CFB Blitz: Georgia's statement headlines Week 10 takeaways

The weekly CFB Blitz is the spot to catch up on the most important developments from the day's action and examine their significance moving forward.

Notre Dame's probably a CFP lock

Entering 2026, we circled two games on Notre Dame's schedule that would decide if it made the CFP this year or not: at BYU and home against Miami. After falling on their face to the Cougars - a loss that looks worse after BYU suffered its second loss of the season Saturday - the Irish rebounded to outlast the top-ranked Hurricanes and likely secure a CFP berth barring a late-season disaster. Outside of that information, we didn't really learn too much about Notre Dame that we didn't already know going into the matchup.

We already knew CJ Carr was an elite quarterback, something he proves on a weekly basis for the Irish offense. Carr lit up the injury-plagued Canes' secondary for 319 yards and three scores. We knew the Irish struggle to run the ball against top defensive units, something we saw again with only 93 rushing yards on Miami. Notre Dame has now averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry against Wisconsin, BYU, and the Hurricanes this season.

We were clear that the defense has elite talent, but can also get beat through the air at times. Bear Bachmeier showed that earlier this season and Darian Mensah's second half proved it once again - even without Malachi Toney. However, the defense rose when it needed to and broke up the potential game-tying touchdown in the end zone.

Another thing we know that Notre Dame has played a role in is that the 2026 season is on pace to be one of the most chaotic ever.

Is Notre Dame a top-5 team in the country right now? Probably not. But it's definitely a top-12 program and will likely claim a deserved spot in the playoff after Saturday's important victory.

Georgia stakes claim to No. 1

In a season filled with endless upsets, Georgia's home loss to Auburn remains the most puzzling we've seen. Outside of that mind-blowing loss to the Tigers, the Bulldogs are just about the biggest guarantee in the sport. That was certainly the case Saturday, as Kirby Smart's team turned a blockbuster top-10 matchup into an absolute blowout at Ole Miss. The 42-7 triumph by Georgia represents the second-largest road win over a top-10 opponent in the CFP era.

It was vintage Smart from the opening kickoff, with the combo of a dominant rushing attack and swarming defense sucking all the life out of both the stadium and the Rebels. Georgia sacked Trinidad Chambliss five times and pressured him on 33% of his dropbacks. Ole Miss finished with 252 total yards of offense - 43 fewer than the 295 yards the Bulldogs had on the ground alone.

With Miami's close loss to Notre Dame, you can expect Georgia to be the new No. 1 in the CFP rankings on Tuesday. Oh, and that Auburn team that somehow beat the Bulldogs in Athens? They barely escaped a fifth loss on the season with a late field goal to beat Arkansas on Saturday.

Stay weird, 2026 college football season. Stay weird.

It somehow got uglier for Michigan

Ohio State's misery brought brief euphoria to Michigan fans before another putrid offensive performance robbed them of any joy late Saturday night. The Wolverines' offense has struggled all season, but the unit hit a new low against Michigan State, allowing Pat Fitzgerald to notch his first Big Ten win with the Spartans after starting 0-5 in conference play. The worst part? Michigan State didn't even need to score a touchdown to do it.

Five field goals were the only points Michigan State needed to earn a 15-6 win. The result marked Michigan's first loss without allowing a touchdown since 1986, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

For the Wolverines, the gulf between the two sides of the ball continues to be as big as we've seen in decades. Their defense is operating at a title-winning level, while their offense would struggle to score 20 against air. Michigan's defense has allowed zero regulation touchdowns in its past two home games, but the team somehow lost both contests.

The only thing keeping the outcome from being worse for Michigan fans was a late touchdown in the fourth quarter that ensured Michigan State wouldn't shut out its rival for the first time since 1967. The Wolverines have now been held scoreless in the first half of three straight home games despite paying Jason Beck more than any other offensive coordinator in college football.

With nothing to lose, Oregon is dangerous

Two teams walked off the field in Columbus with three losses on their record and their starting quarterback out for the season. However, the vibes around Oregon are significantly better than Ohio State, thanks in large part to a pair of massive gambles by Dan Lanning late in the second quarter.

First, the Ducks pulled off one of the best fake punts you'll ever see. And they didn't just convert the first down; Oregon gained 30 yards on the play and eventually scored on the drive.

Lanning took another risk on the next possession as the ball sat on Ohio State's 2-yard line with two seconds left in the first half. A field goal would have made it 14-13 in favor of the Buckeyes. Most coaches would've chosen that option. However, Oregon's a three-loss team that came into the year with national title hopes but now has nothing to lose. So, Lanning didn't just roll the dice; he did so with one of the wackiest plays of the year.

