Week seven of the 2025 College Football season brings us to the halfway mark of the regular season. After last week’s massive upsets, the entire landscape of the sport seems upside down, with no real standout contender (just like in the NFL). Will we see any more upsets this week?
The Hoosiers: National Champions?
It looks like the Big Ten is going to be a three-horse race this season between Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, who have been able to carry the good form they had last season into this season. The number seven-ranked Hoosiers face the number three-ranked Oregon Ducks, who have an undefeated record. This is their first test of the season, as Oregon also comes into the game undefeated. Who would win this pivotal game in the race for the conference?
It would be Indiana who would get the first points of the game. Their opening drive stalled at the Ducks’ 24-yard line, but kicker Nico Radicic made a 42-yard field goal to give them the lead early in the game. This did not last long, as a few drives later, Ducks quarterback Dante Moore found Malik Benson for a 44-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn response to this, Indiana reclaimed their lead through a three-yard rushing touchdown from Roman Hemsby. But, just like their prior lead, it was short-lived, as on the following drive, the Ducks’ kicker Atticus Sappington found the uprights from 40 yards out to level the scores in the middle of the second quarter.
Sappington would try to give his team their first lead of the game late in the first half, but his 36-yard field goal missed. While this was missed, Brendan Franke was able to make a 58-yard field goal from Indiana on the stroke of halftime to give them a 13-10 lead over the Ducks at halftime.
The first half was full of kicking opportunities. The second half opened similarly, with the first three drives ending in punts. The Ducks then broke this punting streak with a drive that took Moore and company down to the Hoosiers’ 16-yard line before stalling. Sappington would then make a 33-yard field goal to level the scores again.
This sense of parity did not last long, as Hemsby found the endzone for a two-yard rushing touchdown to give the Hoosiers another lead. Then, in the fourth quarter, Indiana would make a potentially fatal mistake. On his own 22-yard line, Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw an interception, and this was returned to the endzone by Brandon Finney Jr for a pick-six touchdown. This again tied the scores.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, Indiana was able to bounce back from that mistake quickly. On the following drive, Mendoza and his offense were able to make it down to the Ducks’ 8-yard line before the quarterback found Elijah Sarratt for the touchdown pass, again giving them a one-score lead.
The Ducks would then make a game-losing mistake. The Hoosiers’ defense intercepted Moore’s pass. On the resulting drive, Franke made a 22-yard field goal to make it a 10-point lead for Indiana with two minutes left to play. Oregon would have one final chance to get itself back in the game, but Moore threw another interception to seal the win for Indiana.
The number seven-ranked Indiana Hoosiers defeated the number three Oregon Ducks 30-20.
This win puts the Hoosiers into the conversation for the Big Ten conference championship game. It continues the good run of form that Indiana’s football teams are having (excluding Purdue and Notre Dame). As for the Ducks, simple mistakes cost them this game, but they should still be in contention for the CFP. With this win, the Hoosiers improve to 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) for the season, while the Ducks fall to 5-1 (2-1 Big Ten).
Next week, the Hoosiers play Michigan State, while Oregon travels across the entire country to face Rutgers.
The Trojans slay the Wolverines
The number 15-ranked Michigan Wolverines have had a rough two years post their national championship win*. This year, they have freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood at the helm, and he is slowly adjusting to college football. This week, they traveled to California to face the USC Trojans, a team that has had a good start to the season and could upset their opponents.
The Trojans had the first possession of the game and scored first. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was able to move his offense down ot the Wolverines’ two-yard line before finding Ja’Kobi Lane for a two-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, on their next drive, things would not go well for the Trojans. They would make it down to the edge of the Wolverines’ endzone before Lake McRee would fumble the ball and lose possession. Luckily for USC, the Michigan offense was unable to do anything with this possession.
Michigan was able to do something on offense from its next drive, however. Underwood and company would drive down to the Trojans’ eight-yard line. Here, Underwood found Donaven McCulley for the touchdown pass to level the scores. But, this did not last long, as Maiava found Makai Lemon for a 12-yard touchdown pass before halftime.
This meant that as the teams returned to the locker rooms, the Trojans had a 14-7 lead over the Wolverines.
