Big-Money Upsets Shake Up College Football
Half of the AP Poll top 10 lost in a single day.
Five of the top seven college football teams in the AP Poll suffered heavy losses on Saturday, marking the greatest number of defeats for that group since the poll's inception in 1936. These teams—No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 7 Texas—are known for their sizable rosters, all of which are within the top 20 in terms of roster spending, according to The Athletic.
Every one of these five teams was considered the favorite to win, either outright or by at least a touchdown. The day was marked by chaos, with nine top-25 games decided by just one possession. Auburn upset the No. 1 Georgia team, marking the first time in 36 years that the top-ranked team lost to an unranked opponent. Since the poll's creation, this has been the most losses among the top seven teams.
Miami, another team with one of the ten most expensive rosters, and estimated at $95 million, claimed the top spot following a 43-35 win over Florida State in overtime, making it the first time the Hurricanes have been ranked No. 1 since December 2002. BYU, who played College GameDay earlier that day, jumped from No. 8 to No. 2 after defeating Notre Dame 28-24, their second win against a top-ranked team.
The win came after receiving the school's largest athletic donation. Meanwhile, No. 1 Georgia dropped to No. 5 following a 27-24 loss to Auburn, creating the first marquee win for Auburn head coach Alex Golesh. Indiana, who lost to Ohio State as underdogs, moved up to sixth. Notre Dame fell to No. 4 after losing on the final play of the game.
However, the Big 12 Conference released a statement, claiming that the officials had ended the game prematurely. Alabama and Texas, who lost consecutive games, fell the most, dropping to 13th and 19th respectively. The Longhorns' drop is especially notable as they lost to unranked opponents. Quarterback Arch Manning's performance has been a major talking point, and he continued his struggles on Saturday with a costly turnover sealing the upset for Florida, who jumped into the poll at No. 20.
Texas is set to host Ole Miss, who moved up to No. 7 after a 31-3 win over Missouri. Coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged that his team is not playing well and will evaluate the situation.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
