The Hurricanes have flirted with defeat for most of the season. There are only so many dramatic and magical comebacks Cam Room moments that exist in this universe. And maybe Miami has worn out its lot with its wild finishes against Virginia Tech and Cal, and its ability to overcome deficits from those teams as well as Duke and Louisville. At some point, the Canes’ porous defense was going to be a problem. Which was the case Saturday against Georgia Tech. Miami is now allowing 31.7 points and 372.5 yards per game in ACC play, and against the Yellow Jackets, the Canes’ defense allowed 271 yards rushing (at 5.6 yards per carry) as Georgia Tech controlled at both the match and the clock. Miami has an incredible offense capable of making up for poor defense, and that hasn’t been a problem so far as the Hurricanes have played a very weak schedule. I’m not sure what this means for playoff football, but I doubt it portends big things.

3. Georgia’s loss wasn’t very surprising either.

Strategist Carson Beck has been a problem for most of the season. He’s prone to turnovers, having thrown 11 interceptions in the five games he played before Saturday. It became clear pretty early in Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss that the ‘Dawgs’ coaching staff didn’t trust Beck to throw the ball very far. There were a lot of short passes, a lot more horizontal movements than vertical. Georgia’s 10-point production is tied for the fewest in a game in the Smart Kirby era. It was also the first time the ‘Dawgs offense had fewer than 250 total yards in a game in seven years. Obviously, the defense was also gashed by Ole Miss’ explosive offense. But the offense was also, again, a huge problem, and that’s to be expected. I don’t know how or why Beck has regressed so much this season, but it’s going to limit this team’s ceiling.

4. BYU is a good football team. Maybe it’s not great.

I was BYU’s defender for most of the week. I couldn’t believe how much the CFP selection committee disrespected the 8-0 Cougars, who not only hadn’t lost, but also had two top 20 wins under their belt. And yet, BYU was ranked No. 9 in the first CFP rankings, behind teams like Texas and Penn State, neither of whom have better wins than the Cougs. But then BYU came out and somehow laid an egg in a huge rivalry game on Saturday night. Down 11 points just before halftime, the Cougs completely mismanaged the clock. Basically everything BYU did was what it shouldn’t have done against an otherwise mediocre team (4-4 overall, 1-4 in the Big 12) that is just a shell of herself ever since. Rising cam got injured. I understand that rivalries bring out the best in teams – everyone says throw away records, etc., etc. – but BYU had to prove that it wasn’t an undefeated team that had been on some people’s good side. luck when it comes to turnovers and some mediocre performances from opponents who generally don’t deliver. The Cougars haven’t been impressive, which will be a big problem for this team if they don’t win the Big 12 and earn the league’s automatic bid.

5. Lane Kiffin finally got his win at Ole Miss.

As of Saturday, the Kiffin Rebels were 0-4 against top-five opponents. Those four losses were by at least 15 points. This would have been an obvious flaw for a coach who had otherwise enjoyed great success during his first four seasons in Oxford, Mississippi. And now Kiffin won a big game, beating No. 3 Georgia, 28-10 — and Ole Miss didn’t let a game go. question of which team was the best on this field. Suddenly, the rebels have a strong case for a blanket offer from the CFP. They had one of the best wins in the country and two losses by a combined six points (with the overtime loss to LSU after Ole Miss literally never trailed in the game, which is always a wild stat) . Ole Miss would need some serious help to advance to the SEC title game, but I’d say the Rebs are better positioned for the CFP by not playing that game. A 10-2 record with a win over Georgia would certainly be enough to get the field on Dec. 8.

6. Alabama is going to make the playoffs.

I know I’ve fluctuated wildly in my analysis of Alabama this season. In my defense, the Crimson Tide have had their ups and downs! This team has been inconsistent! Jalen Milroe has had some brutal games — cough, Tennessee, cough — but he’s also been spectacular, as he was in Saturday night’s win at LSU. Milroe gashed the Tigers on the ground, totaling 185 yards and four scores on just 12 carries. He was on top from the start of the game, and the fast start was crucial for Alabama in an environment as hostile as Death Valley at night. It was a very impressive performance in what had been billed as a CFP elimination game, and now the Tide have a pretty smooth path the rest of the way. Alabama’s only remaining opponents are Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn. Clearly, this particular Alabama team is capable of making a big move. But I’ll be shocked if the Crimson Tide doesn’t finish the season 10-2 and aren’t able to host a CFP first round game.

7. The ACC race is still pretty straightforward.

Really! Even if Miami lost! So obviously SMU has the clearest path as it is still undefeated in ACC play. But Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech throws the rest of the league into tiebreaker scenarios. Pitt’s loss to Virginia is what makes this very easy moving forward. If SMU wins, then Miami and Clemson win, SMU would be in the title game, and Miami and Clemson would both have a loss in ACC play. Thus, the league would return to common opponents. And the Canes beat Louisville, and Louisville beat Clemson. Case closed. We would have an SMU-Miami ACC title game, with an automatic CFP bid on the line.

8. Ashton Jeanty reminded everyone that he belongs in the Heisman Trophy mix.

Jeanty has taken a bit of a backseat in the Heisman conversation – through no fault of his own. He played well and his team continues to win. It’s just not the same spotlight he had earlier in the year, and he’s no longer averaging a first down per rush. Which is good! But lately, much of the conversation has been about Dillon Gabriel (who leads the nation’s undefeated No. 1 team) and Cam Room (who may be a real magician). Plus, the two-way star from Colorado Travis Hunter is great, and he began openly campaigning for the award. These three players seem close to being worth a trip to New York. And Jeanty too, even if he’s a little out of sight, out of mind. Jeanty had 34 carries for 209 yards and three touchdowns in Boise State’s win over Nevada. Highlights galore! Which is important when it comes to an award like this.

9. College football chaos remains undefeated.

It’s the best sport in the world, and it’s because of weekends like this. I love waking up on Saturday because I never really know where the day will take me. Even though I predict upsets and analyze matchups for a living, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect, especially in a season like this. The only team ranked in the preseason AP poll that is still undefeated is Oregon (which was ranked No. 3 in said poll). The last time we saw these few undefeated teams in the preseason poll was 2014, the very first year of the four-team playoff (and it was preseason No. 1 FSU who remained undefeated until week 11).

10. Yes, Dan Lanning. You are 10-0, and we are entertained.