Ryan Day's Seat is Heating Up and 9 Overreactions after Week 10 of 2026 College Football Season

Change was inevitable. It didn't matter who won or lost. Shake-ups were coming in Week 10, regardless of the outcomes.

As college football barrels toward the homestretch, there's plenty to unpack. The College Football Playoff picture is slowly taking shape, although the landscape looks dramatically different than it did just a week ago.

Not that you needed another reminder, but this remains the best sport on the planet. And naturally, there's no shortage of overreactions to go around.

On paper, we expected last week to deliver. It did that and then some.

We're starting light, because this isn't exactly an overreaction given where we sit. The path to arrive here has been nothing short of extraordinary, although the reality is anything but.

Following Notre Dame's 31-24 win over Miami, Carr is the new frontrunner to win college football's prestigious award. Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in the team's win, delivering one of his best games of the year at the right time

For the season, Carr has scored 24 touchdowns and thrown just one interception.

Where Carr's campaign comes into focus, however, is the status of the other contenders for the award. Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith is out of the playoff after another loss, while Miami wideout Malachi Toney is out for a while with an ankle injury.

Quarterback Darian Mensah played valiantly in the loss, accounting for three touchdowns. He's in the mix. But Carr's win in this matchup gives him an upperhand.

Notre Dame closes out the year with games against Boston College, SMU and at Syracuse. At the very least, the final two games could be interesting.

As for the Heisman, this one seems straightforward. If Notre Dame wins out, Carr wins.

Arch Manning Just Had His Best College Football Game Ever

Forget about stats. Forget about the opponent. Forget about the officiating, which was absolutely dreadful.

Let's instead use something we often forget to use in the era of numbers and analytics.

In terms of pure optics, Manning just had his best collegiate outing, and it might not be all that close. Texas beat Missouri 34-20, and Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns.

Manning was finally allowed to throw the ball downfield in the second half, and the results were telling. He was crisp, efficient and largely accurate when doing so.

While his statistics were solid, the moments were even better. In many respects, this is the quarterback we've been waiting to see for years.

As for the stakes, they were enormous, too. Texas has four wins over Top 25 opponents and can likely afford another loss and still make the College Football Playoff.

Next up, LSU. Manning will need to be excellent once again.

His starting quarterback is hurt, and that unquestionably played a role in Ohio State's 41-28 loss to Oregon. That's a disclaimer that is worth noting.

The reality, however, is that Day is 6-5 in his last 11 games. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are.

When it does, people get antsy. And when you give up 41 points at home to a team also playing its backup quarterback, the situation starts to amplify.

Ohio State's season is done. We knew that was coming last week, although we arrived at the conclusion a little faster than we thought. This loss should all but eliminate the Buckeyes from playing any meaningful football games for a while.

Well, the team's best player, wideout Jeremiah Smith, will be off to the NFL. Julian Sayin, the team's starting quarterback, is hurt and his future is somewhat unknown.

The defense needs to be reworked. The offense needs answers. The sudden reality of Ohio State isn't immediate doom, although it's not sunshine and rainbows, either.

Day's tenure suddenly feels hazy. The patience from a hungry fan base is waning. If it gets bad, this one could escalate quickly.

Michigan is the Biggest Disaster in College Football

Well, losing to rival Michigan State at home is a reasonable place to begin. The Wolverines scored just six points against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, mustering up just 192 yards of offense.

The performance was so bad that Michigan fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck on Sunday. Beck, who followed Kyle Whittingham from Utah, lasted a total of nine games.

Michigan is 5-4, and it probably won't get much better. The Wolverines play at Oregon, UCLA and at Ohio State to close out the year, putting bowl eligibility in jeopardy.

That brings us to Whittingham, who felt like a reasonably solid hire when the announcement was made. The reality has been anything but, and the general vibe is so off that it wouldn't be shocking to see the school move on from the head coach after one season.

There are plenty of teams sizing up disappointing seasons with Thanksgiving around the corner, although none are this bad. Seismic changes could be coming sooner than later.

