2025 College Football: Week 7 Takeaways
Upsets continue to run rampant across the college football landscape. The 3rd- and 6th-ranked teams both went down, while Penn State lost to Northwestern of all teams. The top two teams, (1) Ohio State and (2) Miami (on a bye this week), seem as entrenched as ever, while the rest of the field is competing to be in the second tier. In a QB-centric world, it’s actually the defenses that are determining team’s fortunes. Shutdown efforts and great individual plays set numerous teams apart this week. Sometimes a change of pace is nice. Let’s jump right in to my week 7 takeaways and see how the week went!
(7) Indiana Shows They’re More Than 1 Magical Year vs. (3) Oregon
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the 2024 Hoosiers were a flash in the pan. They took advantage of a fairly easy schedule, and although they played very well, they couldn’t compete with the top teams. Doubting HC Curt Cignetti is what he lives for though, and he set out to prove that he could do it all again but better. Facing an Oregon team that most agree is among the 3 best in the nation, Cignetti and the Hoosiers got their chance. This time, they were ready. Defensively, Indiana announced their arrival by stuffing Oregon on 4th and 1 on their very first drive. That unit performed strongly for most of the game.
Indiana’s offense had a tougher task because it went 11 vs. 12. I worry that sometimes in these conference matchups, the conference officials might tip the scales in favor of a preferred team. If that’s true (to be clear, I have no evidence of this; it’s only a hypothesis), the zebras did their best to help Oregon. They missed a blatant PI committed by the Ducks on a 3rd and 1, forcing a punt. Multiple times, Oregon shifted their entire defensive line suddenly to draw the Hoosiers into false starts. Their ploy worked repeatedly despite the proper ruling being delay of game on the defense. Cignetti even drew a sideline warning for protesting.
Regardless of the forces working against them, the Hoosiers hung tough and took a 10-7 halftime lead. In the second half, the Ducks tied the game numerous times but never held a lead. RB Roman Hemby (19/70/2; 2/25 receiving) and WR Elijah Sarratt (8/121/1) controlled the ball really well and kept Indiana ahead of the chains. QB Fernando Mendoza (20/31, 215 yards, TD, INT; 6/31 rushing) played fairly well, though his 4th-quarter pick six could’ve doomed the Hoosiers. To his credit though, he immediately responded with a 12-play, 75-yard, 6:19 drive to take a 27-20 lead that his team wouldn’t relinquish.
Mendoza’s counterpart, fellow Heisman candidate Dante Moore (21/34, 186 yards, TD), had a much worse day. For a while, he played solid football and took what the defense gave him. Once the Hoosiers took their late lead though, he pressed too much and threw INTs on two consecutive drives (back-to-back plays). Indiana would add a field goal to win 30-20, cementing themselves as a Big Ten power. Nobody should overlook this team anymore, as they can clearly compete with any squad in the country. With this win, they’re on a collision course to face Ohio State in the championship game. They probably expect to win.
Mateer Returns Too Quickly as (6) Oklahoma Smothered by Texas
On the one hand, it’s incredible that Oklahoma QB John Mateer played in the Red River Rivalry game at all. He had surgery on his broken throwing hand just a couple of weeks ago. In retrospect though, he should’ve taken more time to recover. Whether due to the hand or the time off the field, Mateer did not look right. He completed 20 of 38 passes for 202 yards and 3 INTs, two of which were ghastly. The normally elusive QB also took 5 sacks and finished with just 5 net rushing yards. Texas does have a good defense, and LB Colin Simmons (2.5 sacks) was a terror, but this performance was atypical for the former Heisman frontrunner.
The Longhorns dropped out of the rankings this week because of their own offensive ineptitude. QB Arch Manning (21/27, 166 yards, TD; 4/34 rushing) played much cleaner in this game despite going against an elite defense. Best of all, he took just 1 sack. He didn’t set the world on fire, but he made no big mistakes and let his teammates carry the day. Specifically, RB Quintrevion Wisner (22/94; 5/34 receiving) powered the offense to 23 points, 6 more than the previous high allowed by the Sooners this season. Defensively, DBs Malik Muhhamad (2 INTs) and Graceson Littleton (INT) made Mateer’s life miserable.
Texas still wasn’t close to perfect. Two missed FGs and a kneel-down before the half meant that they earned 0 points off of their 3 INTs. Offensive production also still seems too hard for them to generate. This was a positive step in the right direction though. Oklahoma has a decision to make. They can’t keep trotting Mateer out there looking the way he did here. He single-handedly sabotaged their efforts (not on purpose of course). Letting Michael Hawkins Jr start against a struggling South Carolina team while letting Mateer recover feels prudent. A gauntlet of 5 ranked foes awaits after that, so their QB will need to be 100%.
