College football overreactions after Week 7: Texas’ CFP bid is all but over

College football overreactions after Week 7: Texas’ CFP bid is all but over

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College football overreactions after Week 7: Texas’ CFP bid is all but over

What a week of college football. Between seeing top-25 teams go down, along with major changes to the updated AP Top 25 poll — Week 7 was the best we’ve seen all season.

BYU took down Notre Dame in Provo, Ohio State beat Indiana in Bloomington, despite losing quarterback Julian Sayin, and the SEC was full of big upsets. Georgia losing to Auburn wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card for the week.

Following Week 7 action, here are our overreactions.

MORE: College football stock up, stock down from Week 7: SEC elite suffer reality check

Texas can kiss CFP goodbye

NCAA Football: Florida at Texas
Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the first half against the Florida Gators at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Texas is reeling and Arch Manning is losing stock in a hurry. The Longhorns have lost 27-24 in back-to-back games against both Oklahoma and Florida, and now Texas is sitting with a 4-2 record halfway through the season. Just a couple of weeks ago, Texas was the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

But with games against Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M on the schedule, one more loss is more than possible with how bad Texas’ offense looks. The Longhorns are exploring giving freshman KJ Lacey reps with the ones, while star defender Colin Simmons could miss a few weeks.

It’s not looking good in Austin, and at some point, Steve Sarkisian will have to answer.

BYU, not Miami, is the best team

NCAA Football: Iowa State at Brigham Young
Oct 9, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars cornerback Therrian Alexander III (1) as seen during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

After wins over Florida State and Notre Dame, respectively, Miami and BYU jumped up to No. 1 and No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. But there was only one clear winner on Saturday night and that was the Cougars.

BYU hosted ‘ESPN College GameDay’ for the first time since 2009 and the Cougars excelled. Even without star running back LJ Martin, BYU got itself out to a big enough lead to hold onto a 28-24 win over the Irish. Bear Bachmeier was impressive and the Cougars’ defense is for real.

Miami won, too, but it was far from impressive. Hosting Florida State, the Hurricanes needed double-overtime and a FSU penalty to beat the Seminoles, 43-35. While the ‘Canes remain undefeated, that was by far the worst they’ve looked.

Rivalry game or not, BYU has been the more impressive team. A win over Notre Dame was impressive, especially without Martin.

SEC is as wide open as the Big 12

Kentucky's Henry Boyer (87) celebrates with Kentucky's Willie Rodriguez (81) in the second half of the college football game
Kentucky’s Henry Boyer (87) celebrates with Kentucky’s Willie Rodriguez (81) in the second half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kentucky Wildcats at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct., 17, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

The typical top teams in the SEC all suffered losses on Saturday. Georgia lost to Auburn, Alabama fell to Tennessee, and Texas lost to Florida — which you can make a strong argument that the Longhorns weren’t at the top of the conference.

Despite playing great football all season, the Bulldogs only falling to No. 5 is a complete joke. Georgia is probably still the class of the SEC, but teams like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ole Miss are right up there as well. With both Alabama and Texas on the cusp of missing the College Football Playoff, the SEC is shaping up to have a crazy finish.

UCLA makes stronger case as Big Ten’s best

NCAA Football: Wisconsin at UCLA
Oct 17, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins players run on to the field for the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

UCLA was winning games by scoring more points than the opposition. But it’s been the Bruins’ defense that has shined the last two weeks. After forcing seven turnovers and beating Oregon in Week 6, UCLA’s defense held Wisconsin to seven points this weekend.

After likely losing quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the season, UCLA needed its defense to step up. The Bruins’ schedule sets up nicely to allow them to make the Big Ten title game. Games against Michigan and USC to finish the regular season are the two toughest left on the schedule.

Between a strong run game and a defense that continues to get better, UCLA continues to put itself in the picture as the Big Ten’s best.

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