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10/17 22:36 CDT Shakeup Saturday: 5 of the top 8 teams in the Top 25 lost for
the first time since 1989
Shakeup Saturday: 5 of the top 8 teams in the Top 25 lost for the first time
since 1989
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
It's been nearly 40 years since college football experienced anything like
Saturday.
Five of the top eight teams in the AP Top 25 lost on the same day, the first
time that's happened since Jan. 2, 1989, according to Sportradar. Shakeup
Saturday was driven by the Southeastern Conference, with No. 1 Georgia, No. 6
Alabama and No. 7 Texas going down as touchdown or more favorites.
No. 2 Notre Dame (at No. 8 BYU) and fifth-ranked Indiana (against No. 4 Ohio
State) also lost, although those were less shocking.
It's the first time Nos. 1 and 2 lost on the same day in the regular season
since Oregon (to Stanford) and Kansas State (to Baylor) in 2012.
The chaos, which is sure to shuffle the poll and College Football Playoff
seeding forecasts, cleared a path for No. 3 Miami to take over the top poll
spot after beating rival Florida State 43-35 in a double-overtime classic that
ended in controversy.
The Hurricanes can only hope to do better than the No. 1 team has the last two
weeks; Texas and Georgia lost to unranked teams, the first time that's happened
in consecutive weeks since Notre Dame (to Stanford) and Michigan (to Michigan
State) in 1990.
The last time five of the top eight teams in the AP poll lost on the same day
was when No. 3 West Virginia, No. 5 USC, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Auburn and
eighth-ranked Arkansas stumbled in bowl games. It had never happened in the
regular season --- until Saturday,
It was nearly as rare for heavyweights Georgia, Alabama and Texas to lose on
the same Saturday, which hadn't happened since Oct. 26, 1996, according to the
SEC.
It showed why SEC coaches were so hesitant to give in to playing a nine-game
league slate. And it might be fitting that the bloody Saturday came on the same
week the SEC capitulated to the Big Ten to move closer to finalizing a 24-team
playoff.
The Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) had been the league's last remaining team without a
loss, but Gunner Stockton threw two interceptions and fumbled with less than a
minute to play in a 27-24 stunner to unranked Auburn (4-2, 2-2). Georgia, which
had won 53 in a row against unranked teams, was a 20 1/2 -point favorite in the
game known as "the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry."
Alex McPherson's 34-yard field goal on the final play sent the visiting
sideline into a frenzy. It was Auburn's first win in Athens since 2005 and the
program's first road win against the nation's No. 1 team since winning at
Florida in 1994.
"We're just continuing to plug," said Auburn coach Alex Golesh, whose team
scored on a trick play and an amazing, one-catch. "We're going to build Auburn
back to where everybody wants it, one game at a time. Just hang with us."
Auburn's win meant the team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 lost in consecutive
weeks to unranked teams for the first time since Notre Dame and Michigan in
October 1990, according to Sportradar. Then-No. 1 Texas lost last week to
Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
That setback seemed to have a carryover effect for the Longhorns.
Arch Manning had more late-game woes against Florida. He fumbled with less than
two minutes to play --- a week after throwing an interception that helped
Oklahoma win a week ago --- and the Longhorns (4-2, 1-2) lost 27-24 at home to
the Gators (5-2, 3-2). Texas was a 10 1/2-point favorite.
Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked
five times as Texas lost consecutive regular-season games for the first time
since 2021.
Like Auburn and Florida, No. 14 Tennessee delivered a defensive gem in the
rivalry known as the "The Third Saturday in October." The Volunteers (6-1, 3-1)
held Alabama to 201 yards in a 26-10 win in Knoxville, shutting down dynamic
quarterback Keelon Russell and breaking out cigars for the third consecutive
year.
The Vols finished with five sacks and four takeaways.
"Phenomenal performance," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said.
Alabama (5-2, 3-2) was a 7 1/2-point favorite and played without leading
receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. Fans rushed the field afterward, and the Vols
will gladly pay the SEC fine.
Tennessee won despite without quarterback Faizon Brandon (shoulder). George
MacIntyre filled in and got plenty of help from DeSean Bishop, who ran for 159
yards and two touchdowns.
It was Alabama's second straight loss.
In other ranked SEC action, Lane Kiffin's former and current teams rolled.
Kiffin and No. 22 LSU overwhelmed 16th-ranked Mississippi State 31-3. And No. 9
Ole Miss thumped 13th-ranked Missouri 31-3.
And No. 15 Kentucky beat Oklahoma 21-13 on the road, making first-year coach
Will Stein the first Wildcats coach to win six of his first seven games in more
than a century.
Indiana loses for the first time in 23 months Indiana's 22-game winning streak ended in gut-wrenching fashion against No. 4 Ohio State. The defending national champion and fifth-ranked Hoosiers looked like they were going to rally to beat the Buckeyes, but standout receiver Nick Marsh stepped out of bounds in the end zone and negated what would have been a 27-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-4 play in the final minute. Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) ran out the clock from there, escaping with a 19-15 victory despite losing quarterback Julian Sayin to a right shoulder injury. Sayin left in the fourth quarter returned with his throwing arm in a sling. Coach Ryan Day said Sayin would miss "several weeks." It was Indiana's first loss since falling at Notre Dame in the 2024 College Football Playoff and ended a 19-game winning streak at home. The Hoosiers (6-1, 3-1) turned the ball over twice and missed two field goals, the first one after quarterback Josh Hoover missed seeing a wide-open receiver streaking toward the end zone. Another highlight-reel catch for the Heisman Trophy favorite Jeremiah Smith delivered another highlight catch, this one resulting in a 38?yard touchdown on a fourth-down play against Indiana. Smith tracked the pass from Julian Sayin and outjumped two defenders in the end zone for his 12th TD catch of the season and the 39th of his three-year college career. Smith's latest one matched former Michigan standout Braylon Edwards for the record for most receiving touchdowns in a Big Ten career. Smith accomplished the feat in nine fewer games than Edwards. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here |
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