We've made it through seven weeks of college football, and this one absolutely did not disappoint. From major upsets, to record-breaking games, there was a lot to take in across the country.
Here are the games that could affect the College Football Playoff scenario when the regular season comes to an end:
LSU upsets Georgia in first home meeting since 2008
Have a good Tiger Snooze tonight 🐯💤 pic.twitter.com/cf2VAYiIvk
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 14, 2018
After being upset by Florida on the road last week, LSU came out with a dominant Week 7 performance to hand Georgia its first loss, 36-16. The win tied the school record for wins against AP Top-8 teams during a single season.
The Tigers shut out the Bulldogs for two quarters, going into the half with a 16-0 lead. After allowing a touchdown by Elijah Holyfield in the third quarter, the Tigers restated their power by identifying a two-point conversion attempt and completely shutting it down.
On top of that missed opportunity, nothing seemed to align for the Bulldogs. Jake Fromm threw two interceptions, the Bulldogs couldn’t convert on fourth down, and the running attack was almost nonexistent. Freshman Justin Fields saw some playing time as Kirby Smart hoped to use his agility as a threat. But Fromm continued to keep stepping in, only to be unsure of his next moves, hold the ball too long, and get sacked. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow barreled through Georgia’s defense, putting on quite a show at home.
There’s no doubt LSU is going to soar in the rankings while Georgia will take a hit. Don’t expect Georgia to drop out of playoff contention with just this one loss — the Bulldogs still have time to prove themselves. But, if LSU can top Alabama at home on November 3, don’t count them out of CFP contention, either.
MORE: These are the remaining undefeated teams in college football
Michigan State hands Penn State its second consecutive loss
The outcome of Penn State’s game against Michigan State was a crushing, yet familiar, scene for Nittany Lions fans. Penn State still had a shot at making the Big Ten Championship and potentially making its way to the CFP even with the Ohio State loss. But a second loss to the Spartans — who locked their fate the same exact way last season — means the Lions can probably kiss their hopes of a Playoff run goodbye.
Although Michigan State wasn’t consistently dominant throughout the game, a late touchdown sealed Penn State’s fate on the night Trace McSorley became the program’s all-time leading passer.
Notre Dame barely beats Pittsburgh
The Fighting Irish almost took their first loss just hours after the College GameDay crew said they deserve to be a lock in the CFP with an undefeated season.
The Panthers scored off an 88-yard drive at the 1:26 mark into the first quarter, and the Irish were left playing catch up the rest of the game. But, a 35-yard pass from quarterback Ian Book to wide receiver Miles Boykin with just under 6 minutes left in the game lifted them to victory. This was the fourth straight game that Book recorded multiple touchdown passes.
With home wins over ranked Michigan and Stanford teams behind it and no more ranked games ahead of them, Notre Dame should be feeling pretty confident. They just can’t let many more games get this close.
MORE: These are the 15 oldest rivalries in DI college football
Michigan ends Wisconsin’s CFP hopes at The Big House
Like Penn State, the Badgers went into Week 7 with one loss behind them, but still some hope at running the table for a CFP birth. Those hopes came crashing down as Shea Patterson and company took control of the game.
Both teams went scoreless in the first quarter, then Michigan started to dominate. Wisconsin put up seven with a Kendric Pryor jet sweep touchdown to match Michigan’s first score, but things quickly fell apart from there. Alex Hornibrook went on to finish the game with two interceptions and one late touchdown pass to AJ Taylor.
Badger Dagger!
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 14, 2018
Lavert Hill Big Houses a pick return and @UMichFootball is up 31-7 in the fourth: pic.twitter.com/x7A6lOGBwK
The nail in the coffin was an interception with 10 minutes left that resulted in a 31-7 Michigan lead over the Badgers. It was the third interception Michigan turned into a touchdown this season. A final 44-yard touchdown rush by Dylan McCaffrey in the last minutes of the game were enough to get the Big House roaring with Michigan’s crushing blow over Badgers fans. Wisconsin will drop in the AP poll for the second time this season, while Michigan could break into the Top 10.
UCF pulls off comeback for 19th straight win
UCF almost snapped its own record for the nation’s longest win streak, but came back for a one-point victory. Going into the half down 30-17, it looked like the Knights might be handed their first loss in eighteen games. However, they bounced back, shutting out the Tigers in the second half while scoring 14 more points of their own. UCF could expect to rise slightly in the rankings after some Week 7 upsets in the Top 25.
And once again, we’re back to wondering if the Knights are going to make the CFP. They probably would have been dismissed from that conversation with a Memphis loss. But with the victory, and the fact that the CFP director said “there is a path” for UCF to the CFP, Knights fans have another reason to be happy.
Alabama rolls over Missouri, briefly loses Tua Tagavailoa
Alabama fans were probably a bit surprised to see their Tide give up 10 points to Missouri in the first quarter. They got focused from there out, allowing no more points from the Tigers while racking up a total of 39 themselves.
There was cause for concern for a while there, while quarterback Tua Tagavailoa went out with a knee injury. He entered the game with a knee sprain, but played fine on it until the third quarter. During a scramble, Tagavailoa tweaked it again, and went to the medical tent as Jalen Hurts replaced him. However, Nick Saban confirmed after the game that Tagavailoa is OK, and you should expect to see him back.
The Tide shoul remain in the No. 1 spot of the AP poll, especially with No. 2 Georgia’s loss to LSU. The Tide face the Tigers for themselves on November 3, which should prove to be their biggest test before a conference title game that should lead into yet another CFP birth.
West Virginia falls for first time this season
The Mountaineers aren’t in the spot they imagined coming out of the Iowa State night game. Facing a Cyclones team clad in all-black uniforms, West Virginia let what could have been a win slip away. The No. 6 Mountaineers went scoreless in the second half, only notching one touchdown from each of the first quarters. Iowa State, on the other hand, scored 10 points in the second half to lift the victory margin to 30-14.
Although this is West Virginia’s first loss of the season, it holds more weight given the Mountaineers were forced to cancel a game during Hurricane Florence. This gives the CFP committee one less game to determine West Virginia’s worth, no matter how well they might play for the rest of the season. Expect them to drop out of the AP Top 10, and don’t buy your plane ticket to watch them in the CFP just yet.
