Top 10 takeaways from Week 6 of the college football season

The college football season went into overdrive in Week 6, and the drama started early with an upset of epic proportions as Texas downed Oklahoma.

There were more surprises in store, and a second huge upset. Statements were made and few players added to their burgeoning legends.

We’ve got you covered from Thursday to Saturday night with the biggest takeaways from Week 6.

1. It’s a Texas miracle!

Texas pulled off a stunner on Saturday against Oklahoma (No. 10) that was a pure treat for those watching — well, everyone but Sooners fans.

The Longhorns won at home 24-17 thanks to a magical turnaround that illustrated why college football is so great. Heading into the game on a three-game losing streak, Charlie Strong’s program was seen as a flaming pile of you-know-what, but somehow he got his players into otherworldly shape to sock it to the previously surging Sooners.

From the start, Texas played with a confidence that had previously been absent this season. The team’s defensive line took it to Oklahoma’s offensive line, and the Sooners were unable to get any kind of running game established. Baker Mayfield was running for his life on many passing plays, and the team’s offense suffered it’s worst performance of the season.

The Red River Shootout was thought to be a dormant rivalry, with Oklahoma winning four of the last five contests against Texas. It’s safe to say the rivalry has been renewed. Coach Strong sure looked happy hoisting the Golden Hat on Saturday at home, and he deserves all the credit in the world for rallying his players to greatness.

Meanwhile, Bob Stoops and his players must find a way to regroup after this shocking defeat.

2. Steve Sarkisian probably won’t be back at USC next season

USC (No. 17) was beaten at home for the second time this year on Thursday night by Chris Petersen’s Washington Huskies, 17-12. The Trojans had previously been bested by Stanford at the Memorial Coliseum.  Just as frustrating as the poor home record is their 1-2 conference record, which slid them into fourth place in the Pac-12 South heading into the weekend.

The Huskies were the aggressors throughout the contest, and the defense dominated USC’s normally potent offense. Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler suffered through his worst game of the season, totaling just 156 yards on 16-of-29 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

For Sarkisian, the loss represented probably the final straw, sealing his fate as a goner either sometime this season or at the end of the 2015 campaign. The two losses, combined with his unfortunate drunken faux pas in August, have likely sealed his fate. Already we’re hearing the calls for Chip Kelly, who is struggling in his own right in Philadelphia as the head coach of the Eagles.

Making matters worse was Sarkisian’s ill-timed decision to go for a field goal, trailing 17-12 with less than four minutes on the clock on a 4th-and-9 — a decision that could haunt him for a while.

“I hate to admit to confusion, quite honestly,” Sarkisian said, per SI.com. “I’m frustrated, that’s probably a better word for me. I’m frustrated because I really believe in this team.”

Talent-wise, the Trojans are loaded, especially on offense. But they looked confused and were outworked in Week 6, which belies poor preparation for the battle. Poor preparation is directly linked to coaching, and at this point it seems clear Sarkisian’s time in Southern California is coming to a close.

3. No. 1-ranked Ohio State still looks questionable as a true contender

Ohio State might be the least impressive top-ranked team we’ve seen in the past decade. Not since Week 1 have we witnessed the electricity of this team playing at the top of its game. Instead, the Buckeyes have sputtered through miserable quarters of play, and they’re doing it against teams they should be blowing out.

Baylor is demonstrating what a top team should be accomplishing by blowing out lesser opponents. At this point, it’s hard to imagine Ohio State keeping up with or stopping the Bears, who have been breezing through their schedule, one blowout win after another.

Perhaps it’s for this reason players on Maryland’s sideline were reportedly calling Ohio State players, “spoiled, entitled and not No. 1” during the game, according to the Big Ten Network sideline reporter.

The final score of 49-28 doesn’t tell the tale. Ohio State, on paper, should be absolutely pasting a relative cupcake like Maryland, which fell to 2-4 on the season. Imagine what Baylor would do to a team that gave up 45 and 48 points to the likes of West Virginia and Bowling Green?

