PROVO, UT - OCTOBER 17: Fans flood the field after the Brigham Young Cougars upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PROVO, UT - OCTOBER 17: Fans flood the field after the Brigham Young Cougars upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images · Getty Images

With all the change happening in college football over the last five years, especially with NIL, the transfer portal, and ever-growing conferences, sometimes it feels like the sport has lost its magic. But it is important to remember that no matter how much money TV executives make or wealthy boosters throw at players for NIL, this is still a sport played by (mostly) 18-22 year olds. Chaos always finds a way.

Five of the top seven ranked teams lost on Saturday to shake up the playoff picture. After Week 7, my projected field is as follows:

  • P4 Champions: Miami, Ohio State, Georgia, BYU
  • G6 Leader: James Madison
  • At-Larges: Notre Dame, Indiana, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, Tennessee
  • Outside Looking In: Kentucky, Alabama, Houston, Iowa, USC

Some notes from Week 7:

  • I am torn between James Madison and Boise State as the G6 leader. JMU’s schedule is one of the weakest in the country, but Boise State has one loss already and is more likely to drop a second game than JMU is to lose once. Right now, I will put JMU in the spot, but if the Dukes lose a game, that is likely curtains for them with their weak schedule.
  • The Big 12 is the biggest winner of the week. BYU, Utah, and Texas Tech all remain unbeaten, and Houston is still in the hunt with just one loss. The Holy War looms on November 7, and Utah will host Houston this Saturday. There is a strong possibility that the Big 12 gets multiple teams in the playoff. BYU has a signature win over Notre Dame on their resume that will be a safety net should the Cougars lose to someone other than Utah.
  • The SEC has a logjam of teams around the bubble right now but it will not last because most of these teams have games remaining against each other. Texas and LSU are on life support and still have a game left against each other. Alabama has a decent chance of making the field if they win out, but they do not have any margin for error. Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Kentucky are the only teams left in the conference with only one loss.
  • UCLA and Texas Tech have favorable remaining schedules, although UCLA has lost its starting quarterback for the season. Bubble teams are hoping for a loss for either (or both) of them.

Source: Yahoo Sports