Welcome to Survival Saturday.
There is at least one day like this in every season, a day when the collective heart of the football world beats uncontrollably from brunch to dinner.
Four of the top 25 teams won in overtime. The next three ranked teams won by three points or less. It started with Alabama's (shaky) rebound from its loss to Vanderbilt – a two-point win over South Carolina that wasn't very pretty. Kansas State ended up getting a big lead and then held on to win Colorado.
Meanwhile, LSU, Penn State, Illinois and Tennessee won in overtime. Our new No. 1 seed, Oregon, beat Ohio State by one point. Pitt remained undefeated with a two-point victory over Cal.
Of course, there were also explosions. Texas ruled Oklahoma to set up a titanic clash with Georgia in Austin next week. Clemson hit Wake Forest. And Notre Dame choked Stanford.
At the halfway point of the season, 11 teams remain undefeated. This list includes Iowa, Army, Navy, and Indiana!
Many fans didn't make it through Saturday. Rutgers lost its second game in a row after starting 4-0. North Carolina and Mack Brown lost for the fourth straight time. Billy Napier and Florida managed to cough up a road upset in Knoxville.
Did your team survive?
Let's get to the Top 10!
1. Oregon ducks
This week: Beat Ohio State 32-31
Next week: at Purdue (Friday)
QB Dillon Gabriel, in his sixth season and third school, reintroduced himself to the college football world, in case anyone had forgotten him. He tore through Ohio State's secondary, threw for 341 yards, scored two touchdowns and ran for a 27-yard score. This puts the Ducks at the front of the Big Ten title race and is the best win of the season so far for any team, just ahead of Alabama's wins over Georgia and Georgia's wins over Clemson.
2. Penn State's Nittany Lions
This week: Beat USC 33-30 in overtime
Next week: Hello
Who says you can't take a bus for an hour and then fly across the country for five hours and win overtime? That's exactly what the Nittany Lions did. Coming back from a 20-6 break to deliver a strong blow to coach Lincoln Riley in his third year (the Trojans are 3-3 and quite the mess). The buzz you're hearing comes from the hype around the game against Ohio State on November 2 in Happy Valley (the Buckeyes seem susceptible, especially defensively).
3. Longhorny from Texas
This week: Beat Oklahoma 34-3
Next week: vs. Georgia
The return of QB Quinn Ewers started off badly, but ended brilliantly. However, it was the Longhorns' defense that really won this game. The Sooners ran for over 19 yards throughout the game and scored six times. Steve Sarkisian has the Horns ready for an exciting home game against Georgia next week.
4. Hurricanes in Miami
This week: Hello
Next week: in Louisville
After a nice, quiet week off, Cam Ward and the Hurricanes are back on the road, playing in Louisville next Saturday. A look at the second half of UM's schedule reveals zero teams (for now) in the top 25 rankings. Collision course with Clemson in the ACC championship game? Maybe.
5. Bulldogs from Georgia
This week: Beat Mississippi State 41-31
Next week: in Texas
Kirby Smart's team played some surprisingly close games. The next one came on Saturday against the worst team in the SEC. Remember the one-point win over Kentucky and the loss to Alabama? Bulldogs are not necessarily dominant. They must be there next Saturday.
6. They live in Ohio
This week: Lost to Oregon 32-31
Next week: hello
The Buckeyes dropped two spots but still remain in our top ten. After all, on the road against the Ducks they fought blow after blow. But defense takes work. Oregon spent much of the evening attacking Ohio State's secondary, especially cornerback Denzel Burke. They have a bye week to think it over before accepting Nebraska. Penn State, Michigan and undefeated Indiana remain on the list. Could Ohio State actually miss the College Football Playoff?
7. Clemson Tigers
This week: Beat Wake Forest 49-14
Next week: vs. Virginia
Oh look, another Clemson bust. Since the initial loss to Georgia, the Tigers have won five straight games, outscoring their opponents 243-96. They're an angry bunch. Clemson's offense is gaining momentum. Against Wake, they had a 100-yard rusher, a 100-yard receiver and a 300-yard passer. QB Cade Klubnik hasn't returned a throw in 10 quarters and has scored seven touchdowns in that span.
8. Cyclones in Iowa
This week: Beat West Virginia 28-16
Next week: vs. UCF
The Cyclones are 6-0 for the second time in history, have one of the worst defenses in the country, and the regular season schedule for the rest of the season includes only one ranked team (Kansas State). Should we be talking about Matt Campbell's team in the playoffs? QB Rocco Becht is playing like no one else and the ISU defense has not scored more than 21 points this season.
9. Kuguary BYU
This week: Beat Arizona 41-19
Next week: game against Oklahoma State
For the second time in the Big 12, the Cougars are on top of the league with a 6-0 record on the season and several solid wins at SMU and over Kansas State. They are avoiding the only undefeated team in the Big 12 this season (Iowa State). Are we heading towards a Big 12 BYU-Iowa State title game? Maybe!
10. Notre Dame fighting the Irish
This week: Beat Stanford 49-7
Next week: at Georgia Tech
Everything is going according to plan for the Irish (except for an inexplicable home loss to Northern Illinois). God himself (a lightning delay in the second half) couldn't stop the Irish from knocking down the Cardinal. Look at Notre Dame's schedule and tell me where the Irish lose their next game. They are on the path to a large mooring.
