Alabama suffered one of the most shocking losses in SEC history on Saturday when the Crimson Tide fell 40-35 at Vanderbilt. Just a week after rising to the top of the national title odds sheet with a dramatic win over Georgia, 'Bama suddenly found itself on the wrong side of college football's emotional see-saw.
But the loss to Vanderbilt did not wreck Alabama's national title chances, though. In fact, the Crimson Tide only fell to fourth on the odds sheet behind Ohio State, Texas and Georgia. There is still plenty of season left, and in the 12-team College Football Playoff era, teams have more margin for error than ever before.
In fact, several of the top teams on the national title odds sheet have already suffered losses. Among them is Clemson, which continues to climb from the wreckage of its 34-3 season-opening loss to Georgia. The Tigers have blown out everyone in their path since then and were authoritative in a 29-13 win at Florida State on Saturday.
As we reflect on an unexpectedly wild Week 6 in college football, here are the grades for all teams with national title odds of +4000 or better.
Bye weeks: Texas (+450), Notre Dame (+4000)
Ohio State
Grade: B+
Title odds: +290
Iowa technically never reached the red zone on Ohio State as the Hawkeyes' lone score in a 35-7 loss came on a 28-yard run. The Buckeyes were lights out defensively in the first half, and then forced three straight turnovers to begin the second as they systematically destroyed their toughest opponent yet. Ohio State's offense was slow out of the gate but carried its weight.
Georgia
Grade: B
Title odds: +450
Aside from allowing a 38-yard Jarquez Hunter touchdown run in the third quarter, Georgia's defense did a nice job of bending without breaking in a 31-13 win over Auburn. UGA quarterback Carson Beck turned in an efficient and turnover-free game a week after coughing it up four times in a loss to Alabama. It was no work of art, but it was a double-digit win over a conference rival.
Alabama
Grade: F
Title odds: +650
Alabama had played Vanderbilt twice before when ranked No. 1. It outscored the Commodores 100-0 in those games. This time, the 'Dores outscored the Crimson Tide 40-35, handing first-year coach Kalen DeBoer an embarrassing early defeat. Just a week ago, Alabama was basking in the glory of a big win over Georgia. Now, the Crimson Tide are reeling on the wrong side of a historic upset.
Oregon
Grade: B
Title odds: +900
Oregon led 31-0 on its way to beating Michigan State 31-10 on Friday, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel's two interceptions were enough of a blemish to keep the Ducks from acing their Week 6 test. Thankfully, the Ducks were excellent defensively and got a big game from running back Jordan James. But Gabriel will need to be sharper against Ohio State next week.
Ole Miss
Grade: A-
Title odds: +1700
A 27-3 win at South Carolina was a great outcome, especially given the difficult road venue and potential for a hangover from last week's loss to Kentucky. The Rebels sacked South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers six times and generated 10 tackles for loss while holding the Gamecocks to 4.1 yards per play. Ole Miss was imperfect offensively, but it did more than enough to help the Rebels get back on track.
Tennessee
Grade: D
Title odds: +1700
Tennessee looked like a shell of itself offensively for much of a 19-14 loss to Arkansas. The moment appeared too big for redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who inexplicably ran out of bounds on the game's final play instead of attempting a throw into the end zone for a potential game-winning touchdown. Vols coach Josh Heupel also seemed overly cautious in the defeat.
Penn State
Grade: B
Title odds: +1800
Penn State didn't allow a touchdown until 16 seconds remained in its 27-11 win over UCLA. Impressive as that may be, the Nittany Lions weren't necessarily dominant against Bruins backup quarterback Justyn Martin. Offensively, Penn State struggled to run the football with lead back Nick Singleton out due to injury. But even though the Nittany Lions didn't cover a 27.5 point spread, they get plenty of credit for a relatively stress-free league win.
Miami
Grade: B+
Title odds: +2700
Miami came roaring back from a 35-10 deficit to stun Cal 39-38 behind a heroic performance from Cam Ward. The 'Canes quarterback completed 35 of 53 passes for 437 yards and two touchdowns. Ward also scored as a rusher as he atoned for a costly pick six. But this marks two weeks in a row that the Hurricanes have needed some breaks late in a game they were favored to win.
Clemson
Grade: A-
Title odds: +2200
Clemson doubled up Florida State 500-250 in total yards during a 29-13 victory that was never in doubt. The Tigers led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and never gave the reeling Seminoles much room for hope in a wire-to-wire road victory. Phil Mafah led the way with 154 yards rushing on 25 carries.
