Eight saddest college football fan bases after Week 7

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

There's no mystery or suspenseful reveal as to which college football team tops this list after Week 7, so let's just get right into it.

These are the fan bases in the worst shape on Sunday morning after Week 7 of the college football season.

1. Penn State

Penn State has gone from a preseason No. 2 ranking to 3-3 and entirely out of the Big Ten race halfway through the season after three straight losses to Oregon and improbably UCLA and Northwestern. The road loss at previously-winless UCLA seemed like it would surely be rock bottom for the Nittany Lions, but then they went and lost 22-21 at home to the middling Wildcats as coach James Franklin stared off into the abyss that has become his team's season.

"We shouldn't lose that game," Franklin said afterward. "It's 100% on me, and we have to get it fixed, and I will get it fixed."

Actually, he won't. Franklin was fired Sunday morning, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported.

Sources: Penn State has fired James Franklin.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 12, 2025

This season started with national championship aspirations, and now it's not even clear if the Nittany Lions will reach a bowl game, especially with quarterback Drew Allar sustaining a season-ending injury. More to the point, they're looking at a total reset for the program.

It doesn't get any more disappointing than that.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell after losing the game to the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

2. Florida State

There also should be no surprise as to No. 2 on this list.

Florida State didn't have the same outside expectations this season as Penn State, but after beating Alabama in the season-opener hopes we're certainly heightened for the Seminoles.

Instead, they too have now lost three straight, including a crushing 34-31 home loss Saturday to Pittsburgh.

Patience is running very thin for sixth-year coach Mike Norvell, after a 2-10 finish last year and now this.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

3. Wisconsin

The general reaction was that Wisconsin made a good hire a few years ago when it landed Luke Fickell as head coach after his successful run at Cincinnati.

Now? It seems only a matter of time before Fickell is fired.

After going 7-6 and 5-7 in his first two seasons, the Badgers are now 2-4 and have lost all four games against Power Four opponents by at least two touchdowns. However, the worst was Saturday with a 37-0 loss at home to Iowa.

“That’s as low as it can be,” Fickell said afterward. “And I apologize. I apologize to our guys to not be ready, to not have them ready. I’m dumbfounded in a lot of ways."

So too are the fans as "Fire Fickell" chants broke out in the stadium Saturday. That sure seems inevitable at this point, and for Wisconsin fans it can't come soon enough

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

4. Auburn

No matter what happens the rest of this season, Auburn and its fans are going to lament the major what-if from its 20-10 loss at home to No. 10 Georgia on Saturday.

The Tigers were up 10-0 and thought they were about to make it 17-0 late in the second quarter when quarterback Jackson Arnold took the ball on third-and-goal from the 1 and attempted to dive over the pile into the end zone.

But the ball was poked out and ruled a fumble. A lengthy video review -- in which it certainly could have gone either way -- upheld the ruling, leaving Auburn coach Hugh Freeze apoplectic on the sideline.

The Tigers never scored again as Georgia reeled off 20 unanswered points to seize the game.

Auburn is now 3-3 and winless in the SEC after losing three straight games.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) walks off the field following the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

5. Oklahoma

It was a great story that Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer got himself ready to play less than three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing hand, willing himself back to action in time for the Red River Shootout against rival Texas on Saturday.

But then the game started ...

Mateer threw three interceptions, and the Sooners looked overmatched in a 23-6 loss to the reeling Longhorns.

It was the first loss for Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC), but the Sooners dropped eight spots in the AP poll to No. 14 and face arguably the toughest remaining schedule in college football with a road game at South Carolina followed by five straight games against ranked opponents (as the poll currently stands) -- vs. No. 5 Ole Miss, at No. 11 Tennessee, at No. 6 Alabama, vs. No. 16 Missouri and vs. No. 10 LSU.

Considering how the Sooners looked Saturday, their fans must be wondering now how many of those remaining games they can win.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith walks the sideline during the fourth quarter in the game against UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

6. Michigan State

Maybe UCLA isn't as bad as everyone thought after it started 0-4 and fired head coach DeShaun Foster, but still ... Michigan State fans aren't taking a blowout 38-13 loss at home to the Bruins well.

They especially weren't happy to hear Smith say after the game, "I'm not pressing a huge panic button here."

The Spartans are 3-3 overall but 0-3 in the Big Ten, having lost all three games (to USC, Nebraska, and now the 2-4 Bruins) by double digits. After a 5-7 finish last season, it's hard to see this as a program going in the right direction.

USC Trojans cornerback Trestin Castro (37) deflects a pass by Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) in the second half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

7. Michigan

Michigan fans were eager to believe that the Wolverines were ready to compete for a College Football Playoff spot again, with five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood elevating the offense.

It was a bit disheartening to watch the Wolverines get dominated in a 31-13 loss at USC, which was unranked entering the game.

Underwood certainly wasn't the main culprit in the loss, though. He passed for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception, but the Wolverines' defense did the damage in allowing 490 yards, including 158 rushing yards (plus 14 receiving yards) to USC walk-on King Miller after the Trojans' top two running backs left with injury.

The Wolverines are now 4-2 and have lost their two biggest games (including at Oklahoma last month) and dropped from No. 15 to out of the AP top 25.

Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley looks onto the field during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

8. Maryland

It needs to be said first that Maryland (4-2) has exceeded expectations this year while already matching its win total from last season.

But, Terrapins fans have to be feeling some lament at how close this team is to being 6-0.

For the second week in a row, Maryland collapsed in the fourth quarter at home to squander a lead and lose. Last week, the Terps held a 20-0 lead late in the third quarter against Washington only to lose 24-20. On Saturday, they led Nebraska 31-24 in the fourth quarter only to lose 34-31.

Maryland is a fun team that looks to be on the rise with talented freshman quarterback Malik Washington, but it's hard not to think about what could have been at the midway point of the season.