Things just aren’t clicking like they should be right now for Ohio State. The Buckeyes won’t really be tested until later in the season, but nobody should be surprised if they have already lost a game before they get to the Michigan State/Michigan gauntlet at the end of the season. A program like Minnesota could realistically stymie Cardale Jones and the offense, the way it’s been going lately.

All that said, the wins do matter. And, if this team ever does start playing up to its potential, Urban Meyer and Co. could be hoisting the national championship trophy at the end of the season for the second straight year.

4. Georgia’s season got a whole lot bleaker, and the loss to Tennessee stings, too

First, let’s just acknowledge the monumentally positive development for the Volunteers, who came alive in the second half to bury the No. 19-ranked Bulldogs, 38-31. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs is maturing before our eyes and put forth a tremendous effort that accounted for all five of Tennessee’s touchdowns.

Now back to Georgia, which not only lost its second straight game but also lost the heart and soul of the Bulldogs offense, running back Nick Chubb. On the first play of the game for Georgia’s offense, Chubb landed awkwardly and then was hit by a defender as he fell out of bounds. His knee was torqued in an unnatural direction, and from the looks of it he’s done for the year.

Thankfully for the Bulldogs, backup Sony Michel was phenomenal in Chubb’s stead, but there just isn’t any way to replace such a consistent, dynamic player.

Hopefully for head coach Mark Richt, Michel will be able to continue performing at a high level in the weeks to come, because quarterback Greyson Lambert has been struggling to stay consistent as a passer since his record-breaking performance in September.

5. Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers look like the real deal

Many wondered if Clemson (No. 6) might suffer through a let-down performance in a potential trap game against a struggling Georgia Tech team. It was clear from the opening that the Tigers wouldn’t be trapped, though, and sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson took another big step in the right direction during the blowout win at home.

Watson completed 70 percent of his passes for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He made smart decisions, barring the turnover, and complemented the team’s rushing attack to perfection. Head coach Dabo Swinney has really done a fine job with this team, which looks like a legitimate playoff contender.

Clemson’s defense has been impressive of late, shutting down C.J. Prosise last weekend against Notre Dame and then keeping Georgia Tech’s high-octane rushing attack completely hemmed in on Saturday to the tune of just 71 yards on 41 carries.

With a surging defense and burgeoning young passer, the Tigers could be roaring come December.

6. LSU looks dangerous, and Leonard Fournette is the best player in the nation

You have to give South Carolina credit for keeping Fournette frustrated for most of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, all it took was one play — the second play after halftime, at that — for the best player in the nation to show why he’s the clear front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy in December. Fournette saw a crease and hit it quicker than a jackrabbit, and he went 87 yards in the blink of an eye.

The Gamecocks had some hope of competing with the No. 7-ranked Tigers, down by just one touchdown before Fournette closed the door. His score put LSU up by two touchdowns, and from that moment on South Carolina never had a chance.

He finished with 158 yards on 20 carries and the electric touchdown, boosting his seasonal totals to 1,022 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns…in five games.

In addition to Fournette’s greatness, the Tigers saw freshman Derrius Guice break out with his best performance of the year. He rushed for 161 yards on just 16 carries and scored a touchdown of his own. Quarterback Brandon Harris was sharp as well, throwing two touchdowns and staying turnover-free.

Granted, South Carolina has been atrocious this year and was playing a “home” game on LSU’s turf, but the Tigers have been consistently showing up with excellent efforts every single weekend and look like a potential championship team.

7. Michigan is a steamroller right now

The ease with which Michigan (No. 18) dispatched previously undefeated Northwestern (No. 13) on Saturday was stunning. The Wolverines thumped the Wildcats by a score of 38-0 at home.

There isn’t a defense in the nation that can compete with Michigan’s outstanding unit right now, which has pitched three shutouts in a row — that’s 12 straight quarters without allowing a single score. This is the first time since 1980 that the Wolverines have accomplished this feat, and through six games they are outscoring opponents by a score of 177-38.

It’s safe to say the Harbaugh effect is a real thing. It’s working so far, despite the fact that the coach simply cannot stop throwing tantrums on the sideline. His latest occurred when the Wolverines were up 31-o over Northwestern on Saturday.

