October 18, 2026 | Week 7 Recap
COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAOS: THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN
I’ve been covering college football for a long time, and I honestly cannot remember a regular-season Saturday quite like the one we just witnessed.
Five of the nation’s top seven teams went down. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams both lost. Three of the SEC’s biggest names were knocked off, and suddenly the national championship picture looks nothing like it did 24 hours ago.
Georgia lost. Notre Dame lost. Alabama lost. Texas lost. Indiana lost.
And somewhere in all that chaos, a few teams reminded us that championships aren’t won with preseason rankings, recruiting stars, or television hype.
They’re won on the football field.
Let’s take our Sunday Drive around college football.
AUBURN 27, NO. 1 GEORGIA 24
THE BULLDOGS FINALLY GET BITTEN
For the second consecutive Saturday, the nation’s No. 1 team has fallen to an unranked opponent.
This time it was Georgia, and the Bulldogs have nobody to blame but themselves.
Georgia actually outgained Auburn 440 yards to 366. But the Bulldogs committed three turnovers, including a devastating fourth-quarter fumble by quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Stockton finished with 272 passing yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions and lost fumble were simply too much to overcome.
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown was the difference. He rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown while providing the Tigers with enough offense to stay in the game.
And when Alex McPherson connected on a 34-yard field goal as time expired, Auburn had pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season.
There was also a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty on Georgia during Auburn’s final possession. That call deserves scrutiny, but it doesn’t erase the Bulldogs’ three turnovers.
MY TAKE: Georgia didn’t lose because Auburn suddenly became the most talented team in the SEC. Georgia lost because it failed to protect the football and execute in critical situations.
You cannot turn the ball over three times against a conference opponent and expect your talent advantage to bail you out.
TENNESSEE 26, NO. 6 ALABAMA 10
THE CRIMSON TIDE IS IN TROUBLE
I don’t know how else to put it.
Alabama got its ass kicked in Knoxville.
This wasn’t some last-second field goal or miraculous touchdown pass. Tennessee controlled the football game, dominated the line of scrimmage, and made Alabama look like a team that wasn’t prepared for the physicality of SEC football.
The Crimson Tide managed just 201 yards of total offense.
Let that sink in.
Alabama. Two hundred and one yards.
Tennessee recorded five sacks, forced four turnovers, and held the Tide to just 54 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Volunteers running back DeSean Bishop carried the football 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
That’s old-fashioned SEC football.
Run the football. Control the clock. Play physical defense.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell finished with just 147 passing yards and two interceptions.
And now Alabama has lost two consecutive games.
MY TAKE: Alabama has a serious identity problem. This offense isn’t physical enough, the quarterback play is inconsistent, and the Crimson Tide are beginning to look like an ordinary SEC football team.
The Alabama mystique doesn’t win football games anymore.
Execution does.
FLORIDA 27, NO. 7 TEXAS 24
ARCH MANNING AND THE LONGHORNS CONTINUE TO DISAPPOINT
Remember when everybody wanted to hand Arch Manning the Heisman Trophy before the season started?
How’s that working out?
Texas has now lost two consecutive games, and the Longhorns are quickly becoming one of the biggest disappointments in college football.
Florida went into Austin and beat a team that was supposed to contend for a national championship.
Freshman quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. completed 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Jadan Baugh added 91 rushing yards and a touchdown.
But here’s the number that really jumps off the page.
Florida ran 81 offensive plays.
Texas ran 50.
That’s a staggering difference in offensive opportunities.
The Gators controlled possession for more than 38 minutes, while the Longhorns barely had the football for 22.
Arch Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, but Texas couldn’t sustain drives when it mattered.
Manning also lost a critical fourth-quarter fumble.
MY TAKE: I’ve been saying since the preseason that Arch Manning was being evaluated more on his last name and recruiting reputation than his actual performance.
He’s talented. Nobody disputes that.
