The “Neyland Knuckleball” threw the biggest curve into the College Football Playoff picture to date.
Chase McGrath’s 40-yard field cleared the uprights on a sideways trajectory, and No. 6 Tennessee broke a 15-game losing streak to No. 3 Alabama in a 52-49 thriller that met the “Game of the Year” credentials.
The teams combined for 1,136 yards and 14 plays of 20 yards or more. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (32 of 52, 455 yards, 2 TDs) and new contender Hendon Hooker (21 of 30, 385 yards, 5 TDs, INT) put on a show. Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt (6 catches, 207 yards, 5 TDs) and Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs (151 total yards, 3 TDs) were amazing, too. The game lived up to expectations, and like we always say, now that Alabama has lost, the season can officially begin.
Vols fans can have a cigar, but how far will this victory take them?
Tennessee (6-0) averages 48 points per game, a touch behind No. 2 Ohio State at 48.8 points per game. Hooker validated his Heisman campaign, and all signs point to another potential “Game of the Year” on Nov. 5 at No. 1 Georgia. Second-year coach Josh Heupel has made all that possible in Year 2. The short-term guess is this bumps the Volunteers up to No. 3 in the AP Poll – one spot behind the Buckeyes. Side note, what a game that would be with those two offenses if it comes to that.
Alabama (6-1) finally got bit in a road loss, and the clock management on the final possession deserves second-guessing. Why didn’t the Crimson Tide run the ball at least one time in the final minute? Three straight incomplete passes led to a 50-yard field goal attempt by Will Reichard. After the miss, Hooker had enough time (and used both timeouts) to set up the game-winning field goal.
How does this shake out for the SEC? Will it mean one, two or three teams in the College Football Playoff? All of those scenarios are possible, and Tennessee is in the thick of that now. How many more curveballs – or in this case, knuckleballs – will there be?
The first set of College Football Playoff rankings won’t be unveiled until Nov. 1, but Sporting News has a feel for how that looks heading into Week 8:
Four In
1. Georgia (7-0)
Up next: vs. Florida (Oct. 29)
Georgia hammered Vanderbilt 55-0 in a no-frills blowout that sent the Bulldogs into the bye week for an extra week to prepare for the SEC East rivalry game with Florida. The Bulldogs wasted little time jumping on the Commodores and have outscored their last two opponents 97-10 since the scare at Missouri. Stetson Bennett (24 of 30, 289 yards, 2 TDs) was on point, and backup quarterback Carson Beck (8 of 11, 98 yards, 2 TDs) got in on the act. Vanderbilt managed just 150 total yards. The Alabama loss amps up the stakes for the matchup against Tennessee, but the Bulldogs must take care of the Gators first.
2. Ohio State (6-0)
Up next: vs. Iowa
The Buckeyes had a well-timed midseason bye week that should allow skill-position stars Miyan Williams and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to rest nagging injuries. C.J. Stroud (1.737 yards, 24 TDs, 3 INTs) is on pace to be the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006. Smith clinched the Heisman with a signature performance in the Game of the Century against Michigan. Will Stroud get to that stage, too? It is trending in that direction. The Buckeyes have not seen a ranked opponent since the opener against then-No. 5 Notre Dame, but the Hawkeyes offer a unique challenge with a defense that allowed 9.8 points per game.
3. Tennessee (6-0)
Up next: vs. UT-Martin
This seems like the right spot. The victory against the Crimson Tide should register enough with voters to push the Volunteers to the No. 3 spot. Tennessee should keep that rolling with an earlier-than-usual game against UT-Martin from the FCS before another home game against Kentucky. It’s about maintaining that focus with the buildup to the next huge test against Georgia. Now, the interesting question: If the loser of Tennessee and Georgia finishes 11-1 and does not make the SEC championship game, would that be enough to backdoor into the CFP?
MORE: Inside the numbers of UT’s upset | Fans parade goal posts out of stadium
4. Michigan (7-0)
Up next: vs. Michigan State (Oct. 29)
Yes, the Wolverines are for real. Michigan bullied No. 10 Penn State in a 41-17 blowout at Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines piled up 418 rushing yards behind the tandem of Donovan Edwards (16-173, 2 TDs) and Blake Corum (28-166, 2 TDs). That was more than enough support for J.J. McCarthy (17 of 24, 145 yards, INT). Penn State had a 17-16 lead in the third quarter before the Wolverines took over. Michigan has a bye week, and this victory is part of an impressive Big Ten title defense under Jim Harbaugh. The Spartans are up next – and Harbaugh is 3-4 in that rivalry game and 0-2 against Mel Tucker. There will be no looking ahead.
