Eight worst performances of Week 10 in college football

Here are eight showings that flunked the test this weekend.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to officials / Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 10 had statement wins and some spectacular face-plants. From ranked teams falling to others leaving it up to officiating, here are eight showings that flunked the test this weekend.

1. The Miami Hurricanes missed every opportunity

No. 10 Miami's 26-20 loss at SMU will be remembered for what happened before overtime as much as in it. With SMU facing 4th-and-9 in the final minute, Mario Cristobal called timeout; on the dead ball that followed, a late hit drew a 15-yard flag that kept the Mustangs alive. Miami then threw an interception on the first possession of OT and SMU punched in the game-winner. Penalties (12 for 96 yards) and two picks undercut a game the Hurricanes controlled for long stretches. Now, after already being in a compromising conference position, Miami may have seen their CFP hopes vanish into thin air.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

2. It was a homecoming horror show for Maryland

Any opponent of Indiana might make the weekly list at this point, but a 55-10 home loss to the No. 2 Hoosiers was a collapse in every phase: five turnovers, 37 rush yards, and 588 yards allowed (367 on the ground). The defeat dropped Maryland to 0-37 against ranked Big Ten opponents since joining the conference and that's a tough reality for the program to face during its homecoming weekend.

3. Kansas State goes down a self-inflicted spiral

Turnovers (five) and fourth-down futility (0-for-4) turned a winnable home matchup into a 43-20 loss to No. 13 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were also able to snap an eight-game skid in the series. A scoop-and-score and repeated short-field gifts flipped the game on its head. It has been a far fall from the early season projections for Kansas State.

4. Houston drops out of the rankings

Fresh off a ranking at No. 22, the Cougars coughed it up four times and fell 45-35 to West Virginia. An 80-yard pick-six and a 4-0 turnover deficit told the story on a day when Houston's offense produced, but repeatedly gave it back.

5. Tennessee... why are they still ranked?

Oklahoma left Knoxville with a 33-27 win because the Volunteers let it happen. The Vols were held to 63 rushing yards and gave away critical possessions while OU QB John Mateer iced it with a late keeper. For a team chasing the CFP, the conversation is centered more around the fact that they remain in the rankings, rather than their ability to be competitive with the best teams in the nation.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

6. Georgia Tech loses before the real test

No. 8 GT arrived 8-0 and left Raleigh with a 48-36 loss that felt worse. NC State rolled up 538 yards, and an end-zone interception turned a potential Yellow Jackets rally into a party on the Carter-Finley turf as fans spilled over the walls. GT loses the top spot in the ACC and will have to fix some of the clear problems on the defense. Not to mention, this all comes before a date with Georgia and a potential matchup in the ACC title game.

7. Penn State has lost all hope

Down just 17-14 at No. 1 Ohio State, PSU was shut out after halftime and beaten 38-14, extending a bleak run that included losing their starting QB and head coach. The Nittany Lions are 0-5 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2003 (non-COVID seasons). OSU's opening third-quarter drive (sparked by a deep shot) set the tone for a 21-0 finish and all hope has officially been lost for Penn State this year.

8. The hearts of Clemson fans were ripped out

Duke won 46-45 in Death Valley with a late TD and a bold, successful two-point call. The fallout in the postgame was worse as head coach Dabo Swinney was fined $10,000 after publicly ripping the late pass-interference flag that extended Duke's go-ahead drive. For a preseason top-five, it was a brutal sequence and now the Tigers are just hoping to make a bowl game.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks to an official / Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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