Those gambles were part of an epic run of 38 straight points by Oregon, the fifth-most unanswered points allowed by the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium since it opened in 1922, according to ESPN.

Lanning told CBS Sports' Jenny Dell postgame that the team's motto for the game was to "rip the script," and he certainly did that in turning the contest on its head in the second quarter. Expect more of that aggression going forward for the Ducks.

"I can't let this team not be who they are," Lanning said. "That's who we are. We gotta do that consistently."

Sayin was the fixer for Ohio State

Julian Sayin might just be the most important college football player of the past decade. With Sayin in the lineup, Ohio State was the most explosive team in the country and a serious threat to win the national championship. Without Sayin on the field, the Buckeyes have now lost back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since 2011 and have three losses in the same year for the first time under Ryan Day.

Ohio State hasn't just lost without Sayin, its had its doors blown off by USC and Oregon. Don't be fooled by two touchdowns in the final 3:25 by the Buckeyes, that simply put lipstick on the pig that was the Buckeyes' disastrous showing against the Ducks. After a 14-0 start, Ohio State went over 40 minutes of game time without scoring. Luke Fahey may end up being a solid quarterback for the Buckeyes, but he's simply not good enough right now to be the starter for any Big Ten team, let alone the most talented.

After going up 14-0, the Buckeyes put up 74 yards total on their eight drives. Snaps sailed over Fahey's head, the running game was non-existent, he missed open receivers, and Jeremiah Smith started yelling at the sidelines.

Sayin's absence hasn't just affected the offense, as the added pressure on the defense has caused it to burst like an overworked pipe. Oregon's 41 points are the second-most allowed by a Day-coached team and the 38 straight conceded were the most coughed up by Ohio State since 1999.

If Sayin suffered a season-ending injury last season, the Buckeyes could have leaned on Lincoln Kienholz to lead the offense. However, he left in the offseason and is now lighting up scoreboards with Louisville. Tavien St. Clair's lack of development has left Fahey to shoulder the load and that's a decision that has put Ohio State in unchartered territory under Day.

CFP committee was right about Alabama

Admit it, you laughed and shook your head when Alabama was listed at No. 5 in the initial CFP rankings earlier this week. Despite already suffering two losses on the season, the Crimson Tide were once again the object of the committee's affection. They were placed above of a number of teams with equal or better records, including Tennessee, which beat them by 16 two weeks ago. Turns out, the committee might have been right.

If your team is facing Kalen DeBoer fresh off his bye week, you're better off making other plans that day. With Saturday's 31-13 blowout on the road at LSU, DeBoer improved to a perfect 9-0 in his career following a bye. That speaks to his elite ability to thoroughly prepare for opponents when given extra time. The victory also brought him to 3-0 versus the Tigers during his Alabama tenure.

DeBoer certainly isn't a one-man show in Tuscaloosa, and both of his coordinators - Ryan Grubb and Kane Wommack - were on their A-game Saturday. The Tigers put up 457 yards but needed 81 plays to do so, as the Tide opted for a bend-but-don't-break approach on defense. That strategy worked to perfection, with LSU going 5-for-14 on third downs and 0-for-4 on fourth downs. The Tigers' inability to extend drives simply doomed them.

Grubb cooked on offense, as he clearly identified areas to exploit LSU during the bye week. Tight end Josh Ford and wide receiver Cederian Morgan entered the game with four catches combined on the season, but both players caught touchdowns in the second half on wide-open scheme plays.

This season has returned some wild upsets and shocking finishes, but Alabama should get through Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Auburn to finish the year 10-2. That scenario will put the Crimson Tide in the CFP once again, regardless of whether they make the SEC title game.

Honeymoon is really over for Lane

Sure, LSU lost by 18 points at home to a bitter rival, but at least the celebrity-filled Tiger Walk was cool, right?

We are now nine games into Lane Kiffin's tenure at LSU, and with three losses on the board, it's safe to say the honeymoon is truly over in Baton Rouge. There was plenty of good from the contest versus Alabama, notably an offense that outgained its opponent 457-285. However, those aren't the numbers on the scoreboard, and when you go 0-for-4 on 4th-down gambles, big yardage totals don't mean anything.

LSU has now played three teams that were inside the top 25 in the first edition of the CFP rankings - Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Alabama. The Tigers lost all three. While there's certainly no shame in losing to top teams, that's not why the school paid Kiffin $91 million over 7 years to leave Ole Miss.

LSU's CFP hopes hang by a thread and the challenge doesn't get any easier going forward. A home game against No. 7 Texas and a road contest at No. 13 Tennessee awaits. Given the previous performance against ranked opponents, it's probably a safe bet the Lane Train won't be pulling into the playoff station this year.

