By Colin Bish, Sports Staffer
So many upsets, so little time. Week six brought out some crazy shockers for Saturday, so let’s dive in to see who’s sliding and who’s falling as the teams begin to thin out.
THE GOOD:
Miami Runs Florida
Following Florida State’s stunning loss to Virginia, they came into a big home game against their rival Miami Hurricanes battered and broken. Miami took full advantage. Senior quarterback Carson Beck continues to shine, completing 20 of 27 passes for 241 yards and 4 touchdowns. Freshman receiver Malachi Toney and senior receiver CJ Daniels combined for 185 yards on 12 catches and all four touchdown catches. Outside of a late fourth quarter rally by the Seminoles, the Miami defense stood firm and bottled a prolific Florida State offense. All things considered, the Hurricanes look like a complete unit.
Alabama Exacts Revenge
Few teams right now are playing as soundly as the Tide have been. But they came out sloppy in the first quarter, starting with a first-drive interception followed by a missed field goal on their second drive. Yet, Alabama didn’t back down, forcing a fumble from Vanderbilt’s graduate quarterback Diego Pavia that the offense cashed in for a touchdown to tie the game at seven a piece. After going into halftime tied 14-14, Alabama outscored the Commodores 16-0 in the second half as junior quarterback Ty Simpson continued his torrid run, throwing for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Baylor Picks Up Wild Win
In a wild back-and-forth conference affair, the Bears rode a crazy fourth quarter comeback to victory over Kansas State. Down 31-17, Baylor stormed back with a touchdown, a two-point conversion and a 66-yard pick-six from sophomore safety Jacob Redding putting the Bears up 32-31. Kansas State retook the lead with a field goal, but not for long. Baylor went down the field, setting up freshman kicker Connor Hawkins for a game-winning, 53-yard field goal. After this bye week, the Bears avoid all of the currently ranked Big 12 squads. If the cards are played right, Baylor could turn in a solid 2025 campaign.
THE BAD:
Maryland Blows Lead to Huskies
The Terrapins were quietly putting together a solid start to 2025, starting 4-0 including a big road win over Wisconsin. That hot streak continued after taking a 20-3 lead into the fourth quarter over Washington. However, the Huskies stormed from behind, scoring 3 touchdowns in the final quarter, to come back for a 24-20 win. Washington sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw 2 touchdowns to pull the Huskies within one score before senior running back Jonah Coleman gave them the lead. A horrible turn of events for Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, the kind of game that could completely butcher a season, but the Terps will have an opportunity to bounce back this Saturday against a talented Nebraska team.
Iowa State Takes First Loss
I figured, sooner or later. The Cyclones get caught slipping in what seemed to be an easy win. But this was no “gimme” kind of game. Cincinnati was building together a great 2025 campaign, with this victory being the biggest highlight, even after a crazy last-second win vs. Kansas. The Bearcats led as many as 24, including a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, before sealing the 38-30 upset. Junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 214 yards and scored 3 total touchdowns for Cincinnati as senior running back Evan Pryor added 111 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on just 10 carries. A serious setback for head coach Matt Campbell, as they head on the road to face Colorado before facing currently ranked BYU and Arizona State in back-to-back weeks.
Key Turnovers Cost the Cardinals
Everyone knows turnovers will cost a team your game, though you can always overcome them. But when two turnovers lead to defensive touchdowns? That’s virtually digging your own grave. Virginia senior safety Donavon Platt returned a Louisville fumble 61 yards for a first-quarter touchdown; later, junior linebacker Kam Robinson returned an interception 47 yards for a score in the third quarter. Louisville would force overtime, but could only capitalize on a field goal until senior running back J’Mari Taylor scored the game-winning touchdown, sealing a 30-27 win for the Cavaliers. Louisville absolutely could have walked away with the win, as the Cardinals outgained the Cavs 383 to 237 in total yards, but the two untimely defensive scores allowed Virginia to hang into the game.
