The past two weeks of College Football have been more than expected. 14 different Top 25 teams have fallen, and the AP Poll has shaken dramatically. With the number of upsets, teams are now scrambling to pave their way back into the top spots and make cases for the College Football Playoffs. 

In case you missed the chaos, here's a breakdown of what occurred in Weeks 7 and 8.

 

Week 7: 

Week 7 was arguably one of the craziest weeks of College Football yet. From morning to night, a plethora of upsets and close games updated headlines and turned TVs on.  

11 AM:  

The morning slate headlined with Ohio State going to Bloomington to take on the reigning Indiana Hoosiers. This game wasn’t fully decided until the fourth quarter, when Ohio State’s offense was able to do just enough, with quarterback Julian Sayin leading the charge. Although Indiana had a chance at the end of the game to escape with a Top 5 win, they were just inches away after a Nick Marsh toe tap in the endzone, but the play was called incomplete on fourth down.  

 

The Texas Longhorns entered their matchup coming off a loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and were in desperate need of a win against a tough Florida Gators team, who were also coming off a loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. However, the large Longhorns crowd was silenced very quickly after the Gators went on a very quick start. And that start wasn’t just a fluke for the Gators; they continued the momentum for the entire game, with backup quarterback Tramell Jones and running back Jadan Baugh leading the charge for the Gators. Texas was able to claw their way back into the game, but a fumble late in the game gave the last chomp to the Gators. 

 

2:30 PM:  

The Alabama Crimson Tide come into Neyland Stadium off a difficult loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, looking to get a major Top 15 road win. The Volunteers, however, had more to prove after a questionable win on the road versus the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Tide have struggled in Neyland Stadium in recent years, losing their last two battles in Neyland. That remained evident as the Tide could not move the ball all game against Tennessee’s pressure on the defensive line. The Volunteers leaned heavily on the run game, with running back DeSean Bishop rushing for 159 yards off 32 carries. This would give the Volunteers enough to secure another home win against the Tide.  

 

The biggest story of the entire day came in Athens, Georgia. The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs took on the Auburn Tigers, led by new head coach Alex Golesh. This game was heavily favored by the Bulldogs, coming off a big road win against the Alabama Crimson Tide before a bye week. The Tigers had extra time to prepare for this one and were looking to do the impossible. The Bulldogs came out red hot and made it seem like this game was closed after the first quarter. However, it was all Tigers after that, who came back and scored 24 unanswered points to take a 24-14 lead. The Bulldogs tied things up late, but an Alex McPherson field goal in the last seconds gave Auburn the upset win against the Bulldogs. 

 

6:30 PM:

All eyes were set on Provo, Utah, as the BYU Cougars were set to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a top 10 showdown. Both teams came into this game with undefeated seasons, but each had their tough battle until that night. BYU jumped on the Irish early, but the Irish were able to fight back. After a 21-10 halftime lead for the Cougars, the Irish were able to storm back and take a lead. But the Cougars had just enough to get one more score and secure a major Top 10 win. 

There was a great deal of chaos in Week 7, but Week 8 had a storm of its own brewing as more dramatic events unfolded.

Week 8: 

11 AM: 
Cincinnati pulled off one of Week 8's biggest upsets, taking down Texas Tech 37–24. The Bearcats controlled the game and took advantage of opportunities against a highly ranked opponent. Texas Tech struggled to keep pace, suffering a damaging loss that could hurt its Big 12 and College Football Playoff hopes. Cincinnati made a major statement that it could compete with the best teams in the country.

With the Red Raiders showing a lack on the defensive end, and now out of the Top 12, the Red Raiders need some momentum to get themselves back in the College Football Playoff conversation. They have a big opportunity going into Week 9, taking on the Arizona Wildcats.

2:30 PM:

UCF delivered one of the biggest surprises of the weekend, upsetting No. 2 BYU 39–31 in double overtime. BYU entered the matchup as one of the nation's top teams, but UCF refused to back down and made the plays necessary to pull off the upset. The Knights came through when it mattered most, while BYU suffered a heartbreaking loss that significantly changed its playoff outlook.

BYU, after getting a big win against the Fighting Irish the week before, is now in some water after losing to the Knights. Although BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier has looked well throughout the season, he will need to keep this team on the winning side to keep them on track to a playoff spot.

6:30 PM:

Texas earned a huge 34–27 victory over Ole Miss in a primetime showdown. Both teams battled throughout the game, but Texas made the plays needed to secure the win. Ole Miss had a chance to tie the game with a Hail Mary on the final play, but Texas intercepted the pass in the end zone to seal the victory. It was a massive win for Texas and a tough setback for Ole Miss's playoff hopes.

Ole Miss, now sitting at two losses, needs to win out the rest of their games to have a shot at the playoffs. However, that will be a hard task, with Georgia and Oklahoma on the road waiting for them.

9:15 PM:

Utah finished Week 8 with a hard-fought 21–13 victory over Houston in a late-night Big 12 matchup. Houston put up a fight and kept the game competitive, but Utah's defense stepped up when it mattered most. The Utes limited Houston's scoring opportunities and made enough plays offensively to protect their lead. It was an important win for Utah as it continued building momentum toward the College Football Playoff.

The Utes are one of the few teams still undefeated this year, but will go on the road and play the Cincinnati Bearcats, who just upset Texas Tech. Houston will also play the Bearcats, but in the remaining three games scheduled, they are favored to win.

With everything that occurred in Weeks 7 and 8, one thing is for certain: every team is fighting to keep their season alive or make a statement to the rest of college football.