Utah is the Rightful Favorite, but the Big 12 Remains Up for Grabs

All year long, college football's most exciting conference has delivered.

Each and every week, the Big 12 has largely served as college football's ultimate rollercoaster. Following Utah's 28-20 win over BYU, however, it feels like we have clarity for the first time.

In true Big 12 fashion, the game was a bit of a mess. Utah jumped out an early lead, BYU stormed back and then Utah ultimately prevailed. There were six turnovers, four via the Cougars, and that proved to be the difference.

As we leave Week 10, Utah remains unbeaten. But to assume the Utes will just sprint to the playoff would be a mistake.

Yes, this team is good, especially at home. But Utah will travel to Arizona next week and then TCU the week after. Given what we've seen this far, nothing should be assumed.

Texas Tech is still in the picture, as is Utah's opponent next Saturday. There are currently seven teams with two or fewer losses. All we're saying is stay tuned.

The Utes delivered a massive win on Saturday, although it still feels like a few surprises are still to come.

James Franklin Still Can't Win Games of Substance

The narrative that blanketed Franklin's Penn State tenure was loud and clear.

He won a lot of football games, but he rarely won the big football games. The conversation became so exhausting that it ultimately led to his removal.

Let's just say he's not exactly crushing that narrative at Virginia Tech.

Granted, it's early. Given how mediocre the Hokies have been in recent years, it would be unfair to make any massive declarations already.

Still, Friday night's loss to SMU was seismic. Virginia Tech didn't just lose; the Hokies were crushed 51-28, allowing a staggering 569 yards of offense. Frankly, the game wasn't even that close.

Sure, Virginia Tech was an underdog, although in many respects that's the point. That's what we saw at Penn State, and that's what we're seeing thus far. Well, that and two losses to Pitt and Cal earlier in the year don't help.

Franklin will be given time, as he should. But the narrative that cost him his job at Penn State, at least for now, is very much alive.

Alabama's Playoff Path is Suddenly Very Clear

Nothing is a given in the year 2026, where upsets have ruled and the unexpected has become the norm. Still, after beating LSU on the road, Alabama is suddenly in exceptional shape when it comes to the postseason.

That's not just because the College Football Playoff selection committee clearly loves the Crimson Tide. While the masses were not thrilled to see Alabama at No. 5 in Tuesday's first rankings, this team validated that decision in a major way.

And after beating the Tigers on the road, the resume is now significantly improved.

That's part of the equation. The other part is what Alabama has remaining.

Having played Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU, the rest of the path is shockingly favorable. Alabama plays at Vanderbilt next week and then will finish up the year with home games against Chattanooga and Auburn.

Things often get weird in the Iron Bowl. Plus, we saw Georgia lose to the Tigers this year.

Again, it's by no means a sure thing. That would be reckless to assume given how this year has gone.

But in terms of a playoff path, it doesn't get much clearer than this. Alabama has had an up-and-down stretch to say the least, although things suddenly look very reasonable.

Ty Dieffenbach is the Best Story in CFB No One is Talking About

Sure, we've talked plenty about UCLA. We've also spent plenty of time talking about head coach Bob Chesney, who is due for a massive new contract from UCLA or a different program entirely.

What we haven't done, however, is celebrate the accomplishments of the team's backup QB who was thrown into the starting role and hasn't looked back.

On Saturday, Dieffenbach completed just eight throws against Minnesota. Of those eight throws, three were touchdowns. Oh, and they accounted for 303 passing yards, which is one of the more absurd stat lines of the season.

Dieffenbach began his college career at Pitt before transferring to Cal Poly before the start of last season, where he accounted for nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

When starting QB Nico Iamaleava was lost for the season due to injury, Dieffenbach was named the starter. And given his inexperience, not much was expected.

Dieffenbach has played in five games and won all five, accounting for seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He's also clearly getting more comfortable with increased reps, which was fully on display against the Gophers.

What a season for the Bruins, although none of it would be possible without the backup quarterback.