Biggest Winners and Losers of Week 7

Photo Credit: Molly McPherson, Emerald

Winners:

Oregon

After winning the biggest game of the weekend and maybe the biggest college football game of the season, Oregon has cemented themselves as the second-best team in the country. The Ducks defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 in a back-and-forth affair Saturday night, showing their ability to come back late in games. Oregon trailed 28-22 after a Jeremiah Smith touchdown catch, but responded with a 27-yard touchdown run by Dillion Gabriel early in the fourth quarter. After Ohio State took the lead back, Gabriel led Oregon on an eleven play, game winning field goal drive. The Ducks defense then made a few key plays to hold Ohio State scoreless on their final drive, giving Oregon the win in an incredible college football game.

LSU

The only scene that might have topped Eugene, Oregon on Saturday night was Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where LSU defeated Ole Miss 29-26. Garrett Nussmeier threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while star wide receiver Kyren Lacy had 111 of them and a game-winning touchdown catch. The LSU offense struggled to find their footing in the first half but put together a thirteen play, 75-yard drive to tie the game in the 4th quarter. After forcing an Ole Miss field goal on their first overtime drive, Nussmeier hit Lacy for a touchdown on the first play, giving LSU the win and raising expectations significantly in Baton Rouge.

Iowa State

Not enough is said about the job Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State, as he has the Cyclones in position to compete for a Big 12 championship in 2024. After beating West Virginia on the road Saturday night, Iowa State improves to 6-0 and 3-0 in the conference. Quarterback Rocco Becht has been a steady force so far this year, throwing for ten touchdowns and only three interceptions. Becht does a great job managing the Cyclone offense and giving the top ranked defense in the Big 12 a chance to win the game.  

Losers:

Utah

After losing at home to Arizona in Week 5, a bye week and a trip to Tempe provided Utah with an opportunity to right the ship and get back into contention in the Big 12. Star quarterback Cam Rising returned to the lineup for Utah after missing multiple games due to injury. What was supposed to be a spark ended up hurting the Utes, as Rising threw three interceptions and completed only 16 of his 37 passes. Arizona State defeated Utah 27-19, dropping the Utes to 2-2 in the Big 12. The preseason conference favorites are now fighting for position in the middle of the pack, with unbeaten opponents in BYU and Iowa State still on the schedule.

Rutgers

After starting the season 4-0 for the first time since 2012, the Rutgers’ offense has been an utter disappointment in games against legitimate Big 10 defenses. The Scarlet Knights went on the road to Nebraska last week and mustered only seven points, squandering a stout performance and multiple turnovers from their defense. A home test against Wisconsin did not prove much better, as the offense put up seven points for the second straight week in route to a 42-7 loss. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis went 27 for 69 with three interceptions in those games, completing only thirty-nine percent of his passes. The Scarlet Knights will have to get much better play from Kaliakmanis if they want to rebound and stay competitive throughout this Big 10 schedule.

USC

The Trojans had their eyes on an upset Saturday afternoon after jumping out to a 20-6 halftime lead over the fourth ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Running back Quinten Joyner had two touchdowns in the first half for USC, running one in from 75 yards away and catching another from quarterback Miller Moss. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren took over in the second half to lead the Nittany Lions back, recording an astonishing 17 receptions for 224 yards and a touchdown on the day. The Trojans were unable to score on their only possession of overtime and lost the game 33-30, dropping them to 3-3 on the year. They will look to rebound on the road in College Park, Maryland as they take on the 3-3 Terrapins.