Don't mess with November Arch

If the college football season started Nov. 1, Arch Manning would be the best player in the country. He left plenty to be desired with his play early last year and occasionally struggled during the first two months of this season. However, once the calendar flips to November, Manning morphs into a quarterback worthy of the hype surrounding him.

Manning's latest November masterpiece - 297 yards passing and three touchdowns - came Saturday in a win at No. 18 Missouri. He's now 5-1 all time in starts after Oct. 31. He's also averaged 277 yards passing while sporting a ridiculous 14-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in those outings.

While Steve Sarkisian and Manning may look disconnected for large portions of time, it's clear that the more tape there is to study and experience to draw on, the better the quarterback and the offense play.

The victory is Texas' fourth versus ranked competition this season - an important statistic in the eye of the College Football Playoff committee. It also gives the Longhorns an important safety net heading into next week's meeting with LSU. Even a road loss in Death Valley likely won't eliminate Texas from the 12-team field given its strength of schedule.

Utah puts Bear down in Holy War win

What was perhaps the most important iteration of the Holy War rivalry didn't disappoint. Saturday's matchup between BYU and Utah featured six turnovers, over 700 yards of total offense, and two 14-0 runs by the Utes that sandwiched a 20-0 spurt by the Cougars. In the end, Utah's defense made the difference by putting together a turnover party during a second-half shutout. The unit forced the usually reliable Bear Bachmeier to throw four interceptions on the day. Bachmeier entered the game with only four picks on the season before being intercepted three times in the final 30 minutes Saturday.

His most consequential interception came on the goal line with a possible game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion looming.

Perhaps the most damning thing about Bachmeier's interceptions was the fact that multiple of them traveled directly to a defender. The Utes were able to disguise their coverages versus the second-year passer and force him into poor decisions. The opportunistic defense - and some clutch playmaking down the stretch from Devon Dampier - helped Utah extend the nation's longest active winning streak to 15 games. The result also essentially gives the Utes a spot in the Big 12 title game, as they now hold a two-game lead in conference play with only three contests remaining.

Unfortunately for BYU, its second-half offensive struggles are nothing new. The Cougars entered Saturday ranked 103rd nationally in second-half scoring and will surely drop further after being shut out in the final 30 minutes.

Most efficient QB ever?

You don't need an analytics team to break down the efficiency of Ty Dieffenbach's performance at Minnesota. The UCLA quarterback completed a total of three passes in the second half against the Golden Gophers on Saturday, with all three going for touchdowns. That would be impressive on its own, but two of them came on back-to-back offensive plays. Aidan Mizell was the beneficiary of both, running what appeared to be identical routes from opposite sides of the formation.

Dieffenbach finished with an outrageous line of 8 completions for 303 yards at 18.9 per attempt. That effort helped UCLA break a 10-10 tie at half and run away with a 34-20 victory to remain one of only three unbeaten teams in the country. The Bruins are now 9-0 to start a season for the first time since 1998.

Illinois, Michigan, and USC await on the schedule for first-year head coach Bob Chesney and Co., but it's looking more and more like UCLA will be a mainstay in the projected CFP field over the next few weeks.

Friday games

Nebraska

Many people make fast friends with the first person they see on move-in day at university. You frequently hang out over the semester's first month, navigating all the new experiences that come as a freshman. However, as the year progresses, you meet plenty of new people and realize that person may not actually be your best friend and was just the first person you saw. Well, that's Nebraska football under Matt Rhule.

For the third straight year, the Cornhuskers have flown out of the gates and looked like one of the top teams in the Big Ten. And just as quick, Nebraska is suffering its usual drop-off in the second half of the season as team's get more information on the Cornhuskers. Friday's loss at Illinois makes it four straight defeats to drop them down to 5-4 on the year.

• 2024: 5-1 start, finished 7-6
• 2025: 5-1 start, finished 7-6
• 2026: 5-0 start, now 5-4

The loss came with consequences for the coaching staff, only not the move most Nebraska fans probably want at this point. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen was fired Saturday, but Rhule and his enormous $63 million buyout remain. That figure makes it a virtual guarantee he's not going anywhere and only makes last year's extension in the wake of Penn State rumors look even worse.

Of course, Rhule's not the only one to struggle at Nebraska in recent memory. Anybody holding a clipboard on the sideline has had issues since Bo Pelini was fired in 2014. That might just be life in the Big Ten for the Cornhuskers, but it's probably a safe bet they could get someone else to win 7 games a season that didn't have a buyout worth $63 million.