Week 7 was one of the best weekends of the college football season, living up to expectations with close games from noon ET to the early hours of Saturday night.
As happens every October, there were some scares on the soccer field.
Alabama, USC and Illinois each had to overcome potential upset losses to come away with a win. Oregon State made its mark with a Big Ten victory over Ohio State. Kansas State had a narrow victory over Colorado State. And Texas solidified why they are the top team in the nation.
Each week has its fair share of winners and losers, and Week 7 was no exception.
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winner
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel warms up before a game against Ohio State on Oct. 12, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
Oregon: Quack, quack, quack. The Oregon Ducks overcame their biggest challenge of the season by defeating Ohio State in one of the best games we've seen this season. Dillon Gabriel was a monster on the ground as he led the Ducks offense to a 32-31 victory. Oregon gained 496 yards of total offense and held on to a second-half push from the Buckeyes, thanks in part to Will Howard, who scrambled to get into field goal position thinking he had more time in the clock. I prevented it. This would be a huge step forward for Oregon coach Dan Lanning, and we can only hope for a rematch in the Big Ten title game or playoffs.
Vanderbilt: Diego Pavia's show continues for the Commodores, who trailed by 14 points against Kentucky. Not only did Vanderbilt pick up the win, Diego finished the game with two touchdowns, and the Dores defense caused problems for Kentucky all night. Vandy is currently 4-2 on the season and has a good chance of finishing the season with seven or eight wins if they continue to play like this. Business took off in Nashville.
Penn State: Just when it looked like they might claw back after the first half at USC, Penn State continued to attack the Trojans until the final minutes. Tyler Warren had the best performance of the season by a tight end, rushing for 224 yards and a touchdown. If there was any doubt that James Franklin's team wasn't able to prove itself worthy of being a Big Ten championship contender because of its schedule, this win in Los Angeles should put those doubts to rest. Great win for the Nittany Lions on the road.
Texas: It's always good to beat your rivals, but beating them is even better. The Texas Longhorns' defense was solid and held back the Oklahoma Sooners' offense. Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense scored 34 points in his first game back from a torn oblique abdominis muscle that sidelined him for two games. Texas State posted a commanding 34-3 victory over Oklahoma State, improving to 6-0 for the first time since 2009.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers wins the Golden Hat Trophy after his team's 34-3 victory over Oklahoma State on Oct. 12, 2024 in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Jed Fisch: Washington's first-year coach had a signature win early on. In a shocking upset win over the University of Michigan, Fisch helped the program avenge its loss in the national championship game and earn a big conference win in its first year in the Big Ten. Washington's disastrous loss to Rutgers is starting to look more and more unusual.
Army and Navy: Two military academies won on Saturday. Army outscored UAB 44-10, giving Navy a bye. But both schools are in the winner's column because they are doing something not seen since 1960. Each school is ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. The poll was released on Sunday, with the Army in 23rd place and the Navy in 25th place. The countdown has begun for what may be the most intriguing rivalry battle in recent memory.
loser
Ole Miss: This seemed to be a playoff eliminator game against LSU at Death Valley on Saturday night, but Ole Miss never trailed until the final play of the game. It was a night for the Rebels who failed to provide enough separation in the first half and had the Tigers pay for their lack of scoring. It was another disappointment for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, who had dreams of making the College Football Playoff. Now, they'll need a lot of help to win, but that seems unlikely at this point.
University of Southern California: The Lincoln Riley era at USC has been a huge dud so far, and the losses are starting to pile up. Leading Penn State 20-6 in the first half, the Nittany Lions then allowed two fourth-down conversions en route to tying the game in regulation, but the Trojans' defense was this team's weakness. And then there was the stagnation of the offense. times. USC has lost three games this season, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention. Lincoln Riley makes another mistake and the fans are tired of this nonsense.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, 18, hands the ball to running back Quinshon Judkins during a game against Oregon State on Oct. 12, 2024, in Eugene. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
Alabama: I know they won, but this Alabama team looks like a shell of its former self. They beat South Carolina 27-25 a week after losing to Vanderbilt, and I have no idea what this team is about. This team lacks the killer instincts along with the physicality we've seen so far. Now, they head to Knoxville for what appears to be a playoff eliminator game against Tennessee, which continues to have issues on offense. Either way, the locals are unhappy with life post-Nick Saban, and the season has just reached its halfway point.
Will Howard: The Buckeyes didn't get good position outside of field goal range on third-and-20 with six seconds left in the fourth quarter against Oregon, but it's still a good bet for Will Howard to get at least one shot in the end zone. It was cruel not to hit him. Howard's lack of game awareness in not immediately going down or throwing an incomplete pass when he scrambled out of the pocket on third down was jarring. With star receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, they need to at least give them a chance to make plays or even draw pass interference to get into field goal range.
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano (center) speaks with officials during the first half of a game against Wisconsin on October 12, 2024 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media, via AP)
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are off to an incredibly hot start with four straight wins to open the season. Greg Schiano was on the verge of getting a free “gabagool” for life. However, losing to the University of Wisconsin by 35 points, the school's momentum came to a halt. If Rutgers can't get back on track, an impressive win against Washington two weeks ago could be in vain. Two straight conference losses certainly put a damper on a season that looked promising.
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Fox News Digital Sports' College Football Winners and Losers was compiled by the staff of Fox News Digital Sports and the staff of OutKick.com.
