Get ready for a wild ride as we dive into the winners and losers of College Football Week 15! This season has been a rollercoaster, and it's time to celebrate the triumphs and commiserate with the setbacks.
The Ups and Downs of College Football Rankings
Every year, the AP's preseason Top 25 rankings are a source of excitement and debate. But this year's rankings might as well be from another planet!
Back in August, Texas was crowned the No. 1 team, with Penn State and Clemson close behind. Indiana, Vanderbilt, and Virginia were left out in the cold. Fast forward to now, and the once-favored teams are headed for bowl purgatory, while the underdogs are knocking on the College Football Playoff door.
So, did your team make a statement to the jury in Grapevine, Texas? If not, let's hope they're still in the running for a bowl game, or even thriving in the small-school playoffs. Either way, it's been a season of surprises.
Texas Tech's Rise: A Tale of Money and Success
It's become a popular narrative to view Texas Tech's 2025 breakthrough as a foregone conclusion, almost like a computer algorithm: if you have the cash, you'll win the conference title. But as fans of LSU and Penn State can attest, not all transfer-heavy superteams are guaranteed victory.
The Red Raiders, with their seemingly endless wealth, move with the precision of a well-oiled machine. Oil baron Cody Campbell writes the checks, general manager James Blanchard finds the talent, and coach Joey McGuire leads the team to victory. While the 1976 and 2008 seasons have their supporters, Texas Tech's recent 34-7 defeat of BYU has many believing this team is the best in program history.
Alabama's Enigma: A Season of Ups and Downs
Alabama, once the surest bet in college football, has become an enigma. This season, the Crimson Tide has experienced a rollercoaster of results: losing to a holiday-bound Florida State team, beating Georgia on their home turf, reeling off four straight wins against top-20 opponents, and then losing to a strong Oklahoma team. They barely edged out a win against coach-less Auburn and even managed to rush for a negative three yards in the SEC championship.
In their game against Georgia, Alabama completely crumbled, with quarterback Ty Simpson putting up a disoriented performance, completing only 19 of 39 passes. The Crimson Tide didn't look like a CFP team, and their placement in the Miami-Notre Dame matrix is sure to spark debate, reminiscent of last year's Alabama-SMU discussion.
Tulane's Triumph: A Gradual Rebuild Pays Off
Tulane's season started on a somber note, with a tribute to the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina on the program. In their win over Northwestern on August 30th, the team wore blank helmets as a reminder that the devastation should not be forgotten.
Fast forward to the end of the season, and Tulane celebrated a 34-21 victory over North Texas in the American championship. The win was fueled by a trio of interceptions from defensive back Jahiem Johnson, linebacker Chris Rodgers, and safety Jack Tchienchou. Tulane has consistently been one of the Group of Five's best teams, but this season has brought them a new level of recognition. It's a testament to their persistent and gradual rebuild, rivaling some of the sport's instant turnarounds.
FCS Title Contenders: A Day of Reckoning
In the world of FCS football, a day of reckoning arrived on Saturday. Illinois State, an unranked team, shocked the No. 1 North Dakota State Bison with a 29-28 win in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Montana blasted South Dakota State 50-29.
South Dakota, aiming for their first national title since their Division II crown in 1985, shut out Mercer 47-0 and will now face the Grizzlies in a quarterfinal match. The last time neither North Dakota State nor South Dakota State played for the FCS title was in 2016, when James Madison beat Youngstown State.
Underdogs Rise: Conference USA Champions
Only two conference championships in FBS this year had no impact on the national title race: the MAC, won by Western Michigan, and Conference USA, where the Owls emerged victorious on Friday.
Kennesaw State, a relatively new team in FBS (debuting in 2024), went from a 2-10 record last season to a conference title run this year. They even fired their coach, Brian Bohannon, under unusual circumstances. It just goes to show that rags-to-riches stories are alive and well in college football.
The CFP Mystery: Who Will Prevail?
As we head into Sunday, the College Football Playoff picture is still a bit of a mystery. Miami, Notre Dame, a shaky Alabama, and even BYU are all in the mix. But one thing is certain: the Hurricanes should finish ahead of the Fighting Irish, given their equal number of losses and four common opponents.
So, who will emerge as the winners and losers of this unpredictable season? Stay tuned, and let the debates begin!