But there’s a significant difference between having NFL potential and playing like an NFL quarterback.
Texas has problems that go well beyond Manning, but its quarterback isn’t playing at the level necessary to overcome them.
NO. 8 BYU 28, NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 24
MY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PICK TAKES A HIT
This one hurts.
I’ve been riding with Notre Dame since August. The Fighting Irish were my preseason pick to win the national championship.
And I’m not abandoning them after one loss.
But Saturday night exposed some concerns.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was outstanding, accounting for four touchdowns in four different ways.
He threw one, rushed for two, and even caught a touchdown pass.
That’s a pretty remarkable performance against one of the nation’s most talented defenses.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw for 261 yards, but the Irish couldn’t produce a passing touchdown.
Notre Dame actually outgained BYU, 376 yards to 360.
But football games aren’t decided by total yardage.
They’re decided by points.
The Irish had an opportunity to win the game on their final possession, but Carr’s last-second pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
MY TAKE: Notre Dame remains one of the most talented teams in the country, and I still believe the Irish have the personnel to compete for a national championship.
But the offensive inconsistency concerns me.
When you’re playing another elite team, you cannot continually settle for field goals and expect to win.
The Irish need to become more efficient in the red zone, and Carr has to deliver touchdowns in critical situations.
The national championship dream isn’t dead.
But the margin for error just got considerably smaller.
NO. 4 OHIO STATE 19, NO. 5 INDIANA 15
THE BUCKEYES END INDIANA’S WINNING STREAK
Indiana entered Saturday riding a remarkable 22-game winning streak.
Ohio State ended it.
And the Buckeyes did it in a defensive struggle that looked more like an old-school Big Ten football game than the high-scoring affairs we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but also tossed two interceptions.
Jeremiah Smith caught four passes for 68 yards, including a critical 38-yard touchdown.
Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 296 yards, while receiver Charlie Becker was outstanding with nine catches for 165 yards.
But the Hoosiers couldn’t finish.
Indiana had an opportunity late, but Ohio State’s defense delivered when it mattered most.
MY TAKE: Ohio State deserves credit for going into Bloomington and winning a physical football game.
But I’m not ready to crown the Buckeyes.
The quarterback inconsistency and turnovers remain concerns, particularly with Sayin suffering a shoulder injury.
Still, this was a quality road victory over a legitimate national championship contender.
NO. 3 MIAMI 43, FLORIDA STATE 35 (2OT)
THE HURRICANES SURVIVE, BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN
Miami may have survived Saturday’s chaos, but the Hurricanes certainly didn’t make things easy on themselves.
Florida State pushed Miami into double overtime before the Hurricanes finally escaped with a 43-35 victory.
Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
Malachi Toney was sensational, catching 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
But here’s what concerns me.
Miami surrendered 443 yards to a Florida State team that entered the game with a losing record.
The Seminoles produced several explosive plays, including a 75-yard touchdown reception by Duce Robinson.
Miami needed two overtimes to put this one away.
MY TAKE: Miami has the offensive firepower to beat anybody in the country.
Mensah is one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, and Toney is becoming one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in college football.
But I’m not convinced the Hurricanes are playing championship-caliber defense.
You cannot consistently surrender explosive plays and expect to survive against the best teams in the country.
Miami may move to No. 1.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Miami is the best team.
NO. 9 OLE MISS 31, NO. 13 MISSOURI 3
CHAMBLISS AND THE REBELS MAKE A STATEMENT
While several national championship contenders were falling apart, Ole Miss was taking care of business.
And doing it convincingly.
The Rebels dismantled Missouri 31-3 behind another strong performance from Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss completed 20 of 36 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.
But what impressed me most was the Ole Miss running game.
Kewan Lacy rushed for 122 yards, while Makhi Frazier added 101.
The Rebels finished with 257 rushing yards and held Missouri to just 39.
That’s domination at the line of scrimmage.
