Winner – Louisville’s first ever win over Clemson
Fly Cardinals, fly. Spread your Red and Black wings and take flight across South Carolina and bask in the glory that is a win over a top-15 team. Better yet, bask in the first program victory over the Clemson Tigers. The eight-game losing-streak has finally been snapped and the Cardinals have true freshman running back Isaac Brown to thank for leading them to victory. Brown had the best game of his young career with 151 yards and a nail-in-the-coffin rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal Louisville’s first ever win over Clemson.
Loser – ULM’s assistant coach meltdown
Man oh man, what better way to say “I’m an as*hole” to the world than to: run onto the field, throw a tantrum and tear off your headset before shoving your offensive lineman. Oh, and since you only saw red, Mr. Cameron Blankenship, you also shoved yourself into a linebacker who pushed back.
And no, before the comments come about being “soft” and “it’s just sports,” how about we show a decent bit of humanity first.
Winner: SMU Mustangs’ inaugural gallop into the ACC
After dismantling the then-undefeated Pittsburgh Panthers 48-25, SMU is firmly in the running for the College Football Playoff. In the program’s first year as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Mustangs have rode a stout defense and an offense that lights up the scoreboard to an 8-1 record.
Looking forward, SMU will not have to play another ranked opponent for the rest of the season. Sitting at second in the ACC, winning out would mean a date with Miami for the conference title. SMU is legit, and there is a path to the playoff revealing itself for a team having its most successful season since 1985.
Loser: Lincoln Riley
USC coach Lincoln Riley was thought of as a quarterback whisperer who constantly maximized his teams’ offensive potential. Cracks in this facade began to show last year when Caleb Williams overcame poor offensive architecture with his signature Houdini act. Now with a more mortal quarterback in redshirt junior Miller Moss, the USC offense is floundering.
After a 26-21 defeat to an average Washington team, USC has back-to-back five-loss seasons and has still yet to secure bowl eligibility. Unacceptable results from one of the highest paid coaches in the sport officially places him on fraud watch.
Winner: Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt has shocked the Southeastern Conference this season with an unfamiliar 3-2 conference record, recording losses to then No. 7 Missouri and No. 5 Texas, losing both games by only three points. After its incredible Week 5 win against then-No. 1 Alabama, Vanderbilt has become not only the talk of the SEC, but all of college football. Vanderbilt went down to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face Auburn as a 7.5-point underdog this Saturday and came out with a 17-7 win over the Tigers. With another conference win under their belts, the Commodores are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. After their dominant win this Saturday, the Commodores have become a top 25 team, ranking No. 24 in the AP Poll heading into Week 11.
Loser: Kansas State Wildcats
No. 17 Kansas State has been a top contender in the Big 12 all season long, yet a couple of vital mistakes lead them to drop an important conference game to the 3-5 Houston Cougars. The Wildcats had a 9-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of the game when their sophomore QB Avery Johnson threw a crucial interception. The Cougars took over on the Wildcat’s nine yard line and scored a quick touchdown, making it a 2-point game with 11 minutes left. With only two and a half minutes left in the game, the Kansas State defense fell apart and allowed Houston’s sophomore QB Zeon Chriss to run the ball 41 yards into the endzone, putting the Cougars in front 24-19.
Winner: Ole Miss and its reputation
Ole Miss may be the most underrated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and its performance Saturday was an indication. The Rebels trampled the Arkansas Razorbacks, 63-31.
The Rebels’ senior QB Jaxson Dart threw for six touchdowns, 515 yards versus the Razorbacks. Senior wide receiver Jordan Watkins also managed to haul in eight passes for 254 yards and five touchdowns.
Arkansas has not been a pushover for Top-25 teams this season. It competed against Texas A&M and handed Tennessee its only loss of the season. The Rebels’ win in Fayetteville, Arkansas was a statement win and reminded the AP Poll voters that Ole Miss is not going anywhere.
Loser: Hugh Freeze
Auburn has struggled its way to a 3-6 record in 2024, and a lot of it is on coach Hugh Freeze’s plate. Freeze was brought in to replace Bryan Harsin after Harsin went 9-12 for the Tigers. Freeze now has a 9-13 record of his own and is on the hot seat as his team sits in third-to-last in the SEC.
Auburn’s loss to Vanderbilt also moved Freeze to 0-3 when facing Vanderbilt graduate QB Diego Pavia. In 2022, Pavia and the New Mexico State Aggies toppled the Freeze-led Liberty Flames. In 2023, Pavia and the Aggies followed Freeze to Auburn and beat the coach in Jordan-Hare Stadium. 2024 saw Pavia return to Jordan-Hare, this time starting under center for the Commodores, potentially putting the dagger in Freeze’s time at Auburn.
