Week six of the college football season featured a wide array of shocking results and thrilling games that took place on the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 4.

Following last week’s disastrous loss to the University of South Carolina, the University of Kentucky Wildcats went on the road to play the No. 12 AP ranked University of Georgia Bulldogs at noon. The Bulldogs came into this game following a crushing home-loss to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. From start to finish, the Bulldogs dominated the Wildcats in this matchup, capitalizing off of turnovers and a solid, 70-yard rushing performance from running back Chauncey Bowens. The Wildcats failed to get any response going in the passing or rushing game at any point in the matchup, losing 35-14. Following this defeat, Kentucky has fallen to 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) play and will have to play a hungry University of Texas team in two weeks following their bye next week.

In a surprisingly fiery matchup, the No. 14 Iowa State University Cyclones traveled to face the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats were able to get out to a hot start in this match, with the offense scoring each one of its drives in the first half to put Cincinnati up 31-15 at halftime. While the Cyclones’ defense tightened up strongly in the second half, only allowing the Bearcats to score one touchdown in the entire second half, Iowa State’s offense could not effectively mount a comeback, being upset 38-30 by Cincinnati and their head coach, Scott Satterfield, who may have saved his job with his team’s performance thus far this season. The Bearcat offense relied heavily on star performances by running backs Evan Pryor who ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Tawee Walker, who ran for 89 yards.

The afternoon slate kicked off only a little over a mile down the road from Manual High School at L&N Stadium, where the No. 24 University of Virginia Cavaliers went head-to-head against the undefeated University of Louisville Cardinals in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) showdown. The Cavaliers came to Louisville, KY following a massive win over the ranked Florida State University Seminoles. The game was competitive throughout, with the game being tied 14-14 at halftime after a solid performance from both teams’ defenses. The second half was just tight as the Cardinals were able to drive down the field multiple times, but failed to capitalize on successful drives. With a quarter left to play, the Cards were down 24-14, but after a touchdown and a late field goal, the game was sent to overtime at 24-24. Louisville got the ball first and was able to get down to the six yard line, but was forced to kick a field goal after a dropped pass by running back Isaac Brown. During their possession, Virginia got the ball down to the two yard line and ran it in for a touchdown. Despite the loss, Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell had 12 receptions for 170 yards. The Cards fall to 4-1 on the season and look to upset No. 2 Miami next week.

In a tense, hard-fought showdown in Tuscaloosa, the No. 10 University of Alabama Crimson Tide edged out the No. 16 Vanderbilt University Commodores 30-14 holding off a resilient Commodores team that kept the game competitive. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson rebounded from an early interception to throw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, orchestrating key late drives that shifted momentum in the Tide’s favor. Alabama running back Juan Miller added balance for the offense, rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown, giving Alabama diversity in their run game. Vanderbilt showcased flashes of life. Early in the game, the Commodores Vanderbilt capitalized with a 65-yard touchdown run by Sedrick Alexander, blowing the game open and showcasing the explosiveness of their team. Despite this effort in the fourth quarter, Alabama sealed the game with a fourth-quarter interception, which stopped Vanderbilt’s comeback hopes. With the win, Alabama quieted the doubt surrounding its 4-1 record, closing out a physical game and reaffirming its presence and relevance in the SEC.

For the 0-4 University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins, the matchup against the No. 7 Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions did not appear to offer any relief for their struggles. However, as soon as the game kicked off, this completely changed and hope was once again in the hearts of the Bruin fanbase. The Nittany Lions had to fly across the country to Los Angeles, CA only a week after being defeated at home by the No. 2 University of Oregon Ducks. Right out of the gate, UCLA got up 10-0 on Penn State and was up 27-7 at halftime. After two scoring drives by Penn State to start the second half, UCLA’s lead was down to 27-21 and the Bruins’ dream looked like it would stay a dream. However, UCLA refused to go down with a fight and the offense stayed scoring, putting the Bruins up 42-28 by the start of the fourth quarter. The Nittany Lions were unable to respond to UCLA’s offense, losing 42-37 in a shocking upset and Penn State’s second loss in two weeks.

In a primetime clash at the Swamp, the University of Florida Gators held off the No. 9 University of Texas Longhorns 31-24 in a thriller that lived up to SEC expectations. The Gators’ defense came up huge, sacking Texas quarterback Arch Manning six times and forcing two late interceptions that sealed the win. Manning, who entered the night surrounded by national hype, showed promise. Throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Florida quarterback Graham Mertz who threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns, controlled the tempo of the game along with running back Montrell Johnson Jr. who broke free for a 54-yard score midway through the second quarter to give the Gators momentum. The fourth quarter interception by Florida’s Jordan Castell halted Texas’ comeback, setting up a field goal that extended the lead to seven. Despite a late drive from Manning, the Gators’ defense remained dominant. Looking ahead, Florida will take its momentum into a challenging matchup next week against the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University. Meanwhile, the Longhorns enter a critical point in the season, with the growing pressure on Arch Manning to translate his flashes of talent into consistency. 

The late window was rather uneventful, featuring only one ranked game: the No. 18 Florida State University Seminole’s visit to No. 3 University of Miami Hurricanes. After their embarrassing loss to the University of Virginia last week, the Seminoles would need a win in this game to stay competitive in the ACC title race. However, this game was not as tight as Florida State had hoped. Florida drew first blood but then gave up 28 unanswered points to Miami. The Seminoles were able to score a couple of touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter to make the game appear more contested, but Florida State failed to keep the game in reach at any point, losing 28-22 in another disappointing finish. Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 20 of 27 pass attempts for 241 yards and four touchdowns.

This week’s upsets have left the College Football Playoff picture in complete chaos as teams like Penn State and Florida State have their chances to make the playoffs hugely diminished. ESPN’s Playoff Predictor still gives Oregon, Ohio State University, Alabama, Indiana, Ole Miss, and Miami the best odds to make the playoffs. However, Virginia has now entered the conversation with a 14% chance to play for a championship.

Week seven promises much more exciting college football as the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes visit the No. 22 University of Illinois Fighting Illini, the No. 8 Indiana University Hoosiers travel to Eugene, OR to play the No. 2 Oregon Ducks and the No. 5 Oklahoma University Sooners take on the spiraling Texas Longhorns in the Red River Showdown.