College football's Week 10 slate lived up to its billing on Saturday, with seven games between teams ranked in the CFP top 25 setting up potentially major changes when the selection committee announces its second rankings on Tuesday night.
The primetime headliner saw Notre Dame start fast against No. 1 Miami, withstand a Hurricanes comeback and hold on behind strong fourth-quarter defense to knock off the nation's top-ranked team. The win kept the Irish's playoff hopes alive, though ESPN's Heather Dinich noted they are unlikely to vault to the top spot because of an overall schedule that held them back in the first ranking. Miami will fall out of the committee's No. 1 position but still has the clearest path of any ACC team to the conference championship game and would be a lock for a playoff spot as league champion. Its chances at a top-four seed and first-round bye, however, took a hit, and the Hurricanes could find themselves behind two-loss SEC teams Alabama and Texas on Tuesday night.
Georgia made its own case to be No. 1 with a convincing win at Ole Miss. The Bulldogs' Oct. 10 victory at Alabama looked even better after the Crimson Tide beat LSU on Saturday night, and Georgia now has the best chance to reach the SEC title game, where a rematch with Alabama is the most likely scenario. Ole Miss, saddled with a third loss, is likely to fall out of the top 12 and probably will not face another ranked opponent, leaving the Rebels needing style points against Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State plus help from teams above them.
Ohio State's convincing home loss to Oregon was among the day's most impactful results. The Buckeyes, now with three losses after back-to-back defensive collapses, will almost certainly drop out of the committee's top 12. The defeat essentially eliminates Ohio State from the playoff conversation, reshapes the Big Ten race and increases the chances of undefeated UCLA reaching the conference championship game.
Alabama validated its standing as the committee's top two-loss team by beating LSU, though Texas could also make that case after its fourth win over a CFP top-25 opponent, adding Missouri to a résumé that already included Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss. Both SEC teams could leapfrog No. 4 Indiana, which was idle on Saturday. LSU, with three losses, is under pressure to run the table against a remaining schedule of Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Tennessee likely pushed itself off the bubble and into the top 12 with a convincing triumph against Kentucky, and could even crack the top 10. The Volunteers' 26-10 win over Alabama on Oct. 17 continues to boost their résumé. Kentucky is not necessarily out as a two-loss team, but with games against Florida, Missouri and Louisville looming, the Wildcats have little margin for error.
In the rivalry spotlight, Utah survived a frantic comeback bid from BYU to earn its first win in the series since 2019. The victory kept the undefeated Utes on track for a top-four seed and a first-round bye, with road trips to Arizona and TCU ahead before a home finale against West Virginia. For BYU, a second loss could drop the Cougars out of the top 12 entirely, and with Baylor, Kansas and Cincinnati remaining, they are unlikely to face another ranked opponent during the regular season.
Undefeated UCLA beat Minnesota for its fourth road win and should remain in position to host a first-round playoff game, though the Bruins are still unlikely to pass Utah in the rankings. "I think as we looked at those two teams and evaluated them while watching their games, felt like Utah was above UCLA and just a better team when we watch them play," committee chair Hunter Yurachek said. UCLA's strength of schedule ranks No. 78, among the worst of the CFP contenders, and ESPN's FPI gives the Bruins less than a 50% chance to beat either Michigan or USC, their final two regular-season opponents.
Missouri, meanwhile, saw its playoff hopes turn dire after losing to Texas, though the Tigers still have opportunities to impress the committee in the next two weeks against Georgia and Kentucky.
