Ah, preseason polls. Plenty of media outlets do them, while some say they should go away. The AP poll named Texas and Penn State the preseason No. 1 and 2 teams, respectively. Both suffered their second losses of the season Saturday, putting their College Football Playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
That’s college football for you. Here are five takeaways from a wild Week 6.
A shocker at the Rose Bowl
UCLA (1-4, 1-1) entered Saturday as a 24.5-point underdog. That didn’t keep the Bruins from a thrilling 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State (3-2, 0-2). After losing at home last week against Oregon, Penn State’s loss was shocking. It’s the first time since 2021 that the Nittany Lions have lost consecutive games. Expect the temperature to increase on James Franklin.
Penn State fell behind 27-7 at halftime. UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava became a punchline after his transfer from Tennessee, but he quieted all critics Saturday, throwing for two touchdowns and running for three more.
Penn State was the preseason No. 2 team, but there is a real possibility it watches the CFP from home. Games against Ohio State and Indiana later this month are even more daunting than before.
