Mandel’s Final Thoughts: In zany day of upsets, Vanderbilt-Alabama stands above the rest

And now, 20 Final Thoughts from an upset-crazed Week 6 in college football.

1. It’s always the Saturdays that look lightest on paper that deliver the zaniest results. This one saw five of the nation’s top 11 teams go down, four of them to unranked opponents. It was arguably the most hectic day the sport has seen since Nov. 12, 2016, when five top-10 teams fell to unranked foes.

But Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35 belongs in a category unto itself.

2. In one corner, we had vaunted Alabama, six-time national champion this century, fresh off a dramatic 41-34 win over then-second-ranked Georgia. In the other, Vandy, 11-38 this decade, and 0-60 all-time against top-five foes. Sure, Clark Lea’s team knocked off Virginia Tech in its opener and took a top-10 Missouri team to overtime on the road. But the Commodores also lost to Georgia State. And they hadn’t defeated Alabama in 40 years. So even after Vandy (3-2, 1-1 SEC) took a surprising 23-7 first-half lead Saturday, one was right to assume Jalen Milroe and the Tide (4-1, 1-1) would pull away eventually.

But Alabama’s defense, which nearly blew last week’s Georgia game, never did figure out Vandy cult hero quarterback Diego Pavia. Running offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s read-option offense to perfection, he was never sacked and completed 16 of 20 throws for 252 yards while running 20 times for 56 yards. Alabama cut it to one score with 2:44 left, but never got the ball back after Pavia completed a 19-yard pass for one first down and gained 8 yards on a keeper for another.

Moments later, he was running around the field in celebration as friends, family members and SEC Network reporter Alyssa Lang chased after him. (Lang was the only person all day to successfully stop him.) And Vandy fans took the goal posts on a nice little tour of Nashville, en route to the Cumberland River.

The goalposts are in the cumberland! @VandyFootball pic.twitter.com/XSRiSC5vDo

— 102.5 & 106.3 The Game (@1025TheGame) October 6, 2024

3. Alabama’s former coach, Nick Saban, once predicted that the transfer portal was going to make “the rich get richer.” Don’t know about that. Vandy coach Clark Lea won two SEC games in his first three seasons while building primarily with high school players. In the old days, we might have declared his rebuild hopeless. But Lea saw New Mexico State win 31-10 at Auburn last season and said, I want that. He hired Beck, the Aggies’ OC. Pavia, the 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year, followed, as did tight end Eli Stowers, who caught six passes for 113 yards Saturday. Lea signed 22 transfers in total, up from three the year before. And he just made one of the rich look a little bit poorer.

4. In theory, Alabama’s CFP hopes remain very much intact, with an 81 percent chance to make the bracket, according to The Athletic’s model. In reality — panic! As explosive as Kalen DeBoer’s offense is (it averaged 8.6 yards per play but suffered from a Milroe fumble and fluky pick six), his defense has allowed 60 points in its last six quarters. That includes a combined five passing touchdowns by Pavia and Georgia’s Carson Beck. DeBoer and DC Kane Wommack, who gave up a head-coaching job at South Alabama for this gig, need to find some answers in a hurry.

In the meantime, Paul Finebaum’s callers figure to be extra colorful come Monday. DeBoer was always going to be held to an impossible standard as Saban’s successor, and so it begins. As many will note, Saban’s teams only lost to an unranked opponent once in his last 16 seasons (2021 at Texas A&M). But Saban did infamously lose in his first season to Louisiana-Monroe as a 24.5-point favorite. The spread Saturday was 22.5.

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5. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman entered the season on one of the hottest seats in the country. Safe to say he’s back on solid ground following the Razorbacks’ first top-five upset in 17 years, a 19-14 win over No. 4 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1).

The Vols came in averaging a national-best 54 points per game, but star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was under duress all night. After Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC) lost quarterback Taylen Green to injury in the fourth quarter, freshman Malachi Singleton led the go-ahead drive with 1:22 left, with help from freshman running back Braylen Russell (eight carries, 62 yards).

Tennessee hosts Alabama in two weeks in a game that figured to be a top-five showdown but may now be an elimination game for the SEC championship.

6. Texas A&M quarterback Connor Weigman’s career has been frequently put on hold for injuries, but he finally got his breakout moment in a 41-10 takedown of No. 9 Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC). Weigman, out the past three weeks with a shoulder injury, played the best game of his career (18 of 22 for 276 yards) for the 25th-ranked Aggies (5-1, 2-0), and Nic Scourton and the defense smothered Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook (13 of 31 for 186 yards) to the tune of six sacks.

This was not the same A&M team that scored 13 points at home against Notre Dame or squeezed by Arkansas 21-17 last week. Mike Elko’s squad is a work in progress but could sneak into the CFP picture if it beats LSU in two weeks.

