College Football: Winners and Losers from Week 6
We're nearly halfway through the college football season, and there are storylines galore to discuss.
While the expected powerhouses continued to take care of business, upstarts staked claims to headlines as we navigated Week 6. Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State dominated, and Alabama turned away a last-second game-winning pass to hold off Texas A&M.
Kansas lost star quarterback Jalon Daniels but still took fellow unbeaten TCU to the brink before the Horned Frogs prevailed to maintain their unexpected run.
Tennessee traveled to Baton Rouge and decimated LSU. UCLA upset Utah. And Oklahoma State survived Texas Tech as all three remained unbeaten.
Michigan withstood a three-quarter scare from Indiana to run away with that one, and USC used defense to stymie Washington State and keep its record spotless.
The national picture is far from clear, but there was plenty to sift through again Saturday. Let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers.
Winner: Tennessee's Bayou Beatdown of LSU
1 of 14
Everybody is talking about the Tennessee offense, and rightfully so. Following an open week to get healthy, the Volunteers traveled to Death Valley for what should have been a closely contested game against LSU. They showed out in every facet.
Tennessee supplemented that electric offense with big-time special teams plays and consistent defensive pressure on Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels in a 40-13 win to waltz out of Baton Rouge looking like Georgia's biggest competition in the SEC East.
We'll know plenty more next week when the Vols host Alabama at Neyland Stadium, but this team is legit. They did it without star receiver Cedric Tillman, too.
Tennessee entered the game ranked No. 8, and it looked like it has the offensive explosiveness to at the very least make Alabama and Georgia uncomfortable.
The Bayou Bengals bungled the opening kickoff, and the Volunteers scored a silencer early. Dee Williams returned a subsequent punt 58 yards to set up a UT field goal, and the Vols had a double-digit lead less than four minutes in.
Brian Kelly's inexplicable decision to go for it on fourth down with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half set up a 32-yard pass to Bru McCoy, which led to a field goal and three stolen points for a 23-7 lead.
Then, Tennessee added "sandwich points" with a touchdown to start the third quarter, taking a 30-7 lead.
If the Vols can continue to make plays on defense and special teams, they should remain firmly in the national spotlight.
Loser: Jimbo's Hopes for Back-to-Back Upsets of Alabama
2 of 14
There's no question after Saturday night's unbelievable finish to Alabama's 24-20 win over Texas A&M that Jimbo Fisher has figured out a magic formula to hanging with the Crimson Tide.
But he ran out of pixie dust in the end.
Alabama played without star quarterback Bryce Young, who was nursing a shoulder injury, and bumbled its way to four turnovers. The Tide made enough mistakes on both sides of the ball to turn Nick Saban's hair gray, yet the top-ranked team came up with the game's biggest play when they had to.
Following a pass interference call in the end zone that set up A&M at the 2-yard line with three seconds left, the Tide's Will Anderson pressured Haynes King, who threw short of the goal line to Evan Stewart, and Alabama denied the potential game-winner to secure the victory.
The Tide may be imperfect, but they are spotless in the only place it matters: the win column. Now, they'll hope to get Young back in time to face the unbeaten Tennessee Vols on the road next week.
For now, beating Fisher was enough, especially after Saban’s and his war of words this offseason over recruiting.
"It was a great win for our team," Saban told the CBS crew afterward. "We had a lot of adversity to overcome, especially with Bryce not being able to play. Jalen made some good plays, but we had no consistency on offense. The defense made the play when they had to, but it was a great win, a great atmosphere, and the crowd had a lot to do with helping us win."
The Aggies fell to 3-3 but took the Tide to the brink again a year after beating them in College Station. They're young and haven't had a great season, but they nearly toppled the Tide again.
Still, the Tide survived.
Winner: TCU's Shattering of Kansas' Cinderella Slipper
3 of 14
As Jalon Daniels suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury near the end of the first half, Kansas' storybook season had to flash before the Jayhawks' eyes.
The feel-good tale of two upstart Big 12 undefeateds going head-to-head in Lawrence on Saturday was overshadowed by the injury to the biggest star on the field.
While Daniels watched in street clothes in the second half, though, Kansas was still more than a worthy adversary for TCU. The Horned Frogs escaped 38-31, but the Jayhawks proved they are far from done no matter the extent of Daniels' injury.
Backup Jason Bean torched TCU for 262 yards and four second-half touchdowns and was brilliant for much of the game. His errant couple of passes on the would-be game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter will be hard to forget, but he showed he can run Lance Leipold's offense, too.
