Only one college football team can go undefeated this year thanks to the 12-team college football playoff. Only nine teams remain unbeaten as we enter Week 7. Here’s a look at when each team could suffer its first loss.

No. 1 Georgia — November 7 at Ole Miss

Ole Miss might not be ranked by the time Georgia makes the visit to Oxford since the Rebels play Missouri and Texas before that. Regardless of the ranking, Ole Miss still is the best chance for a team to beat the Bulldogs during the regular season.

The Ole Miss game is a bit of a trap game as it follows the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party against Florida. The game is also on the road in the SEC, a challenge no matter how good a team is.

Then there’s the opposing quarterback, Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and Georgia’s closest game this season came against Alabama dual-threat QB Keelon Russell. Unlike Russell, Chambliss is not in his first year as a starter and can rely on game experience. 

Chambliss had two touchdowns on the ground against Georgia last year before Ole Miss got shutout in the fourth quarter. In 2026, Chambliss could be the key for Georgia’s first loss of the season.

No. 2 Notre Dame — October 17 at BYU

Notre Dame visits BYU this week in a top-10 matchup. While some might’ve pointed to the game against Miami in November as the first game the Fighting Irish will lose, the game against the Cougars has an added element of history that can’t be ignored.

Notre Dame hasn’t won a top-10 game on the road since 2012 for an 0-8 record. Against opponents ranked Nos. 11-25, Notre Dame has only a 7-6 record. Fifty percent of Notre Dame’s ranked road losses since 2012 have come when the Fighting Irish were the higher-ranked team. Three of those top-10 games have been under Marcus Freeman as head coach.

Notre Dame will be ranked higher than BYU come Saturday, and Marcus Freeman will still be the head coach. While BYU will be without star running back LJ Martin, backup RB Sione Moa could return after practicing this week.

Even with BYU facing injuries, Notre Dame still has to figure out how to win on the road. That’s why the Fighting Irish could suffer their first loss this weekend.

Year
Home Winner
Score
Notre Dame Ranking

2025
No. 10 Miami (FL)
27-24
No. 6

2022
No. 6 Southern California
38-27
No. 15

2022
No. 2 Ohio State
21-10
No. 5

2019
No. 3 Georgia
23-17
No. 7

2017
No. 7 Miami (FL)
41-8
No. 3

2014
No. 9 Arizona State
55-31
No. 10

2014
No. 2 Florida State
31-27
No. 5

2013
No. 8 Stanford
27-20
No. 25

No. 3 Miami (FL) — November 7 at Notre Dame

Miami has to make a road trip north in November to play a likely ranked Notre Dame team. Currently the matchup projects as a top-three matchup, which would face a regular-season top-three team since playing No. 1 Alabama in the 2021 season opener. 

That game won’t be easy, especially considering the temperature difference between Miami and South Bend, Indiana. The average low temperature in South Bend the last five years has been 41 degrees. Miami hasn’t hit a low temperature below 72 degrees on November 7 since 2022. The 2026 Miami-Notre Dame game is set for a 7:30 p.m. start, nearly two hours after the projected sunset. That means it will be cold.

When current Miami quarterback Darian Mensah started for Duke last year, he played at UConn where it was below 55 degrees by the final whistle. Duke lost and Mensah threw two interceptions with a fumble. When Mensah played at Army with Tulane in 2024, the Green Wave lost on a 27 degree day where Mensah threw an interception and had a fumble. 

Mensah has yet to win a road game in his career when the temperature falls below 55 degrees. Against Notre Dame in 2026, Miami’s starting quarterback will have to brave the elements and a defense that’s allowing the fourth-fewest points per game in the FBS. The game has the makings of a Hurricane loss.

No. 5 Indiana — October 17 vs. Ohio State

Indiana faces Ohio State in a top-five matchup this week. It could be the first time the Hoosiers lose a game since the 2024 College Football Playoff. Indiana enters the matchup after close outings in two of its last three games against Northwestern and Nebraska. Meanwhile, Ohio State hasn’t had a close game since a loss to Texas. 

Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover is the biggest question mark entering this matchup. The Hoosier signal caller completed only 54 percent of his passes last week against Nebraska and threw only one touchdown against Northwestern. He’ll now have to face an Ohio State defense that only allows quarterbacks to complete just 53 percent of their passes.

With Hoover’s recent struggles, Ohio State could be the first team to hand Indiana a loss in 22 games.

No. 8 BYU — November 14 vs Baylor

Baylor has won four straight games since a season-opening loss against Auburn. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway is back healthy and just threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another score in his last outing. Defensively, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 with 18 sacks.

Baylor could be ranked by the time it faces BYU near the end of the season and it could sneak up on the Cougars for an upset. The game is one week after the Holy War against Utah, which in this case I have BYU winning. Still high off of a rivalry win, BYU could let a Baylor team with a dynamic quarterback and aggressive defense get the best of it in mid-November.

No. 10 Texas Tech — October 24 at Cincinnati

Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond has as many passing touchdowns as interceptions this season (five). Cincinnati has the third-best pass defense in the Big 12, allowing just five passing touchdowns this season. 

When Texas Tech visits, it’ll be the first home game of the month for the Bearcats. Cincy opened the season 4-0 at home and hasn’t lost an October home game in three years. If Will Hammond can’t find his rhythm by the time Texas Tech heads north, Cincinnati could knock off an undefeated Red Raiders team.

No. 11 Utah — November 7 vs. BYU

Utah has lost three straight games against BYU dating back to 2021. The Utes might be undefeated when BYU comes to town this year, but it might not matter in this rivalry. 

At this point in the season, BYU and Utah feel evenly matched, each ranking near the top of the Big 12 in every category. That said, a rivalry game presents the best chance for Utah to lose given how chaotic and close the series has been recently.

No. 12 UCLA — October 17 vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin already has a road win over a top 15 team this season, beating then-No. 13 Penn State back in September. No. 12 UCLA could be next.

UCLA will be without its starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava after he suffered a potential season-ending injury in an upset win over Oregon. In comes backup Ty Dieffenbach, a transfer quarterback who played last year at Cal Poly. Dieffenbach only beat one DI team during his final season in the FCS and threw as many touchdowns as interceptions.

The other backup quarterback option is Nico’s younger brother Madden Iamaleava, who hasn’t completed a pass in his college career.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin has the fourth-best pass defense in the Big Ten, allowing just three touchdowns through the air in 2026. This matchup has upset written all over it.

James Madison — October 17 vs. Georgia State

James Madison is undefeated and the current favorite in the Sun Belt as the defending champions, but the Dukes could lose as soon as this week to an upstart Georgia State team.

Georgia State is 4-1 this season, only losing to UCF out of the Big 12. It’s an impressive turnaround after a 1-11 season a year ago. Defense has been a major factor in GSU’s success in 2026, and it’s why James Madsion should be on upset alert.

Georgia State has the top passing defense in the Sun Belt at 174.0 yards per game. More impressively, the Panthers have 19 sacks in five games, the fourth-most sacks in the FBS. The Georgia State defense has made it hard for teams to move the ball through the air thanks to pressure on the quarterback as new defensive line coach Cam Spence has revitalized the Panther front-seven.

That’s troubling news for James Madison after seeing quarterback Camden Coleman get sacked three times last week against Georgia Southern. It’s the second time he’s been sacked three times in a game, joining Week 3 at San Diego State.

Another area of trouble for James Madison could come on third downs. Georgia State has the sixth-best third-down defense in the country, allowing opponents to convert just 26 percent of third down attempts. Meanwhile, James Madison only converts 39 of its third down attempts offensively. 

If Georgia State’s defense continues to play at a high level, it could put James Madison in tough situations. The Dukes could have limited chances to score against the Panthers as the GSU offense ranks 15th nationally in time of possession at 33 minutes per game. It would be no surprise if the James Madison offense struggles in a game that becomes its first loss of the season.