BENDER: Michigan makes statement in rout of Penn State
Two out
5. Clemson (7-0)
Up next: vs. No. 18 Syracuse
Clemson withstood a fourth-quarter Florida State rally in a 34-28 victory. DJ Uiagalelei (15 of 23, 203 yards, 4 total TDs) helped the Tigers build a double-digit halftime lead. That lead swelled to 17 points after Uiagalelei hit Davis Allen for a 31-yard TD on a flea-flicker on the first play of the second half. Will Shipley added 169 total yards. The defense allowed 206 rushing yards, and the Seminoles scored 14 fourth-quarter points to make it close. Still, Clemson passed yet another ACC test and undefeated Syracuse comes to Death Valley next. Four of the Tigers’ last five games are at home, where they have won 37 straight games. The lone road game on the schedule is at Notre Dame; which is not as daunting as it seemed in the preseason.
6. Alabama (6-1)
Up next: vs. No. 16 Mississippi State
There are now 10 unbeaten teams left in the FBS, and the Crimson Tide are the only one-loss team on this list. Alabama bounced back from last year’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M to make a run to the College Football Playoff championship game, but there is a surprising issue which Nick Saban continues to lament that showed up on the road at Neyland Stadium. Alabama had 17 penalties for 130 yards, and a trip to the SEC championship game cannot be taken for granted if that does not change. The Crimson Tide likely will fall to the No. 5-No. 7 range as a result, and Mississippi State comes before a bye week that will set up a telling November for the Crimson Tide. Remember, no two-loss team has ever made the College Football Playoff, and that head-to-head loss to the Vols is a pressure point for the rest of the season.
Four to watch
7. TCU (6-0)
Up next: vs. No. 17 Kansas State
How about that comeback? TCU is the Big 12’s lone unbeaten team now. The Horned Frogs trailed 24-7 to No. 8 Oklahoma State in the second quarter before working all the way back for a thrilling 43-40 double-overtime victory. First-year coach Sonny Dykes now has the lone unbeaten team in the Big 12, and TCU has knocked off ranked teams each of the last three weeks in Oklahoma, Kansas and the Cowboys. That run continues against the Wildcats next week, and it’s OK to circle the matchup at No. 22 Texas on Nov. 12, where former coach Gary Patterson will be on the sideline. Max Duggan had 286 passing yards, 46 rushing yards and three TDs against the Cowboys.
8. Ole Miss (7-0)
Up next: at LSU
The Rebels stayed unbeaten with a 48-34 win against Auburn in which the teams combined for 749 rushing yards. The good news? Quinshon Judkins (25-139, 2 TDs), Zach Evans (21-136, TD) and Jaxson Dart (14-115) formed an unstoppable ground attack that racked up 448 rushing yards against the Tigers? The bad news? Auburn had 301 rushing yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry. The Rebels have road games against LSU and Texas A&M the next two weeks, so it’s about avoiding a trap before the Nov. 12 matchup with Alabama.
9. UCLA (6-0)
Up next: at No. 12 Oregon
USC’s 43-42 loss to Utah means the Bruins will bump into the top-10 under Kelly, and the offense ranks seventh in the FBS in total yards (505.7) and 10th in scoring offense (41.5). Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet have combined for one of the most-experienced and reliable backfield tandems in the FBS, and Kelly will be able to play the underdog card for the third straight game when the Bruins visit Oregon. Kelly, who coached Oregon from 2009-12, is 0-3 against his former teams. The last two meetings, however, have been decided by three points apiece.
10. Oregon (5-1)
Up next: No. 11 UCLA
The Ducks are back in the top 10; the beneficiary of a bye week while the shake-ups from Saturday unfolded around them. USC and Utah each have a loss in Pac-12 play, but Oregon remains unbeaten in conference play heading into Saturday’s showdown with the Bruins. The 49-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia in the opener is a sore spot, but Oregon still averages 42 points per game under first-year coach Dan Lanning. Bo Nix has completed 70.3% of his passes with 12 TDs and three interceptions. The Ducks also have UCLA and Utah at home, and the Trojans are not on the regular-season schedule. The path to a Pac-12 championship remains wide open.