10 worst performances of week 7 in college football

Week 7 didn't just produce upsets, it changed the trajectory of multiple programs. Within 24 hours, Penn State fired James Franklin after a 22–21 home loss to Northwestern, UAB dismissed Trent Dilfer amid a 2–4 start, and Oregon State fired Trent Bray after an 0-7 start. On the field, Oklahoma's 23–6 Red River dud hinged on a 75-yard Texas punt return and an offense that never found the end zone, while Colorado again drew headlines for a postgame field storm that Deion Sanders joked would come with a Big 12 fine. And Indiana's poised road win at No. 3 Oregon spotlighted the value — and absence — of second-half adjustments on a national stage as eight ranked teams fell overall. Here is the eight "worst" performances of the weekend across teams, coaches, staffs, players and even fan bases.

Penn State's football program

Two weeks after entering No. 2, the Nittany Lions blew a late lead to Northwestern at home and then fired James Franklin on Sunday — a staggering midseason admission of failure. Northwestern punched in the winning score with 18 seconds left in the game and in under 24 hours Penn State named Terry Smith the interim head coach. Also, QB Drew Allar is out for the season.

Found the Interim Head Coach: pic.twitter.com/BPpf0jxQIo
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) October 12, 2025

Oklahoma's offensive and game-management choices

Brent Venables rode an injured quarterback room into Red River and watched John Mateer get sacked five times and intercepted three, while the Sooners also allowed a 75-yard punt return TD. OU's end-of-half execution drew sharp criticism, too as Texas closed it out 23–6.

The loss wouldn't have been so dissapointing if Oklahoma didn't have Mateer. But, instead, he came back too early after having surgery on his hand 17 days ago. OU was supposed to continue their playoff campaign but actually may have been on the other end of a playoff campaign that is just starting.

Texas Tech's student section

The Red Raiders were flagged twice for fans throwing tortillas — now a point-of-emphasis under updated Big 12 rules — and Kansas coach Lance Leipold said a pocketknife from the stands struck a KU staffer. Penalties cost Tech field position; the alleged object escalated a safety issue the league is trying to curb.

Edit: The Big 12 fined Kansas $25,000 on Wednesday for coach Lance Leipold's statement that a pocketknife was thrown at his staff during the Jayhawks' game at Texas Tech. The conference said the allegation was inaccurate and Leipold's comments were disparaging.

Colorado students' financial decisions

It was a field-storm encore for the Buffs' fans — but it came at a price. For the second straight home game, Folsom Field emptied after a ranked win — this time over No. 22 Iowa State — despite the Big 12's fine/reprimand framework. Deion Sanders said he "loved it," but the program faces possible discipline for repeated crowd-control lapses.

Note: if you got the money then keep doing it (safely of course) but the pockets might be hurting after doing it in back-to-back weeks.

UAB

This list might need to be rebranded as the "biggest losers" in college football. A 53–33 loss at Florida Atlantic — six FAU touchdowns and a trick-play bomb — was the capstone to a 2–4 start that prompted UAB to fire Trent Dilfer on Sunday. It's a performance that led directly to a midseason change to Alex Mortensen as the interim coach.

UAB football has fired Trent Dilfer and named Alex Mortensen as its interim head coach. pic.twitter.com/gdo91wRcAq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 12, 2025

Michigan's third down performance

Michigan's situational defense was among many factors that led to their demise on Saturday. USC faced third-and-26 in the second half and still converted en route to a 31–13 win; a walk-on running back (King Miller) gashed the Wolverines for 158 rushing yards as USC controlled the trenches. That one conversion — and the line play around it — now sends the Wolverines out of the Top 25.

Oregon State (0–7, head coach fired)

There's no masking an 0–7 start, and the Beavers pulled the ripcord Sunday, dismissing Trent Bray one day after a 39–14 loss to Wake Forest. It's the program’s worst opening since 1991 and veteran assistant Robb Akey now takes over on an interim basis while a national search begins. Now it's all about getting rid of the donut in the win column and looking to 2026/beyond.

Sources: Oregon State has fired Trent Bray after an 0-7 start.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 12, 2025

UMass in the "Toilet Bowl"

Matched up against 1-4 Kent State, 0-5 UMass was looking to get their first win of the year. But unfortunately, in a matchup between two teams near the bottom of the FBS, that dream ended quickly. The game opened with UMass giving up a 91-yard kickoff return. UMass then watched Kent State quarterback Dru DeShields throw four touchdown passes in a 42–6 rout, snapping the Flashes' four-game skid and turning a battle of strugglers into a blowout.

Wisconsin's no-show at homecoming

Getting blanked 37–0 by Iowa at Camp Randall has pushed Luke Fickell's tenure further into open-question territory. It was Iowa's first shutout of Wisconsin in Madison since 1929 and the Hawkeyes' fourth straight win in the rivalry. Wisconsin had three first-half turnovers and 209 total yards, and the Fickell-era in Wisconsin might be nearing its final chapter.

SEC officiating/communication in Auburn–Georgia

Officials became part of the narrative twice: a late-second-quarter goal-line fumble by Auburn's Jackson Arnold stood after review, flipping momentum in a game Georgia won 20–10; then third-quarter confusion over whether Kirby Smart had requested a timeout led to no charge after discussion. Smart later said he was trying to alert officials to illegal clapping by Auburn's defense — an explanation that did little to quiet the backlash. Regardless of Smart's intent, process and clarity suffered on a national stage. Also, the fumble call wasn't exactly wrong, but coupled with the timeout ruling, many Auburn won't let this one go any time soon.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart | John Reed-Imagn Images