College Football | October 24, 2026
Another Saturday, another weekend of college football chaos.
Just when you think you have this season figured out, somebody comes along and turns the entire playoff picture upside down.
We watched highly ranked teams stumble, championship contenders strengthen their positions, and a few programs remind us that rankings mean absolutely nothing once the football is kicked off.
And quite frankly, there are a couple of programs that need to take a serious look in the mirror this morning.
Here are my biggest winners and losers from this weekend’s Top 25 action.
🟢 BIGGEST WINNERS
1. MIAMI HURRICANES
No. 1 Miami 52, Pittsburgh 23
The Hurricanes are beginning to separate themselves from the rest of college football.
Darian Mensah continues to make his case as one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks, throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
Malachi Toney was absolutely sensational, catching 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns.
Miami is undefeated at 7-0, and with other highly ranked teams continuing to stumble, the Hurricanes are strengthening their grip on the top spot.
I’ve been impressed with Miami all season, but what stands out to me is how consistently explosive this offense has become.
Right now, Miami looks like a legitimate national championship contender.
2. TEXAS LONGHORNS
No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27
Nobody needed a win more than Texas.
After consecutive losses, the Longhorns were staring at the possibility of watching their championship aspirations disappear before November.
Instead, they knocked off the seventh-ranked Rebels.
Arch Manning wasn’t spectacular, throwing two interceptions, but Texas found a way to win behind a strong rushing performance from Raleek Brown, who finished with 157 yards.
I’ve been critical of Manning, and one victory doesn’t erase those concerns.
However, Texas showed some toughness when its back was against the wall.
The Longhorns aren’t out of the woods, but they’re certainly not dead yet.
3. UCF KNIGHTS
UCF 39, No. 2 BYU 31 (2OT)
How can you not include UCF?
The Knights knocked off the second-ranked team in the country in double overtime.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns, helping UCF deliver one of the biggest upsets of the season.
This wasn’t simply a case of BYU playing poorly. UCF competed physically, generated 463 yards of offense, and refused to go away.
That’s a program-defining victory.
4. UTAH UTES
No. 10 Utah 21, No. 14 Houston 13
While BYU and Texas Tech were busy damaging their playoff résumés, Utah took care of business.
It wasn’t pretty.
In fact, Utah trailed Houston 13-0 before mounting its comeback.
But championship-caliber teams sometimes have to win games when they aren’t playing their best football.
Quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Utah is now 7-0 and has positioned itself as the Big 12’s strongest playoff contender.
5. KENTUCKY WILDCATS
No. 12 Kentucky 34, Vanderbilt 17
Don’t look now, but Kentucky is quietly putting together one of the better seasons in college football.
The Wildcats improved to 7-1 with another convincing SEC victory.
What I like about Kentucky is that this team doesn’t appear interested in winning beauty contests.
They play physical football, protect the ball, and make opponents earn everything.
With the SEC race becoming increasingly unpredictable, Kentucky deserves serious consideration as a conference championship contender.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks knocked off No. 11 Tennessee 27-24. A significant upset, although I still have serious concerns about the direction of Shane Beamer’s program. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and I’m not convinced this victory changes the bigger picture in Columbia.
WISCONSIN: The Badgers embarrassed No. 16 USC 24-7 and delivered one of the weekend’s most surprising results.
CINCINNATI: The Bearcats dominated previously unbeaten Texas Tech 37-24.
ALABAMA: The Crimson Tide defeated Texas A&M 31-20, continuing their climb back into playoff contention.
🔴 BIGGEST LOSERS
1. BYU COUGARS
No. 2 BYU 31, UCF 39 (2OT)
This one has to sting.
A week after knocking off Notre Dame and climbing to No. 2 nationally, BYU turned around and lost to an unranked UCF team.
That’s the kind of loss that can completely change a season.
BYU still has plenty to play for, but the Cougars surrendered control of their own narrative.
One week, you’re being discussed as a national championship contender.
The next, everybody is questioning whether you were overrated.
Welcome to college football.
2. OREGON DUCKS
Illinois 21, Oregon 10
What in the world has happened to Oregon?
We’re talking about a program that entered the season ranked No. 2 nationally, loaded with talent, and considered one of the favorites to compete for a national championship.
Now the Ducks are sitting at 4-3 after losing to Illinois.
And this wasn’t some last-second heartbreaker.
Oregon jumped out to a 10-0 lead and then watched Illinois score 21 unanswered points.