Meanwhile, TCU is one of the least talked-about stories in the nation. In coach Sonny Dykes' first year in Fort Worth after leaving SMU, he has the Toads playing totally different football. They improved to 5-0 after beating perennial power Oklahoma last week and turning Kansas into a pumpkin this week.
Max Duggan was the catalyst, throwing for 308 yards, rushing for 55 more and accounting for four touchdowns. Oklahoma State may be the Big 12 team everybody is talking about, but TCU is sneaky good.
The Horned Frogs passed their biggest test of the season to date, and with that high-flying offense, anything is possible.
Loser: Oklahoma's Rough Red River Rivalry Performance
4 of 14
Saturday's Red River Rivalry was a bloodletting.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers returned after getting injured against Alabama and led the Longhorns to a 49-0 win over rival Oklahoma in the latest rendition of the competition between the two future SEC programs.
Ewers' dominance is a worthy storyline, but considering neither the Horns nor Sooners were ranked, perhaps the biggest takeaway is which team didn't look like a Big 12 competitor.
That was OU, which never had any defensive consistency under former coach Lincoln Riley and is spiraling into oblivion on that side of the ball even with former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables leading the team.
The Sooners defense is soft, and opponents are scoring at will. At the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Ewers carved it up and Bijan Robinson ripped off big runs.
The shutout proved the offense has holes, too.
Oklahoma's three-game losing streak has reached epic embarrassment, and Texas snapped a four-game losing streak in the rivalry, adding insult to injury.
In consecutive weeks, Oklahoma was tripped up yet again by Kansas State. Then last weekend, it had zero answers for Sonny Dykes' TCU in a 55-24 beatdown.
With Venables trying to establish the program in his own image, you know he wants those tough, rugged defenses that characterized Clemson. But the Longhorns ran through the Sooners, showing there's a long, long way to go.
Winner: Jay Norvell Helps CSU Snap Losing Streak in Return to Nevada
5 of 14
When Jay Norvell left Nevada for more money at Colorado State in what appeared to be a lateral in-conference move at best and trumpeted it as an issue of "support," it left some bristling.
Rebuilding the Rams hasn't been easy, but the former coach of the Wolf Pack returned Friday to Reno, where he helped build a Mountain West Conference contender. He walked out a winner.
Colorado State snapped a 10-game losing skid with a last-second 17-14 victory to give Norvell his first win this year.
The Rams built a 14-0 lead on the strength of a pick-six and scoop-and-score, but Nevada tied the game in the fourth quarter. When Colorado State got the ball back with two minutes remaining, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi led it 53 yards to set up a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Michael Boyle missed the attempt, but a running-into-the-kicker penalty gave him a mulligan, and he nailed a 43-yarder.
"That ball was in the air for an eternity," Boyle told the Fort Collins Coloradoan's Kevin Lytle. "I saw it go over the post, and everything just went blank. Just pure excitement."
Loser: Memphis' Colossal Collapse
6 of 14
For Memphis, Friday night's home tilt with Houston was an opportunity to prove it was back in the mix as an American Athletic Conference contender. For the Cougars, it was a last chance to turn around a horrific start.
Nobody could have predicted the bizarre ending, which may have flip-flopped the fates of two seasons.
With less than a minute-and-a-half remaining, the Tigers held a 13-point advantage. But Houston quarterback Clayton Tune culminated a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to KeSean Carter to help shave the lead to 32-26.
Coach Dana Holgorsen's team recovered the ensuing onside kick. The Tune-Carter duo hooked up again six plays later for a two-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and Kyle Ramsey's extra point gave the Cougars a stunning 33-32 win.
Tune orchestrated 20 fourth-quarter points—and Jayce Rogers added a 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown—to fuel the comeback and perhaps save Houston's season. Once thought to be Cincinnati's biggest competition in the conference, the Cougars only evened their records at 3-3 and 1-1 in the AAC.
Memphis, meanwhile, collapsed with a putrid defense, snapping a four-game winning streak with the kind of tough-luck loss that can lead to finger-pointing.
As the Daily Memphian's Geoff Calkins wrote, the Tigers had a 99.9 percent win probability, and it's fair to ask if the loss will define coach Ryan Silverfield's tenure. It was "staggering" and "incomprehensible."
You won't find a bigger choke job in college football this year.
Winner: Michigan Makes Ugly Beautiful
7 of 14
On game day, it's hard to make any rugged showdown for a Top Four team an afterthought. But that's exactly what happened when Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart was carted off the field in the first half of the Wolverines' game against Indiana.
According to the Michigan Insider's Alejandro Zuniga, Hart suffered a seizure. The Fox broadcast crew said he called the team at halftime and let them know he was OK. Hart played running back for the program and also coached the position for the Hoosiers for four seasons through 2020.
