Week 7 winners and losers: Ranking the 9 remaining undefeated teams in college football

We lost six undefeated teams over the course of Week 7.

With three matchups of unbeaten teams, we knew we were going to officially end the middle week of the 2022 season with no more than 12 undefeated teams remaining. And that number officially stands at nine at the conclusion of the weekend thanks to a heartbreaking one-point loss by USC in Salt Lake City and losses by the Sun Belt's Coastal Carolina and James Madison.

With nine undefeated teams left ahead of the final six weeks of the season we figured it'd be a good time to rank them. How many of the teams on the list below will make up the playoff? Will it be all four playoff teams or just two or three? We'll find out over the final six weeks of the season.

9. Syracuse (6-0)

The Orange are bowl eligible halfway into the season and undefeated through the first six games for the first time since 1987. Syracuse moved to 6-0 on Saturday with a 24-9 win over NC State and things get tougher over the next two weeks with games against Clemson and Notre Dame. The Orange may not be undefeated for too much longer and it’s a shame they’re in the ACC Atlantic. If Syracuse was in the Coastal it would have a very good chance to make the ACC title game. Instead, it’s in the same division as Clemson, Florida State and Wake Forest.

8. Ole Miss (7-0)

The Rebels have put up 100 points over the last two weeks after a 22-19 slugfest win over Kentucky. The Rebels’ run game is fantastic as Quinshon Judkins and Zach Evans have combined to rush for over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns so far and Ole Miss has rushed the ball 339 times and thrown it just 184 times. Can Ole Miss continue that 65/35 run/pass ratio over the course of the season? The schedule has been favorable to this point too. The games against Kentucky and Auburn were at home. Three of the Rebels’ final five games are on the road and the home games are against Alabama and Mississippi State.

7. UCLA (6-0)

The Bruins entered Pac-12 play on the heels of a 1-point win over South Alabama. They blew out Colorado to open the conference slate and have scored big home wins over Washington and Utah over the course of the last two weeks. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 1,510 yards and has 19 total touchdowns while RB Zach Charbonnet is averaging over seven yards a carry. A matchup against No. 12 Oregon next week is the only game against a team above .500 before the Bruins play USC on Nov. 19.

6. TCU (6-0)

The Horned Frogs are the only undefeated team in the Big 12 and, at the moment, the only team that seems to have a shot at the playoff from the conference. There’s a long way to go, however, and the Big 12 is the deepest and most fun league in the country over the first six weeks of the season. The TCU rebound has been fueled by a three-headed offensive monster in QB Max Duggan, RB Kendre Miller and the emergence of WR Quentin Johnston as TCU has scored at least 38 points in all six of its games this season. A big game looms in Week 8 against Kansas State; TCU and KSU are the only two teams without a conference loss.

5. Clemson (7-0)

The Tigers look to be in control of the ACC Atlantic after a one-year hiatus from the ACC title game. QB D.J. Uiagalelei has improved significantly from a poor 2021 season and Will Shipley is a running back every team in college football would love to have. The defensive line is talented and deep — if everyone is healthy at the same time later this season, watch out. Syracuse is the only ranked team remaining on Clemson’s schedule too. That’s both good and bad. It increases the chances of an undefeated season for the Tigers. It also hurts Clemson’s chances of a playoff spot with a loss if there are more than four undefeated and one-loss teams at the end of the season.

4. Tennessee (6-0)

The Volunteers have finally climbed Nick Saban Mountain after a 52-49 win on Saturday to get their first win over an Alabama team coached by Saban. The Tennessee offense can put up points in a hurry; just ask Alabama’s secondary. Hendon Hooker threw five TDs to Jalin Hyatt on Saturday as the UT offense ran 70 plays for 567 yards in just 22 minutes. After a breather against Tennessee-Martin in Week 8, the Vols get Kentucky and Georgia in back-to-back games that will determine the course of their season. And Tennessee is going to likely have to win them both to make the SEC title game for the first time since 2007.

