There was something in the air this week. Maybe we got too calm and took first place after Karen DeBoer’s legendary Alabama win. Maybe it’s just calgorism meme-izing associations on social media. On paper, Week 6 looked bland, but college football always seems to find a way.
In the end, five of the top 11 teams in the AP Top 25 were eliminated. Four of those schools lost to unranked opponents, with Missouri losing to No. 25 Texas A&M, which barely made it into the polls. It was another special day for the sport, as it was the first time since 2021 that four teams in the AP Top 12 were eliminated on the same day. Miami ended with a shocking 25-point comeback over California, the largest upset in an FBS contest this season.
Conference championships and playoff races suddenly became more open. The search for the perfect team this season may be nearing an end. Rather, the year of turmoil is just beginning. Here are the biggest winners and losers for Week 6.
There are many people who deserve credit for the 40-35 victory over the No. 1 Tide, but Pavia’s story is truly insane. The Albuquerque native came to New Mexico after spending a year at military school. He led NMSU to its first 10-win season since 1960. He then transferred to Vanderbilt, where he threw for 252 yards and rushed for 56 yards, contributing to the Commodores’ first win against the No. 1 opponent. Pavia is a gamer and has earned his rightful place as a folk hero for the 2024 season.
Loser: Alabama coach Karen DeBoer
Welcome to the hot seat, Karen DeBoer. Well, not because of his job, but with Alabama losing to Vanderbilt for the first time since 1984, the honeymoon officially ended. The Commodores cleared the Tide by 40 points for the first time since 1906, defeating the No. 1 ranked team on the year. First time in program history. Needless to say, Alabama hasn’t lost this much since Nick Saban’s first year as head coach.
These are the real moments that will test DeBoer’s entry into the Southeastern Conference. Alabama’s pressure is different from Washington State, Fresno State and Sioux Falls. The win at the time was No. 2 Georgia was quickly forgotten the moment the incident occurred. How DeBoer and Alabama handle the next three weeks at South Carolina, Missouri and Tennessee will set the tone for DeBoer’s first year in Tuscaloosa and beyond.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was fearless and immediately took on the best team in the conference. Don’t look now, but the Hoosiers are the first team in college football to start 6-0 and earn a bowl berth for the first time since 1967. Perhaps even crazier is Indiana’s dominance, winning every game by at least two touchdowns. In a road game against Northwestern, Curtis Rourke rushed for 380 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Wildcats to a 41-24 victory. Regardless of what happens in the final six games, Cininetti should be on every National Coach of the Year award list.
Winner: SMU
The Mustangs lost to BYU and left, but SMU found a new face with new quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Dallas native completed his first 13 passes and had 100 yards rushing in the first half, and SMU shocked No. 22 Louisville to take a 5-1 lead and start ACC play 2-0. I let it happen.
The Mustangs bet big on themselves during their move to the ACC, accepting zero TV fees and moving to a power conference for the first time in nearly 30 years. Since Jennings took over, SMU has looked like one of the top contenders in the ACC with wins over TCU, Florida State and Louisville. The Nov. 2 home game against Pittsburgh suddenly looks like a game with a major ACC title on the line. After watching the former AAC convert struggle in the Big 12 last season, SMU’s start deserves a lot of praise for the power conference newcomer.
Loser: Tennessee offense
The Volantis scored just 25 points against Oklahoma, but Josh Heupel said he let quarterback Niko Iamareaba ease off on the gas. They scored just two touchdowns in a surprising 19-14 loss against Arkansas, but there could be some more problems lurking. Tennessee gained only 332 yards and 16 first downs, far from the elite-level offense promised. Imaleaba gained 158 yards but completed less than 60 percent of his passes in the loss.
In three games against power conference competition, Imareaba has yet to complete 211 yards passing. He has just one touchdown pass in two SEC games. Quietly, Tennessee has become a team that moves the ball well and defends hard, but it hasn’t been very consistent in the passing game. If the unit doesn’t improve, the Vols have little chance of making it to the national championship.
Reports of Weigman’s death were greatly exaggerated. After missing several games due to injury, the former five-star prospect stepped in and flashed his talents in a 41-10 upset win over No. 9 Missouri State. Weigman completed 18 of 22 passes for 276 yards and hit 10 different receivers in the win. Three different players gained at least 55 yards, and a 40-yard bomb to Jahde Walker helped turn the game around in the second quarter. If Weigman is starting to find his groove and a manageable schedule, the Aggies could be a key factor in the SEC title race.
The Wolverines have been hot in almost every win this season, but a double-digit loss to Washington was never in anyone’s plans. Michigan’s passing offense was so bad that the Wolverines brought in seventh-year QB Jack Tuttle. Washington outscored them by nearly 150 yards, quietly rounding up the UM secondary with 315 yards and two touchdowns.
After losing in a rematch of the national title game, the path forward for the University of Michigan looks even more terrifying. The road trip to Illinois next week won’t be fun, and the games against Oregon State and Ohio State were always loseable. Top-10 and CFP conversations have always felt a little tenuous, but the loss to the rebuilding Huskies pushed the bottom of the table even lower.
Giunty could be on this list every week, but his 186-yard, three-touchdown performance in the 62-30 win over Utah State was laughably good. Giunty entered the game with a prop bet of -2000 to score a touchdown, making a breakaway of over 60 yards on the first play. Amazingly, he has already cleared 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in just five games. More importantly, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe did no favors in the Heisman conversation. At this point, Gianti’s path to New York should be all but certain.
Winner: ULM
Louisiana Monroe has one of the toughest jobs in the FBS, but Bryant Vincent pulled off one of the most miraculous comebacks of the season. The Warhawks are off to a 4-1 start, already doubling their win total from last season. The Warhawks forced two turnovers in a shocking 21-19 victory over Sun Belt favorite James Madison. ULM hasn’t reached bowl eligibility since 2018, but Vincent is well within striking distance of a postseason berth.