Week 7 in college football did not disappoint. There were several blockbuster matchups, and some previously undefeated teams were dealt their first losses.
No. 7
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The Midshipmen are quietly 6-0 with the chance to make some major noise in November.
Navy travels to Notre Dame on Nov. 8 before facing South Florida (No. 19) and Memphis (No. 22) in back-to-back tilts that figure to have major American Conference title-game implications.
As it stands, the winner of the American will be the heavy favorite to grab the Group of 5 slot in the playoff. If Horvath, who has rushed and passed for 100 yards apiece in three straight games, keeps up this fourth-quarter magic, the Midshipmen could be a surprise playoff contender. — Jake Trotter
USC’s new star running back
USC might have stumbled into its new star running back.
After Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders went down with injuries during Saturday’s matchup between the Trojans and No. 15 Michigan, Lincoln Riley had no choice but to turn to walk-on King Miller.
The redshirt freshman who didn’t see any action last season was thrust into the game and did not disappoint. Miller carried the ball 18 times Saturday and totaled 158 rushing yards and a touchdown. Every time he touched the ball, it seemed like he could go for a huge gain.
Miller had a total of only 11 carries for 152 yards in three games entering Saturday. This was more than just an unexpected breakout; it was a coming-out party.
“King was huge,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “He stepped up and made big plays. That was obviously really important for us with the way it went down. This is just what he does in practice. He’s a hard worker. He’s a humble guy. He cares about this team a lot. And honestly, hell, we didn’t have anyone else. But he was awesome. The moment certainly wasn’t too big for him.”
Miller’s role on this USC team is far from finished. Riley said Sanders’ injury “doesn’t look super positive in terms of the rest of the season,” while Jordan is set to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing tightrope surgery this week, according to multiple reports.
If Saturday’s win over Michigan was any indication, the fact that Miller might just turn out to be the Trojans’ top option at running back going forward might not be a bad thing. — Paolo Uggetti
Oklahoma’s offensive stumble exposes broader concerns
Let’s start here: For the third time in four Red River Rivalry games under coach Brent Venables, Oklahoma went without a touchdown against Texas in Saturday’s 23-6 defeat.
The first two occasions came with the Sooners playing a backup quarterback in the 2022 and 2024 editions of the rivalry game. This time, Oklahoma had its starter back with John Mateer under center 17 days after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand hand. But Mateer’s much-anticipated return at the Cotton Bowl promptly turned into his first flop in 2025, lowlighted by three interceptions and the Heisman Trophy hopeful’s least accurate throwing performance (20-of-38) in what has been an otherwise dazzling debut season with the Sooners.
“I was ready to go physically,” Mateer said afterward. “Mentally, I just didn’t perform. My eyes weren’t as good as they needed to be. When your quarterback doesn’t play good football, [it’s] hard to win in this league. That’s what happened.”
Mateer’s showing in Oklahoma’s gut-check defeat prompts both near- and long-term questions.
Did the Sooners rush their star passer back against Texas? Would Oklahoma have been better off giving Mateer another week to recover and handing another start to sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr.? Will the physical or mental blows of Saturday impact Mateer beyond Week 7?
More broadly, questions have to be asked about whether this Sooners offense is good enough to support an Oklahoma defense that ranks second nationally and the program’s CFP hopes in 2025. Even with Mateer at his best, the Sooners are hamstrung by a rushing attack that ranks 106th and a good-not-great receiving corps averaging 1.5 touchdowns per game, 12th best among SEC programs. In three games against power conference opponents this fall, the Sooners have averaged only 23.6 points and 323 yards of total offense.
One loss doesn’t change much about the ceiling for the Sooners’ 2025 season. But any chance of Oklahoma flirting with the 12-team field hinges on finding solutions on offense, well beyond the issues that cropped up in Mateer’s disastrous performance against Texas on Saturday. — Eli Lederman
