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CFB Week 6: March Madness Comes Early
Multiple unranked teams get ranked upsets, Miami erases 25-point deficit, and what more can we say about Ashton Jeanty?
Christian Medley & Noah Sausville
October 07, 2024
Four teams ranked within the top 11 lost to unranked opponents on Saturday, including major players from the SEC and Big Ten. The sheer amount of upsets in Week 6 was reminiscent of a First Round slate in March Madness. To the casual viewer, hopefully it’s a sign of chaos to come later this season.
Meanwhile, in the inaugural matchup of “Woke vs. Coke”, the Miami Hurricanes continued their magical start to the season by coming back from a 25-point deficit to beat the California Golden Bears. ‘Canes QB Cam Ward may be running away with the Heisman Trophy if not for Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty’s historic start to the season. Jeanty has rushed for 1031 yards and 16 TDs through FIVE GAMES and ON ONLY 95 RUSHING ATTEMPTS. Here’s all you need to know about the state of College Football after Week 6:
1. #10 Clemson Tigers 4-1 (3-0) |
2. #6 Miami Hurricanes 6-0 (2-0) |
3. #25 SMU Mustangs 5-1 (2-0) |
4. Virginia Cavaliers 4-1 (2-0) |
5. #22 Pittsburgh Panthers 5-0 (1-0) |
6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 4-2 (2-2) |
7. Syracuse Orange 4-1 (1-1) |
8. Louisville Cardinals 3-2 (1-1) |
9. Duke Blue Devils 5-1 (1-1) |
10. Boston College Eagles 4-2 (1-1) |
11. Virginia Tech Hokies 3-3 (1-1) |
12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2-3 (1-1) |
13. Stanford Cardinal 2-3 (1-2) |
14. Florida State Seminoles 1-5 (1-4) |
15. California Golden Bears 3-2 (0-2) |
16. NC State Wolfpack 3-3 (0-2) |
17. North Carolina Tar Heels 3-3 (0-2) |
Key Performances
Miami 39 - 38 California | The first edition of “Woke vs. Coke” was just as intriguing as that nickname. Poor officiating aside, Miami rallied from 25 points down on the road to keep their perfect season alive. Heisman candidate QB Cam Ward (437 yards and 3 total TDs) threw a TD with 26 seconds left making this their second straight win in dramatic fashion. The excitement around the Golden Bears has died down since their win at Auburn; hosting College Gameday was not enough to break their 10-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
SMU 34 - 27 Louisville | The Mustangs have been on a tear since they lost to BYU, who (go figure) looks like one of the best Big 12 teams. They’ve also looked a different team since they benched QB Preston Stone in favor of Kevin Jennings, and the latter had his most efficient game in a win against a tough opponent in Louisville (281 yards passing, 113 rushing yards & 1 TD). The Cardinals nearly came back from 10 points down, but another crippling turnover from QB Tyler Shough sealed another loss for Louisville.
Notable Developments
The ACC could have two CFP teams | Miami continues to win, but who’s the second team? It should be an easy guess: the Clemson Tigers. Clemson have been a team on a mission since getting dismantled by Georgia, and that continued Saturday with a 29-13 win that was never in doubt versus Florida State. QB Cade Klubnik and RB Phil Mafah are the perfect one-two punch, accounting for 451 total yards of offense. Plus the Tigers defense has been as good as advertised. In their first game without QB DJ Uiagalelei, the Seminoles struggled to get anything going.
Pittsburgh remains undefeated | Pittsburgh’s offense has been a revelation since hiring Kade Bell as offensive coordinator. The Panthers average 38.8 points per game and Redshirt Freshman QB Eli Holstein has thrown for 15 TDs and 300 yards in 4 of 5 starts. Holstein was the catalyst for the Panthers Saturday in a 34-24 victory over UNC, throwing for 381 yards and 4 total TDs. Head coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels have been underwhelming in 2024, while head coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers are 5-0 for the first time since 1991.
Syracuse gets Top-25 win, Virginia starts 2-0, Duke stumbles | The Orange forced OT in Las Vegas vs. #25 UNLV, and sealed the 44-41 victory with a TD after holding the Rebels to a field goal. The Virginia Cavaliers have sneakily started 2-0 in the ACC, this week they were led to a 24-14 victory over BC thanks to their defense forcing three turnovers and three sacks. Meanwhile, two touchdowns in the fourth quarter by the Yellow Jackets handed Manny Diaz and Duke their first loss of the season, 24-14.
Look Ahead to Week 7
Louisville (-7.5) @ Virginia, Saturday 3:30pm ET | The Cardinals have suffered two straight heartbreaking losses and will enter Charlottesville with something to prove against the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have started ACC play 2-0, but their defense will face their toughest test yet against QB Tyler Shough and the Louisville offense.
