Eight most disappointing college football QB performances of Week 7

Week 7 exposed quarterbacks on the biggest stages. Eight ranked teams lost, and several offenses sputtered when the lights were brightest. In Dallas, Texas turned Red River with field position and takeaways, picking off Oklahoma three times and holding the Sooners without a touchdown in a 23-6 win. In Eugene, No. 7 Indiana toppled No. 3 Oregon in a result that vaulted the Hoosiers to their highest AP ranking ever and showed how quickly a game plan can squeeze a passing attack. Elsewhere, Iowa blanked Wisconsin 37-0 and Utah smothered No. 21 Arizona State 42-10, both of which involved poor QB play. These are the most disappointing QB performances from week 7 in college football.

John Mateer, Oklahoma

Texas didn't just win the Red River Rivalry; they strangled Oklahoma's passing game. Coming off a surgery 17 days ago, John Mateer went 20-of-38 for 202 yards with three interceptions as OU failed to score a touchdown and managed 258 total yards in a 23-6 loss. The cheers for him toughing it out and making a return were completely valid. But, the disappointment based on how he played is also understandable.

Dante Moore, Oregon

Indiana's defense harassed Moore into two interceptions and a 33.2 QBR as the Ducks were upset in Bloomington. Moore finished 21-of-34 for 186 yards and one score and Oregon had just 64 second-half yards as the offense stalled repeatedly in plus territory. For a Heisman contender, many expected to see a better performance out of Moore, but it was Indiana's day.

Hunter Simmons, Wisconsin

Iowa blanked Wisconsin 37-0 at Camp Randall, and Simmons' line tells the story: 8-of-21 for 82 yards with two interceptions. The Badgers produced one explosive pass (29 yards) and no answers on third down in another listless Big Ten showing. Also, head coach Luke Fickell may be next in the coaches getting fired.

CJ Bailey, NC State

Against Notre Dame's fast, disciplined secondary, Bailey forced balls and paid for it: 17-of-30 for 186 yards with three interceptions, plus a fourth-quarter safety that iced a 36-7 defeat. The Wolfpack offense had 233 total yards and went 1-for-3 on fourth down. What's most gut-wrenching about this performance is the fact that NC State was in this ball game after the first half. Also a side note: ND is absolutely rolling.

Sam Jackson V, Oklahoma State

Pressed into emergency duty, Jackson — listed as a wide receiver — started at quarterback and struggled as Houston rolled 39-17. He went 7-of-16 for 84 yards with an interception; OSU mustered 225 total yards while rotating QBs in a game that spiraled early. Unfortunately, due to the performance on Saturday, there won't be any documentary on how a WR hopped in at QB to get a win over a 5-1 squad.

Jackson Arnold, Auburn

Auburn led 10-0 and was less than a yard away from 17-0 late in the first half when Arnold's goal-line fumble — raked out by Georgia LB CJ Allen — swung the game. The Tigers managed just 50 second-half yards and fell 20–10. One snap, one decision, and an upset chance lost.

Jeff Sims, Arizona State

Utah's front suffocated ASU all game. Sims completed 18-of-38 for 124 yards (3.3 per attempt) with no touchdowns as the Sun Devils were sacked five times in a 42–10 loss. He added 52 rushing yards, but negative plays piled up as Utah ran away with it. ASU badly needs QB Sam Leavitt back in uniform.

Drew Allar, Penn State

You didn't think we forget, did you? The numbers were bad: 13-of-20 for 137 yards. The optics were ugly: a preseason contender losing at home to a three-touchdown underdog. And the fallout was the worst part of it: Allar suffered a season-ending injury on a late scramble and head coach James Franklin was fired on Sunday. It feels like the worst case scenario for Penn State this season.

Breaking: Penn State QB Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury against Northwestern, HC James Franklin announced. pic.twitter.com/FSqjVMZoSW
— ESPN (@espn) October 11, 2025