3. Michigan (7-0)

The Wolverines bludgeoned Penn State on Saturday in a 41-17 win. Penn State was overmatched in nearly every facet of the game as Michigan ran for 418 yards and four touchdowns on 55 carries. Michigan’s schedule hasn’t been the toughest but the defense has allowed more than 17 points just once through seven games and there isn’t a noticeable drop-off after a change in defensive coordinators and the departures of Aidan Hutchinson and Dax Hill to the NFL. With games against Michigan State, Rutgers and Nebraska over the next four weeks, Michigan looks poised to be 10-0 ahead of games against a ranked Illinois team and the season finale against Ohio State.

2. Georgia (7-0)

The Bulldogs have snapped out of their funk. After struggling a little too much with Kent State and then needing a late comeback to beat a Missouri team tied for last in the SEC East, Georgia has won its last two games by a combined score of 97-10. Granted, those games were against Auburn and Vanderbilt, but this is the Georgia that we’ve come to expect. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win the SEC and get back to the College Football Playoff again and should get Jalen Carter back from injury soon. It also helps that Georgia gets Tennessee at home in a game on Nov. 5 that could be for both the playoff and a spot in the SEC title game.

1. Ohio State (6-0)

The Buckeyes were off on Sunday after cruising through the first half of the season. The Buckeyes have won their three Big Ten games by a combined score of 150-51 and those blowouts have come largely without the services of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He has just four catches for 36 yards and hasn’t played since Week 3. Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. have stepped up in his absence and QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for 24 TDs and three interceptions and is completing 70% of his passes. The offense is just as good as it was a year ago and the defense looks a lot better after the addition of former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Here are this week's winners and losers:

WINNERS

Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt: Along with Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt will forever be a Tennessee legend for his performance in Saturday’s win over Alabama. Hooker threw five touchdown passes, and all five went to Hyatt. He caught touchdowns of 36 and 11 yards in the first quarter, 60 yards in the third quarter and then 78 and 13 yards in the fourth. The 78-yarder gave Tennessee the lead and the 13-yarder tied the score at 49-49 with 3:26 left in regulation. In all, Hyatt caught six passes for 207 yards in a legendary performance that was Peyton Manning approved.

Michigan RBs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards: Corum and Edwards were unstoppable in Michigan’s 41-17 victory over Penn State. The two combined for 339 yards and four touchdowns on 44 carries. That’s 7.7 yards per carry for the duo. Edwards had a career high 173 yards in the win while Corum went for 166 yards. After PSU took a 17-16 lead early in the second half, Edwards reeled off a 67-yard touchdown run before Corum had a 61-yard touchdown. Those plays summed up a dominant day for the Wolverines in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Clemson: It looks like Clemson is kicking into high gear. The Tigers were short road favorites at Florida State on Saturday and things were tight early before they seized control late in the first half. In the final two minutes of the second quarter, Clemson turned a game that was tied 14-14 into a 24-14 halftime lead. Clemson then scored again in the first minute of the second half, and it was too much for FSU to overcome in an eventual 34-28 victory. Now 7-0, Clemson has won 13 consecutive games and is back to looking like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.

Utah: On a night where they were honoring two fallen teammates, the Utes pulled out a thrilling 43-42 win over previously unbeaten USC at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah quarterback Cam Rising scored a fourth-down touchdown with 48 seconds remaining in regulation to cut USC's lead to 42-41. Instead of tying the game, Kyle Whittingham kept the offense on the field for a two-point conversion. Rising kept it once again to put the Utes in front. From there, a defense that had been torn apart by USC all night, got the stop it needed to preserve the win. Rising threw for 415 yards, rushed for 60 yards and had five combined touchdowns in the win. Dalton Kincaid had a monster game as well with 16 catches, 234 yards and a score.

Ole Miss: Ole Miss is 7-0 for just the second time since 1962. The Rebels were dominant on the ground in a 48-34 win over Auburn on Saturday, posting a whopping 448 rushing yards and snapping a six-game losing streak to the Tigers. Lane Kiffin made a gutsy call to assure victory. With his team up 31-24 in the third, the Rebels successfully recovered an onside kick, leading to another touchdown. Five of Ole Miss’ seven games so far this season have been at home, but now Kiffin’s Rebels will enter an extremely challenging stretch, beginning at LSU next weekend. From there, the Rebels go to Texas A&M, host Alabama, travel to Arkansas and then get a visit from rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

Illinois: Illinois is officially the favorite in the Big Ten West. The Fighting Illini improved to 6-1 with an impressive 26-14 home win over Minnesota on Saturday. Chase Brown, the nation’s leading rusher, was a workhorse yet again. Brown rushed for 180 yards on 41 carries to help his team win its fifth consecutive game. There were a lot of injury questions for Illinois entering the game, but QB Tommy DeVito and several other starters considered questionable during the week were able to suit up. Now the Illini enter the bye week with a 3-1 record in conference play. Bret Bielema, who is now 9-0 against Minnesota as a head coach, is doing a wonderful job in his second season in Champaign.

