One week you beat Georgia, the next you fall to Vanderbilt.

No team experienced a week’s metamorphosis quite like No. 2 Alabama. After achieving a remarkable victory against the Bulldogs, the Crimson Tide entered October with a surprise loss to Vanderbilt, marking one of the biggest upsets in SEC history.

With a stellar showing from quarterback Diego Pavia, a strategy that kept Alabama’s offense sidelined, and two crucial turnovers, the Commodores defeated Alabama 40-35. This victory marked the first time Vanderbilt triumphed over a top-five team in program history and their first win against Alabama since 1984.

Coming off high praise just last week, Alabama’s coach Kalen DeBoer now faces the challenging aftermath of this huge setback. The echoes from Alabama fans are unmistakable: This would never have occurred under Nick Saban.

That is indeed the case. During Saban’s tenure, Vanderbilt managed to score merely 13 points in four matchups against Alabama, yet on Saturday, they matched that total by the end of the first quarter. With a 23-14 halftime lead, the Commodores withstood an Alabama rally and dealt a decisive blow with a touchdown that pushed the score to 40-28 with only five minutes remaining in the game.

Forget everything previously assumed about Alabama – that they were an elite squad, boasting a top offense, a standout quarterback, and a renowned head coach, all on a path toward an SEC title. This loss wipes away the positive momentum built from the earlier victory against Georgia and puts DeBoer’s inaugural season at risk.

In contrast, Vanderbilt showcased an exemplary blueprint for achieving an upset against a rival with a significant talent advantage.

The Commodores dominated time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes. They committed no turnovers, while Alabama managed only 46 plays to Vanderbilt’s 73, with the Commodores executing 53 rushing attempts, exceeding the total number of Alabama’s plays. Their offensive strategy was innovative enough to disrupt the Alabama defense. At times, Vanderbilt successfully exploited the weaknesses of a beleaguered defense and coaching staff.

Moreover, Alabama’s defeat was partly due to overconfidence – believing victory was a certainty. Would such an attitude have existed under Saban? That question remains irrelevant. Saban is no longer there, and the landscape has shifted significantly.

Thus, Alabama stands out as the most significant loser from Week 6 of the regular season:

Winners

Ohio State

The No. 3 Buckeyes faced their first challenge of the season but handled it well in the second half. The opening half had its struggles as OSU was only up 7-0 against Iowa at halftime, marred by two turnovers and an unsuccessful fourth-down attempt. However, the offense exploded after the break, with pivotal contributions from freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and veteran Emeka Egbuka, aided by Iowa’s turnovers. Smith made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch to extend the lead to 14-0 early in the third quarter, quarterback Will Howard scored after an Iowa fumble, and Egbuka tallied two second-half touchdowns, eventually leading the Buckeyes to a 35-7 victory.

SMU

SMU has been a remarkable success since joining the ACC. The Mustangs improved to 5-1 following a 34-27 triumph over No. 22 Louisville, joining No. 14 Clemson and Virginia as the top three teams with a 2-0 conference record. (Virginia is another notable underdog led by third-year coach Tony Elliott.) SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings had a standout game against the Cardinals, achieving personal bests with 281 passing yards and 113 rushing yards, along with a touchdown. This team could play a significant part in the postseason narrative, facing Stanford, Duke, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Virginia, and California in the latter part of the season.

Army and Navy

The service academies are thriving, setting the stage for a highly anticipated rivalry meeting. Army decisively defeated Tulsa 49-7, showcasing 321 rushing yards and an impressive 26.7 yards per passing attempt. Navy competed well against the third contender for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, defeating Air Force 34-7, effectively ending the Falcons’ four-game winning streak in their face-offs. The Black Knights and Midshipmen remain undefeated together for the first time since 1945.

Indiana

No. 24 Indiana has garnered deserving attention, boasting one of the best starts in its history and earning a legitimate claim for a potential playoff opportunity. After a 41-24 win over Northwestern, the Hoosiers stand at 6-0 for the first time since 1967, securing a bowl berth for the sixth time since 1993. With a revamped roster featuring many top transfers from the Group of Five and led by former Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke, Indiana is averaging 47.5 points per game, surpassing 40 points in all three of its Big Ten games.

Losers

Missouri

Faced with a worthy opponent on the road for the first time, Missouri was thoroughly outmatched by No. 21 Texas A&M, suffering a 41-10 defeat that exposed the Tigers as contenders in the College Football Playoff while highlighting the Aggies’ strengths.

Improvement efforts under the new coach Mike Elko have been noted. Although Missouri was never considered a strong contender for the conference championship, the team was expected to benefit from a new postseason format allowing teams from the SEC and Big Ten with fewer than three losses to have a chance. However, after facing a close double-overtime game against Vanderbilt and subsequently suffering a heavy defeat against Texas A&M, Missouri’s chances in the playoff discussions have diminished significantly.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State’s season has rapidly fallen apart. Just two weeks ago, they were ranked No. 15 as they prepared to face then-No. 10 Utah in their Big 12 opener. Fast forward three games, and the Cowboys now hold a 3-3 record, landing at the bottom of their conference. The losses to Utah (22-19) and No. 20 Kansas State (42-20) revealed the team’s struggles within the league, but Saturday’s disappointing 38-14 home loss to West Virginia portrayed an even bleaker picture: the Cowboys are no longer considered potential at-large playoff candidates and are instead scrambling to secure six wins this season.

North Carolina State

While they may not be facing a disaster as severe as that of Florida State, NC State has become one of the major disappointments in the Power Four with a 3-3 record and no wins in the ACC at the season’s midway point. Initially ranked No. 22 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, the Wolfpack has achieved victories over Western Carolina, Louisiana Tech, and Northern Illinois, but has suffered significant defeats against Tennessee and Clemson by a combined total of 65 points, along with a baffling 34-30 loss to Wake Forest, who snagged a last-minute road win despite having a shaky start.

Alabama-Birmingham

UAB is far from being Alabama, as coach Trent Dilfer remarked following last week’s loss to Navy. In fact, they aren’t even at the level of Alabama A&M. The hiring of a questionable former NFL quarterback as a coach continues to backfire severely for UAB, which fell to a disappointing 1-4 record following a staggering 71-20 loss to Tulane. No, that’s not a typo. It appears that appointing someone unqualified and overconfident to lead a consistently successful Group of Five program was, without a doubt, a poor choice. To be frank, Dilfer took over a winning team and has now turned it into a laughingstock. The UAB fan base deserves far better than this.