KNOXVILLE, TN – It only took four weeks of action to immerse us in the madness of college football, with surprises and teams already on the ropes heading into the month of October. Are schools already looking to make changes at the head coaching position? Sure, and some leaders might end up making the decision pretty easy for their bosses. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you register or place a bet, FOX News may receive compensation. This content was created by a team working independently of the FOX newsroom. But what we witnessed on Saturday will go down as one of the wildest weekends of this season opener, and there will be ramifications. ARCH MANNING ENJOYS CIGARETTE SMOKE: TEXAS LEAVES NEYLAND WITH A WIN AND A WARNING FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL Heck, Texas led Tennessee by ten points late in the fourth quarter, but had to withstand a last-minute surge by the Vols to leave Knoxville with the victory. Arch Manning didn’t even throw a touchdown pass on Saturday, but the defense finished with more than ten sacks of Vols quarterback Faizon Brandon in what felt like a defensive resurgence for Will Muschamp. We’re just getting started on this wild weekend in college football. Oregon lost quarterback Dante Moore to a head injury in the first half, thanks to a foul hit. But that didn’t end their hopes of beating USC. Two weeks after losing to Oklahoma State, the Ducks came to Southern Cal and once again left Trojan fans wondering when Lincoln Riley was going to win some meaningful games. Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola throws the ball in the first half against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26, 2026, in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images) We don’t know when Moore will return, but backup Dylan Raiola took the reins Saturday night and never looked back. Throwing for over 280 yards against USC, this could be the start of Raiola’s redemption tour, at least until Dante Moore returns. But, a big 41-27 win for the Ducks has gotten their season back on track, while USC fans are wondering what else Lincoln Riley wants to put them through. Who would have thought before the season started that Oklahoma would already be regretting that contract extension for Brent Venables? But just four games into the 2026 season, the Sooners have a major problem on their hands, thanks in part to the 41-13 thrashing of the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Athens. It’s not a trap, Florida earned Ole Miss’ respect. Beamer in trouble. Hi Kamario Taylor. Oh, and if you’re wondering if Ole Miss was walking into a trap this week in Gainesville after beating LSU last weekend, I think that would be disrespectful to what Jon Sumrall is doing with the Florida Gators. A 52-28 road loss brought the Rebels back to reality, and Pete Golding had to regroup his team this week after a rollercoaster two weeks. But make no mistake about it, the Florida Gators are nothing like the team we witnessed during the Billy Napier era. FLORIDA DELIVERS IMPRESSIVE OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE TO ACHIEVE MASSIVE VICTORY OVER NO. 4 OLE MISS Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall watches during the second half of a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on September 26, 2026. (Getty Images) And speaking of teams we thought could get things back on track in 2026, South Carolina has a major problem moving forward under head coach Shane Beamer. Not only were they defeated 49-18 by Alabama, but the Gamecocks feel like a rudderless ship with such high expectations for quarterback LaNorris Sellers before the season began. Now? The Gamecocks lost their seventh straight SEC game, and it’s not looking any better going forward. Well, this will only make things worse at Columbia for Beamer, who had spent a good amount of money to prevent several stars from reaching the portal, such as Dylan Stewart. Will Kamario Taylor end up being the catalyst that brings Mississippi State back to college football relevance? Well, he’s done it, and he looks great in the process. The 24th-ranked Bulldogs defeated No. 19 Missouri, winning their first ranked game in more than a decade, with Taylor passing for more than 350 yards that night. Watch out, Alabama. The Bulldogs look forward to next week in Starkville. \ Kamario Taylor No. 1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs warms up before the game at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, on Sept. 26, 2026. (Getty Images) Karma finally comes to Michigan. LSU sends Texas A&M fans into panic mode Yes, you read that right. An Iowa Hawkeyes touchdown with just one second left on the clock left Michigan fans stunned, probably the same way Western Michigan fans felt during the week one controversy that allowed the Wolverines to escape with a victory. Three weeks later, it was Kirk Ferentz who delivered Karma as a Taylor Swift single, making out-of-state college football fans laugh, I imagine. No, this doesn’t look anything like a team that should be paying quarterback Bryce Underwood more than $3 million per season. In reality, this feels like a team heading into a bowl game in December, let alone the Big Ten championship. At this point, perhaps Michigan fans would be wise to start preparing for the Ohio State game to finish out the season and not get their hopes up every weekend. That win against Oklahoma also looks even worse each week. Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes shakes hands with Kyle Whittingham of the Michigan Wolverines after Iowa’s 20-19 victory at Michigan Stadium on September 26, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Getty Images) So you thought Lane Kiffin would stay quiet late into the night after losing to his former team last week in Oxford? Umm, no. Not only did LSU take out their frustration on Texas A&M, they did it. looks easy in the 38-6 victory. Sam Leavitt split the Aggies’ secondary, while Kiffin found himself running down the sideline celebrating a fourth-down trick play that turned into a touchdown. Simply put, the Tigers made Mike Elko’s team look like a mediocre SEC team without much hope moving forward. We should probably go ahead and write off the Aggies to make the College Football Playoffs, while LSU appears to have gotten the ‘Lane Train’ rolling again in Baton Rouge. Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Louisiana State Tigers takes the field before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, on Sept. 19, 2026. (Getty Images) What moments in the world did Saturday have… Can someone explain to me how Louisville was able to lose at home to Wake Forest 30-27, with this team fighting for the ‘surprise’ team of the season outside of the ACC? Well, that went up in smoke inside his. stadium.Oh, and how can I not mention the job Luke Fickell did on Saturday, leading his Wisconsin Badgers to Happy Valley and coming away with the 24-20 victory that left people in State College shocked. People forget that Fickell didn’t wake up and become a bad coach. He simply hasn’t had the resources needed in Madison. Head coach Luke Fickell of the Wisconsin Badgers shakes hands with head coach Matt Campbell of the Penn State Nittany Lions after the game at Beaver Stadium on September 26, 2026, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images) They may not have everything they need to rebuild the Wisconsin football team yet, but they sure made Penn State pay to look past the Badgers. October. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Expecting anything less? Trey Wallace is OutKick’s senior college sports reporter.