Syracuse: Syracuse won 10 games back in 2018 but had just 11 wins combined over the past three seasons. Dino Babers’ job status looked shaky at best. But things have changed since then. The Orange beat NC State 24-9 on Saturday to improve to 6-0 and clinch bowl eligibility. Syracuse is 6-0 for just the third time since 1935 and will have a huge chance to show it’s for real next week when it visits Clemson for an ACC Atlantic showdown.

Kentucky: Kentucky bounced back in a big way. Having Will Levis back in the lineup at quarterback helped that cause, of course. Without Levis, Kentucky struggled mightily in last week's loss to South Carolina. This week, the Wildcats upset Mississippi State at home 27-17. MSU was playing at a high level, but UK limited the Bulldogs' high-powered offense to only 220 yards. Kentucky has a bye next week before a big trip to Tennessee on Oct. 29.

Oklahoma: It wasn’t always pretty, but Oklahoma found a way to get back in the win column. With Dillon Gabriel back in the lineup at quarterback, the Sooners had 701 yards of offense in a 52-42 victory over No. 19 Kansas that snapped a three-game losing streak. Gabriel threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns while Eric Gray rushed for 176 yards and two scores. OU had three turnovers and allowed Kansas to score 42 points with its backup quarterback, but it was still a step in the right direction for a team that needed some positivity after getting blasted 49-0 by Texas. OU is now 4-3 entering a bye week.

Colorado: The final winless team in the FBS is winless no more. Colorado fired Karl Dorrell after a lifeless 0-5 start and then had a bye week to change some things under interim coach Mike Sanford Jr. The result was a spirited effort in a 20-13 overtime victory over Cal. Despite the terrible start to the season, the Buffs still got plenty of support from the home crowd in Boulder. And once the final whistle sounded, the fans joined the Buffs on the field to celebrate.

Tulane: Tulane is going to play a part in this AAC title race. The Green Wave beat South Florida 45-31 on Saturday to improve to 6-1 on the year with a 3-0 mark in conference play. The Green Wave, who posted a big upset over Kansas State earlier this year, had 561 yards of offense in the win. Tulane is the lone 3-0 team in the AAC at this point in the season. Cincinnati and UCF are both 2-0 and Tulane has both the Bearcats and Knights on the schedule in November. Next week, Tulane will host Memphis before a bye week.

LOSERS

Alabama: Alabama showed earlier this year that it has some flaws and Tennessee was ready to expose them. The Vols carved up the Crimson Tide for 567 yards in a monumental 52-49 victory in Knoxville. Alabama just had no answers for Tennessee’s passing attack as Hendon Hooker carved up the Tide secondary for 385 yards and five touchdowns. It was the most points Alabama has ever allowed during Nick Saban’s historic tenure as head coach. Alabama needs to turn the page quickly with No. 22 Mississippi State coming to Tuscaloosa next week. It could be a huge game in the SEC West.

Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State let a major opportunity slip away. In a battle of Big 12 unbeatens with TCU, the Cowboys had an early 24-7 lead and then a 30-16 advantage entering the fourth quarter. With the offense going into a shell throughout the second half, Oklahoma State proceeded to blow that lead and then lose 43-40 in double overtime, leaving TCU as the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12. OSU still can play a major part in the conference title race, but this was a significant setback.

Penn State: PSU was exposed on Saturday in Ann Arbor. Coming off a bye, the Nittany Lions had a chance to pull off an upset over Michigan. Instead, James Franklin's team got dominated in a 41-17 loss. Both teams entered the game undefeated but Michigan looked like it was in a completely different league. PSU mustered only 268 yards of offense while getting gashed for a whopping 418 rushing yards. It was an ugly showing for a program that has backslid in the Big Ten hierarchy in recent years. Now 5-1, PSU has the chance to get right at home vs. Minnesota next week for the annual whiteout game.

