10 Takeaways: Week Six

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For my Ohio State subscribers: If you want my full thoughts on the Buckeyes' win over Iowa, hit the link below:

Bulletpoints: Iowa

Thoughts on the Buckeyes’ 35-7 win over the Hawkeyes.

Two Stripes with Colton DenningColton Denning

1. Your team might be next

Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. Tennessee tossed a stinker at Arkansas. Missouri got smoked by Texas A&M. Miami needed a miraculous comeback (and some favorable calls) to escape Cal. Michigan fell in a national title rematch to Washington. USC did what Lincoln Riley-coached teams do and got punched in the mouth at Minnesota. If it wasn't clear already, week six left no room for subtlety: Everything is on the table this season, and you better watch your ass if you're a contender:

It's shaping up to be a "survive and advance" type season, and there's a great chance that week six was merely a precursor to the chaos we're in for over the next two months.

2. Pandemonium in Nashville

Did you ever think you'd live in a world where Vanderbilt beat No. 1 Alabama?

Well, it's reality:

This was a fairytale kind of upset, but it wasn't a fluke. Vandy punched Bama in the mouth all day, starting with their 10-play, 75-yard opening touchdown drive. A batted pick-six three plays later was the first sign that it might be one of those days for the Tide:

Vandy QB Diego Pavia put on a clinic in how you engineer this kind of upset. He went 16 of 20 for 252 yards and two TD, while also adding 56 yards rushing. Most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over. That kind of efficiency from your QB is how you beat the No. 1 team in the country:

It also helps where you convert almost 70% of your third downs:

And if your lone fourth down conversion results in this:

I won't go as far as saying Alabama looked like a team who bought into their own hype after beating Georgia, but this wasn't a group who was locked in, either:

Remember what I said about Georgia's late TD to take the lead last week immediately going in the "Plays You Forgot About" Hall of Fame? Welcome to the club, Ryan Williams:

We'll get to what this means for Alabama later this week, but what a moment for Vanderbilt and their fans. This is why college football is the greatest sport in the world:

3. I can't believe Cal lost to Miami

It was shaping up to be an all-time day for the Cal Football program. College Gameday made their first-ever stop to Berkeley, and Cal students unsurprisingly brought their A-game. The show itself provided one of its best moments in years:

Campus was electric all day, and so was the stadium - despite ridiculously high temperatures, even through the first quarter. I'd know, because I was there sweating profusely!

With 8:06 left in the third quarter, the Bears were on the verge of a program-defining win for Justin Wilcox. They led 35-10, and had dominated every facet of the game to that point. They had four plays gain 50-plus yards - two of which were touchdowns, including an incredible fourth-and-short screen call to Jaydn Ott:

When the deficit got to 25, the vibe I got from the Miami sideline was that Cal had them one play away from throwing in the towel. Then it all fell apart.

Miami scored 28 points in the final 20 minutes, while Cal looked shell-shocked on both sides of the ball. Cam Ward exploded for 277 yards of offense in the fourth quarter alone. Miami's defense not only held, but kept precious time on the clock for the offense to work with. By the time the comeback was punctuated by Elijah Arroyo's game-winning touchdown with 26 seconds left, a stadium that was ready to storm the field and share in a monumental win for the program was stunned. My video of Michael Irvin's reaction to Cal's final play says it all:

I can't take Miami seriously as a title contender after how they've played the last two weeks, but I admire their resiliency. They had every opportunity pack it in when nothing was going their way, but –like all great teams do– they somehow found a way to win. With that out of the way, let's talk about the officiating at the end of the game.

I'm someone who thinks the frame-by-frame analyzation of hits has gone too far. The game –even at the college level– is too fast for the way it's officiated, and I don't like how the players are penalized for it. But by definition - this hit with two minutes left was absolutely targeting, and should've resulted in a Cal first down:

It doesn't matter to me that calling it would've effectively ended the game, either. Getting the call right should be the most important thing in any situation, and the officials blew it in that regard.

They also missed a blatant illegal man downfield on Miami's game-winning TD:

The officiating at the end of the game was a clown show, and the ACC should be embarrassed that it's the main story coming out of a high-profile Miami game for the second-straight week. That said, the refs didn't cost Cal the game. The Bears generated two handfuls of massive plays, scored on a pick-six, and were up by 25 in the second half. They let Miami score on a third-and-goal from the 18, then allowed a third-and-20 conversion the decisive TD drive. Cal has every right to be upset with the officials, but should be more livid at themselves for botching a win they had in the bag.