MY TAKE: I’ve had Chambliss near the top of my NFL quarterback evaluations, and nothing I saw Saturday changed that opinion.
He continues to demonstrate the ability to make plays with his arm and his legs.
But Ole Miss is becoming dangerous because it’s developing balance.
When you can throw the football effectively and rush for more than 250 yards against a ranked SEC opponent, you’ve got the makings of a serious contender.
Don’t overlook the Rebels.
NO. 22 LSU 31, NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
THE TIGERS SEND A MESSAGE
LSU delivered one of the most complete performances of the weekend.
The Tigers shut out Mississippi State 31-0, and quarterback Sam Leavitt was outstanding.
Leavitt completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
That’s an 81.6 percent completion rate.
Against a ranked SEC opponent.
The LSU defense was equally impressive, keeping Mississippi State off the scoreboard for four quarters.
MY TAKE: I’ve been watching Leavitt closely because of his NFL potential, and this was an impressive performance.
He was accurate, efficient, and protected the football.
Mississippi State came into this game with some momentum, but LSU completely shut it down.
The Tigers are becoming a team nobody should want to face down the stretch.
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY
Texas Tech made a statement with a 53-25 victory over Arizona State. The Red Raiders remain unbeaten and are becoming a serious factor in the Big 12 championship race.
Utah survived Colorado 27-24 to remain unbeaten.
UCLA continued its undefeated season with a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin.
Houston edged Oklahoma State 35-32 in an important Big 12 matchup.
Kentucky went into Norman and defeated Oklahoma 21-13, another significant victory for the Wildcats.
And Wake Forest hammered California 41-7.
While everybody was watching the traditional powers stumble, several other programs were quietly strengthening their postseason résumés.
SUNDAY DRIVE: MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS
1. The SEC championship race is wide open.
Georgia, Alabama, and Texas all lost on the same Saturday.
Meanwhile, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and LSU delivered impressive victories.
If anybody tells you they know who’s going to win the SEC right now, they’re guessing.
2. BYU deserves national championship consideration.
The Cougars didn’t just beat Notre Dame. They defeated the No. 2 team in the country and remained unbeaten.
That victory deserves serious respect.
3. Ohio State may have the best résumé among the leading contenders.
The Buckeyes have quality road victories, including Saturday’s win over Indiana.
But quarterback health could become a major factor moving forward.
4. Miami has a tremendous opportunity, but the defense concerns me.
The Hurricanes survived Florida State, but surviving isn’t the same as dominating.
The schedule and rankings may favor Miami, but the Hurricanes still have something to prove.
5. The playoff expansion debate just got more interesting.
Isn’t it ironic?
Just days after reports surfaced about expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, we witnessed a Saturday in which five of the nation’s top seven teams lost.
Expansion supporters will undoubtedly point to those upsets as evidence that anybody can beat anybody on any given Saturday.
But I see it differently.
Saturday demonstrated exactly why the regular season matters.
When Georgia loses to Auburn, that loss should have consequences.
When Alabama loses consecutive games, its championship opportunities should become more difficult.
When Notre Dame loses to BYU, it should matter.
That’s what has always made college football special.
The regular season is supposed to mean something.
FINAL THOUGHTS: THE BEAUTY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Saturday reminded us why we love this sport.
The biggest recruiting budgets don’t guarantee victories.
Five-star quarterbacks don’t guarantee championships.
And the name on the front of the jersey doesn’t mean a damn thing once the football is kicked off.
Georgia learned that.
Alabama learned that.
Texas learned that.
Notre Dame learned that.
And Indiana learned that.
The rankings are about to change dramatically. The championship picture has been shaken, and several programs that were written off a few weeks ago suddenly have new life.
But here’s something I’ve learned from years of watching, coaching, and evaluating football.
The best team on paper isn’t always the best team on Saturday.
And that’s why they play the games.
Until next Sunday, keep your eyes on the field and your opinions honest.
JB TALKING SPORTS
Sunday Drive
