How the Top 25 should look: Miami at No. 1 after SEC chaos

ATHENS — Bedlam reigned in the SEC on Saturday, with the league’s top three ranked teams suffering upset losses, none bigger than No. 1-ranked Georgia suffering a shocking home defeat to 20½-point underdog Auburn.

The Bulldogs’ streak of 53 consecutive wins against unranked teams came to an end with a 27-24 loss keyed by three Gunner Stockton turnovers, untimely penalties and a fresh Tigers team coming off a bye week that won at the line of scrimmage.

Miami should take over the No. 1 spot after coming from 21-14 down in the fourth quarter to beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

BYU, with its last-second defensive stand to beat Notre Dame 28-24, should skyrocket in the Top 10 and, as a Power 4 conference (Big 12) unbeaten, deserves to replace the Irish at No. 2.

Beyond the top two teams, it will be a matter of style points, as chaos reigned in the SEC and voters weigh how to rank Ohio State with its starting quarterback expected to be out for several weeks.

The man-bites-dog story of the day was indeed in the SEC, as Georgia and Texas matched the dubious distinction of being the first No. 1-ranked teams to lose in consecutive weeks in 36 years (October 1990).

The Longhorns, who preceded the Bulldogs in the No. 1 spot, lost to Oklahoma 27-24 on Oct. 10 in the Red River Rivalry.

“It is a war in this league, week in and week out,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after his first loss to Auburn since 2017, the upset loss ending a streak of nine straight UGA wins in the rivalry.

“Everybody can beat everybody.”

The SEC’s cannibalism started early Saturday when Florida rallied from a 17-3 first-half deficit to score a 27-24 road upset against Texas.

The win by the Gators (5-2, 3-2) ended the Longhorns’ 12-game home win streak and handed the No. 7 Longhorns their second consecutive loss.

Florida, ranked No. 8 two weeks ago before back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina, should take a healthy jump back into the AP Top 25.

Later, No. 14 Tennessee owned the Third Saturday in October rivalry, beating No. 6 Alabama 26-10. The Vols, who have won the last three meetings against the Crimson Tide in Knoxville, Tennessee, should jump into the Top 10 of the rankings.

Big Ten supremacy was seemingly settled earlier in the day in Bloomington, Indiana, as Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) scored a 19-15 win over the Hoosiers.

It ended the defending national champions’ nation-high 22-game win streak.

Indiana (6-1, 3-1) nearly pulled off the win, but when Josh Hoover hit an open Nick Marsh in the end zone on a fourth-and-4 from the Ohio State with 1:02 left, Marsh had a foot out of bounds.

The No. 4-ranked Buckeyes ran out the clock on the No. 5-ranked Hoosiers after the turnover on downs to stay atop the Big Ten standings, albeit without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who’s expected to be out several weeks after injuring his throwing shoulder.

UCLA, which began the season unranked and without so much as one preseason vote in the AP Top 25 poll, remained unbeaten in Big Ten play and overall this season, scoring a 17-7 home win over Wisconsin.

The Bruins, under first-year coach Bob Chesney, are the Cinderella story.

UCLA is set up for a fairy-tale trip to the College Football Playoff, as it doesn’t play Big Ten heavyweights Ohio State or Indiana and faces only one currently ranked team, USC, in its final game of the regular season.

The Big 12 flexed some muscle beyond BYU’s win, as Texas Tech should be in the Top 10 with its 6-0 record after beating Arizona State 53-25.

Here’s how Mike Griffith plans to cast his Top 25 ballot:

1. Miami (6-0)

Beat Florida State, 43-35

2. BYU (6-0)

Beat No. 2 Notre Dame, 28-24

3. Ohio State (6-1)

Won at No. 5 Indiana, 19-15

4. Notre Dame (6-1)

Lost at No. 8 BYU, 28-24

5. Georgia (6-1)

Lost to Auburn, 27-24

6. Indiana (6-1)

Lost to No. 4 Ohio State, 19-15

7. Ole Miss (5-1)

Beat No. 13 Missouri, 31-3

8. Tennessee (6-1)

Beat No. 6 Alabama, 26-10

9. UCLA (6-0)

Beat Wisconsin, 17-7

10. Texas Tech (6-0)

Beat Arizona State, 53-25

11. Utah (5-0)

Beat Colorado, 27-24

12. Alabama (5-2)

Lost at No. 14 Tennessee, 26-10

13. Kentucky (5-1)

Won at Oklahoma, 21-13