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Five of the top seven college football teams in the AP poll lost on Saturday, the most losses among that group since 1936 when the poll was created. That group of teams—No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas—represent some of college football’s most expensive rosters.
All but Indiana were favored to win outright and by at least a touchdown.
Each of the five teams are within the top 20 nationally in roster spending, according to estimates from The Athletic. Overall, it was a chaotic day in the sport; nine top-25 matchups featuring were decided by one possession.
The historic slate of losses has created a massive shakeup in Sunday’s newest poll. Miami (6-0), another team that’s estimated to have one of the ten most expensive rosters, is the new No. 1 team following a 43–35 win over Florida State in double overtime. It’s the first time the Hurricanes are ranked No. 1 since December 8, 2002.
BYU (6-0), which hosted College GameDay on Saturday, moved up from No. 8 to No. 2 after defeating Notre Dame in a 28-24 upset, the program’s second win ever against a team ranked either first or second by the AP. The win came days after receiving the school’s largest athletic financial commitment ever.
“I know a lot of people are questioning if we belong and whether we can compete in the top 10,” Sitake said postgame. “I’m not trying to convince them, I just know that our guys are confident in how we play the game.”
No. 1 Georgia slid back to No. 5 after a 27-24 loss to Auburn. The Bulldogs are the third No. 1 ranked team to lose this season after Ohio State and Texas. It’s the first marquee win for Auburn coach Alex Golesh. Meanwhile Indiana, who fell to Ohio State at home as an underdog, moved back slightly from fifth to sixth.
Notre Dame fell to No. 4 after losing on the final play. However the Big 12 Conference released a statement following the game stating that the officials ended the game prematurely and there should’ve been additional time on the clock.
Alabama and Texas, two teams that have lost back-to-back games, fell the furthest to 13th and 19th respectively. The Longhorns’ dip is particularly notable because their losses were to two unranked opponents. The play of quarterback Arch Manning has been a growing talking point and continued on Saturday after a costly turnover on the final possession allowed Florida to seal the upset. As a result, Florida jumped into the poll at No. 20.
On Saturday, Texas hosts Ole Miss, who moved up to No. 7 after a 31-3 win over No. 22 Missouri.
“We’re not playing very good football right now,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I have to evaluate everything. It’s gonna be a long night.”
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