Week 6 of the college football season was wildly entertaining. We were treated to a ton of great games. The Red River Rivalry was a blast, ending in an Oklahoma upset. Georgia vs Alabama absolutely lived up to the hype. LSU vs Kentucky was an overtime nail-biter. UCLA vs Oregon came down to the final play. Pretty much every single game that was hyped up this week delivered.

As we enter Week 7, there’s a ton to talk about. There are coaches on the hot seat, teams are already being eliminated from playoff contention, and we’ve got some new SEC and Big 10 tiers, so let’s get into the news.

Coaching Hot Seat

Mike Locksley, Maryland: Mike Locksley has done a lot for Maryland, but it’s time for a coaching change. He turned them into a respectable program for a while, but the Terrapins are back to irrelevance and have now lost four straight games. He could be gone before the end of the year.

Mike Norvell, Florida State: Ever since Mike Norvell led FSU to a perfect season but still missed the playoffs, things have gone downhill at FSU. They posted a losing record in 2024 and 2025, and now they’re off to a 3-3 start in 2026 with losses to SMU, Alabama, and Louisville. He’s unlikely to be fired midseason, per reports, but he could be gone at the end of the year if he doesn’t right the ship.

Dave Doeren, N.C. State: Dave Doren has been leading the Wolfpack since 2013, and they’ve had success under him. They’ve made 10 bowl games and been ranked in seven different seasons, but it’s been disappointment after disappointment recently. N.C. State started the 2022 season as the No. 13 team in the country but finished 23rd. Then, in 2024, they started 24th, but finished the year 6-7 with a Military Bowl loss. Since then, the Wolfpack haven’t been ranked, and now they’re 3-3 with losses to UVA, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. If things don’t turn around soon, he could be out.

Sonny Dykes, TCU: It’s hard to fire a coach who has made your program more relevant than it has ever been, but it might be time for Sonny Dykes to see the door. After making the National Championship game in 2022, TCU hasn’t won double-digit games in a single season and has always had at least three conference losses. Now, they’re 2-3 and don’t have a single conference win under their belt. Maybe it’s time to admit 2022 was a bit of a fluke.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina: Shane Beamer’s name is plastered on every coaching hot seat article, and for good reason. He’s brought South Carolina back to relevancy, but every time SC is in a big game, they always seem to fall short. He’s built a solid team in Columbia, but he can’t elevate them any higher than being a middle-of-the-pack SEC team. It’s time they bring in someone new to take them to that next level.

SEC Tier Rankings

The SEC hasn’t won a natty in a few years now, but I think it’s pretty clear that they’re the deepest conference in college football this year. They have nine teams contending for the CFP this season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any bottom dwellers.

Tier 1 – National Title Contenders: Alabama, Georgia

There are two SEC teams that have a real shot at winning it all this year: Alabama and Georgia. Funny enough, they just played on Saturday night and gave us a thriller with Georgia coming out on top and taking over the No. 1 spot in the rankings. I know Alabama is ranked sixth, but they’re a top-five team in my opinion.

Tier 2 – Could Win it if They Get Hot: Texas, Ole Miss

There are two other SEC teams I think could win the natty if they got hot at the right time: Texas and Ole Miss. The Longhorns have a lot of problems on offense, but their defense is strong, and if Arch Manning gets hot, he’s a capable quarterback. I mean, they beat Ohio State, and that wasn’t a fluke. I also think Ole Miss could win it all just because of their quarterback. Their defense is atrocious, but Trinidad Chambliss has shown he can carry them by scoring 40+ points per game. They’d both have to get hot at the perfect time, though.

Tier 3 – CFP Teams Hopefuls: Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky

There are five other SEC teams fighting for a playoff spot, but only one or two will probably make it. Mississippi State, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kentucky all have one loss, and could probably take one more before they’re out of contention. LSU has two losses, but their name value alone will have them ranked higher than they should be, and with their toughest remaining games at home, they do have a shot to run the table (not a big one). Outside these nine teams, I don’t see any SEC team making the CFP.

