College football winners and losers: With Alabama’s loss, will Ohio State or Texas move to No. 1?

A team in the top two of the AP Top 25 lost for the second Saturday in a row.

A week ago, No. 4 Alabama took down No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in a rout that turned into a thriller. Saturday, Alabama was the team that got upset as the No. 1 Crimson Tide lost 40-35 at Vanderbilt. It was the Commodores’ first win over Alabama in 40 years and the school’s first-ever win over a team ranked in the top five, let alone a team ranked at No. 1.

We don’t have to tell you there will be a new No. 1 team in Sunday’s AP Top 25. That’s obvious. The two candidates are obvious too. It’ll be a surprise if either Texas or Ohio State is not at No. 1 on Sunday.

And guess what? There’s a decent chance that one of those two teams will lose in Week 7.

Texas is currently the No. 2 team and didn’t play on Saturday as it prepares for its Red River Rivalry showdown with No. 19 Oklahoma. Texas will be favored in that game, but neutral-site rivalry games can be weird. Just ask the Longhorns. No. 12 Oklahoma beat No. 3 Texas a season ago with a late touchdown. In 2022, Texas demolished Oklahoma 49-0 in a matchup of unranked teams. Four of the last five games in the Cotton Bowl Series have been won by one possession.

Texas could simply move up a spot without playing. But Ohio State could jump the Longhorns thanks to an easy 35-7 win over Iowa. The Hawkeyes were the biggest test to date for Ohio State. And, well, they were an easy test. Iowa didn’t score until the fourth quarter as Ohio State’s defense dominated and the offense kicked it into gear in the third quarter. OSU QB Will Howard threw for four touchdowns. Three went to Emeka Egbuka and the other was a one-handed catch by freshman Jeremiah Smith.

Ohio State has been very good so far this season, even if its fans have been left wanting more. The Buckeyes’ 28-point margin of victory…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-winners-and-losers-with-alabamas-loss-will-ohio-state-or-texas-move-to-no-1-011818260.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-06 01:18:18

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.