THE UGLY:
Penn State Stunned by Winless Bruins
A lot of this game should be focused on UCLA, as interim head coach Tim Skipper and interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel called a beautiful game to notch their first win of 2025. However, the obvious attention drifts toward the Nittany Lions. The offense was completely shut out, despite a second-half comeback attempt. They barely even utilized their elite run game; Kaytron Allen scored 2 touchdowns, but only got nine touches all game. Jim Knowles, Penn State’s defensive coordinator and the highest paid at his position in the NCAA, was outmatched by a first-time playcaller in Neuheisel who didn’t know how to properly work his headset. It’s an atrocity I could even consider this team “Playoff worthy.” I might be thinking prematurely, but this could be the nail in the coffin for Head Coach James Franklin in State College.
Arch Manning Still Can’t Find His Groove
Time to face the facts: Texas’ sophomore quarterback Arch Manning just isn’t that good. Sure, he faced one of the most talented defenses in college football, but his inability to show up against Power Four teams is alarming. Manning threw for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also threw two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter that halted what could have been a comeback attempt for the Longhorns. Credit where credit is due, though, as Florida sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway threw for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 29-21 win for the Gators. Even more impressive was freshman receiver Dallas Wilson who, in his debut, caught six passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Texas is in a nasty spot this coming Saturday as they face longtime foe Oklahoma University, and thousands of alarm bells ringing regarding Manning. He needs to improve his play if Texas has any chance of coming back for a playoff spot this year.
Boston College in Panic Mode
Does anyone recall the episode of SpongeBob SquarePants where all the little versions of SpongeBob in his brain are running around as their makeshift office burns in chaos? That’s how I imagine the situation in Chestnut Hill, right now. The Eagles were demolished by Pitt, 48-7, while the Panthers started freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel in the win. After replacing sophomore Eli Holstein, Heintschel went off against the Eagles, completing 30 of his 41 passes for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns. Pitt outgained Boston 503 to 216 in total yards; just an overall disastrous performance. Sitting at 1-4 and 0-3 in conference play, head coach Bill O’Brien has his work cut out for him as the Eagles face Clemson at home this Saturday.
WEEK 7 QUESTIONS:
Will Hoosiers or Ducks take an early Big Ten jump?
Week 7’s College Gameday takes us to Eugene, featuring a top-ten matchup between #7 Indiana and #3 Oregon. Both squads are coming off a bye week, fresh and ready to put on what is hopefully an instant classic. Both teams are led by Heisman-caliber quarterbacks, with junior Fernando Mendoza starring for the Hoosiers while sophomore Dante Moore has lit up opposing defenses in his own right. Indiana and Oregon both rank in the top 10 of points per game, so the focus will be on the defense; who will be able to halt the other team’s offensive power more? The Hoosiers’ defense has yet to face an offense like the Ducks and Oregon had a really good showing two weeks ago in Happy Valley. One thing’s for certain: fans are in for a ride.
Can Mizzou chill the red-hot Crimson Tide?
Alabama has been the hottest team in college football as of late, with junior quarterback Ty Simpson being arguably the hottest quarterback recently. Their reward is another ranked opponent, back on the road this time to face the 5-0 Missouri Tigers. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has commanded an unreal offensive unit, manned by senior transfer quarterback Beau Pribula. He’s backed by what may be the best running back duo in college football, as sophomores Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts each average over seven yards per carry. Hardy, on his part, is leading all of D-I FBS in rushing yards. However, the Tide have shown they can handle explosive offenses, as they held a Vanderbilt offense averaging 49 points a game to 14 this past Saturday. Yet this task will be much tougher on the road than it is in the comfort of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Who between USF or UNT will make a Group of Five statement?
I feel like I continue to harp on top-10 scoring offenses, but they have a lot of big games this week, so I can’t help it! This matchup comes down to #24 South Florida, back in the rankings after a 54-26 win over Charlotte, against 5-0 North Texas. The Mean Green have been a force offensively thus far, averaging 43.3 points per game, thanks in part to the unforeseen efforts of a former walk-on. Freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker has torn up opposing defenses, completing 68% of his passes for 1247 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Paired with a myriad of talented skill players, he’ll have his work cut out for him when he faces one of the best defenses in the Group of Five. Not to mention the outcome of this game could play huge dividends for either team regarding a potential playoff spot.
Leave a Reply