The Ducks didn’t score a single point in the second half.
Illinois rushed for 225 yards against a defense that was supposed to be among the nation’s best.
Yes, Oregon has been dealing with injuries, including the absence of quarterback Dante Moore. But injuries don’t explain everything.
This team has now lost to Oklahoma State, UCLA, and Illinois.
At some point, you have to stop making excuses and start questioning the direction of the program.
Dan Lanning has recruited at an elite level. Oregon has invested heavily in building a championship-caliber roster.
But where are the results?
I’ve said it before. Recruiting rankings don’t win football games. Talent has to be developed, and coaches have to put that talent in positions to succeed.
And now offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer has been fired.
That’s a pretty strong indication that even the people inside the Oregon program recognize something is seriously wrong.
Oregon might be the most disappointing team in college football this season.
And considering the expectations surrounding this program back in August, that’s saying something.
3. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
No. 8 Texas Tech 24, Cincinnati 37
I didn’t see this one coming.
Texas Tech entered the weekend undefeated and positioned to make a legitimate run at the College Football Playoff.
Instead, Cincinnati punched the Red Raiders in the mouth.
The Bearcats rushed for 255 yards against a defense that had been among the nation’s best at stopping the run.
That concerns me considerably more than the final score.
When a supposedly elite defense gets physically dominated like that, you have to question how well it will hold up against championship-level competition.
Texas Tech has some serious questions to answer.
4. OLE MISS REBELS
No. 7 Ole Miss 27, No. 19 Texas 34
This was an opportunity for Ole Miss to establish itself as one of the SEC’s legitimate championship contenders.
Instead, the Rebels came up short.
Trinidad Chambliss threw three interceptions and completed fewer than half his passes.
I’ve been impressed with Chambliss at times this season, but this performance exposed some concerns.
The Rebels struggled offensively for much of the first half, and although they battled back, they couldn’t finish.
Good football teams make comebacks.
Great football teams find ways to win.
Ole Miss didn’t get it done.
5. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
No. 11 Tennessee 24, South Carolina 27
This might be one of the more damaging losses of the weekend when you consider the circumstances.
Tennessee came into Columbia facing a South Carolina team that had struggled with consistency, execution, and coaching decisions throughout the season.
The Volunteers had opportunities to put this game away.
Instead, they allowed South Carolina to hang around, and eventually it cost them.
Tennessee committed 12 penalties and failed to generate much of a passing attack.
For a team with SEC championship aspirations, losing this game is simply unacceptable.
6. USC TROJANS
No. 16 USC 7, Wisconsin 24
Seven points.
That’s all Lincoln Riley’s offense could produce against Wisconsin.
I don’t care how good your opponent’s defense is. When you’re ranked 16th nationally and have the offensive talent USC possesses, seven points is embarrassing.
Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions, and the Trojans couldn’t establish a consistent rushing attack.
USC managed just 241 yards of total offense.
This wasn’t a narrow loss decided by one unfortunate play.
This was a complete offensive failure.
And once again, questions about Lincoln Riley’s ability to build a championship-caliber program are going to get louder.
DISHONORABLE MENTIONS
IOWA: Losing 13-10 to Minnesota was another painful reminder that offensive limitations can derail an otherwise talented football team.
HOUSTON: The Cougars had Utah down 13-0 and couldn’t finish the job.
THE BIG 12: Having BYU and Texas Tech lose on the same weekend was a significant blow to the conference’s hopes of placing multiple teams near the top of the playoff field.
JB’S FINAL THOUGHTS
The biggest takeaway from this weekend?
There are very few teams in college football that I would consider truly dominant.
Miami continues to look the part, and Utah and UCLA remain unbeaten.
But we’ve watched highly ranked teams fall week after week, sometimes against opponents nobody gave much of a chance.
And that’s what makes this season so fascinating.
The difference between the second-best team in America and the 20th-best team might not be nearly as significant as some people want to believe.
But there’s another side to this conversation.
Programs like Oregon are learning that having one of the most talented rosters in America doesn’t automatically translate into winning football games.
And programs like BYU and Texas Tech are discovering just how quickly a championship dream can turn into a nightmare.
We’re heading toward November, and the championship picture is still wide open.
One thing I can promise you.
There are going to be some very uncomfortable conversations in a few football offices this week.
JB TALKING SPORTS
Breaking down the game beyond the scoreboard.
