College football grades: Notre Dame 'A' mark for marquee victory, Ohio State gets 'F' on Week 10 report card

A look at how national championship contenders fared in Week 10 action Nov 8, 2026 at 10:26 am ET • 5 min read With No. 11 Notre Dame's season potentially hanging in the balance Saturday night, the Fighting Irish could ill-afford to squander the only remaining opportunity on their schedule to secure a marquee win. It was a simple pass/fail assignment. Though it got uncomfortable in the fourth quarter, Marcus Freeman's club passed the test.Typically, 'A' grades are reserved for teams that thoroughly dominate their opponents in most key statistical categories. Notre Dame didn't quite do that against Miami, but it won the game. This showdown was never going to be about style points. It was about doing what it takes to arrive at Selection Sunday with a marquee victory.To be fair, Notre Dame did lead 24-3 at one point against the nation's No. 1 ranked team, showing glimpses of total domination. Eventually, Miami got back into the game, requiring the Fighting Irish to make a couple of late stops. It wasn't perfect. But when you consider the stakes and caliber of opponent, it was 'A' worthy showing.We are handing out grades evaluating every team that started or ended the day with national championship odds of +3000 or better. No. 4 Indiana (+850) had a bye 2026 national championship odds listed below courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams listed in order of their AP Top 25 ranking. No. 1 MiamiGrade: C Result: 31-24 loss at Notre Dame Title odds: +800Predictably, Miami's offense started out looking like mess without star receiver Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes sputtered and stammered for the entire first half and fell behind 24-3 before getting back into the game. But the hole was simply too big. Defensively, the Hurricanes' shortcomings in the secondary were exposed by Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, who surpassed 300 yards passing for the first time this season. No. 2 GeorgiaGrade: A+ Result: 42-7 win at Ole Miss Title odds: +240Georgia piled up 221 yards in the first quarter alone and opened up a 21-0 lead one minute into the second quarter. Unlike Texas, which let the Rebels rally a couple of weeks ago, the Bulldogs never let up. UGA's No. 2 spot in the initial CFP Rankings felt a little premature, given the lack of depth to Georgia's accomplishments beyond its Alabama win. But this showing proved the predictive metrics right. When Georgia shows up -- like it showed up in a hostile environment against a good Ole Miss team -- it is the best team in college football. No. 3 UtahGrade: B+ Result: 28-20 win vs. BYU Title odds: +2200BYU reeled off 20 straight points to close the first half -- rallying from an early 14-0 deficit -- before Utah's defense turned ruthless and bought the offense time to recover from a prolonged lull. The Utes picked off BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier three times in the second half alone. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier survived a shaky stretch and got loose with his legs at the end of the third quarter to help Utah retake the lead for good. It wasn't always pretty, but both units produced some bright moments. That's what they call complementary football. No. 5 AlabamaGrade: A Result: 31-13 win at LSU Title odds: +650Alabama's defense mastered the art of bending without breaking while limiting LSU to one touchdown on four red-zone trips. The Crimson Tide defense also flexed in key downs, holding the Tigers to 5 of 19 on third- and fourth-down plays. Offensively, the Crimson Tide ran just 53 plays, but Keelon Russell delivered three touchdown passes. In his first game back from injury, star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams also made an impact with a rushing touchdown and a huge punt return in the fourth quarter. The run game wasn't great. But within the context of Alabama being an underdog and coming away with an 18-point road win over LSU, that's not a grade killer. No. 7 TexasGrade: A- Result: 34-20 win at Missouri Title odds: +1100Arch Manning played a turnover-free game while throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns as he guided the Longhorns back from a 20-13 deficit. He was sacked three times amid some indecision and continued struggles from the Longhorns' offensive line. But considering that Cam Coleman, his most-talented receiver, was out due to injury, this was a good day for him. The Texas defense didn't necessarily wreak havoc, but its only sack of the day was a huge one in the fourth quarter that helped flip the field, leading to a go-ahead Texas touchdown. No. 10 Ole MissGrade: F Result: 42-7 loss vs. Georgia Title odds: +2700Not even the great Trinidad Chambliss could dig Ole Miss out of this hole. Georgia outclassed the Rebels on their home field in every facet of the game, dealing first-year Ole Miss coach Pete Golding a humbling dose of revenge. When the Rebels beat Georgia in last year's CFP quarterfinals, they had a more disruptive defense and a more dynamic offense. This time around, the Bulldogs exposed deficiencies on both sides of the ball. Ole Miss gave up way too many explosive plays and had no answers in one of the most stunningly lopsided outcomes of the year. No. 11 Notre DameGrade: A Result: 31-24 win vs. Miami Title odds: +380Notre Dame's defense made sure nothing came easy for Miami's vaunted offense in the first half. The showing was highlighted by a goal-line stand in the second quarter as the Irish turned a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line for the 'Canes into a chip-shot field goal. Offensively, quarterback CJ Carr played arguably his best game of the season while shaking off a couple of recent inefficient performances. In a borderline must-win game, the Fighting Irish came through. No. 12 Ohio StateGrade: FResult: 41-28 loss vs. OregonTitle odds: +xThe absence of starting quarterback Julian Sayin remains an obvious hindrance for Ohio State, but that's to be expected. The vulnerability of the Buckeyes' defense is the more stunning revelation. The nation's preseason No. 1 team has allowed 30-plus points in back-to-back regular season losses for the first time since 1990. Oregon reeled off three straight long touchdown drives over the second and third quarters to extinguish any hope for a team playing with a freshman quarterback. Two late Ohio State scores made this look more respectable than it was. No. 14 LSUGrade: C-Result: 31-13 loss vs. AlabamaTitle odds: +1800All the good vibes LSU amassed during convincing wins over Mississippi State and Auburn dissipated in a sea of missed opportunities during a loss that left the Tigers' CFP hopes all but extinguished. LSU ventured into Alabama territory eight times and reached the red zone four times. It came away with just 13 points while stumbling to a 0 for 4 mark on fourth-down plays. LSU's run defense was solid, but it gave up too many explosive passing plays while suffering a rare loss as a home favorite.