Three Top 10 teams were off this weekend, and I bet they enjoyed sitting at home in Week 6 watching other Top 10 teams lose to inferior opponents. Check out the biggest movings and shakings from this past weekend of CFB below!
Top 10 Headlines
● I promise, I’m finally done believing in James Franklin and #7 Penn State. Their cross country trip to UCLA was supposed to be a get-right game given that it came against a winless team with an interim head coach. Instead, the Nittany Lions sleepwalked through the first half, facing a 27-7 halftime deficit where everything went wrong for them. Bruins QB Nico Iamaleava looked like Vince Young in the Rose Bowl, rushing for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns as UCLA overcame a furious Penn State comeback to come away with a 42-37 win, their first of 2025. From #2 in the preseason to potentially unranked after 6 weeks, Penn State is trying their best to match Clemson as 2025’s most disappointing team.
● Speaking of disappointing, where is the Arch Manning everyone hyped up this offseason? He wasn’t in Gainesville on Saturday as #9 Texas suffered their second loss of the season against what we thought was a lousy Florida squad. Perhaps they still are, but the Gators played with a vigor the Longhorns lacked for most of the afternoon. Manning’s stat line looks fine on paper, but he threw too many poor passes early and held onto the ball too many times too late that put the Horns into a deficit they never overcame. Texas’ vaunted defense also got torn up in the air and on the ground, with Jadan Baugh totaling over 100 rushing yards and Dallas Wilson, in his first career college game, racking up 111 receiving yards and 2 TDs. With their out of conference slate done, there’s no time to rest as Texas now prepares for a stifling Oklahoma defense next weekend.
● #10 Alabama got their revenge on #16 Vanderbilt after last year’s Commodores upset, imposing their will on Vandy in the second half to pull away for a 30-14 home win. They held the ‘Dores scoreless in the second half, and Bama QB Ty Simpson was dynamite once again. He had 340 passing yards and 2 TDs, overcoming his first pick of the season to power the Crimson Tide to a second-consecutive ranked win. Vandy hung tough in a place they’ve only won at once, and I think they’ve proved they’re more than a one year wonder. But Bama has resumed their spot as the class of the SEC.
● #1 Ohio State easily handled business at home against an overmatched Minnesota team. Stud Buckeyes WR Jeremiah Smith had 2 touchdowns while running mate Carnell Tate had 183 yards. Did you know that the two teams have played each other 55 times total and the Golden Gophers have only won 7 of them?
● #3 Miami won its third game of the season against a ranked opponent for the first time since 2004 as they hung on to knock off #18 Florida State. It ended up being a closer game than expected given that the Canes were up 28-3 early in the 4th quarter, but FSU never got close to really taking a lead. Freshman Miami WR Malachi Toney might be this year’s Jeremiah Smith; he had 107 yards and 2 touchdowns on a national stage. With the way they’ve dominated everyone they’ve played now and the remaining teams on their schedule, Miami has a realistic chance of getting to 12-0 and going to their first ACC title game since 2017.
● Two Top 10 SEC contenders notched big wins. First #5 Oklahoma suffocated poor Kent State to the tune of a 44-point shutout, although with starting QB John Mateer out with a thumb injury, the offense with backup QB Michael Hawkins was up and down. It helps having a defense as good as the Sooners have. Speaking of good defenses, #6 Texas A&M overcame a slow start to run away from scrappy Mississippi State 31-9. The Aggies held the Bulldogs to 219 yards of offense while running for 299 themselves.
● #2 Oregon and #8 Indiana were off as they prepared for their Week 7 clash in Eugene. #4 Ole Miss was also idle.
Best of the Weekend
● The last time the Red Raiders were ranked in the Top 10, I was playing this cool new song called “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk on repeat. But with their thorough defensive domination of previously unbeaten Houston and several teams in front of them losing, get ready for #11 Texas Tech to move into the Top 10 for the first time since 2013. It wasn’t the cleanest day on offense for the Red Raiders, but their defense is playing like a top 5 unit in the country and made those offensive struggles irrelevant.
● A surprise Big 12 contender emerged in Week 6, and they play at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Cincinnati knocked off #14 Iowa State, scoring early and often to pick up a signature conference win. The Bearcats did commit plenty of penalties to try and let the Cyclones come back in this one, but a late, long Brendan Sorsby touchdown pass put this one away. ISU isn’t out of things yet, but they don’t look like a team built to come from behind after seeing their struggles in Ohio.