The game was tied at 10 at halftime, but the Wolverines found their offensive footing after the break.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy got things going against Tom Allen's tougher-than-normal defense. The sophomore threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns and was a major key to the win.
During the past two seasons, coach Jim Harbaugh has not asked his quarterbacks to take control of games, but McCarthy has that athletic ability and proved he could do it against the Hoosiers.
Running back Blake Corum continued his outstanding start to the season with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Wolverines pulled away late.
The 31-10 victory looks good on paper, but it was far from easy. With Penn State looking like a worthy contender and Ohio State putting up points like a pinball machine, Michigan needs to tighten things up if it wants to head back to the College Football Playoff.
Loser: Bryan Harsin
8 of 14
Nobody expected four-touchdown underdog Auburn to upset Georgia between the hedges Saturday, and that's the problem.
That statement is all you need to know about where the Tigers are.
Despite playing strong once again on defense, Harsin's team never mustered much of a challenge against the second-ranked Bulldogs, who played their C or D game and still eased to a 42-10 victory in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
Like clockwork, Auburn made no halftime adjustments and actually worsened in the second half. It has happened that way throughout Harsin's two-year tenure. Also, the whispers, rumors and swirl of questions continue to surround the Loveliest Village on the Plains.
Will he or won't he? Will he get canned this week, or will Auburn wait until the end of the season? Is there any way enough can change to prevent the firing from happening at all?
The answer to the final question appears to be "no." Even before Saturday's pedestrian offensive effort, the wheels were rumored to be in motion.
The trend in college football is to fire a coach before the season ends, go behind the scenes with agents and put together a game plan. The issue at Auburn, however, is there is no sitting athletic director.
Saturday was a mess on the field (especially on offense, as redshirt freshman quarterback Robby Ashford is trying to figure it out, and on the sideline, as Harsin looks overmatched in the SEC). The concern with Auburn is that things are a bigger mess off it.
Each week Harsin remains on that sideline, it feels like the inevitable is just being delayed.
Winner: Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Undefeated Team We Forgot
9 of 14
It's easy to forget about the UCLA Bruins.
Pretty much every national college football headline zeroing in on Los Angeles is focused on Lincoln Riley's first year at USC and the Trojans' undefeated record. And with the Los Angeles Dodgers looking like the team to beat in the MLB playoffs, you haven't heard about Chip Kelly's team.
That may change after Saturday.
The Bruins whipped defending Pac-12 champion Utah 42-32 at the Rose Bowl to cement themselves as the Trojans' biggest contender in the Pac-12. The way they're playing and with their veteran leadership, they may be the best team.
If that's the case, it'll be because of Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has had electrifying moments throughout his career interspersed with baffling decisions. This year, he looks composed and comfortable.
Against the Utes, he was stupendous, answering every methodical, meticulous Utah drive with his own explosive play. When the smoke cleared in the lopsided win, DTR had accounted for 307 yards and five touchdowns.
He may not be on the same level as some of those old Oregon star signal-callers Kelly helped develop, but he's plenty good enough. He's one of the most underrated stars in the game, and with weapons such as Zach Charbonnet (22 carries, 198 yards) and Jake Bobo (two receiving touchdowns) around him, UCLA is a threat to score every time it has the ball.
You need to pay attention to the Bruins.
Loser: Anybody Who Tried to Tackle Israel Abanikanda
10 of 14
For much of the week, Israel Abanikanda's status against rival Virginia Tech was unknown after he was hurt last week against Georgia Tech.
The Pittsburgh running back played Saturday, and he turned in a performance that will not be forgotten any time soon.
The scorch marks left on the Hokies defenders' jerseys are all the memories you need. The Panthers star shattered former Pitt great and Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett's single-game rushing record set back in 1975 against Notre Dame.
Virginia Tech had no answers for the 5'11", 215-pound junior from Brooklyn, New York, who shredded coach Brent Pry's team for 320 yards on 36 carries and scored an incredible six touchdowns in a 45-29 win.
With Kedon Slovis and Co. struggling to move the ball through the air, Abanikanda was a one-man wrecking crew. Dorsett's record was 303 yards, and Abanikanda blazed past that like he did the Hokies.
He told reporters after the game that he knew he was going to play.
We probably won't see another performance like that by a running back this season.
Winner: USC Winning with (Gasp!) Defense
11 of 14
There's no question the USC Trojans will win the majority of their games with a prolific offense led by coach Lincoln Riley and orchestrated by Caleb Williams at quarterback.