California @ #22 Pittsburgh (-3.5), Saturday 3:30pm ET | Cal may enter Acrisure Stadium on Saturday with something to prove after (depending on your perspective) feeling like a win was taken from them versus Miami. 5-0 Pittsburgh will hope its business as usual for QB Eli Holstein and the Panther offense.
1. #18 Indiana Hoosiers 6-0 (3-0) |
2. #2 Ohio State Buckeyes 5-0 (2-0) |
3. #3 Oregon Ducks 5-0 (2-0) |
4. #4 Penn State Nittany Lions 5-0 (2-0) |
5. Washington Huskies 4-2 (2-1) |
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-1 (2-1) |
7. #24 Michigan Wolverines 4-2 (2-1) |
8. #23 Illinois Fighting Illini 4-1 (1-1) |
9. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-1 (1-1) |
10. Iowa Hawkeyes 3-2 (1-1) |
11. Wisconsin Badgers 3-2 (1-1) |
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-3 (1-2) |
13. USC Trojans 3-2 (1-2) |
14. Michigan State Spartans 3-3 (1-2) |
15. Maryland Terrapins 3-2 (0-2) |
16. Northwestern Wildcats 2-3 (0-2) |
17. Purdue Boilermakers 1-4 (0-2) |
18. UCLA Bruins 1-4 (0-3) |
Key Performances
Washington 27 - 17 Michigan | the Huskies have not taken as big a step back as expected this season; new head coach Jedd Fisch reloaded the roster with top talent. That talent was on display Saturday, where they pushed around Michigan in a rematch of last year’s title game. Washington QB Will Rogers was excellent once again, throwing for 271 yards and 2 TDs, and RB Jonah Coleman continued to show he’s one of the hardest running backs to bring down by adding 80 yards and a score. The Wolverines loss snapped their 24-game Big Ten winning streak, in a game where their rushing attack was not enough to mask their ineffective QB play.
Minnesota 24 - 17 USC | Last week in our preview of this matchup, we stressed that Minnesota needed to make a statement. They did just that on Saturday night versus USC. A potential job-saving decision from Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck led to a go-ahead score, where QB Max Brosmer powered into the end zone from the 1-yard line with 56 seconds left. The Golden Gophers scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. It was an ugly performance for the Trojans: QB Miller Moss threw two interceptions and took eight penalties as a team. It won’t get any easier as they host Penn State next week.
Notable Developments
Iowa can’t hang with Ohio State | The Buckeyes put on a show in their first real “test” of the season, winning 35-7 versus Iowa. QB Will Howard threw for 209 yards and 5 total TDs, with three of those going to WR Emeka Egbuka and another that was caught one-handed by star freshman Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State’s defense turned in a just as impressive performance. They held Hawkeyes star RB Kaleb Johnson to 86 yards and forced 3 turnovers.
Nebraska’s defense shuts down Rutgers | A hot and windy environment in Lincoln saw to benefit the Cornhuskers, who locked up the Scarlet Knights in a 14-7 victory. Nebraska’s defense created 4 sacks and 2 turnovers to stifle Rutgers and their potent rushing attack. The Scarlet Knights had many great chances to score thanks to great special teams play, but could not capitalize. The Cornhuskers showed they can win even without a great game from their star freshman QB Dylan Raiola.
Look Ahead to Week 7
Washington @ Iowa (-3), Saturday 12:00pm ET | If Washington doesn’t shoot themselves in the foot, they are 6-0 and regarded as one of the best teams in the nation. A visit to play Iowa will be a significant test. The Hawkeyes identity is to be hard-nosed football to get their opponents off their game.
#4 Penn State (-5.5) @ USC, Saturday 3:30pm ET | A demoralizing road loss to Minnesota has the Trojans reeling, but they’ll have no place to hide as the Nittany Lions come to town. USC will have to play their A-game on both sides of the ball to compete with an elite Penn State team.
#2 Ohio State (-4) @ #3 Oregon, Saturday 7:30pm ET | This is the matchup every Big Ten fan dreamed of when Oregon was added to the conference. In the early returns of the 2024 season, Ohio State looks much the better team. But you better believe that Oregon head coach Dan Lanning will not tolerate his team getting pushed around in Eugene.