Notre Dame: After an 0-2 start, things were looking up for Notre Dame after wins over Cal, North Carolina and BYU. That momentum came to a crashing halt on Saturday. The Irish were upset at home by Stanford, a team that had lost 11 consecutive games vs. FBS opponents. It was ugly. In the 16-14 loss, Notre Dame didn't score until the 6:22 mark of the third quarter. The Irish actually took a 14-13 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, but Stanford responded with a field goal and held on for the win thanks to a fumble by Notre Dame RB Audric Estime deep in Stanford territory. Notre Dame is now 3-3 in its first season under Marcus Freeman. He's got a lot of work to do.

Wisconsin: The honeymoon for Jim Leonhard was short-lived. Wisconsin demolished Northwestern in Leonhard’s first game after the surprising firing of Paul Chryst. But on Saturday, the Badgers were upset on the road by a reeling Michigan State team 34-28 in double overtime. MSU had lost its previous four games all by a double-digit margin, but the Spartans’ usually leaky defense limited Wisconsin to just 283 yards of offense. UW was able to force overtime with a fourth-and-goal touchdown with 2:04 to play, but MSU prevailed in 2OT after a Wisconsin fumble. The Badgers dropped to 3-4 on the year and this loss won’t feature prominently on Leonhard’s resume as he campaigns for the full-time job.

Florida: The Gators allowed over 500 yards of offense in a 45-35 home loss to LSU on Saturday. LSU QB Jayden Daniels threw for 349 yards and three scores while rushing for three other TDs as the Tigers scored touchdowns on their first six drives of the game. Florida made a late comeback attempt and cut LSU’s lead to seven in the fourth quarter before a field goal with less than two minutes to go ended Florida’s chances of a comeback. The Gators enter their pre-Cocktail Party bye week at 4-3 and will be significant underdogs to No. 1 Georgia in two weeks.

Iowa State: The Cyclones are 3-4 after a 24-21 loss to Texas on Saturday. Iowa State took a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter and had a chance to take the lead again but Xavier Hutchinson dropped a wide-open pass inside the Texas 10 and then Hunter Dekkers fumbled on an extremely hard hit. Dekkers also threw a costly interception in the end zone in the first half. ISU’s four losses have all come in the last four weeks and have been by a combined 14 points. The Cyclones may be on pace to be the tough luck team of 2022, though don’t be surprised when they pull off an upset somewhere in the second half of the season.

Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers entered this weekend with a 6-0 record, but they had won by narrow margins against some bad teams. Those fortunes flipped on Saturday as Old Dominion trounced the Chanticleers 49-21. ODU, coming off a bye, had 525 yards of offense, including 324 rushing yards. This Coastal Carolina team is nowhere near as good as it has been in the past two seasons.

Marshall: Remember when Marshall upset Notre Dame in South Bend? Well, the Thundering Herd are just 1-3 since and the lone win during that span came over an FCS opponent. In fact, two of the team’s three wins came vs. FCS teams. The other came over the Fighting Irish. Go figure. Marshall (now 3-3) was a 10-point home favorite over Louisiana on Wednesday night but fell 23-13. The Thundering Herd went 1-of-11 on third down, missed a field goal, had two turnovers and twice turned it over on downs.

James Madison: JMU’s time in the Top 25 is about to come to an end. JMU cracked the rankings at No. 25 thanks to a 5-0 start in its first season at the FBS level, but the Dukes’ undefeated run came to an end on Saturday. JMU fell 45-38 on the road to Georgia Southern despite putting up 675 yards of offense. It was a wild second half. JMU had a 24-14 lead, fell behind 34-24 and then went ahead 38-37 with 2:28 to play. Georgia Southern responded with the winning TD a minute later and sealed things by intercepting JMU’s Todd Centeio for the third time.

Akron: With the game tied 21-21 with 2:00 to go, Akron was driving with the chance to beat Central Michigan. Instead, disaster struck. With the ball at the CMU 33, DJ Irons and Clyde Price III had a botched exchange on an RPO play. The ball bounced loose and CMU’s Thomas Incoom picked it up and ran 63 yards for the winning touchdown. The Zips are now 1-6 in their first season under Joe Moorhead, but three of those losses came by single-digit margins.