But one of the most underrated storylines of the day was the Trojans getting by a sneaky-tough test against Washington State on Saturday night by the score of 30-14 and doing much of it with defense.
If the Trojans keep getting better on that side of the ball, it's only going to strengthen their resume and make them more attractive in the voters' minds.
The Cougars entered the weekend 4-1 and were playing well with Cameron Ward under center, but they couldn't muster much against the Trojans. He threw for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Jaylen Jenkins added 130 rushing yards. But Wazzu was just 4-of-13 on third-down conversions.
Entering the game, Wazzu had scored 107 points in the past three weeks, but the Cougars failed to score in the game's final 42 minutes. USC sacked Ward five times, with three of those coming from Tuli Tuipulotu. The defense bolstered the Trojans to their first 6-0 start to a season since 2006, when Pete Carroll was leading the charge.
Williams threw a pair of scoring tosses to Mario Williams, and Travis Dye added 149 rushing yards and a touchdown in the victory, but the defense stole the show in a big win.
Winner: Oklahoma State's Survival Skills
12 of 14
OK, Oklahoma State fans, you can breathe.
Coach Mike Gundy's team didn't appear to underestimate budding Big 12 pest Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders were in the thick of things in Stillwater before the Cowboys escaped with a 41-31 win.
Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State found a way even when its defense struggled to stop Behren Morton. It countered with the arm and feet of veteran quarterback Spencer Sanders.
Much like Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Sanders has experienced ups and downs in his career, but he has a supreme knowledge of what Gundy wants to do on offense, and the unit revolves around him.
Sanders was the catalyst again Saturday despite completing only 22 of his 45 passes. He threw for 297 yards and ran for 56 more, accounting for three touchdowns and leading the Cowboys to the final 18 points.
Even so, the Red Raiders appear way ahead of schedule in Year 1 of the Joey McGuire era, showing tons of fight each week, no matter who's behind center or what adversity they face. They're recruiting well, and they've been in every game despite their 3-3 record.
This was no slouch win for Oklahoma State, which appears to be the Big 12's supreme team.
Loser: Arkansas' Continued Free Fall Against Upstart Mississippi State
13 of 14
If you're trying to figure out the SEC West beyond Alabama, join the rest of the nation.
Perhaps the two toughest teams in the division to dissect met Saturday in Starkville, and Mississippi State torched Arkansas 40-17.
The Razorbacks entered the year looking like Alabama's biggest competition, but they lost a tough game by missing a field goal late against Texas A&M two weeks ago. After hanging with the Crimson Tide for three quarters last week, they were beat down late.
In the process, they lost quarterback KJ Jefferson. That cost them any chance to beat the Bulldogs this week, who forced backup Malik Hornsby into a pair of interceptions (he did account for 348 yards from scrimmage).
Will Rogers was a surgeon in picking apart the Hogs for 395 yards and three touchdowns, and now you can forget about Arkansas as a contender as it will try to save its season from spiraling.
With 5-1 MSU playing well on both sides of the ball, it's possible coach Mike Leach's team could contend with 'Bama and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs are normally good for some bad outings—like their loss to LSU in mid-September—but they are capable of looking great, too.
Saturday's win was dominant, and even if Jefferson had been available, he can't play defense. Nobody is stopping Rogers and Co. right now.
Winner: Notre Dame's Offense with Drew Pyne at the Helm
14 of 14
It's never a good thing when you lose your starting quarterback for the season the way Notre Dame did with Tyler Buchner.
But the Fighting Irish seems to have found itself recently with backup signal-caller Drew Pyne taking over. He gets more and more comfortable each week, and following last week's bye, he stepped onto the field against BYU and looked better than ever.
Notre Dame moved over .500 on the season with a quality 28-20 win over a strong No. 16-ranked Cougars team at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and Pyne was a big part of it. He threw for 262 yards and a trio of touchdowns to help the Irish get a big win.
Suddenly, a team that was expected to contend for the College Football Playoff this year has regained a little bit of rhythm under first-year coach Marcus Freeman, despite some early-season tumult.
Pyne is the catalyst. In his first game in a win over Cal a few weeks back, Pyne ran a stripped-down version of the offense, completing 17 of 23 passes for 150 yards and a pair of scores. When the Irish torched North Carolina two weeks ago, Pyne had 289 passing yards and three more scores.
The Cougars failed to slow him down much, either. Pyne completed 22 of 28 passes, and while he isn't asked to do too much, he seems comfortable within the framework of coordinator Tommy Rees' offense, and the Irish still could have a sturdy season with him leading the way.
Pyne has waited his turn, and now he's making the most of it.
.jpg?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
