College football always delivers, even in the weeks that feel underwhelming. In a stunner, South Florida shocked No. 13 Florida after a spitting player led to a game-winning field goal from USF’s Nico Gramatica. 

In other spots, No. 16 Iowa State pulled away from Iowa with a historic field goal, while No. 20 Ole Miss needed every second to avoid Kentucky. No. 11 Illinois played well in a win over Duke and Texas QB Arch Manning found his footing. 

Elsewhere, Oregon drove legendary Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy into the ground. The shocking 69-3 victory marked rock bottom for the Cowboys. Rivalry games between Kansas/Missouri and Texas State/UTSA also brought plenty of hate. 

There’s plenty more to come in the evening slate. Arizona State travels to Mississippi State in a big prove-it spot, while Michigan plays Oklahoma in Norman in perhaps the best game of the day. BYU also hosts Stanford in a big game for first-year quarterback Bear Bachmeier. 

Here are the biggest winners and losers of the first few windows of games. 

Loser: Florida coach Billy Napier

The amount of self-inflicted disasters that Florida needed to impose in its 18-16 loss to South Florida was incalculable. However, the final drive really set the tone. Florida got the ball with 2:52 remaining in the fourth quarter and essentially just needed to run clock. Instead, Napier called two passes in three plays to turn the ball over on downs in only 27 seconds. 

Then, South Florida got the ball back. After defensive end Brenden Bett spit in the face of a Bulls player, South Florida used it to drive 87 yards down the field and kick a game-winning field goal in a stunner. 

Napier built up plenty of goodwill with the way he finished the 2024 season, but it all went out the window in Game 2. The Bulls outgained them 391-355 and Florida proved unable to impose their will. With a brutal schedule ahead — including three straight games against AP Top 7 opponents, starting next week at LSU — things could careen quickly. 

Only in the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry would a coach play for a game-winning 54-yard field goal … and get totally rewarded for it. But that was the story for Iowa State, which turned in a game-winner from Kyle Konrardy to put away Iowa for its first win over its rival at home since 2011, snapping a six-game losing streak. 

Iowa State is off to a tremendous 3-0 start, but Konrardy has been exceptional. Since uncharacteristically missing a 49-yard field goal in the first half against Kansas State, Konrardy has hit six straight field goals. In addition to the 54-yard game winner, Konrardy nailed a school record 63-yard field goal against South Dakota. 

The Cyclones figure to be in the thick of the Big 12 championship race, and Konrardy has emerged as perhaps their greatest advantage. 

Loser: Oklahoma State

There’s losing to a top 10 opponent, and then there’s whatever the heck just happened in Eugene, Oregon. The Cowboys played No. 6 Oregon and gave up touchdowns on two of the Ducks’ first three plays. They surrendered nearly 500 yards and 41 points in the first half. Somehow, the second half was even worse as quarterback Zane Flores threw pick-sixes on back-to-back plays. 

Mike Gundy shaped Oklahoma State’s modern identity — now it’s time for a new one

Chip Patterson

Mike Gundy shaped Oklahoma State's modern identity -- now it's time for a new one

The loss was the worst at Oklahoma State since the state of Oklahoma was formed in 1907, and represented a historic disaster for coach Mike Gundy. Prior to 2024, Gundy had never lost a game by more than 50 points. Now, he has lost his last two matchups by 52 and 66 and been outscored 121-3. The program has bottomed out in every way. 

Winner: The Manning-Livingstone connection at Texas

The most famous man in college football looked tentative in his first drive against San Jose State, but Arch Manning finally got a chance to empty the clip thanks to his roommate, Parker Livingstone. Late in the first half, Livingstone broke away and caught a pass from Manning for an 83-yard reception. Less than three minutes later, Livingstone caught a tight ball for a three-yard touchdown. 

Livingstone only entered the lineup because of injuries to transfer receiver Emmett Mosley V, but proved he deserves more opportunities. In two games, he has three touchdowns. He helped Manning take a major step forward in a 295-yard, four-touchdown performance to beat the Spartans 38-7 in Austin. 

Loser: SMU

The No. 17 Mustangs had Baylor dead to rights, up by 14 points more than halfway through the fourth quarter. SMU had moved the ball at will, scoring a pair of 75-yard passing touchdowns and adding a 40-yard rushing score from T.J. Harden. Instead of putting the reeling Bears away, SMU surrendered touchdown drives of 72 and 82 yards to send the game to overtime. A missed field goal by Caleb Rogers in double overtime did SMU in and gave Baylor its 14th straight win over the Mustangs. 

The only solace? SMU lost a three-point game against a Big 12 opponent at home last year as well when BYU topped them in Dallas. It didn’t keep them from the College Football Playoff. The schedule, though, is much more difficult in 2025 with No. 5 Miami and No. 8 Clemson still ahead. 

We’ve waited 14 long years for the Border War to return. In every way, it lived up to the hype. Kansas used a scoop-and-score and strong start from Jalon Daniels to jump out to a 21-6 lead in the first quarter. However, Missouri was exceedingly impressive in the way it handled the moment. 

Despite facing a deficit in the fourth quarter, quarterback Beau Pribula stepped up and delivered a pass to a leaked Brett Norfleet to take a lead it would not surrender. Jamal Roberts added a 63-yard rushing TD at the end to push the score to 42-31. Kansas/Missouri is one of the most hateful rivalries in the country, and coach Eli Drinkwitz will certainly get a few more high fives at the grocery store after pulling away. 

Well, the excitement about Rich Rodriguez coming home lasted about five minutes. In his first FBS game, West Virginia got outgained by nearly 200 yards and lost 17-10 against … Ohio. The Mountaineers rushed for only 2.6 yards per carry against a MAC defensive line and let Timothee Chalamet’s favorite quarterback, Parker Narvarro, stunt all over them to the tune of 247 yards passing and 87 touchdowns. Oklahoma State and West Virginia will have a tight battle with UCF for worst team in the Big 12!  

Winner: Turnover Taters

Idaho is too good at this.Â