Texas Defense Caps Ole Miss as SEC Odds Swing — SkimNews
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- Oklahoma beat then-No. 1 Texas in Week 6, while Auburn upset No. 1 Georgia in Week 7 and UCF beat No. 2 BYU in Week 8—a three-week run of AP top-two losses to unranked teams matched only by the 2007 season.
- Texas held Ole Miss to three first-half points; after the Rebels rallied from 24-3 to 24-24, their final four drives produced just three points and 4.4 yards per play, with Trinidad Chambliss completing 10 of 23 passes for 104 yards and an interception.
- SEC teams accounted for 21% of FBS upsets of double-digit conference favorites despite making up 12% of FBS teams; eight teams also held a top-four title-odds spot within a three-week span.
- Miami gained 506 yards against Pittsburgh as Darian Mensah went 22-for-26 for 274 yards and three touchdowns and Malachi Toney caught all 12 targets for 159 yards and two scores; the Hurricanes led 38-7 early in the second half despite allowing 6.6 yards per play.
- Texas Tech lost 37-24 to Cincinnati after going 3-for-15 on third downs, turning the ball over twice and not scoring an offensive touchdown until the final minute; its 53-25 win over Arizona State the prior week had featured a 90.2 Total QBR from Will Hammond.
- Big 12 title odds moved sharply after Week 8: Utah climbed 13.8 percentage points to 33.4%, while Texas Tech fell 16.2 points to 18.9% and BYU fell 12.7 points to 18.5%.
- Jason Kirk of The Athletic reported only three FBS unbeatens for the first time since 2003, while 19 teams had already lost conference games as double-digit favorites with five weeks left in the regular season.
Why it matters: Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has held opponents to 5.0 yards per play or fewer in all but one game, leaving the Longhorns in the CFP picture despite a 37% chance of finishing 9-3. In the SEC, only Georgia currently has better than a 35% chance to reach 10 wins.
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