Was I lying when I said October’s the month of upsets? There were plenty of them, including five teams in the Top 11, and I was nearly a witness to a sixth ranked team before midnight. Let’s just say when it comes to upsets, the college football world is terrified of it and no ranked team wants to become victims. If your team survives, kudos to their survival skills. Did I forget to mention that there was an upset in a non-ranked, non-Power 4 matchup??? Read below to find out more! 😈
12) SYRACUSE
The Orange took down two ranked opponents this season, but defeating a newly ranked UNLV was more meaningful than defeating Georgia Tech. The game was a duel from start to finish. Most importantly, this was a matchup between running back LeQuint Allen and linebacker Jackson Woodard in an “all-or-nothing” goal line stand, which Allen won the battle and the game. They face NC State in what should be a gettable win.
11) IOWA STATE
Iowa State overcame a slow start against Baylor and eventually triumphed. They quietly continue their climb into the Top 12 for the first time since 2021. They do have a road matchup at West Virginia, however. That place will be very difficult to play.
10) BOISE STATE
Boise State stomps yet another opponent with little resistance. They travel to Hawai’i before returning to the states and fly to Vegas for a potential Mountain West title preview matchup against UNLV. The unstoppable Ashton Jeanty continues making his name heard for the Heisman race.
9) TEXAS A&M
From start to finish, Texas A&M torched Mizzou at home and played a seemingly flawless game. They will continue being dark horse College Football Playoff contenders knowing that they have tough, competitive teams at home. Upsetting Mizzou at home with ease means LSU and Texas must keep their wits about when they see them on their upcoming schedule.
8) MIAMI
The Hurricanes escaped the inevitable after five other Top 11 teams were upset this past weekend. Miami did the unthinkable by coming back from three scores down in the fourth quarter to pull off a huge comeback. Cam Ward is impalpable, and it’ll be very difficult for any opponent to rattle him.
7) CLEMSON
Clemson took care of Florida State in the most disappointing hyped matchup of the season. Former Clemson and current Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei being out with an injury was the reason, but that didn’t stop the Tigers from punishing the Seminoles. Phil Mafah may not be in the Heisman campaign, but he should be mentioned amongst NFL teams to consider. He’s a bowling ball of an athlete.
6) OREGON
Oregon handled Michigan State as well as Ohio State did two weeks ago. Speaking of Ohio State, the Ducks host them in another epic college football matchup of the year.
5) PENN STATE
Penn State gave UCLA a warm welcome to their Big Ten environment with a 27-11 victory. Drew Allar put on a clinic with 237 yards and a touchdown. The Nittany Lions shouldn’t be too comfortable as they now travel to that very place in Southern California to face UCLA’s rival, USC.
4) ALABAMA
Bama dropped a bit after the biggest loss in program history while never leading against Vanderbilt. All bad, and I did mention in last week’s power rankings to watch out for Diego Pavia. This team should still have high hopes for the playoffs, but that loss is a massive wakeup call. This is the post-Saban era Crimson Tide now. Let’s see how they bounce back after experiencing…✨The Pavia Magic! ✨
3) OHIO STATE
Ohio State struggled to break past Iowa until the second half. Then, they crushed them while giving them enough sympathy to score one touchdown by game’s end. Ohio State had a couple of fumbles, including one lost by freshmen phenom receiver Jeremiah Smith. It’s only Iowa’s defense, so it’s no big deal. They travel to Eugene to face the potential Mighty Ducks of Oregon this weekend. Now, that’s a big deal.
2) TEXAS
The Longhorns are on a bye as they prepare for the Red River Rivalry. Quinn Ewers will be back at the starting position.
1) GEORGIA
Georgia came out slow, but also took their sweet time scoring each quarter to work down Auburn. They moved on from their loss against one rival to take all their frustrations out on their oldest rival in college football. Carson Beck still played well, and running back Trevor Etienne was utilized more than weeks prior. Georgia has a break against Mississippi State this weekend.
HONORABLE MENTION
ARMY AND NAVY AGAIN!
Both start the season 5-0 for the first time since 1945. That’s the way to represent those World War II veterans. Keep the ships and tanks going!
DIEGO PAVIA AND VANDERBILT
I watched this kid for three seasons, but man he went the extra mile by carrying Vanderbilt to their biggest upset in college football history. Defense was also impactful to keep this team in a winning spot over Bama. They never allowed a lead, they never waffled, and they never wavered. Diego Pavia…IS HIM!!!!! Congrats to Vanderbilt! They deserve it!!!
CAM WARD
I witnessed Ward’s calm and cool under pressure moment in person. When Miami was put into the pressure cooker, he got them out. That’s why he transferred from Incarnate Word and Washington State. He wanted those moments, and he earned that one. I’ll give this man his flowers. He’s got NFL potential written all over.
UL MONROE??? WAIT!!!!
Yeah. They’re 4-1 after upsetting a non-Power 4 school in James Madison that had playoff expectations too. How’s that possible??? Oklahoma quarterback transfer General Booty (that’s his real name), UL Monroe’s immensely improved defense (allowed 19.8 through five games), and head coach Bryant Vincent. He was a former interim coach at UAB when Bill Clark stepped down. Clark had a winning mindset at that program and Vincent took what he learned. Let’s see if UL Monroe makes an unlikely run to the Sun Belt title game.
MOST DISAPPOINTED
UNC AND OKLAHOMA STATE
After both started 3-0, both dropped the last three games while getting bludgeoned by purple teams (James Madison and Kansas State). It’s fair that UNC lost Drake Maye to the NFL, but last season wasn’t that great either. As for Oklahoma State, they had high expectations to dominate the Big 12 with so many returns. Mack Brown could be on the hot seat while Oklahoma State’s not in the plans of the new Big 12 and the postseason in 2024.
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