Tier 4 – Could Win on Any Given Saturday: Florida, Oklahoma

While Florida and Oklahoma are both pretty much eliminated from the CFP (they’re unranked with two losses), they can beat anyone on any given Saturday. Florida beat the brakes off Ole Miss with their explosive offense, and Oklahoma just took down Texas with their stifling defense. UF could drop 50 in any game, and OU can hold someone to under 10. They have to play extremely well to beat a top team, but they’ve done it before.

Tier 5 – Already Looking Forward to Next Year: Texas A&M, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt

Texas A&M and South Carolina (and Auburn to an extent) all came into the season with high expectations, but have failed to meet them through six weeks. Then there’s Vanderbilt, who lost Diego Pavia and looks like the Vandy we’re used to seeing. None of these teams poses any real threat to the top dogs in the SEC, so they’re hoping next year yields better results.

Tier 6 – Bottom of the Barrel: Arkansas

Arkansas is one of the worst SEC football teams we’ve seen in years. That’s all I have to say.

Big 10 Tier Rankings

Tier 1 – National Championship Contenders: Ohio State, Indiana

There are only two teams in the Big 10 that can win it all this year, and that’s Ohio State and Indiana. The Buckeyes are a top-five team in the country, and with Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, they can beat anyone. I’m a bit more hesitant on Indiana, but Curt Cignetti knows how to win football games, so I wouldn’t want to bet against him in the playoffs.

Tier 2 – Playoff Hopefuls: UCLA, Iowa, USC

Behind those two, there are three other Big 10 teams vying for a playoff spot. UCLA has jumped to No. 12 in the rankings after a big win over Oregon, but I’m still not convinced they’re elite. Iowa is currently sitting at No. 17 and has some work to do, but they have a favorable schedule and could win out. USC is still technically in the playoff race, but with a trip to Indiana and UCLA, plus a home game against Ohio State, it’s probably not going to happen. I’d say the Big 10 would be lucky to have three teams in this year.

Tier 3 – Fun Teams That Can Win Big Games: Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin

Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin are three teams that don’t have a real shot at making the CFP, but they’re good teams that could give someone like Ohio State or Indiana fits and cause them to trip up. We just saw Nebraska take Indiana to the wire this past weekend, and Northwestern did it a few weeks prior to that. Wisconsin hasn’t proven itself against elite competition, but it did beat Penn State in Happy Valley, so they’re still dangerous.

Tier 4 – Can Make a Game Interesting: Purdue, Minnesota

Purdue and Minnesota aren’t great teams, but the Boilermakers kept it fairly close against UCLA a few weeks ago and beat Minnesota, who, the week prior, had just taken down Michigan. Nobody is scared of these two teams, but if you catch them on the wrong day, it could be a much closer game than it needs to be.

Tier 5 – Massive Disappointments: Penn State, Oregon, Michigan, Washington

If I’m being honest, Penn State, Oregon, Michigan, and Washington are all better than Purdue and Minnesota talent-wise, but they don’t deserve to be above those two right now. All four of these teams had extremely high hopes coming into the year and have failed miserably. All four are basically eliminated from playoff contention by Week 6.

Tier 6 – Looking Forward to Next Year: Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan State

Nobody had high expectations for Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, or Michigan State, and for good reason. These teams suck.

Big 12 Threats

The Big 12 has five teams inside the AP Top-25, but I think there are four teams that have a realistic shot at winning the conference and earning the automatic big to the CFP.

No. 8 BYU: Let’s start with the highest-ranked Big 12 team, the BYU Cougars. They’re off to a 5-0 start, and through five games, their defense is giving up just 13.2 PPG, which ranked 9th in the country. They haven’t played the toughest competition in the world, but we’re going to find out a lot about this team this weekend when they host No. 2 Notre Dame. If they can keep that game close, we’ll know they’re legit.

No. 10 Texas Tech: The Red Raiders looked like one of the top title contenders this offseason when they landed Brendan Sorsby, but after the two sides parted ways because of legal issues, many got off the hype train. Despite losing their QB1, Texas Tech is 5-0 with a win over No. 22 Houston a few weeks back. They have a stout defense and an explosive offense, and their schedule is very favorable from here on out. I’d give the odds of them playing in the Big 12 Championship at above 80 percent.

