The best regular season in sports got better this past weekend.
Then-No. 1 Alabama got outschemed by SEC also-ran Vanderbilt, as the Commodores beat the Tide for the first time in 40 years. It’s Vandy’s first win over a No. 1 team, and fans acted like it.
Three other teams ranked in the top 11 lost on Saturday, as Tennessee, Missouri and USC all fell on the road. It was a day that brought back memories of 2007, the best college football season ever. That the chaos happened on a weekend where there was just one ranked vs. ranked game shows that you can’t really take a week off as a fan, or a team.
Alabama falling to Vanderbilt means the Tide likely has to run the table against what looks like a tough schedule that includes matchups with Tennessee, Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma. Along with Alabama, Tennessee still has Georgia on its schedule. Missouri has games left against Alabama and Oklahoma, neither of which I see the Tigers beating. USC, now with two losses, has to start looking toward next year as far as being a playoff team and a factor in the Big Ten title race.
More days that Oct. 5 will come over the next eight weeks. Next weekend alone features three top-tier matchups (Ohio State/Oregon, Ole Miss/LSU and Texas/Oklahoma) and two others that see ranked teams hitting the road to face unranked opponents (Penn State at USC, Kansas State at Colorado).
So buckle up. More chaos is on the way.
The “If I Voted” Top 25
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Georgia
5. Penn State
6. Oregon
7. Miami
8. Clemson
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas A & M
11. BYU
12. Tennessee
13. Iowa State
14. Ole Miss
15. LSU
16. Boise State
17. SMU
18. Indiana
19. Pittsburgh
20. Kansas State
21. Missouri
22. Utah
23. Illinois
24. Nebraska
25. Oklahoma
Week 6 Heisman ballot
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State RB
2. Travis Hunter, Colorado DB/WR
3. Cam Ward, Miami QB
4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama QB
Ranking the best of the Week 7 Slate
1. Ohio State at Oregon
2. Texas vs. Oklahoma
3. Ole Miss at LSU
4. Penn State at USC
5. Kansas State at Colorado
6. Florida at Tennessee
7. Coastal Carolina at James Madison (Thursday)
