11 Of The Most Viral Moments From A Chaotic Week 7 Of The College Football Season

Week 7 of the college football season was arguably the most chaotic yet. Five of the top seven teams lost. Two others were on the cusp of defeat. It provides a major shakeup in both the polls and outlook for the postseason.

The slate was action packed. It was essentially a midseason rivalry week. No one could’ve predicted the final outcomes. The weekend was full of incredible moments.

Each week, we look to find the best, most viral storylines from the games to pass. What moments were trending on social media in the immediate aftermath?

I’ve identified 11 of the topics that were most discussed by fans online. Week 7 didn’t disappoint.

11 viral moments from Week 7 of the college football season.

Below are 11 of the best stories from an unpredictable week. Many involve massive upsets across the country. One highlights a dramatic Ivy League finish in the FCS.

We’ll start in the SEC where the nation’s top team fell at home. Let’s dive in.

Alex Golesh’s postgame speech leaks.

The Auburn Tigers beat No. 1 Georgia in Athens on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Alex Golesh went viral after the fact.

He sent a strong message on complacency, brotherhood, and overcoming doubt after the upset. He does not want his team to get comfortable after the win. He does not want Auburn believing their critics.

“Don’t listen to anybody… Not a one would walk a f— day in your shoes. Not a one! So why would you listen to them?”

The Tigers entered the contest at 3-2 and were coming off a loss to Tennessee. They were 20-point underdogs. Many had been critical of Golesh and his players amid a 1-2 start to SEC play. He responded by picking up his first headline victory with his new program. Click the link above to hear the speech in full.

Bear Bachmeier kept receipts.

BYU beat Notre Dame in Provo, 28-24. They won as a 10-point home ‘dog against the second-ranked Irish. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had some extra motivation.

He was “disrespected” as a recruit by the Notre Dame coaching staff. In 2023, he was ready to make a commitment to the program, but they chose another passer.

As fate would have it, Bachmeier got a chance at revenge over the weekend. He never forgot the feeling of being scorned. He used it as fuel in a four-touchdown performance.

The Tommy Carr era begins at Michigan.

Bryce Underwood was benched at halftime of a 21-18 win over Penn State. The quarterback struggled in the first half. Michigan did not score a point in the opening two quarters.

Tommy Carr entered to lead the Wolverines to victory. He led three touchdown drives in a come-from-behind effort.

Now, a quarterback controversy brews in Ann Arbor. Will Kyle Whittingham turn to his freshman or re-insert his former five-star signal caller into the lineup? Carr was productive in limited action. The job may now be his to lose.

Indiana couldn’t get a foot down.

Indiana was poised to upset Ohio State in Bloomington on Saturday. They had the ball trailing 19-15 on the final possession.

On a 4th-and-4 play, quarterback Josh Hoover appeared to find wideout Nick Marsh in the endzone for a wide-open, game-winning score. Marsh couldn’t get a foot down.

The receiver secured the catch, but his foot landed out of bounds. Indiana turned the ball over on downs and Ohio State ran out the clock.

Texas fan storms the field despite loss.

The Texas Longhorns entered a Saturday matchup with Florida as a 12-point favorite at home. They were hoping to erase the sting of a Red River Rivalry loss to Oklahoma the week prior.

The Gators, meanwhile, were riding a two-game losing skid after being blown out by Missouri and South Carolina. No one predicted the upset.

Texas jumped out to a quick 17-3 lead. A failed fourth down conversion flipped the momentum. Florida scored the next 24 points to win.

After the game, a Texas fan jumped onto the field to antagonize Florida players. He flipped the Gators off before running away. The loss was bad. The optics and response were worse.

Nebraska robbed of a win over Oregon.

Oregon beat Nebraska in Big Ten football action on Saturday afternoon, 17-14. The Cornhuskers were robbed of an upset bid.

Referees missed two penalties against the Ducks on their final three plays. Both seemed obvious. Neither was called.

Oregon appeared to line up in an illegal formation on a crucial 4th-down play inside the 10-yard line. It went unnoticed and they converted, though there is some speculation as to whether or not that call was the correct one.