No. 11 Utah: Utah is another Big 12 team that has started the season out 5-0, but we’re really going to learn what this team is about over the next month. They go to Colorado, host No. 20 Houston, go to Cincinnati, and then host No. 8 BYU. If they go 3-1 over that span, they’ll almost certainly be in the Big 12 championship game.

No. 18 Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State is the lowest-ranked of the four Big 12 contenders, but they’re the team I feel the best in. Drew Mestemaker is a beast, and outside of a Week 1 loss to Tulsa, they’ve looked incredible all year. They’re a very dangerous team in the Big 12.

ACC Sleeper Teams

The ACC is Miami, and everybody else. Wake Forest and SMU are ranked, but they’re not really great teams. I do think there are a few teams further down the standings that are on the rise.

Virginia Tech: The most obvious pick among ACC sleeper programs. They’ve suffered back-to-back losses to Pitt and Cal, but with James Franklin leading the charge, the Hokies will be threats in the ACC very soon. I know Franklin didn’t pan out at Penn State, but he’s a program builder, and in the ACC, a much worse conference than the Big Ten, he could build a perennial contender.

UNC: We all made fun of Bill Belichick after a disastrous first year as UNC’s head coach, but things seem to be turning around in Chapel Hill. UNC started 2-0, dropped a close one to Clemson before playing Notre Dame tight, and now they’ve picked up a win over No. 25 Pitt. They’re certainly trending up, and I want to see how they play Miami later this month.

Louisville: Ever since Jeff Brohm arrived, the program has been competitive. They’ve won 9+ games in each of their three seasons, but they’re off to a 3-3 start this year, and everyone is writing them off. Two losses to N.C. State and Wake Forest don’t look great, but their QB wasn’t fully healthy. With Lincoln Kienholz back to 100 percent, this team can beat anyone in the ACC.

Teams Already Eliminated From the CFP

It doesn’t take much to get eliminated from the CFP. If you’re a power four team and you have two losses, it’s already close, but if you take three losses, you might as well pack it up. As a G6 school, you really can’t suffer more than one loss and still expect to make it.

Let’s take a look at the power four teams that are already eliminated from playoff contention with 3+ losses.

SEC: Texas A&M, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Arkansas

Starting in the SEC, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas are already out of the running. The last three were expected, but many thought A&M would be fighting for a playoff spot for the second year in a row, Mike Elko’s squad just hasn’t met (or even come close to meeting) expectations.

The SEC does have a few teams on the brink of elimination. LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, and Auburn all have two losses on the season, so one more trip up would put an end to any slim playoff hopes they have left.

Big 10: Purdue, Illinois, Penn State, Washington, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers

The Big 10 already has seven teams eliminated from playoff contention. Many of these were expected, too, but I thought Penn State would’ve made it longer before being eliminated. This just goes to show how weak the bottom of the conference is.

The Big 10 also has a few teams teetering on the edge of playoff elimination. Minnesota, Oregon, and Michigan would all be out with one more loss this year.

Big 12: Iowa State, UCF, Colorado, Kansas, TCU, WVU

The Big 12 has been much better at the top than many expected, but the bottom of this conference is just flat out awful. Iowa State, UCF, Colorado, Kansas, TCU, and WVU have all suffered three losses this season already, and when you consider that Kansas State and Arizona State are also on the brink of elimination with two losses each, it shows how weak this conference is compared to the SEC and Big 10.

ACC: Cal, Georgia Tech, Louisville, FSU, N.C. State, Stanford, Boston College, Syracuse

The ACC feels like a G6 conference this year, so even if you have two losses in the ACC, you probably still wouldn’t get in. But since they’re a P4 school, there is still a chance someone sneaks in with two losses, so the only ones eliminated thus far are the eight listed above. Clemson, UVA, UNC, and Virginia Tech all have two losses, though, so in a couple of weeks, 12 of the 17 teams in the ACC could be eliminated. Yikes.