Updated November 9, 2026, 1:56 p.m. ET
Following the results of a loaded Week 10 college football slate, most of the teams that managed to force their way into the upper echelons of the LBM American Coaches Poll can apparently feel pretty good about their chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. Then there are the less fortunate teams with multiple losses that are more likely to occur away from home. But some of the latter can still be dangerous, capable of playing with the proverbial freedom of those who have nothing left to lose.
This week, our overreaction exercise will examine five teams most likely to become agents of chaos over the final three weeks of the regular season. Most of them probably won’t return to the 12-team field, but they could make an impact on who might.
U.S.C.
Remaining schedule: at Indiana, against Maryland, at UCLA.
Trojans, contrary to the last sentence above, might actually have the best chance of helping themselves. Their final trip east to Wisconsin didn’t go well, but they stayed relevant a week later by handing Ohio State the first of its two Big Ten losses. A split of their games with the Hoosiers and Bruins might not be enough to put them in the top 12, but a sweep should earn them serious consideration.
LSU
Remaining schedule: against Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas.
LSU’s poor showing against Alabama was a likely eliminator. But when you’re already a three-loss SEC team, the best way to stay relevant is to create more three-loss SEC teams. The Tigers have two chances to do just that. The Longhorns and Volunteers, of course, will have no desire to give the committee another loss to consider, and the Bayou Bengals will need to win both games as underdogs to get back into the picture. But that’s what agents of chaos do, right?
Remaining schedule: in Georgia, against Kentucky, against Oklahoma.
Like the other Baton Rouge Tigers, these Mizzou Tigers also failed in the match they were scheduled to play on their home field against Texas. Even if they run the table, their resume might not compare well to other SEC teams with similar records, but an upset of the Bulldogs or Wildcats would shuffle the deck.
EMS
Remaining schedule: against Wake Forest, at Notre Dame, at Stanford.
The Mustangs, who have suffered three defeats, have a few opportunities to turn things around. Despite their recent loss to Syracuse, they are still very much alive mathematically in the race for the ACC championship game, although that option is not an option if they lose to the Demon Deacons. But a week later at Notre Dame, SMU will have the opportunity to throw a wrench in the deep end.
Remaining schedule: in Miami, against Clemson, at Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils are playing as well as anyone in the ACC right now, but unfortunately they have a bad loss to Georgia Tech that puts them out of the conference and the College Football Playoff race. Running is difficult. However, a sweep of three tough finishing matches like this could make things interesting. It’s a lot to ask to be much more than a spoiler for others.
Gn sports
