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Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where sometimes you can make a terrible fake punt decision and live to laugh about it.
Since we still have another six weeks in an era where regular-season outcomes carry considerable weight, it’s time to put a few programs on crisis watch. We have seen losses snowball on teams that had great expectations, with seasons (and coaching tenures) collapsing. Penn State was that team last year, losing six straight games after a 3–0 start. So was LSU, which started 4–0 and then lost four out of five.
Your current crisis watch candidates:
This is not another Arch Manning discussion (see last week for that). This is now a Steve Sarkisian situation. He’s the offensive play-caller, and the offense stinks. He’s the head of the program, and the program is teetering. He’s the one in charge of a team with a massive payroll that is underperforming.
The Dash was of the opinion that Sark should not give up play-calling duties when that topic arose last week. Now, though, the head coach’s time seems more urgently needed to keep the train on the tracks than tinker with the offensive game plan for Mississippi on Saturday. While the offensive futility understandably gets the headlines, the Texas defense hasn’t forced a turnover in the last three games.
This is a macro issue, not a micro one, so there may need to be a decision about the best use of Sarkisian’s time. He needs to rediscover the collective fight of a team that rallied from 20 points down against Ohio State, while eradicating the complacency of a team that led Florida by 14 at home before giving up 24 consecutive points.
Road ahead: Three of the next four games are against ranked teams—Ole Miss, at Missouri, at LSU. Plus a rivalry game at the end against Texas A&M.
Playoff viability: At 10–2, Texas would get in without serious debate. At 10–3 (presuming a loss in the SEC championship game), the Longhorns might get the 2025 Alabama benefit of the doubt. It gets dicey at 9–3. And 8–4? Forget about it (until next year, when the participation trophies arrive).
Kalen DeBoer just can’t seem to stay on the good side of a demanding fan base. For every high point there is a low: beat Georgia in 2024, then lose to Vanderbilt the next week; make the playoff last year and win a game, then get blown out by Indiana to erase that progress; roar to a 5–0 start with a rocket offense, then score 27 total points the next two games.
The Keelon Russell hype train has jumped the tracks after erratic performances the last two games. He had three turnovers against the Volunteers and is now up to eight on the season (four interceptions, four fumbles lost). The first-year starter’s upside remains tremendous, but there might need to be more routine good plays instead of searching for the hero play. Russell’s best friend through the first six games was a reliable rushing attack, then that was stuffed by Tennessee (26 carries for 54 yards, including five sacks of Russell).
Road ahead: Only one ranked opponent remains—at LSU on Nov. 7, in what could be a playoff elimination game. The Iron Bowl is in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Crimson Tide have beaten Auburn seven straight times since Cam Newton exited college.
Playoff viability: Like Texas, the difference between two losses and three looms large. Alabama should be big Kentucky fans the rest of the way, so the 28-point win in Lexington, Ky., continues to take on added quality.
After last year’s playoff snub, the motto this season was “leave no doubt.” Well, there’s now doubt. The Fighting Irish continue to be what they were in 2025—a team capable of crushing mediocre-to-bad competition and incapable of beating good competition. They’re 16–0 in that span against teams outside the AP top 10 and 0–3 against those within the top 10, with a total losing margin in those three games of eight points.
Notre Dame fans are seething about a pass interference no-call in the end zone on the last play at BYU—and the fact that it was the last play. The Big 12 admitted a clock error, ending the game when one second should have remained for the Irish to run another play. They also seethed last year about an uncalled holding penalty on Texas A&M on the deciding play of a one-point loss. But guess what? Part of “leaving no doubt” means winning a big game—any big game—decisively.
Road ahead: Newly christened No. 1 Miami visits South Bend on Nov. 7 for what is a massive game, and No. 23 SMU arrives two weeks later. There is no USC game at the end of the season, thanks to the Trojans.
Playoff viability: Notre Dame has to win at least one of its two remaining games against ranked opponents, and beating the Hurricanes would do a lot more for the cause than beating the Mustangs. A 10–2 Irish team is in danger of being right back where it was last year—first team out.
