
SEC
Georgia 7-0
Ole Miss 7-0
Tennessee 6-0
So ends our brief overview of week seven. A week to remember with plenty of close games and of course the potential emergence of a new face in the CFP playoff race. You can check out our other 2022 Weekly Round Ups here
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