Top College Football Teams Lose in Historic Upset Day
Listen to the story
College football has seen one of its most surprising days in decades, as five of the top seven ranked teams lost their games.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Notre Dame were both among the teams that fell, shocking fans across the country.
This was the first time since 1989 that so many elite teams lost in a single day, making it a truly historic moment in the sport.
The losses are being called major upsets, since weaker teams defeated some of the strongest programs in the nation.
The results happened during Week 7 of the 2026-27 college football season, a key point when the Top 25 rankings often shift.
Because of the unexpected outcomes, the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture is now much less clear than before.
The CFP decides which teams get to compete for the national championship at the end of the season.
With so many top teams losing, experts are already working on new standings and bracket predictions.
A bracket shows how teams could be matched up in the playoff rounds.
Analysts say days like this remind fans how unpredictable college football can be, even for teams that seemed almost unbeatable.
Both Georgia and Notre Dame had been considered among the best teams before the losses.
Now, their path to the playoffs may be more difficult, depending on how the rest of the season unfolds.
Coaches and players from the affected teams are expected to respond to the results in the coming days.
Fans are waiting to see how the rankings and playoff predictions change after this dramatic week.
Vocabulary10 words
- elite
- among the very best
- upsets
- surprising wins by weaker teams
- Top 25 rankings
- the official list of the best 25 teams
- College Football Playoff (CFP)
- the system that picks the national champion
- standings
- a list showing team results and positions
- bracket
- a chart showing matchups in a competition
- unpredictable
- hard to know what will happen
- programs
- sports teams, especially at schools
- analysts
- people who study and explain events
- outcomes
- the results of something
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. Five of the top seven teams lost 2. Which teams play for the national championship 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
College football has seen one of its most surprising days in decades, as five of the top seven ranked teams _____ their games.
No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Notre Dame were both among the teams that _____, shocking fans across the country.
This was the first time since _____ that so many elite teams lost in a single day.
The losses are being called major _____, since weaker teams defeated some of the strongest programs in the nation.
The results happened during Week 7 of the 2026-27 college football _____.
Because of the unexpected outcomes, the College Football Playoff _____ is now much less clear than before.
The CFP decides which teams get to compete for the national _____ at the end of the season.
With so many top teams losing, experts are already working on new standings and _____ predictions.
Both Georgia and Notre Dame had been considered among the best teams before the _____.
Fans are waiting to see how the rankings and playoff predictions change after this dramatic _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think upsets like this excite fans of sports?
- Do you follow college football or any similar university sports league in your country?
- How do you think losing affects a team's confidence for the rest of a season?
- What makes a sports result feel 'historic' to you?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
More Sports stories
Next story · Medium
Rabada Plays Down Old Clash With Steve Smith Before South Africa v Australia