Later in the drive, an egregious holding call was missed on the game-winning touchdown. That score proved to be the difference in the game. Nebraska got the short end of the stick.

Referees giftwrap a Miami win.

Nebraska’s robbery was not the most controversial of the weekend. That goes to Florida State, which was prevented an opportunity to win a massive ACC rivalry game over Miami on Saturday.

The ‘Canes and ‘Noles went back and forth across 60 minutes of play. Neither team led by more than seven points at any time during regulation. Four quarters could not decide the outcome.

Florida State forced overtime with a touchdown inside the final three minutes. In first extra session, both teams traded touchdowns. Then, things went off the rails.

Miami took a 43-35 lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion. Florida State was down to its final play with a 4th-and-21. Somehow, Ashton Daniels found Micahi Danzy in the endzone to cut the score to 43-41.

A phantom hold was called on FSU. The Seminoles were forced to replay the down at 4th-and-31. Again, Daniels appeared to find a receiver in the endzone. It was controversially ruled an interception.

Florida State should’ve been able to tie the game with a two-point conversion. Referees made sure they didn’t get the chance.

Penn botches game-winning field goal.

Penn faced Columbia in Ivy League action on Friday. The Lions picked up a win thanks to the Quakers’ poor game management.

Columbia led by a point in the final seconds of regulation. Penn got positioned in field goal range for a potential go-ahead kick. Choas ensued.

Penn had no timeouts before the final play. It converted a first down with 10 seconds left on the clock. Typically, the offense would line up for a quick spike with the clock stopped to move the chains. Instead, the Quakers ran the field goal unit onto the field.

Head coach Rick Santos did not make that call. It came from a random assistant on the sidelines. Penn should’ve had time to clock the ball, take another shot towards the sidelines to improve field position, and set up for the game-winning kick. They botched it.

The Quakers’ 51-yard attempt fell short of the uprights. Columbia won to keep Ivy League championship hopes alive.

Kirk Herbstreit ripped Notre Dame.

No one in their right mind would call Notre Dame’s schedule a gauntlet to this point. They’d played nobody with a pulse up until Saturday’s matchup with BYU. As a result, they won their first six games by an average of 33 points.

Kirk Herbstreit called them out for it.

“Notre Dame plays two games where they’re going to be challenged… Think about what Alabama, Geogia, and Ohio State are dealing with. That cannot continue. That’s an embarrassment and incredibly unfair.”

Notre Dame’s scheduling is always top of mind. They don’t play FCS foes. They often play 10 Power 4 programs each season. Many, however, are considered bottom of the barrel.

The Irish face a few ACC opponents, one of which includes Miami. There are three Big Ten cellar dwellers. They play Navy and Rice from the Group of Five.

The program was expected to be heavily favored in all but one game. It provides an easier path to the College Football Playoff, especially when considering a special Notre Dame clause that guarantees entry if ranked in the Top 12.

Herbstreit doesn’t believe it is fair to other schools. He made it known before the loss to the Cougars.

Light the cigars.

In one of the best traditions in all of college football, Tennessee fans got the opportunity to smoke celebratory cigars in Neyland Stadium after upsetting Alabama.

The Vols dominated the Tide from start to finish. They never trailed.

Tennessee jumped out to a 9-0 first quarter lead. They held a 12-10 advantage at the halftime break. Alabama would be held scoreless the rest of the way. The Vols used a 14-0 second half performance to win, 26-10.

UT has now won three straight rivalry contests in Neyland Stadium. Alabama’s SEC Championship hopes are on life support after a second consecutive conference loss.

A new AP Poll drops.

Given all of the upsets from Week 7 of the college football season, a shakeup in the polls was to be expected. Things look much different at the top.

Georgia fell from No. 1 to No. 5. Texas and Alabama are out of the Top 10. Miami holds the top spot. BYU slid up six places to secure No. 2. Ohio State entered the Top 3.

With all of that said, the chaos is far from over. The Buckeyes could be playing with a backup quarterback the rest of the way. The SEC is still eating itself alive. Miami and Notre Dame face off in a few weeks. More movement is destined to ensue. It should provide plenty of viral storylines in the days to come!