College Sports
SEC upsets add pressure to the college-football playoff race
Auburn, Florida and Tennessee changed the SEC contenders’ records on Saturday; the results do not settle Sunday’s poll or the final playoff field.
By NewsCubby Editorial Desk · Published
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Auburn, Florida and Tennessee delivered a difficult Saturday for three leading SEC teams, giving the conference’s playoff contenders less room for another setback. That is an assessment of their position after completed games, not a new playoff ranking.
Auburn beat top-ranked Georgia 27–24 in Athens on October 17. Georgia’s official notes put the Bulldogs at 6–1 overall and 4–1 in the SEC, after a late fumble helped set up the winning field goal. Auburn ended a nine-game losing streak in the rivalry.
Florida won 27–24 at Texas with redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. making his first college start for injured quarterback Aaron Philo. Tennessee beat Alabama 26–10, holding the Crimson Tide scoreless after halftime.
The results change the records that teams carry into the rest of the season. They do not establish Sunday’s AP poll or a final CFP field. The College Football Playoff still describes a 12-team bracket. Its October 15 statement said discussions with ESPN about a potential 24-team format were continuing; it did not announce adoption. NCAA reporting and the CFP’s selection process should not be treated as the same organization or decision.
Sources and photo credit
- University of Georgia Athletics - Chris Harry / Florida Gators - University of Tennessee Athletics - College Football Playoff
Photo: “Sanford Stadium Whiteout” by BullDawg2021, photographed September 12, 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Original photograph and attribution. The cover respects the original orientation, crops the photo and adds NewsCubby text and a contrast gradient. This archive image does not depict the October 17 games. No endorsement is implied.