Updated October 11, 2026, 1:01 p.m. ET
- LSU’s promising season took a turn for the worse after a 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky, dropping the Tigers to 4-2.
- Oklahoma upset No. 1 Texas 27-24, significantly changing the College Football Playoff landscape.
- Georgia beat No. 7 Alabama 20-17, solidifying its position as a top national title contender.
A month ago, things were going so well for LSU that Lane Kiffin ended an ESPN halftime interview during the season opener against Clemson by asking Holly Rowe, “Imagine if we had professional players?”
The small blow came during the debate over the eligibility of an extra year for players who participated in NFL training camps. We’re already pretty good, Kiffin said.
But we can answer the question, sort of.
For example, you can imagine that if LSU had pro players, it wouldn’t give up 401 yards and 4.8 yards per carry and lose 35-34 in overtime to No. 25 Kentucky, which only needed overtime after missing a pair of very makeable field goals in regulation.
The Wildcats won on a two-point conversion from quarterback Kenny Minchey, who ran untouched after a shotgun blast. A Notre Dame transfer, Minchey threw for 246 yards and avoided any turnovers while his LSU counterpart, Sam Leavitt, turned the ball over twice.
Those happy days of early September are now over for Kiffin. The Tigers are now 4-2 and 1-2 in the SEC with No. 20 Mississippi State next and No. 7 Alabama, Texas and No. 14 Tennessee still to come.
No at-large team with three losses that hasn’t appeared in a conference championship game has made the bracket in the brief history of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Even if the SEC’s depth gives a 9-3 team a chance, that would require a 5-1 finish against one of the Power Four’s toughest remaining schedules.
That’s how quickly things move these days in college football. A month ago, Kiffin and LSU could do no wrong and were the biggest villains in sports – a deadly combination. As of October 10, the Tigers could be an afterthought in the title conversation. And Kiffin isn’t making headlines.
That puts Kiffin along with Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia among the week’s biggest winners and losers:
Winners
Georgia
Georgia won the final 10 minutes and beat No. 7 Alabama 20-17 in one of the defining games of the regular season. That will put the Bulldogs at No. 1 in this week’s American LBM Coaches Poll. But more importantly, it was a tone-setting victory that solidified Georgia’s reputation as the team to beat in and out of the SEC. With 10:28 left, Georgia started at its own 11-yard line and drove 84 yards for a 23-yard field goal and the lead. The defense then delivered a key sack by Keelon Russell to force Alabama to punt with 3:10 left. A key completion by Gunner Stockton and a 15-yard Alabama penalty helped Georgia put the game away.
Oklahoma
The Sooners turned their season around by turning two Arch Manning interceptions into points in the fourth quarter and beating No. 1 Texas 27-24. It’s staggering: Oklahoma has been terrible since the first game and the Longhorns moved to the top of the coaches’ poll after a comeback win over No. 6 Ohio State. The difference was at quarterback, where Manning made more crucial mistakes and John Mateer avoided any turnovers while making two huge throws to set up Tate Sandell’s 47-yard field goal as time expired. This win sets a template for Brent Venables to maximize a shaky roster that has obvious flaws, particularly on offense. By avoiding mistakes and not wasting opportunities, the Sooners found an opportunity to pull off an upset that ranks among the biggest in Red River history.
UCLA
In just a few weeks, No. 22 UCLA has gone from a surprise under new coach Bob Chesney to one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Facing No. 13 Oregon, the Bruins harassed backup quarterback Dylan Raiola for just 43 passing yards and two interceptions on just 6 completions, 6 of 19 attempts and beat the Ducks 17-15 to remain undefeated. This may be just the beginning: UCLA still has five home games out of seven overall and faces just one more team in 17th-ranked Southern California. A former James Madison coach has an unlucky Power Four program that is exceeding expectations and making a playoff push. We’ve seen this before.