Sam Pittman, Fired by Arkansas, Got a Raw Deal
When a couple of other coaches lost their jobs last month, I understood the moves. They piloted winless teams without much success during their tenures. However, I can’t back what Arkansas just did. The Razorbacks fired coach Sam Pittman following a 2-3 start as if he was the root of their problems. Frankly, that’s a laughable conclusion. Arkansas happens to be one of the toughest jobs in the nation for a few key reasons. First, they play in the SEC. Any time your schedule includes several of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas, the odds of winning decrease drastically.
Second and perhaps just as importantly in today’s game, the Razorbacks cannot compete with their conference rivals in terms of NIL money. Already less wealthy than the top schools, Arkansas is now in danger of losing their NIL collective entirely. The ghost of Bear Bryant could come coach them and he wouldn’t get many players without a large war chest. Finally, there’s the fact that Pittman actually did a pretty good job and got fired anyway. Top candidates won’t want to go to a program whose standards are too unrealistic without proper investment. I’m very curious to see who the next permanent coach will be.
Pittman produced several quality seasons after taking over a desolate program. They reached several bowl games despite some of the toughest schedules in the nation. His OC hires, including current interim HC Bobby Petrino, have been strong. Even this year, his offense was very good. In Petrino’s first game in charge this week, that unit put up 31 points against (12) Tennessee, but the defense allowed 34. The defense really let Pittman down. Still, he did offer an authentic Arkansan who lived and breathed Razorbacks football. He’ll be missed as soon as fans comprehend what he gave them if they don’t already grasp it.
“Butt Interception” Keys Bowling Green’s Comeback Win over Toledo
I’ve said it many times: I love MACtion. The conference always gives us such fun games despite their weakness relative to the Power 4. This week, we saw an epic comeback that finished with what might become a new phenomenon. First, let’s get to the game itself. The Falcons looked completely lifeless through most of the first half and fell into a 21-0 hole at home against Toledo. They couldn’t run the ball at all (1.7 YPC on the day), and they earned just 165 passing yards. However, putting aside an intentional safety at the end of the game, Bowling Green pitched a shutout for the final 3 quarters to give the offense time to find its footing.
While Falcons RBs didn’t do almost anything on the ground, one member of the RB room found a way to contribute. Cameron Pettaway made two catches in the game: a 73-yard TD pass from WR RJ Garcia II and a 45-yard TD pass. BGSU scored 28 unanswered points before the aforementioned safety to swipe a 28-23 win, but they sealed it in an incredible way. The Rockets reached Falcons territory in an attempt to tie the game, and QB Tucker Gleason (19/30, 264 yards, TD, INT) fired a pass to WR Travis Rudolph (5/44). The receiver dove for the ball but couldn’t do more than tip the pass up into the air.
It landed on his rear end, where CB MJ Cannon collected it for a “butt interception“. The ball never touched the ground because it stayed comfortably on Rudolph’s keister. That excellent stroke of luck and reaction by Cannon ensured Bowling Green’s victory. Will this go down in history like the Jets’ famous butt fumble against the Patriots? I doubt it. One came in an NFL game on Thanksgiving, while Cannon’s triumph occurred during an October MACtion game. The latter also didn’t embarrass anyone; it was simply a great (if fortunate play). We can still enjoy it though, and who knows? It might even impact the race for the MAC title.
Is There Any QB Worth a First-Round Pick Next April?
Those of you that follow the draft well in advance have likely seen the media claim that the 2026 QB class will make up for the lackluster 2025 edition. Approximately halfway through the regular college football season, I’m struggling to find anyone worthy of that grade. Texas’ Arch Manning, projected during the preseason to go #1, was anointed way too soon. He’s much more likely to stay in school than enter the draft at all at this point. Similarly, expected riser LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina has not progressed as a passer and looks more like a project than a high-end QB prospect for the NFL.
Other top QBs have also underperformed. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier continues to underwhelm me. I questioned his prospects repeatedly last year, and my concerns persist. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik sometimes looks great against bad teams but implodes whenever the competition steps up. Penn State’s Drew Allar is not a draftable prospect in my opinion, and I said that before he hurt his leg this week against Northwestern in a third consecutive loss. He’s done for the year. Miami’s Carson Beck looks more like his good 2023 self than he INT-prone 2024 version, but he profiles as a second- or third-rounder in terms of skillset.
A few other names have risen up boards so far this season, but even they haven’t been super consistent. Oregon’s Dante Moore just laid an egg, and his opponent this week, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, occasionally exhibits lapses in his decision-making. The best pure passer this year has been Alabama’s Ty Simpson, but I’m always wary of 1-year college starters. Oklahoma’s John Mateer is dealing with a broken hand that clearly affected him this week, so his stock is in flux. Based on all of this, I don’t currently have a first-round grade on any QB. That can change in the months ahead of course, but it’s not looking great right now.