7. The new cross-country Big Ten has staged nine conference games thus far featuring a pair of schools located at least two time zones apart. The visiting teams are 1-8 in those games.

No. 11 USC (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) has been on the wrong end of two of them after a mistake-riddled 24-17 loss at Minnesota (3-3, 1-2). After the Gophers drove 75 yards for the go-ahead score with 56 seconds left, Minnesota freshman Koi Perich picked off Miller Moss, the Trojans QB’s second interception of the fourth quarter. It marked the fewest points USC has scored since a 17-14 win at Oregon State in Lincoln Riley’s first season. It looked almost nothing like the offense we saw hang 28 second-half points at home against Wisconsin the week before, and now the Trojans are already in must-win territory next week when they host No. 7 Penn State.

The interception that sealed the win for @GopherFootball 🙌#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/AX2WmSiEzQ

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 6, 2024

8. In other cross-country action, Washington (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) survived No. 10 Michigan, 27-17, gaining at least a little revenge for last year’s national title game. I’m sure Huskies fans took particular glee that Jedd Fisch’s first big win came the same day as DeBoer’s first Alabama debacle.

After falling behind 14-0, Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore turned to his third quarterback this season, seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle, and at first it worked. Michigan rallied to take a 17-14 lead on Tuttle’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland. But a fumble by Tuttle in Michigan territory allowed Washington to go back up 24-17. He then got picked off by Huskies sixth-year senior safety Kamren Fabiculanan to seal it. Don’t be surprised if the well-traveled Tuttle remains QB1 going forward.

9. Week 6 came to a close with two bowl-eligible teams trying to keep the momentum going: The Miami Hurricanes (6-0, 2-0 ACC) and Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten). No. 23 IU won 41-24 at Northwestern (2-3. 0-2), marking its school-record fifth straight game scoring 40 points or more. It’s time to start giving Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke some Heisman love. He was 25 of 33 for a season-high 380 yards, three TDs and no picks in Evanston and is now completing 73.8 percent of his passes for 14 TDs and two INTs. Indiana now gets a much-deserved week off, but Curt Cignetti’s team has been the story of the season’s first six weeks.

10. We finally got to see No. 2 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) face a respectable opponent, and while Iowa (3-2, 1-1) did hold the Buckeyes to seven points in the first half, the final 35-7 margin was not unexpected. Ohio State’s star-studded offense does a little bit of everything. The Buckeyes ran for 203 yards and got four passing touchdowns from quarterback Will Howard. The second was a 4-yard pass to freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith, who made yet another ridiculous one-hand catch. He and Alabama’s Ryan Williams seem to be in a weekly contest to see which freshman can deliver the most jaw-dropping highlight.

Next week, Ohio State embarks on the toughest three-time zone test of the season to date when it visits No. 7 Oregon (5-0, 2-0).

JEREMIAH SMITH DID IT ALL ON THIS DRIVE 🔥

ANOTHER RIDICULOUS ONE-HANDED TD GRAB 😱 @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/EmdWmKKXBA

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 5, 2024

👀👀👀👀@Ryanwms1

📺: SEC Network pic.twitter.com/Vq9ZHy92Rf

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 5, 2024

11. The Ducks’ defense put on a show in their 31-10 Friday night rout of visiting Michigan State (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten). Facing a familiar foe in former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith, Dan Lanning’s team notched five sacks and held the Spartans to 250 total yards. Lanning has spent three years stockpiling athletic pass rushers like Jordan Burch (2.5 sacks), Teitum Tuioti (7 tackles) and Matayo Uiagalelei, and they’ve increasingly looked the part. But this is the same defense that had few answers for Boise State star Ashton Jeanty in Week 2, and now TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are coming to town.

12. After a grassroots social media campaign got ESPN’s GameDay to make its first trip to Berkeley, Cal sure looked like it, too, was going to knock off a top-10 team.

But Miami star Cam Ward (35 of 53 for 437 yards, two TDs, one INT) led the eighth-ranked Canes back from a 35-10 third-quarter deficit to win 39-38. Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC) remains undefeated, but its last two games have ended in controversy.

ACC replay officials got it right in overturning Virginia Tech’s last-second Hail Mary in Week 5, but they inexplicably whiffed on a missed targeting call that would have kept a Cal drive alive, up 38-31, with 1:46 left. Instead, the Bears (3-2, 0-2) punted, and Ward had his team in the end zone five plays later.

It’s been fun watching Cal’s fan base spring to life this season after a decade-plus in hibernation. Why won’t the football gods let them have nice things?

13. Kudos to Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who passed the great Bobby Bowden for most wins (174) while an ACC head coach. Which is wild, given Swinney, now in his 17th season, is just 54.

