Life comes at you fast in the world of college football. One week, you’re riding the emotional high of a massive win to open conference play. The next week, you’re getting curb-stomped so bad you’re doing the math on how you can still reach your Conference Championship between the 3rd and 4th quarters.
No sport features as much week-to-week swings as college football. Football is such a matchup-dependent sport, and every matchup for every opponent is different in college football. Some teams that may be “better” than others overall just don’t match up well once they take the field. And remember, we are dealing with 18- to 23-year-olds.
They’re not even fully mentally developed yet, and one mental mistake could swing an entire season. Here are the teams that either fell victim to (or capitalized on) some of those mistakes and matchups this week:
Sep 26, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell (12) throws the ball during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Because of a weak early-season schedule, we didn’t really have a great grasp on how good this Alabama team is this season. The Tide rolled into Starkville on a bus Saturday morning (true story) to take on Mississippi State, and changed our perception of them over the next three hours. It was the type of performance where you knew the outcome within the first 15 minutes.
Keelon Russell was surgical running the offense, vastly outperforming his counterpart Kamario Taylor. On the other side of the ball, a relentless pass rush was constantly putting Taylor in the dirt or causing him to run for his life. This Alabama team is legit, and a matchup against Georgia next Saturday should be a lot of fun!
The Gators were one of the biggest risers of the college football world through the first month of the season. They came back down to Earth after a road trip to Missouri that saw them lose 45-17. What’s worse: Missouri showed the rest of the conference the blueprint to beat Florida.
If you load the box, don’t let Jadan Baugh run all over you, and force Aaron Philo to pass, he’s going to struggle to beat you that way. It will be interesting to see how Jon Sumrall and Buster Faulkner adjust after this defeat.
Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) passes to his teammate. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026.
The demise of Mike Norvell may have been greatly exaggerated. After a 2-2 start to the season, with losses to SMU and Alabama that had some really bad moments, Florida State got the chance to host Virginia for their 2nd ACC game.
The Noles dominated, with Ashton Daniels setting a school record with 5 rushing touchdowns. Mike Norvell gets to cool off his hot seat for just a little bit. Road trips to Louisville and Miami await, which could turn the tide of the season. Speaking of Louisville…
The Louisville Cardinals now sit at 2-3 on the season, with each loss coming by a margin of 3 points. Oof. This is not a bad football team, but they don’t hand out ACC Championship berths based on close losses. With an easy schedule draw and an up-and-coming QB in Lincoln Kienholz, a trip to Charlotte was theirs for the taking. It just hasn’t materialized.
The loss to NC State in Week 5, where CJ Bailey threw for a career-high 373 passing yards, is just another stain on this passing defense and this team that is falling short of expectations.
Sep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Gio Lopez (3) leaps over Akron Zips defensive back Catrell White (21) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
It’s time to rank the Demon Deacons. Jake Dickert’s squad was competitive against Miami, beat Louisville on the road, and just beat the brakes off of Stanford, 57-3. It’s hard to beat anyone 57-3, let alone a team that already owned a conference win.
One nail-biting win (albeit controversial) against Western Michigan can be forgiven. A close loss to Iowa doesn’t necessarily make you a bad football team. But losing to Minnesota to fall to 3-2, with your multi-million-dollar QB only throwing for 101 yards, is finally enough to make the declaration: Michigan is a bad football team. They have serious offensive issues, and it’s showing no signs of getting better.
Jason Beck and Kyle Whittingham were responsible for the rapid development of Devon Dampier, and they are not doing the same for Bryce Underwood.
Sep 5, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) looks to pass against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Maybe Jimmy Rogers is a really good football coach. In the preseason, it appeared that an Iowa State team that was gutted by the departure of Matt Campbell was destined to be one of the worst teams in Power-4 football.
They were competitive against Iowa and Utah, and now they finally put it together for a conference win over West Virginia. Jaylen Raynor was solid, and Aiden Flora had a career day that saw him account for 4 total touchdowns. This is no cupcake.
No one wants to start 0-3 in conference play. Especially in the SEC. And especially when your two biggest returning playmakers are at their worst. South Carolina’s star edge rusher Dylan Stewart was suspended for Week 5 thanks to his conduct last week.
It was a slight bounce-back for much-maligned QB LaNorris Sellers (who rushed for 147 yards), but Kentucky’s two-point conversion in overtime sealed the fate of the Gamecocks to start 0-3 in conference play. Shane Beamer’s seat is getting warmer.
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