USC would be able to add to this lead at the beginning of the second half, when King Miller found the endzone for a 15-yard rushing touchdown. This would be followed by a period of offensive struggles from both teams, with Maivaia and Underwood throwing intercepted passes. It would be the Underwood interception that would prove costly, as the Trojans were able to convert this into points via a 54-yard field goal from Ryon Sayeri.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Wolverines needed to find the endzone quickly to give them a chance to launch a comeback in the fourth quarter. Luckily, they were able to do this, with Underwood finding Andrew Marsh for a 69-yard touchdown pass. However, any chance of a comeback was ended when Bryan Jackson found the endzone for a 29-yard rushing touchdown for USC.
A final Underwood interception late in the game put this to bed, and the USC Trojans had defeated the number 15-ranked Michigan Wolverines 31-13.
This puts the Trojans into the race for the Big Ten, and a slip-up from Indiana or Ohio State could put them into the lead (pending if they keep this form up). The CFP is very much in reach for the Trojans now. As for Michigan, this defeat will not help them, but Underwood should be able to learn from these errors. The win gives the Trojans a 5-1 (3-1 Big Ten) record, while the Wolverines fall to 4-2 (2-1 Big Ten).
Next week, USC faces rivals Notre Dame, while Michigan faces Washington in a rematch of their 2024 National Championship game.
Arch Manning’s first Red River game
After last week’s shocking performance and defeat to the Florida Gators, the Texas Longhorns come into the Red River Rivalry game against the number six-ranked Oklahoma Sooners unranked. This is a massive fall for the team that many thought would win the national championship this season in dominant fashion. The Sooners have had a good start to the season, but with worries about the health of quarterback John Mateer, it may be a tough game. With all the pressure on him, could Arch Manning replicate the performance of one of his uncles and deliver an upset win?
The Sooners had the first possession of the game and were able to score the first points. Starting from their 25-yard line, Mateer was able to lead his offense down to the Longhorns’ 23-yard line before the drive stalled. Here, kicker Tate Sandell made a 42-yard field goal to give Oklahoma the early lead. In response to this, the Texas offense did nothing.
However, it was the Sooners who made the first mistake of the game, as Mateer threw an interception, giving the Longhorns possession around the 50-yard line. Here, Manning and company made their way down to the Sooners’ 37-yard line, setting up a 55-yard field goal attempt for Mason Shipley. This kick missed.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Sooners would attempt another field goal on their next drive, this time from 41 yards out. Sandell made this kick, giving the Sooners a 6-0 lead. In response to this, Texas made its way deep into the Sooners’ red zone. However, Manning could not find the endzone from three yards out, forcing Shipley to attempt a 22-yard field goal, which he would make.
At the strike of halftime, Mateer threw his second interception of the game, but Texas did not have any time to convert this into points. This meant that at halftime, the Sooners had a 6-3 lead over the Longhorns.
The Longhorns had the first possession of the second half and were finally able to show some offense. Manning and company were able to make their way down to the Sooners’ 12-yard line before finding DeAndre Moore for the touchdown pass to give them the lead. This lead was added to on their next drive, with Shupley making a field goal from 48 yards out.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn response to this, Mateer threw his third interception of the game and gave the Longhorns another opportunity to add to their lead. Luckily for them, Shipley’s field goal missed, keeping it a one-possession game.
The following Sooners drive again went nowhere and ended in a punt. However, the Longhorns were able to return this to the endzone, further increasing their lead. This was followed by another Shipley field goal, this time from 39 yards out, to seal the win.
The Texas Longhorns had defeated the number six-ranked Oklahoma Sooners 23-6.
This was not the best Red River game we have seen, but it is not the worst. This win helps the Longhorns start another recovery drive in their attempt to reach the CFP. It may be harder now, but this win will go a long way in the eyes of the committee. As for Oklahoma, the usually strong John Mateer had a bad game, and those three interceptions cost the team. With the win, Texas improves to 4-2 (1-1 SEC), while the Sooners fall to 5-1 (1-1 SEC) for the season.
Next week, Texas faces Kentucky while Oklahoma plays South Carolina.
What Happened to the other Ranked Teams?
#1 Ohio State @ #17 Illinois
The number one-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes know that with all of the chaos in the Big Ten this year, their spot in the conference championship game will be assured if they play well. This week, they faced the number 17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. It was an easy win for Ohio State, which took advantage of numerous mistakes made by Illinois to record a 34-16 victory and keep its undefeated season alive.