Shane Beamer
South Carolina’s 38-19 win over No. 15 Florida is a huge result for Beamer and his dwindling job security. Considered a candidate for a midseason dismissal after losses to No. 20 Mississippi State, No. 7 Alabama and No. 24 Kentucky, Beamer is now on firmer footing after a road victory that boosts the Gamecocks’ playoff hopes. The most positive sign Saturday was the huge leap forward by quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who threw for five combined touchdowns and showed why he is considered one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class.
U.S.C.
Penn State doesn’t get very far in Matt Campbell’s first year; It was thought that PSU could put together an easy nine-win schedule, but that’s not happening. Still, the 31-23 win is important for the Trojans, who haven’t fared well on the West Coast and are just beginning a very difficult midseason. They played well in the fourth quarter: Ahead 24-23, USC drove 71 yards for a touchdown, forced a big turnover then put it away with two first downs on the ground in the final minutes. Then it’s Wisconsin on the road, then Ohio State at home.
Indiana
We’ll find out next week if No. 5 Indiana was caught playing No. 6 Ohio State or if the Hoosiers aren’t living up to the standards set by last year’s national champions. Against Nebraska, Indiana fell behind 10-3 at halftime and 17-6 in the fourth quarter before scoring two unanswered touchdowns to escape with a quality victory. But there are question marks around the offensive line and TCU transfer Josh Hoover, who made the big plays but was held in check until the final quarter. On the other hand, there’s a good chance that Nebraska is a legitimate contender, making this not only the Hoosiers’ best win to date, but also a good barometer of what needs to be cleaned up before facing the Buckeyes.
Bill Belichick
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 249 yards and two scores, continuing his strong play from last week against No. 3 Notre Dame, and North Carolina earned the best win of the Bill Belichick era by knocking off No. 24 Pittsburgh 21-17. The Panthers’ first loss came behind backup quarterback Holden Grenier, who threw two interceptions in his first start replacing Mason Heintschel. This ends a two-game losing streak and sends the Tar Heels into their rivalry game against No. 23 Duke on a high note.
Losers
Texas, Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian
It’s a total disaster for Texas that erases all the tough credibility that came from the comeback win against the Buckeyes. Already a mild No. 1 after barely beating No. 14 Tennessee, the Longhorns will fall in this week’s coaches poll. It’s also another complicated loss for Sarkisian, increasing the pressure on him to win an SEC championship and a playoff run in the second half of the year. But no one will face more criticism than Manning, who simply hasn’t played well all season and should be under a lot more pressure to be a starter.
Florida
After the Gators pulled off a mammoth win over No. 11 Mississippi, two straight SEC losses essentially erased their playoff chances before games against No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia to end October. Although qualifying for the playoffs was already a long way off, the focus is now on winning eight games in the regular season. It’s doable, but only if Florida takes care of business in November against Oklahoma, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida State.
Nebraska
The losing streak against ranked teams now stands at 31 games. It’s an astonishing milestone for a historic blue blood that was once the most dominant program in the sport. Until this streak ends, the lack of a marquee victory will define Nebraska and fourth-year coach Matt Rhule. But there’s clearly something working in terms of Rhule’s rebuild, which has spawned a veteran team that has gone the distance with Indiana and might have enough to win eight or nine games in the regular season.
Texas A&M
A&M was ranked No. 8 in the preseason coaches poll. It seems like more than five games ago. The Aggies gave up 252 rushing yards and barely spent time beyond midfield in a 27-6 loss to No. 16 Missouri, falling to 2-3 and rising to the top of the Power Four’s list of biggest disappointments. A common thread in this mess is the quarterback play: Marcel Reed finished 19 of 39 with two interceptions against the Tigers, continuing a slide that started with the junior in the Heisman Trophy mix. Major changes are coming for A&M, but not in time to save this lost season.
Oregon
Oregon is another failure, although Dante Moore’s injury is a pretty big excuse for how things fell apart against UCLA. After losses to UCLA and Oklahoma State, the Ducks have very little chance of recovering and returning to the postseason. His performance Saturday will dampen the hype around Raiola, who looked a lot more like the overrated five-star recruit who couldn’t get Nebraska out of the seven-win doldrums than the latest quarterback transfer from Oregon with a shot at the Heisman Trophy.
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