Week 10 got off to a slow start, but things quickly snowballed in the Big 12 and ACC to completely shake up the College Football Playoff picture. Seven ranked teams ultimately fell by the final whistle, leaving only five undefeateds in the FBS ranks.
Perhaps the biggest shockwaves were felt in the Big 12, where two of the top three contenders — Iowa State and Kansas State — fell to unranked opponents. Clemson also lost a shocker against Louisville and SMU crushed Pittsburgh to take control of the ACC championship race.
Elsewhere, No. 3 Penn State lost its 10th game to Ohio State in 11 tries as the Nittany Lions again proved to be a step behind top contenders. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze lost to a familiar foe to really put himself behind the 8-ball in the Tigers’ rebuild. Nebraska failed to get bowl eligible for yet another week, and now could be at risk of missing out on the postseason again.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 10, including conference championship contenders dropping like flies.
Winner: SMU
Welcome to the CFP race, Mustangs. SMU played perhaps the biggest game in the history of Gerald Ford Stadium, hosting undefeated Pittsburgh under the lights. The Mustangs responded with a wholesale 48-25 shellacking of Pitt that wasn’t as close as the final score. The Mustangs took a 23-3 lead early in the third quarter and never looked back to move to 5-0 in ACC play.
Perhaps just as importantly for SMU, Clemson lost a shocker against Louisville to pick up its first ACC loss, which leaves the Mustangs tied for first place in the ACC with Miami. SMU has games against Boston College, Virginia and California remaining — and the Mustangs should be betting favorites in all of them. SMU has a chance to complete the…
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