● Your Big 12 barnburner of the week happened down in Waco, where Baylor overcame a 2-score deficit to knock off Kansas State. The Bears refuse to play in anything but close games, needing 18 4th quarter points and a blocked field goal attempt on the final play to get another conference victory. They were aided by another middling day from K-State QB Avery Johnson, who as the great Shehan Jeyarajah put it, is “one of the quarterbacks who has ever played”. His 4th quarter pick-six aided Baylor’s comeback, as did TE Michael Trigg’s 155 receiving yards. He’s a stud, folks!
● The American Conference might not be as vaunted as it once was, but it still has the best contenders for this year's G5 playoff spot. Navy is undefeated after getting a 469-yard day from QB Blake Horvath (339 passing yards(!) and 130 rushing yards) in a win over Air Force. Memphis is also undefeated after knocking off Tulsa. South Florida crushed Charlotte on Friday night, and they take on undefeated North Texas next Friday. And don’t forget about Tulane, whose only loss is to the #4 team in the country.
● Other interesting scores: SMU beat Syracuse to win their 18th straight conference game dating back to 2022. #21 Notre Dame continued their climb back into relevancy with a 3-score win over Boise State. #24 Virginia proved last week’s upset of Florida State wasn’t a fluke, beating previously undefeated Louisville on the road in overtime.
Worst of the Weekend
● How long is the Chapel Bill experiment gonna last? North Carolina was once again embarrassed at home by another FBS team, watching Clemson look like the preseason favorite they were in a demoralizing 38-10 defeat. The hallmarks of a Belichick Patriots team (preparedness, discipline) are nowhere to be found with these Tar Heels, not to mention an offense AND defense that’s MIA. I’ll put it out here now: this is going to be a one-and-done year for this marriage. Maybe UNC can keep Jordon Hudson in the divorce.
● In September, Maryland is an unstoppable force. Post-September Maryland is a blight on college football. The Terrapins couldn’t make a 20-0 lead stand, allowing a Washington team making a cross-country trip to score the final 24 points in a 24-20 Huskies in. You know that Green Day song “Wake Me Up When September Ends”? Maryland wants to keep sleeping.
● Since they’ve fallen off in recent years, Michigan State doesn’t get as much national flak as I think they deserve. The Spartans are 0-2 in the Big Ten after a road loss to Nebraska, letting some early promise slip away as they lost by double digits. Outside of Mel Tucker’s portal-driven 2021 team, Michigan State hasn’t mattered on the national stage in over a decade when they used to routinely be part of the conversation. The Mark Dantonio years in East Lansing get further and further away by the week.
● Colorado found another creative way to lose this weekend. This time it came on a muffed punt in a tie game, giving TCU the ball back to set up the Horned Frogs for a go-ahead score in an eventual 35-21 win. The Buffs let a 14-0 lead slip away, and their season is quickly slipping away as well (if it isn’t already all gone).
Fun Corner
● Maybe this was how Washington came back and won against Maryland: they had double agents on the other team!
● At the FCS level, Western Carolina QB Taron Dickens set a new NCAA record by completing his first 41(!) passes of the day. He finished 53-56 in a Catamounts win; read more about his ridiculous day at the office here.
● It’s not quite “The band is on the field!”, but the Colorado-Mesa sideline did creep onto the field when they thought this lateral play was over.
● CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel is a UCLA grad and former Bruins head coach, and now his son Jerry Neuheisel is the team’s play-caller. Look how much fun dad had watching son call plays in the team’s upset win over Penn State.
● The AP preseason poll's #1 (Texas), #2 (Penn State) and #4 (Clemson) are a combined 8-7 after UT and PSU dropped games in Week 6. At least the Tigers picked up a win!
Week 6 Heisman Standings
1. Carson Beck, Miami QB: Once again, against a ranked opponent, the Canes QB limited mistakes and hit the big plays. There was a point late in the 3rd quarter where Beck had as many 40-yard passing plays as he had incompletions (3). No one else in the country boasts his resume.
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama QB: There was no letdown to be had for Simpson after beating Georgia last week. He’s got the Crimson Tide rolling again, calming an offense that was quite shaky to begin the season.
3. Dante Moore, Oregon QB: The Ducks’ win over Penn State has lost a bit of luster, but not enough to seriously move Moore down these rankings. He’s got another golden opportunity to establish himself as a frontrunner against Indiana next weekend.
4. John Mateer, Oklahoma QB: The Sooners signal caller watched as his backup led the team to a 44-0 victory. Will his thumb be healed in time to take on Texas next weekend?
5. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati QB: Since a season-opening dud against Nebraska, Sorsby has averaged almost 300 yards per game to go along with 10 TDs and no picks.