Washington State @ #4 Ole Miss
After their good start to the season, the number four-ranked Ole Miss Rebels (the school that gave us one of the saviors of the New York Giants, Jaxson Dart) faced the Washington State Cougars. It was a game that was much closer than many anticipated, with the Cougars looking at times able to pull off a massive upset. However, a good performance from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss gave the Rebels a 24-21 win over Washington State, keeping their undefeated season alive.
Florida @ #5 Texas A&M
Last week, the Florida Gators were able to upset the Texas Longhorns, kicking them out of the top 25 (at least for this week). The Gators hoped to continue this form by beating the number five-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. However, this did not happen. The Aggies easily defeated the Gators 34-17 to continue their undefeated start to the season.
Embed from Getty Images#8 Alabama @ #14 Missouri
The number eight-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide faced the number 14 Missouri Tigers this week, with the Tigers coming into this game undefeated. Tigers QB Beau Pribula threw two interceptions that cost Missouri the game, with Bama quarterback Ty Simpson throwing three touchdowns in their 27-24 win.
Kansas @ #9 Texas Tech
The number nine-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders are contenders for the Big 12 conference, and this week faced the Kansas Jayhawks. Red Raiders running back Cameron Dickey ran 263 yards and scored two touchdowns in Tech’s 42-17 win over the Jayhawks.
#10 Georgia @ Auburn
The number 10-ranked Georgia Bulldogs faced the Auburn Tigers this week. In an easy win for the Bulldogs, they were never challenged by the Tigers and cruised to a 20-10 victory to keep them in contention for the CFP.
South Carolina @ #11 LSU
The LSU Tigers kept themselves in the race for the SEC with a 20-10 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. Potential Heisman Trophy winner (it seriously could be anyone at this point) Garett Nussmeier threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win.
Arkansas @ #12 Tennessee
The number 12-ranked Tennessee Volunteers kept themselves in contention for the SEC Championship game with a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. This was a better performance from the Razorbacks than we have seen this season, but the two late touchdowns were not enough as the Volunteers recorded a 34-31 win.
Virginia Tech @ #13 Georgia Tech
The number 13-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are now heavy favorites to win the ACC, with a downfall of the Clemson Tigers (who were able to beat Boston College this week to improve their record to 3-3). This week, G.T. faced Virginia Tech, and the team cruised to a 35-20 win.
Embed from Getty Images#15 Michigan @ USC
The number 15-ranked Michigan Wolverines have had a rough two years post their national championship win*. This year, they have freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood at the helm, and he is slowly adjusting to college football. This week, they traveled to California to face the USC Trojans, a team that has had a good start to the season and could upset their opponents.
NC State @ #16 Notre Dame
The number 16-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish continued their hunt to return to the CFP with a win over the NC State Wolfpack. Fighting Irish QB CJ Carr threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns in their 36-7 victory.
#18 BYU @ Arizona
The number 18-ranked BYU Cougars and Arizona Wildcats played out a thrilling game. A late touchdown from Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier leveled the scores and sent the game to overtime. During the second period of overtime, Bachmeier would find the endzone to record a 33-27 win, keeping their undefeated season alive.
#21 Arizona State @ Utah
The number 21-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (the school that helped to give us Cam Skattebo, the other savior of the New York Giants) came into their game with the Utah Utes without quarterback Sam Leavitt. They struggled in this game with Utes QB Devon Dampier recording three rushing touchdowns in their 42-10 win.
#22 Iowa State @ Colorado
The Colorado Buffaloes have not had the best start to the season, and faced another tough challenge this week against the number 22-ranked Iowa State Cyclones. This was one of the better performances from the Buffaloes, who recorded a 24-17 win over the Cyclones.
#24 South Florida @ North Texas
The number 24-ranked South Florida Bulls faced the undefeated North Texas Mean Green this week. This was a very high-scoring game, with 100 points scored in total, and saw strong performances from both quarterbacks. However, the scoreline would not tell us that, as South Florida cruised to a 63-36 win over the Mean Green.
Embed from Getty ImagesPittsburgh @ #25 Florida State
The number 25-ranked Florida State Seminoles have had an up-and-down season. They beat Alabama to open the season, but have struggled in conference play. These struggles continued this week against the Pittsburgh Panthers. A strong performance from Panthers’ quarterback Mason Heintschel gave Pitt a 34-31 win.
So that was week seven of the 2025 college football season. Next week, Ole Miss faces Georgia, Alabama faces Tennessee, and Penn State (whose season is over after a defeat to Northwestern this week in a game where they lost quarterback Drew Allar to injury) faces Iowa.