Five Things Feeding My Soul: Week 6 Takeaways
A week ago, it looked as though college football's leading contenders were beginning to separate themselves from the chasing pack. Week 6 had other ideas.
The nation's No. 1 team was toppled in one of college football's fiercest rivalries, Georgia marched to the top spot, and another unbeaten contender announced itself in the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, two SEC teams with lofty expectations suffered damaging defeats, and the defending national champions reminded us that winning ugly is sometimes just as important as winning convincingly.
As we approach the halfway point of the regular season, the College Football Playoff picture is becoming more intriguing by the week.
Here's what fed my soul in Week 6.
1. Oklahoma knocks Texas off its perch
Oklahoma 27, No. 1 Texas 24
There are few certainties in college football, but the Red River Rivalry delivering drama is about as close as it gets.
Unranked Oklahoma arrived in Dallas having endured a disappointing start to the season. Texas, meanwhile, occupied the No. 1 spot despite not always looking particularly convincing. The form guide can go out of the window in this most unpredictable of rivalry games.
For much of the first half, the Longhorns appeared to be in control, leading 17-7 at the interval. Ominously, the Sooners stayed within reach.
Arch Manning threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, yet two costly interceptions undermined an otherwise productive afternoon. His second pick, with just 19 seconds remaining, handed Oklahoma one final opportunity.
John Mateer delivered two crucial completions before Tate Sandell drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Cue pandemonium in the Cotton Bowl.
It was Oklahoma's first victory over a top-ranked opponent since 2007 and a potentially season-defining result for both Sooners coach Brent Venables and the Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian. For Texas, the defeat raises uncomfortable questions. Sarkisian's team have the talent to compete for a national championship, but can they consistently deliver when the pressure intensifies?
2. Georgia takes over at No.1
No. 2 Georgia 20, No. 6 Alabama 17
While Texas fluffed their lines in Dallas, Georgia made an emphatic statement in Tuscaloosa. Kirby Smart's Bulldogs secured a hard-fought victory over an in-form Alabama team, maintaining their unbeaten record and putting themselves firmly in contention for the nation's top ranking.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton contributed 249 passing yards and two total touchdowns, while Dwight Phillips Jr. rushed for a career-high 120 yards.
Georgia outgained Alabama in total yards, 455-346, but this was no procession. The Crimson Tide led 14-10 at halftime and forced the Bulldogs to dig deep. A fourth-quarter field goal from Peyton Woodring ultimately proved decisive.
For Smart, it was another significant victory over a programme that has so often stood between Georgia and its ambitions.
With Texas beaten and Georgia still unbeaten, the Bulldogs have become the new No. 1 ranked team in the AP poll. More importantly, they have demonstrated the resilience and defensive toughness required to win the SEC.
3. UCLA is no longer flying under the radar
No. 21 UCLA 17, No. 13 Oregon 15
If there is one team threatening to rewrite the expected Big Ten script, it is UCLA. The Bruins travelled to Eugene unbeaten but facing arguably their toughest examination of the season.
They left with their perfect record intact and a victory that should force the rest of college football to take notice. I watched a dreadfully lacklustre UCLA team wilt under the lights of the Rose Bowl at home to Oregon two years ago. The change in the Bruins is extraordinary,
Despite losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to injury, UCLA found a way to win at Autzen Stadium for the first time since 2004. Running back Wayne Knight delivered 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, while the Bruins' defence stopped Oregon's late two-point conversion attempt.
It wasn't particularly pretty, but nobody will care about that in Los Angeles.
For Oregon, a second defeat is a major setback to its Playoff ambitions. A program considered among the leading national championship contenders before the season continues to look vulnerable.
UCLA, meanwhile, is 5-0 under new coach Bob Chesney. The question is no longer whether the Bruins are a pleasant early-season surprise. It's whether they can turn this remarkable start into a genuine Playoff campaign.
4. LSU and Florida suffer another reality check
Kentucky 35, No. 10 LSU 34 (OT)
South Carolina 38, No. 16 Florida 19
The SEC has been wonderfully unpredictable this season, although supporters of LSU and Florida might prefer less excitement.
LSU suffered its second defeat of the campaign in Lexington, losing a thrilling overtime contest to Kentucky. The Wildcats have developed quite the taste for dramatic finishes.
For the second consecutive week, they scored a touchdown in overtime and gambled, electing to go for two rather than settle for another period. Once again, it worked. Kenny Minchey's decisive conversion secured a remarkable victory, while Texas transfer CJ Baxter contributed 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
For LSU, another defeat leaves its SEC Championship and Playoff ambitions looking increasingly precarious.
Florida's situation is hardly more encouraging. Just two weeks after dismantling Ole Miss, the Gators have now suffered consecutive heavy defeats, first against Missouri and then South Carolina.
Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers produced five total touchdowns as South Carolina won 38-19 in Gainesville.
The contrast in Florida's performances has been extraordinary. One week they look capable of beating anyone. The next, they appear incapable of stopping anyone.
5. Indiana survives as the contenders gather momentum
No. 7 Indiana 20, Nebraska 17
The defending national champions were given an almighty scare in Lincoln.
Indiana trailed Nebraska 17-6 in the fourth quarter, with the Cornhuskers threatening to end the Hoosiers' extraordinary winning streak. But champions find ways to win.
Quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, both to Nick Marsh, as Indiana completed its comeback to move to 6-0. The Hoosiers have now won 22 consecutive games, although they face an even bigger examination this weekend against Ohio State in the Big Ten's game of the season.
Elsewhere, several contenders strengthened their positions.
Notre Dame demolished Stanford 58-7, Ohio State comfortably dispatched Maryland 45-16, and Ole Miss bounced back from its Florida defeat with an impressive 52-17 victory at Vanderbilt. The Rebels' response was particularly noteworthy, with Trinidad Chambliss throwing three touchdown passes.
Six weeks into the season, there are still plenty of unanswered questions.
Georgia looks formidable. Indiana keeps finding ways to win. UCLA is emerging as a genuine challenger, while Notre Dame and Ohio State continue to impress.
If Week 6 taught us anything, it is that college football's hierarchy is never quite as settled as we think. And that is precisely why Saturdays feed my soul.
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