College Football 2024: Winners and Losers from Week 6

If you thought, hey, there's only one Top 25 matchup this weekend, it'll be a tame Saturday of college football.

Well, welcome back to Team Chaos! It's the best.

Top-ranked Alabama fell victim to the biggest upset of the 2024 season, falling to SEC powerhouse Vanderbilt in a legitimately shocking game. There were plenty more surprises to come, too.

And somehow, some way, Miami managed to avoid joining the throng of upsets with an unreal comeback at Cal.

It wasn't pretty, and I'll surely be talking more about it soon. But if the ultimate test is a win or loss, Oregon keeps passing.

Friday night, the Ducks toppled Michigan State 31-10 and improved their undefeated record to 5-0. They racked up nearly 500 yards and kept the shutout intact until the fourth quarter.

Again, they had a couple of problems. Dillon Gabriel threw a pair of red-zone interceptions, which cannot happen in big games. That matchup is surging over the horizon; Oregon hosts Ohio State next weekend. While the winner won't officially secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, one spot is essentially on the line.

We're about to learn plenty about Oregon. No question.

Still, the most important part is the Ducks arrive with an unbeaten record and an opportunity to take command of the Big Ten.

Look, I don't agree with the roughing the passer in overtime. I believe it shouldn't have been called.

I also cannot take away the penalty.

An entertaining back-and-forth matchup at home against Syracuse ended with UNLV falling 44-41 in overtime. The excitement that followed UNLV's blowout of Fresno State—after a pretty adventurous week, to say the least—is destined to fade because of the first loss.

I'll say it a million times—and literally will in the next section—but a single setback is not crushing. That's part of the discussion.

However, taking down a Power 4 opponent would have been a terrific boost to the Rebels' resume if they eventually win the Mountain West. There simply isn't a similarly impactful game left on their schedule.

No, it's not surprising Texas A&M took advantage of a raucous Kyle Field and beat Missouri.

In that way, though? Incredible effort.

After missing a few games, quarterback Conner Weigman threw for 276 yards in a dominant day. Le'Veon Moss scampered for 138 yards and three touchdowns, Amari Daniels rushed for two more scores and the 25th-ranked Aggies cruised to a 41-10 victory over No. 9 Mizzou.

The result truly isn't a surprise, given Texas A&M closed as a slight favorite. But it certainly is a meaningful one.

Missouri is drifting from the CFP picture, and the Aggies cannot be ruled out of squeezing into the SEC Championship Game because of their remaining slate. Considering how A&M opened the season in a listless loss to Notre Dame, it's an impressive turnaround.

Oklahoma State, for good reason, entered the year as a prime contender in the Big 12. The roster brought back so much experience, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Six weekends into the campaign, that perception has just about evaporated—with little chance of a return.

Utah clipped OSU 22-19. Kansas State rolled the Pokes 44-20. And now, West Virginia smacked 'em 38-14.

Tough to recover from 0-3, my friends.

At this point, a return to the Big 12 Championship Game is just about 100 percent out. The program's 18-year bowl streak isn't formally in jeopardy, but three straight losses aren't doing the Pokes any favors.

Last weekend, Georgia fell to Alabama after Ole Miss dropped a surprising game at home to Kentucky.

One loss in the 12-team CFP era doesn't ruin a season, but that margin for error doesn't last forever. So, don't make it a habit. And both programs recovered with a quality win in Week 6.

Georgia outlasted rival Auburn, steadily pulling away for a 31-13 victory. Carson Beck had a mistake-free performance after tossing three interceptions last Saturday, hitting 23-of-29 throws for 240 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs moved to 4-1 on the season.

Ole Miss put it away quicker, sprinting out to a 21-point halftime lead and beating South Carolina 27-3 on the road.

We expect these results, right? Sure. But it becomes a little more important when you realize what happened, well, next.

I was wrong. Period.

"The post-Georgia hangover is possible. We're not talking down-for-the-day, silence-your-phone lethargy, though," I said. "Vanderbilt's offense must be respected, but it would take a stunning performance from the defense to actually send Alabama home stunned."

Well, we are stunned.

Alabama fell behind 13-0, then 23-7. The deficit went to only two, but a fumble in the fourth quarter doomed the Crimson Tide in a 40-35 game. As much as you, me or everyone else might have believed their collective talent would eventually be enough, it wasn't. Vanderbilt shocked us all.

The victory over Georgia will probably still be more influential on Alabama's resume, but this was a truly eye-popping result.

Seriously, y'all, good for Indiana.

During the last three seasons, the Hoosiers mustered two, four and three victories. It's been a tough stretch in Bloomington.

Understandably, those struggles led to IU moving on from Tom Allen. The school hired Curt Cignetti, who brought a winning pedigree that looked promising but presumably would take a few years to realize.

So much for that.

Indiana is officially the first program to secure bowl eligibility this season after toppling Northwestern 41-24.

Maybe, just maybe, the Hoosiers will shock us and stick in the Big Ten title race. Even if not, though, they're going to have an opportunity to snatch the school's first bowl victory since 1991.

What a glorious week for Team Chaos, which wreaked absolute havoc during the prime-time window.

Again, it's important to consider the betting line. No. 10 Michigan went to Washington as a slight underdog, so technically speaking it wasn't an upset for the Huskies. When you look at the rankings, though, the 27-17 final is absolutely going to make national noise.

But wait—like any good infomercial—there's more!

USC traveled to Minnesota, which had not defeated a power-conference opponent in three attempts this season. So, naturally, the Golden Gophers edged 11th-ranked USC 24-17 thanks to a last-minute interception.

Given the struggles of Michigan's offense, the three-time reigning Big Ten champions are likely to surrender that title. And since USC already has two losses in conference play—one to U-M, you may recall—the Trojans are practically exiting the Big Ten discussion as October begins.

Look, neither outlook was unforeseen, but both programs hoped to be more involved in the league race for much longer.

Fifth-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman headed into Week 5 on a not-quite-sizzling but definitely warm seat. He entered with a 26-27 record, including a rough 12-24 mark opposite SEC teams.

In short: Not good enough.

Had that shaky performance continued, the school may have moved on from Pittman after the season. Arkansas had often been competitive in marquee games but struggled to bring home a win.

Finally, it changed. Saturday night, the Razorbacks clipped No. 4 Tennessee 19-14 in epic fashion. Backup quarterback Malachi Singleton raced 11 yards for the winning score late in the fourth quarter, and the Arkansas defense bent but didn't break on UT's desperation drive.

Pittman pocketed a signature win, rapidly cooled a warming seat and put a major dent in Tennessee's championship hopes.

Not a bad night for Arkansas, I would say.

My job is words.

At this moment, it feels like a Herculean task.

Fueled by the Calgorithm within an energetic fan base, Cal seemed destined for an upset. Miami scored first, but the Golden Bears took control and built a 35-10 advantage. They capitalized on Cam Ward's desire for explosive plays and held Miami's offense in check.

Slowly, steadily, the lead decreased. And in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes rattled off 21 straight points during the last 10 minutes and 30 seconds to silence a frozen Cal crowd with a 39-38 triumph.

So many upsets happened on Saturday. It only made sense for Miami to become part of the statistic.

Instead, the 'Canes are a bewildering 6-0.