Football

CFB Superlatives: P.J. Fleck And Minnesota's Historic Win, USC's Comeback Win

Published Oct. 5, 2026 1:15 p.m. ET

In college football, there’s a tendency to anoint teams far too early in the season. A couple of impressive wins can quickly turn a program into a title favorite in the eyes of pundits and fans. But the reality is, we often don’t know how good anyone truly is until much later in the season after more challenging tests.

Take Iowa, Florida and Mississippi State, for example. All three picked up impressive wins over ranked opponents last week and surged in the polls. Then, in Week 5, each suffered its first loss of the season and came back down to earth a bit.

That’s not to say they can’t rebound and find themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation come November. But this sport is usually too quick to tell us who is good — and who isn’t — in September.

Now, we’re firmly into October, and the games are getting tougher and the margin for error is getting smaller. This is when we’ll start to get a clearer picture of the contenders and the pretenders.

With that, here are our superlatives from another fun weekend of college football:

Game Of The Week: USC Rallies Back To Clinch Win

(Photo by Jeff Antenore/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Lincoln Riley can breathe a little easier this week.

No. 18 USC rallied from a 21-10 deficit to beat conference foe Washington, 25-21, at the Coliseum on Saturday night, giving Riley and the Trojans a much-needed win after last week’s home loss to Oregon.

Riley has been on the hot seat for some time, and USC desperately needed a victory to quiet the noise around the program. According to reports from LA, chants of "Fire Lincoln!" rang through the stadium in the second half as the Trojans fell behind.

Then, late in the third quarter, things turned around. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped up a fumble by Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and raced 48 yards for a touchdown, giving USC a 22-21 lead. The Trojans added a field goal on their next possession, and Gary Patterson’s defense held the Huskies scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Things do not get easier for USC, though, with games against No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana and No. 23 UCLA still to come. Even a trip to Wisconsin later this month could be tricky.

Moment Of The Week: Hokies Controversial Missed Field Goal

Virginia Tech had a chance to steal a win from Pittsburgh on Friday night, but kicker John Love’s 36-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired, allowing the Panthers to escape with a 35-33 victory.

For a moment, Love thought he had made it. He threw his hands up in celebration, and the Virginia Tech band started jumping up and down. But the kick drifted wide, sealing the Hokies’ first loss under head coach James Franklin.

"We had a chance to win it at the end," Franklin said after the game. "Everyone is going to focus on the last play. This isn’t coach speak, but we’re going to watch this tape, and there are going to be 20 plays that we could have made to put us in a better position and not be in that situation at the end."

Pittsburgh’s victory came at a cost, however, as starting sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel left the game early in the second half with a knee injury. He was later diagnosed with a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Coaching Win Of The Week: P.J. Fleck Upsets Michigan

Don’t look now, but Minnesota is 4-1.

The Golden Gophers grinded out a 20-14 win over Michigan on Saturday to reclaim the Little Brown Jug, marking their first victory over the Wolverines at home since 1977. Coach P.J. Fleck didn’t smear any of his players’ blood on his face like he did last week, but he did say afterward that, aside from his wedding and the birth of his children, "this might be the best day of my life."

Minnesota fans rushed the field after the final whistle as "Mr. Brightside" – traditionally Michigan’s fourth-quarter song at The Big House – blared throughout the stadium.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, however. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey completed 17 of 25 passes for 136 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood went 10 of 21 for 101 yards and had two interceptions.

The loss leaves Michigan with plenty to clean up, particularly if the Wolverines want to keep their season from slipping away. Minnesota, meanwhile, is suddenly in an intriguing position at 4-1. The Golden Gophers have a relatively favorable schedule ahead and won’t have to face Ohio State or Oregon, though games against Iowa, Indiana and UCLA remain.

Player Of The Week: Running Back Aidan Flora

(Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)

Iowa State running back Aiden Flora put together a monster performance Saturday, accounting for five touchdowns — two through the air and three on the ground — in the Cyclones’ 45-42 win over West Virginia.

Flora, a sophomore and former walk-on, completed two passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns. He was even more productive on the ground, carrying 22 times for 212 yards and three scores.

"The first thing we did here was put him on scholarship and secure he was coming back," Cyclones coach Jimmy Rogers said after the game. "When others looked to go elsewhere for a bigger opportunity, he stayed true. This place is special to him."

CFP Impact Game Of The Week: Alabama Routs Mississippi State

Alabama jumps to No. 6 after a dominant 52-27 win over Mississippi State on the road. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

It looks like No. 7 Alabama is a legitimate threat after the Crimson Tide delivered a commanding 56-23 win over No. 16 Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday.

Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell strengthened his Heisman Trophy case with a standout performance, out-dueling Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor. Russell completed 16 of 22 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. It marked his third game this season with at least three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

Taylor finished 19 of 34 for 258 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions before leaving the game early with a right leg injury.

The Crimson Tide have now scored at least 45 points in all five of their games this season.

Mississippi State entered the game off a fast start to the year, and it felt like maybe the team had found something special. But Alabama showed the talent gap between the teams, and won its 17th straight matchup against the Bulldogs.

Biggest Week 6 Storyline: Top-10 SEC Matchup

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

There’s no question that it’s No. 7 Alabama hosting No. 2 Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night.

It's a clash between two unbeaten SEC powerhouses, who are both coming off dominant starts with CFP implications at stake. The game kicks off in prime time, and President Trump has announced that he plans to attend.

This will be an important measuring stick for both teams. Alabama and Georgia have looked the part of championship contenders through the first month of the season, but this showdown will reveal where they really stand.