Shooting Our Shot
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
1. Texas Tech Red Raiders 5-1 (3-0) |
2. #14 BYU Cougars 5-0 (2-0) |
3. #11 Iowa State Cyclones 5-0 (2-0) |
4. Colorado Buffaloes 4-1 (2-0) |
5. West Virginia Mountaineers 3-2 (2-2) |
6. Arizona State Sun Devils 4-1 (1-1) |
7. #18 Kansas State Wildcats 4-1 (1-1) |
8. #16 Utah Utes 4-1 (1-1) |
9. Arizona Wildcats 3-2 (1-1) |
10. UCF Knights 3-2 (1-1) |
11. Cincinnati Bearcats 3-2 (1-1) |
12. TCU Horned Frogs 3-3 (1-2) |
13. Houston Cougars 2-4 (1-2) |
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys 3-3 (0-3) |
15. Baylor Bears 2-4 (0-3) |
16. Kansas Jayhawks 1-5 (0-3) |
Key Performances
Texas Tech 28 - 22 Arizona | Texas Tech remains unbeaten and moves to 3-0 in Big 12 following their 6-point win over Arizona in Tucson. Opening as a 5.5-point underdog, the Red Raiders built a 18-3 lead entering halftime that was quickly erased by the Wildcats. A 37-yard FG from Tyler Loop (1 of his 5 on the day) pushed Arizona ahead 19-18 before Texas Tech responded with a FG and TD of their own to make it 28-19 with just under 2 minutes to go in the game. Red Raider RB Tahj Brooks ran for 128 yards and 3 TDs and has started the season with 5-straight 100 rushing yard games.
Kansas 31 - 35 Arizona State | Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt threw for 157 yards and 4 TDs, including a 3 yard pass to Jordyn Tyson with 16 seconds left, to lift the Sun Devils over the Jayhawks. Kansas (preseason #22) has now lost 5-straight games and moves to 0-3 in Big 12 play. Arizona State records their 1st win as members of the Big 12 and moves to 4-1 on the season.
Notable Developments
West Virginia dominates free-falling Oklahoma State in Stillwater | Oklahoma State dropped their 3rd straight game and moves to 0-3 in conference play after being dominated by West Virginia. The Mountaineers out-gained the Cowboys 558 to 227, registered 20 more 1st downs and dominated time of possession (42:40-17:20) as RB Jahiem White ran for 158 yards and 1 TD.
Iowa State overcomes early deficit, moves to 5-0 | After falling behind 14-3 early, the Cyclones outscored the Bears of Baylor 40-7 to remain unbeaten on the season. Cyclone RB Jaylon Jackson ran for 107 yards and 2 TDs and WR Jayden Higgins caught 8 receptions for 116 yards and 1 TD. Iowa State remains in the hunt for the top spot in the Big 12 while Baylor moves to 0-3 in conference play, along with Oklahoma State and Kansas.
Look Ahead to Week 7
#18 Kansas State (-5.5) @ Colorado, Saturday 10:15pm ET | Kansas State travels to Boulder to take on Coach Prime, Shedeur and company as Colorado tries to remain undefeated in conference play. Both teams, fresh off bye weeks, should be primed and ready to go as Colorado looks to continue to silence the doubters and haters.
Arizona (-1) @ #14 BYU, Saturday 4:00pm ET | Noah Fifita and the Arizona Wildcats pay a visit to an undefeated BYU team in hopes of rebounding from this past week’s loss to Texas Tech. BYU QB Jake Retzlaff leads his team in passing and rushing yards while Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan looks to find the endzone for the 1st time since his 4-TD performance in Week 1.
1. #15 Texas A&M Aggies 5-1 (3-0) |
2. #13 LSU Tigers 4-1 (1-0) |
3. #1 Texas Longhorns 5-0 (1-0) |
4. Arkansas Razorbacks 4-2 (2-1) |
5. #5 Georgia Bulldogs 4-1 (2-1) |
6. #7 Alabama Crimson Tide 4-1 (1-1) |
7. Florida Gators 3-2 (1-1) |
8. #9 Ole Miss Rebels 5-1 (1-1) |
9. #21 Missouri Tigers 4-1 (1-1) |
10. #18 Oklahoma Sooners 4-1 (1-1) |
11. #8 Tennessee Volunteers 4-1 (1-1) |
12. Vanderbilt Commodores 3-2 (1-1) |
13. Kentucky Wildcats 3-2 (1-2) |
14. South Carolina Gamecocks 3-2 (1-2) |
15. Mississippi State Bulldogs 1-4 (0-2) |
16. Auburn Tigers 2-4 (0-3) |
Key Performances
Alabama 35 - 40 Vanderbilt | There is a new music city miracle! In potentially the largest upset in College Football history, the Vanderbilt Commodores (+22.5) led the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide for the entirety of the game en route to their 1st ever top-5 win in program history. Vanderbilt dominated Alabama in time of possession (42:08-17:52) and bested them in 1st downs (26-17), total yards (418-394) and turnovers forced (2-0). Commodore QB Diego Pavia threw for 252 yards and 2 TDs while RB Sedrick Alexander punched in 2 TDs of his own. Since leading Georgia 28-0 in the second quarter of last week’s game, Alabama has been outscored 74-48.
