Week 7 of the college football season had plenty of hype attached, and it did not disappoint. Arguably three of the best games this season came this past weekend, from Tennessee’s shootout victory over Alabama to the OT thriller between TCU and Oklahoma State and the late-night clash that saw Utah take down USC. But how did those games and the rest of a busy slate impact the conference championship and College Football Playoff outlook? Here’s a look at some of the biggest movement from the week that was, using insights from SI Tickets’ postseason reservations.
Vols Join National Title Conversation
Saturday’s 52–49 win over Alabama wasn’t just one of the most significant games of the year in college football. It had major College Football Playoff and national title implications for the Vols, who remain undefeated and now have a signature win that could move the needle come selection time. Hendon Hooker and the Volunteer offense shredded Alabama’s defense, an impressive feat even though the Tide have underperformed on that side of the ball this season.
A huge game in early November at No. 1 Georgia looms large for the SEC title race, but beating Alabama opens the door for Tennessee to make the playoff even without winning the SEC. An 11–1 Vols team with a win over the Tide would have a strong case, and this offense led by Hooker is good enough to beat anyone. The schedule sets up well to do just that, with the largest remaining tests on paper outside of Georgia, a home game against Kentucky and a road test at South Carolina. That’s why National Championship game ticket reservation prices for Tennessee soared up 122% on SI Tickets after the historic win.
Fallout from ‘Bama’s Heartbreaking Loss
The biggest winner in Alabama’s loss to Tennessee other than the Vols was Ole Miss, which moved to 7–0 and in sole possession of first in the SEC West with a win over Auburn combined with the Tide’s loss. The Rebels have quite the backloaded schedule, with back-to-back road games at LSU and Texas A&M before hosting Alabama in November. Still, Lane Kiffin’s team controls its own destiny in the West, and Alabama has rarely looked dominant this season. Ole Miss has a real chance of beating the Tide in Oxford later this season, and it’s not out of the question Ole Miss could win the division even without beating the Tide if they get some help. That’s why SEC Championship Game ticket reservation prices for Ole Miss rose 206% on SI Tickets after this weekend’s action.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s National Championship game ticket reservation prices dropped 23% after the loss. The Tide still have everything in front of them: Winning out in the regular season would earn them a meeting with likely either Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game, and even a Tide team with two losses wouldn’t be eliminated from the postseason conversation.
Michigan Boosts Title Hopes
The most important game of the Big Ten season to date came Saturday when Michigan hosted Penn State. After the Nittany Lions hung around in the first half, Michigan pulled away in the second half behind a dominant running game that tallied 418 total rush yards on over 7.5 yards per carry. Young running back Donovan Edwards had a breakout game, putting up 173 yards and two touchdowns alongside Heisman contender Blake Corum.
That win makes Michigan the clear top contender to Ohio State for the Big Ten title. The Big Ten East crown will likely still be decided when those two teams face off at the end of November, but the Wolverines now have a needle-moving win for College Football Playoff selection purposes. In the aftermath of the victory, Michigan’s National Championship game ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets rose 28%.
On the other hand, it’s a massive blow to Penn State’s Big Ten title hopes, and they saw their Big Ten Championship Game ticket reservation prices drop 46% after the loss. PSU does get Ohio State at home in two weeks with a chance to get back in the conference title race, but its defense getting gashed like it did Saturday is a bad omen for how they’d handle the explosive Buckeyes attack.
Illinois Keeps Rising
One of the best stories of the season is unfolding quietly in Champaign, Ill., where Bret Bielema has the Illini playing excellent football in his second year at the helm of the program. The former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach has a program that hasn’t finished over .500 since 2011 at 6–1 and in pole position in the Big Ten West after another big win over the weekend against Minnesota.
Illinois is 3–1 in the Big Ten but 3–0 against West division opponents, which could be critical in potential head-to-head tiebreakers. A showdown with Purdue and a cross-division matchup with Michigan in November loom large, but the Illini should be considered the favorite to win the West at this stage. Big Ten Championship Game ticket reservation prices spiked by 400% on SI Tickets after beating Minnesota over the weekend.
Is Texas Back?
The Longhorns weren’t nearly as dominant this week against Iowa State as they were the week prior against Oklahoma, but Steve Sarkisian’s club held on late against the Cyclones to up their Big 12 title hopes in a major way. An early-season loss to Texas Tech does loom large, but the Horns have a great chance to win the league now that Quinn Ewers is healthy. And after the win Saturday, Big 12 Championship ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets jumped up 155% for the Longhorns.
A critical game looms Saturday against Oklahoma State, which lost a heartbreaker to TCU over the weekend. Win that game, and the Longhorns are truly in business in the Big 12 title race.