The huge uncertainty in Columbus, Ohio, centers on how the Buckeyes will do without injured quarterback Julian Sayin for “several weeks,” as Ryan Day said Saturday. With a fitful running game, the Buckeyes must have someone capable of getting the ball to Jeremiah Smith and the rest of an explosive receiving corps, and it’s unclear whether that someone is currently in uniform.
Freshman Luke Fahey somewhat surprisingly got the emergency backup reps at Indiana and was 0 for 2 passing the ball. Sophomore Tavien St. Clair was the presumed backup, but hasn’t seen game action since Sept. 19. The only good news for the Buckeyes is that this is their open week, which gives them a chance to get someone up to speed for a trip to USC on Oct. 31, and likely beyond.
Road ahead: It’s not easy. After the game against the Trojans, Ohio State hosts Oregon and No. 24 Northwestern before a trip to Nebraska and the throw-out-the-records rivalry game against Michigan.
Playoff viability: At 6–1 with a one-point road loss to Texas and a road win over Indiana, the résumé is in fine shape. But if things get sideways, the question could become whether Sayin would be back for the playoff. This could be like an NCAA basketball tournament situation, where the committee is trying to select and seed teams based on who will be available to play.
They’re O.K. But it’s fair to be a little nervous after a shaky Saturday:
The Bulldogs’ home loss to Auburn was another example of the big-win hangover effect, which has been plaguing the SEC this season. No sooner did the world come around to praising quarterback Gunner Stockton than he played his worst game of the season by far, with three crippling turnovers. But there were other issues elsewhere: Georgia was outrushed by 79 yards and committed an unwise roughing-the-passer penalty to enable Auburn’s winning field goal.
Kirby Smart’s program looked like it had outgrown its tendency to have one meltdown game a season, but this performance resembled that old trait.
Road ahead: After an off week, Georgia faces three straight ranked opponents: Florida in Atlanta; Mississippi on the road; and Missouri at home.
Playoff viability: Like other SEC teams, much better to win 10 than nine. Winning at Alabama should continue to resonate on the résumé—unless the Tide tank. Beating Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and Tennessee State carries very little weight.
A shocking, chaos-ridden overtime survival against Florida State instilled the first doubt in these Hurricanes. Yeah, it’s a rivalry game, but the Seminoles hadn’t won a road game since 2023 and they came much closer to winning than seemed possible. The Miami defense has some work to do after giving up season highs in points (35), yards (443) and yards per play (6.92).
Road ahead: Consecutive road games loom large Oct. 31 and Nov. 7: at respectable North Carolina and at Notre Dame. Closing with three in a row at home should keep the undefeated Canes on course for the ACC championship game.
Playoff viability: Lose one of those two road games and they’re O.K. Lose both and it’s a problem. Win both and Miami remains strongly in the running for the overall No. 1 playoff seed.
It’s been bad. It does not appear to be getting better.
The Sooners had a one-game season in Dallas, rising up to shock Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Everything else has been misery, with a 3–3 record and a total of 36 points scored in those losses. John Mateer threw three more interceptions against Kentucky on Saturday, and the offense remains broken. Good thing for Brent Venables’s sake that he got another (largely undeserved) contract extension during the offseason.
The losing streak is now four and the victory count against power-conference competition remains at zero. Year 1 under Matt Campbell has been a slog, with quarterback Rocco Becht looking overmatched against Big Ten competition. The Iowa State skin graft hasn’t taken.
The Ducks won a horror-show home game against Nebraska, which is nice. They’re 4–2. But starting former walk-on Brock Thomas over Dylan Raiola nearly got Oregon beaten, and it took another Raiola relief performance to pull out a victory over the anti-clutch Cornhuskers. Sure, Raiola was horrible against UCLA, but starting Thomas was a strange decision by Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. Bottom line: If Dante Moore doesn’t return, Oregon’s offense is probably doomed.
Each week, The Dash selects and seeds the 12 teams who belong in the College Football Playoff as if today were Selection Sunday.
Also considered: Wake Forest, Utah, Iowa, Northwestern, Houston, SMU, LSU, USC, Alabama, Texas, Florida, James Madison, Oregon State.
Four teams have been ranked No. 1: Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Miami
Teams ranked No. 2: Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State
PODCAST: Listen to Sports Illustrated’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, hosted by Pat Forde, on Apple and. Watch the show on SI’s college YouTube channel or on SI TV.
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