Fittingly, he did it against Florida State, with the 15th-ranked Tigers (4-1, 3-0 ACC) becoming the latest to shut down the Seminoles (1-5, 1-4) in a 29-13 win at Doak Campbell Stadium. Running back Phil Mafah carried 25 times for a season-high 154 yards. With Miami’s close calls, Clemson sure looks like the new ACC favorite — though a few dark horses are looming.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says he’s “blessed” to break Bobby Bowden’s career ACC wins record at FSU but it’s not something he ever sought out. Just kept on working. Plus: “My name may be on there, but Bobby Bowden’s still the greatest” pic.twitter.com/XhfzFpzvRz

— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) October 6, 2024

14. A year after its 3-9 debacle, Pittsburgh is off to its first 5-0 start since 1991 after a 34-24 win at North Carolina (3-3, 0-2 ACC) in the Panthers’ ACC opener. Coach Pat Narduzzi’s offense went into a two-year abyss following the 2021 ACC title season with Kenny Pickett, but 31-year-old offensive coordinator Kade Bell, formerly of Western Carolina, has proven to be an astute hire. And get this: Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein, who transferred in from Alabama last January, is the first Pitt quarterback to win his first five starts since a youngster named Dan Marino did it in 1979. Holstein was 25 of 42 for a best-yet 381 yards, three TDs and one pick in Chapel Hill.

15. I had assumed SMU would take a year or two to ramp up to power-conference membership. I assumed wrong. The Mustangs (5-1, 2-0 ACC), which pummeled TCU and Florida State the past two weeks, won a back-and-forth game at No. 22 Louisville, 34-27. SMU’s season changed completely when, following an 18-15 loss to BYU, coach Rhett Lashlee changed quarterbacks to third-year sophomore Kevin Jennings. He was magnificent against the Cardinals (3-2, 1-1), going 21 of 27 for 281 yards and running 10 times for 113 yards and a score.

16. A year after reaching the Big 12 championship game, Oklahoma State (3-3) fell to 0-3 in conference play with an embarrassing 38-14 loss at West Virginia (3-2, 2-0). The Mountaineers ran a staggering 65 times for 389 yards and four TDs. Adding injury to insult, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II, who has been unable to replicate his Doak Walker-winning 2023 production, went out in the third quarter with a leg injury. Gundy downplayed the severity, but ESPN analyst Kirk Morrison suggested during the broadcast that Gordon should shut it down for the season to preserve himself for next year’s NFL Draft. “As this season continues, not much to play for,” he said.

Kirk Morrison after Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon was hurt in Saturday’s game.

“If I’m Ollie Gordon, I probably played my last play at Oklahoma State…Ollie may have to start thinking about himself as this game, or this season, continues. Not really much to play for.” pic.twitter.com/KFVBdnRieA

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2024

17. Friday night’s Syracuse–UNLV game felt bigger than it might have in the past, both because of the 25th-ranked Rebels’ recent media spotlight and the fact they’re in the mix for a CFP berth. But their attempt at a third P5 win fell just short in a 44-41 overtime loss. Syracuse (4-1, 1-1 ACC) has been a pleasant surprise in Fran Brown’s first season, thanks in large part to ex-Ohio State QB Kyle McCord (40 of 63 for 355 yards, three TDs, one INT). While Friday’s loss does not affect UNLV’s conference championship hopes, it would have been a nice resume boost if that G5 spot comes down to the Mountain West champ vs. the AAC champ.

18. And the AAC champ could be a familiar face. Tulane (4-2, 2-0 AAC) may have fallen short against P4 foes Kansas State (34-27) and Oklahoma (34-19), but the Green Wave have been on fire since. After beating USF 45-10 in last week’s conference opener, they went to Birmingham and walloped UAB 71-20. Tulane has a versatile offense. Jon Sumrall’s team ran for 317 yards and six TDs against the Blazers (1-4, 0-2).

19. UAB’s bizarre Trent Dilfer hire two years ago is panning out even worse than I imagined. The former Lipscomb Academy coach is off to a 5-12 start, with three 20-plus-point losses this season.

20. Finally, the Army-Navy takeover continues! Both are now 5-0 for the first time since 1945 following their latest dominating performances.

The Midshipmen (3-0 in the AAC) ran for 329 yards and five TDs — while quarterback Blake Horvath also went 9 of 15 passing — in a 34-7 home win over Air Force (1-4), their most lopsided win in the series since 1978. Army (4-0 in the AAC) now has the longest winning streak in the country at nine after putting a 49-7 drubbing on Tulsa (2-4, 0-2 AAC). The Black Knights averaged 8.0 yards per rushing attempt.

It’s a fun moment for America, but don’t think for a second the two academies are rooting each other on. “Here’s hoping they lose every game,” Army coach Jeff Monken said last week.

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(Photo of Vanderbilt fans marching off with the goal posts: Matthew Maxey / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)