College Football Warm Up (Week 7)

Weighted for Recent Opponents

Evenly Weighted

Alabama. #2 Opponent Strength Weighted; #10 Unweighted

This program has been on the tips of the tongue of college football talking heads for more than a decade and a half. They haven’t clutched a title in over 5 years, but this is always “their” comeback. at

Wins matter as much as timing here. It was Alabama besting Georgia last year only to see the Bulldogs run into earning a bye. Will the roles reverse this year now that the fortunes have been avenged?

• The Resume: The Tide surge into week 7 at 5-1. Before taking the bump against Georgia, they had scored no less than 45 in their opening contests.
• The Story: Is this defense for real? Their opponents trail them in yards gained by less than 200 yards per game. The bigger question is where is the Alabama running attack? This program is notorious for producing guys who eat up yardage, but they are amassing about 180 a game so far.
• Saturday Test: Its a road test in Knoxville where The Tide stumbled a couple of years ago. Tennessee has a young QB and this could be Alabama’s chance to rattle him, but they must step up to stop a 100 yard rusher and a pass rush that can cause fits.
• The Verdict: Alabama still has some chips in their hands. On the other side of Tennessee is two teams looking to redeem themselves in Texas A&M and LSU. A one-loss Alabama is a contender in my book.

Georgia, #5/6

The Bulldogs have been the crown jewel of the SEC for since their back to back titles over 3 years ago. The win over Alabama puts them back in the driver seat to run the conference yet again. It hasn’t been said, but the SEC title drought can be put squarely on the shoulders of the Georgia Bulldogs and their year end failure.

• Resume: Like Alabama, The Bulldogs have been piling up points early in the season. The story has been their defensive effort. Their top 15 performance has stifled opponents from moving the ball and giving them ample opportunities to put points on the board.
• The Story: As much as this is a team game, Georgia is lacking leaders in conference stats. This multifaceted approach is working through six games. A stand out may need to emerge to lift them into a deep playoff run.
• Saturday: The Auburn Tigers come calling in a rivalry that Georgia has owned as of late; don’t overlook this new look Auburn squad. They have the positioning to play spoiler after a hard fought week.
• The Verdict: The buzz saw is here for Georgia. Auburn, Florida, Mississippi, and Missouri will all need to overcome the Bulldogs to keep their bids gong for a push.

Miami, #4/3

The Hurricanes went to stardom in what it seems like overnight. They came a drive away from claiming a National Title last year and are continuing their late season hot streak into the 2026 campaign. They don’t have the luxury of messing around if they want to reach last year’s height.

• Resume: First place in the ACC has come with few hiccups. Miami has dominated opponents week in and out through five games.
• The Story: The addition of Darian Mensah has proven fruitful. He and Malachi Toney have the ‘Canes at #2 in total offense and fifth in passing yards per game. The defense is also churning out stops especially on the ground at less than 50 yards per game. This will be a key standard to hold their position.
• Saturday: The Florida State Seminoles are up on the schedule, but this isn’t the 90’s; their isn’t much expectation for this to be a dogfight.
• The Verdict: I’m holding my thoughts to see if this team can hold up when the true tests come in Pitt and Notre Dame. North Carolina has the potential to play shocker with their tenacity shown early this season.

UCLA, #3/2

The Bruins turn the page on their dismal 2025 season, and have run off an undefeated run. They have a real opportunity to be the next Big 10 team to rise to national prominence if they are as real as they have shown so far.

• Resume: UCLA proved to battled tested after grinding out a win against Oregon. They have handled every contest leading to this spot on our list.
• The Story: The Bruins have figured that the ground game is key both on their side and stopping opponents. If they can keep this up, it proves well if they will need to challenge stiff opponents down the road. Keep an eye on Ta’Shawn James because he’s a magnet for picking off passes at 4 on the season.
• Saturday: A Midwest squad in Wisconsin travels across the country to face UCLA this week. A homestand may be needed as QB1, Nico Iamaleava, will be out of action. Again, it shouldn’t too big of a hit if they can lean into their effective running attack.
• Verdict: The schedule is kind this year. There is no Ohio State or Indiana to spoil their run. I look for the Bruins to be favored throughout the remainder of the season as long as they can keep the formula working before facing USC to close the season.

Notre Dame, #1/1

This squad wants to prove that it was a mistake overlooking them for last year’s playoff.

• Resume: The Fighting Irish storm has seen more than a couple Power 4 teams fall before them. This is a major factor in their rise on our list.
• The Story: The Notre Dame defense is carrying this undefeated run so far; they are leading the nation when it comes to stopping opposing offenses. Their own offense will need to be golden if they want to hold this spot.
• Saturday: The nation will find out who is the real contender when undefeated teams go at it in Provo when The Irish face off against BYU.
• The Verdict: It doesn’t get easier if they can conquer the Cougars. They will open November with Miami and close it with SMU, two top tier ACC squads. Survive, and Notre Dame should have no debate when its time to select playoff teams.