The Scarlet and Gray

[Captain Canada]

Cooked the hell out of the Illini

This shit is endlessly impressive.

[toysoldier00]

Another victim name crossed off the list.

yessir

Not even close. Handled them pretty easily. The detail of this chise is outstanding.

Need Oklahoma to beat Texas this weekend.

Yep, everything went right in that game.

Team's rolling now. Just have to keep this going into the Big 10 CCG and the playoffs.

Eyes on the prize. Need to beat Michigan too.

Cooked the hell out of the Illini

This shit is endlessly impressive.

Appreciate it!

[toysoldier00]

Week 7 Recap: Indiana Shocks Oregon, Penn State Implodes, and the Playoff Picture Turns Inside Out

Marissa Bleday
October 12, 2025


#6 Indiana Hoosiers 42 at #2 Oregon Ducks 21
College football has a way of turning one Saturday into a season-long plot twist, and Week 7 delivered one of the most stunning rewrites of the year. Indiana — yes, Indiana — walked into Eugene and didn’t just beat No. 2 Oregon, it physically overwhelmed the Ducks in their own stadium, 42-21, and in the process announced itself as something far bigger than a feel-good story. Meanwhile, Penn State’s spiral went from concerning to catastrophic, USC finally landed its first true Big Ten-era signature win, and the sport’s usual powers took turns either saving their seasons or watching them slide further out of reach.

The shockwave started at Autzen Stadium, where unbeaten Indiana played like the more mature, more powerful, and better-prepared team from the opening drive. The Hoosiers outgained Oregon 491-260, choked off the Ducks’ run game to 51 yards on 25 carries, and turned a top-two opponent into a team searching for answers by halftime. Fernando Mendoza wasn’t just efficient — he was ruthless, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing score, the kind of Heisman-caliber performance that turns a player from “solid transfer pickup” into the center of a national conversation.

“We didn’t come here to be impressed,” Curt Cignetti said afterward. “We came here believing we could win. Our guys played like it.”



Indiana’s receivers fed off that belief. Elijah Sarratt put together a star turn (nine catches, 106 yards, two touchdowns), while Omar Cooper Jr. and Jonathan Brady consistently found space against an Oregon defense that rarely looked comfortable. What made the result even more jarring was how clean Oregon actually played, no turnovers, no penalties, no obvious self-inflicted wounds. They simply got beat at the line of scrimmage, and once Indiana owned the middle of the field, the game became a one-way street. Dante Moore was efficient (209 yards, two touchdowns), Evan Stewart caught three passes and somehow scored twice, and Oregon’s pass rush still produced, but none of it mattered because Indiana dictated the game’s physical terms.

Penn State 7 at Northwestern Wildcats 55
If Indiana’s win was the weekend’s most shocking result, Penn State’s was the weekend’s most alarming collapse. Three weeks ago, the Nittany Lions were No. 2 with a season full of playoff margins still in front of them. Since then, a close loss to Oregon became a devastating loss to UCLA, which now has become something far darker: a 55-7 home humiliation by Northwestern that was so thorough it barely felt like a college football game.

Northwestern outgained Penn State 464-120, Preston Stone threw five touchdown passes, and Penn State’s offense looked broken, not unlucky. Drew Allar went 10-of-25 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Penn State ran just 48 plays, converted 2-of-12 on third down, and spent most of the afternoon staring at a scoreboard that made the second half feel like a public audit.

“There’s no excuses,” James Franklin said. “This is unacceptable. We have to take ownership of all of it.”

#10 Michigan Wolverines 42 at #24 USC Trojans 52
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, USC delivered the type of win Lincoln Riley desperately needed. The Trojans beat Michigan 52-42 in a game that felt like peak Riley chaos: explosive offense, turnovers, and a relentless pace. Jayden Maiava threw for 441 yards and five touchdowns, with Makai Lemon shredding the Wolverines for 188 yards and three scores. USC also forced three interceptions from freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, and while Underwood threw for more than 350 yards, Michigan never got its run game off the ground, finishing with just 82 rushing yards. It wasn’t a perfect USC performance, Maiava threw two interceptions, but it was a signature one.

“This is what we came to the Big Ten for,” Riley said. “To play games like this, in environments like this, and win them.”



#23 South Carolina Gamecocks 10 at #11 LSU Tigers 35
The SEC’s most important “steady the ship” moment belonged to LSU, which took care of No. 23 South Carolina 35-10 and re-established itself as a top-tier contender after last month’s stumble at Ole Miss. Garrett Nussmeier looked like the best version of himself again, throwing for 388 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. LSU controlled the game early, stretched the lead throughout the second half, and never gave South Carolina a window. Shane Beamer’s team got a last-second touchdown that made the final score less brutal than the tape will be, but the reality was clear: LSU was sharper, stronger, and more complete in every phase.

#8 Oklahoma Sooners 35 vs #18 Texas Longhorns 38
The Red River Shootout brought its own drama and delivered a much-needed lifeline to Texas, which edged Oklahoma 38-35 in a game that felt like both teams playing for the right to stay relevant. Arch Manning was exactly what Texas needed him to be, throwing four touchdown passes and keeping the Longhorns alive after a rocky start to the season. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was productive, five total touchdowns, but two costly interceptions proved decisive.

“We needed a response,” Steve Sarkisian said. “We got it. Now we have to stack it.”

#7 Alabama Crimson Tide 31 at #14 Missouri Tigers 21
Alabama continued its own redemption tour by winning at Missouri 31-21, a result that mattered less for the margin and more for what it did to Missouri’s previously untouchable offensive aura. The Tide contained Ahmad Hardy, kept Beau Pribula from turning the game into a track meet, and leaned on Ty Simpson’s steady quarterbacking to get a road win that keeps Alabama in the national hunt.

“We’re learning how to win different types of games,” Kalen DeBoer said. “That’s the sign of a team growing up.”



#1 Ohio State Buckeyes 38 at #13 Illinois Fighting Illini 6
Ohio State did what Ohio State has done all year: eliminate doubt quickly. The Buckeyes dismantled Illinois, outgaining the Illini 465-156 and making a ranked road test look like a controlled demolition. Julian Sayin continued his rapid ascent, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns, but the bigger statement came from a defense that held Luke Altmyer to 68 passing yards and made Illinois’ offense feel trapped from the opening quarter.

“We’re starting to play with a real edge,” Ryan Day said. “That’s what we need going forward.”

Pitt Panthers 45 at Florida State Seminoles 35
Meanwhile, Florida State’s fall has become one of the season’s most dramatic storylines. After starting 3-0 with a defining win over Alabama and Tommy Castellanos in the Heisman conversation, the Seminoles are now 3-3 after losing 45-35 to Pittsburgh. Castellanos piled up yards again, 420 passing, 45 rushing, but the results have stopped matching the hype, and the pressure on Mike Norvell is building.

Notre Dame kept stabilizing with a 42-31 win over NC State behind another big day from Jeremiyah Love, while South Florida continued its push toward the Group of Five playoff spot with a Friday night win at North Texas. Iowa State’s slide worsened with a loss at Colorado, Utah hammered Arizona State 49-21, and for pure chaos, FAU beat UAB 59-58 in regulation in a game that featured 1,270 combined yards, the kind of scoreline that feels like a typo until you watch it.

Week 7 didn’t just provide upsets. It provided definition. Indiana looks real. Oregon looks vulnerable. Penn State looks broken. And as October deepens, the playoff race is beginning to feel less like a list of brands and more like a list of teams willing to take someone’s season away.