Week 7 of the NCAA college football season resulted in, by far, the most shocking upsets yet in 2013. Two teams slipped out of the top ten rankings, allowing some unbeaten schools to step into the national title picture.
Stanford fell from No. 5 to thirteen after a shocking road loss to unranked Utah. Stanford’s defense has shown signs of weakness against teams with a balanced offense and will likely experience another loss in the coming weeks. The Cardinals will face their most imminent threat to their title hopes when they host ninth ranked UCLA in week 8. Unlike the Cardinals, the Bruins managed to come away from Salt Lake City with a win this season.
The Georgia Bulldogs, previously ranked No. 7, saw their national championship dreams shattered on their home turf by the Missouri Tigers. Many Bulldog fans blame an injury riddled offense for the lackluster performance, but their feeble defense remains the true culprit. The Tigers wrapped up their first signature SEC win and jumped one spot in front of the Bulldogs in the latest AP polls, which place them at No. 14.
Texas accounted for another surprising victory in week seven. The Longhorns met up with the Oklahoma Sooners in the famous ‘Red River Rivalry.’ The games have been one sided in recent years in Oklahoma’s favor, but the Longhorns proved why it is one of the most exciting yearly matchups in college football.
Two ACC teams now sit in the top five, but only one will remain after week eight. No. 3 Clemson will face No. 5 Florida State at Death Valley in a bout that will have huge implications in BCS standings. Both teams will still have a rocky road ahead of them after week eight. The Seminoles also have No. 10 Miami and Florida remaining on their schedule. Clemson will meet up against bitter, in-state rival South Carolina in the final week of regular season action.
No. 4 Ohio State enjoyed a bye in week seven after winning a nail-biter of a game against Northwestern a week earlier. The Buckeyes are hoping for a loss from the teams ahead of them in order to improve their chances of making a trip to Pasadena, Calif. in January.
Alabama and Oregon each remain in the driver’s seat concerning an appearance in the national championship. Both teams have shown nothing but dominant performances against their opponents in 2013 and are coming closer to solidifying their spots in the final game of the season.