What the heck just happened and what does it mean? Connelly on an epic Week 7 — SkimNews
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- Week 7 on October 17, 2026 delivered historic chaos: five of the top seven teams lost on the same day, a first in AP poll history, with the last time Alabama, Georgia, and Texas all fell on one Saturday dating to 1996
- Ohio State survived No. 5 Indiana 19-15 in a game decided by four fourth-down swings, including Julian Sayin's 2-yard TD to Bo Jackson and a 38-yard strike to Jeremiah Smith; coach Ryan Day says Sayin will miss 'several weeks'
- BYU stunned No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 behind a defense that held the Irish to a 38% success rate, earning 20 first-place AP votes and its highest ranking since winning the 1984 national title — though the win was marred by a clock error Connelly called out
- Auburn toppled No. 1 Georgia 27-24 in Athens, forcing five turnovers including Gunner Stockton's late fumble that set up Alex McPherson's game-winning field goal as the Dawgs blew a 14-0 lead
- The SEC has no unbeaten teams and only four one-loss squads at its midpoint, with 12 of 16 teams within a game of the conference lead after nine-game slates turned the race into a free-for-all
- Freshman Luke Fahey will start for Ohio State during Sayin's absence, opening at USC before home games against Oregon and Northwestern and road trips to Nebraska and Michigan
Why it matters: Three of Saturday's results directly scramble the College Football Playoff race: top-seeded Georgia lost at home, Ohio State must start a freshman QB at USC, and the SEC's zero-unbeatens-through-midseason parity means seeding is up for grabs across the league. BYU's surge to No. 2 with 20 first-place votes hands the Big 12 its strongest CFP argument in years and lifts the conference above the Big Ten in top-14 teams.
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