What’s truly remarkable about this run right now is that Michigan is doing all this despite some pretty mediocre play overall by quarterback Jake Rudock. Rudock wasn’t bad on Saturday, but he didn’t throw a touchdown, either. For the season he’s thrown five touchdowns and six interceptions.

Like he did in San Francisco and in Stanford before that, Harbaugh is cultivating a hard-nosed identity centered around defense and running the football. Next up for Michigan is Michigan State (No. 4), which continues to win ugly games. No doubt, it’s going to get ugly next weekend in The Big House.

8. TCU keeps finding ways to win, Trevone Boykin is ridiculous

For the second time in three weeks, TCU (No. 2) had to rely on Trevone Boykin to come through with some pressure-packed feats of greatness, which of course he provided in the 52-45 victory. Kansas State had the lead, 42-31, heading into the fourth quarter, but Boykin took the game over to secure another win for the Horned Frogs.

While Fournette is securely at No. 1 in the Heisman rankings right now, TCU’s Boykin is nipping at his heels. He came up huge on Saturday night on the road against Kansas State, which gave the Horned Frogs all they could handle.

Boykin did throw a couple of picks, but he also accounted for four touchdowns and 425 combined yards — including a remarkable 69-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Horned Frogs up for good.

Kansas State did tie the game up at 45-45, but it didn’t take long for Boykin to connect with stud receiver Josh Doctson for the game-winning touchdown pass. Doctson caught eight passes for 155 yards and hauled in both of Boykin’s two touchdown passes.

If these two playmakers continue to shine the brightest when the pressure is hot and heavy, then TCU has a great shot to earn the top spot in the rankings, should Ohio State falter.

9. Sixth loss in a row to FSU may have sealed Al Golden’s fate in Miami

Even before the season began, there was a dark cloud following Al Golden, who has failed to build Miami back into a national powerhouse. The Hurricanes have been mired in mediocrity since his tenure began in 2011, compiling a record of 31-24, including Saturday night’s near-miss, which just so happens to be the sixth loss in a row to No. 12-ranked FSU.

This can hardly be called a rivalry anymore, and fans are sick of watching a team that will never rise above slightly better than average. Saturday’s 29-24 loss could be the final nail in Golden’s coffin.

Before the game, Andrea Adelson of ESPN had this to say about what losing this weekend would mean:

“A sixth straight loss to the Seminoles will be met with a disdain that even the much-maligned Golden has yet to experience in South Florida — with the majority of its schedule remaining (including a game against No. 6 Clemson on Oct. 24). Tension could reach combustible levels.”

You know its’ bad when former Miami coach and program legend Jimmy Johnson speaks out against what’s going on. Johnson says Miami isn’t a “primetime” program any more, and he’s right.

Will we see a change of guard next year? Time will tell, but it sure looks like Golden’s tenure in Miami is coming to an end.

10. Jared Goff humbled by Utah’s stellar defense

Heading into the game, everyone wanted to see if Goff could keep up his phenomenal play against a top team, which he hadn’t had the opportunity to prove yet this year. Ultimately, he fell short in a humbling way with the worst performance of his 2015 campaign against the mighty No. 5-ranked Utah Utes.

Goff’s five interceptions sunk any chance Cal (No. 23) had of pulling off the upset, but he sure made things interesting in the end. The Bears had a shot to win the game with a touchdown and extra point, but they couldn’t quite finish the deal in the waning moments.

That Cal had a chance at all after Goff’s five-turnover performance is a testament to his character. He never quit, which is a trait that will serve him well not only the rest of the way in 2015 but also beyond as he transitions into the NFL.

On the other side, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson got off to a cold start and threw a couple of interceptions of his own in the first half before bouncing back the rest of the way. Running back Devontae Booker was outstanding, rushing for 222 yards and two touchdowns. And we’ve already covered the team’s smothering defensive performance.

Utah once again proved that a compete team effort is worth more than individual glory during win No. 5 on the season. It will be interesting to see if the Utes can gain any traction in the polls heading into Week 7, being just outside the top four.