Tennessee 14 - 19 Arkansas | Saturday saw another undefeated top-5 SEC team fall on the road with the #4 Tennessee Volunteers failing to get a play off in the final seconds of the game. QB Nico Iamaleava (17/29, 158 yards) scrambled to the sideline as the clocked expired and failed to make a pass that sealed the fate for the Volunteers. Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson ran for 138 yards and punched in 2 TDs, the only scores for Tennessee during the game. Arkansas fought back from a 14-3 deficit to take a 19-14 lead with just over a minute in the game thanks to a Malachi Singleton rushing TD. Arkansas enters a bye week before a matchup with LSU on 10/19.
Notable Developments
Texas A&M dominates Missouri in College Station | Texas A&M RB Le’Veon Moss ran for 138 yards and 3 TDs in Saturday’s rout of the Tigers, which handed Missouri their 1st loss of the season. A&M opened the game with 4-straight scoring drives and built a 24-0 lead entering halftime. A&M would then go on to open the 2nd half with 2 more scoring drives, pushing their lead to 34-0 before Missouri was able to put points on the scoreboard. Aggie QB Conner Weigman threw an efficient 18/22 with 276 passing yards.
Georgia & Ole Miss rebound following Week 5 losses | Despite the disparity between the two, both Georgia and Ole Miss had losses they wanted to avenge this week. Georgia faced little resistance from Auburn at home en route to a 31-13 win. Georgia QB Carson Beck threw for 240 yards and 2 TDs and RB Trevor Etienne ran for 88 yards and 2 TDs. Ole Miss hit the road to face a 3-1 Gamecock squad and, similar to Georgia, faced little resistance in their path to victory. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart threw for 285 yards and DT JJ Pegues ran 2 carries for 2 yards and 2 TDs.
Look Ahead to Week 7
#1 Texas (-14.5) vs. #18 Oklahoma, Saturday 3:30pm ET | Texas & Oklahoma meet Saturday at the Cotton Bowl for the 120th rendition of the Red River Rivalry. Texas is expected to have QB Quinn Ewers back for the contest and is out for blood following Oklahoma’s 34-30 upset win over Texas last year. Texas opens as a 14.5-favorite against a Sooner team still looking for a statement win.
#9 Ole Miss @ #13 LSU (-2.5), Saturday 7:30pm ET | Ole Miss and LSU will face off in Baton Rouge on Saturday in a pivotal matchup for two CFP hopefuls with already a loss on their resume. QBs Jaxson Dart and Grant Nussmeier have had solid starts to the season and a win for either team will situate them near the top of the SEC standings as conference play rolls on.
Best of the Rest
Key Performances
Utah State 24 - 62 Boise State | The Ashton Jeanty show must go on. Jeanty, in only 13 carries, ran for 186 yards and 3 TDs. Compared to some of his other performances this year, it was a light day at work for Jeanty. Bronco QB Maddux Madsen threw for 256 yards and 3 TDs as Boise State continues to be an offensive force in College Football. Boise State ranks 1st in PPG (50.6) and Jeanty has already eclipsed the 1000 rushing yard mark on the season.
James Madison 19 - 21 UL Monroe | In their last 2 games, James Madison put up 70 on UNC and 63 on Ball State. Saturday was a different story as JMU traveled to face a 3-1 Warhawk team whose only loss was at Texas. Despite out-gaining UL-Monroe by over 100 yards, James Madison could not convert on a 2-point try with 4 minutes to go in the game and UL Monroe handed JMU their 1st loss of the season. UL Monroe moves to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play, settling themselves atop the Sun Belt - West.
Notable Developments (Armed Forces Edition)
Navy improves to 5-0 | In Navy’s 1400th game in program history, the Midshipmen won 34-7 against Air Force with their usual ground dominance with 329 rushing yards. History was also made: RB Eli Heidenreich may have been the first Navy player ever to rush for 100 yards and have 100 yards receiving. The Midshipmen are off to their first 5-0 start since 2017, and are tied for 1st atop the AAC.
Army improves to 5-0 | The Black Knights demolished Tulsa 49-7 in a game that was 7-7 after the first quarter. Army never looked back, scoring six unanswered TDs. RB Kanye Udoh and QB Bryson Daily both ran for 100 yards, and WR Noah Short added 121 yards and 2 TDs. The Black Knights are off to their first 5-0 start since 1996, and are tied for 1st atop the AAC.
Look Ahead to Week 7
Coastal Carolina @ James Madison, Thursday 7:30pm ET | JMU will need to rebound versus the Sun Belt East frontrunner Chanticleers if they want any chance of reaching their conference championship game, let alone the CFP.
Memphis @ USF, Friday 7:00pm ET | USF has yet to put together a great full-game performance this season, but has competed with Miami and Alabama for a half. They could pose problems for the Tigers, who have CFP aspirations.
Honorable Mention:
Northern Illinois @ Bowling Green, Saturday 3:30pm ET
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