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Best and worst of college football Week 6: James Franklin fails, coach makes his dad proud
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- Best and worst of college football Week 6: James Franklin fails, coach makes his dad proud
Just when you think you know James Franklin , he surprises you in the worst way.
A coach known for losing the big games but winning the insignificant ones fell right on his hand when his supposed national championship caliber team was completely outplayed by UCLA . The Bruins , who have been a mess in 2025, looked far superior than the Nittany Lions . You wouldn't have guessed the winless team was a near 30-point underdog.
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It's easy to poke fun at Franklin every year − even though he does deserve some credit of success − but it's effortless when you consider coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance, he proclaimed at the beginning of the season this was his best team yet at Happy Valley.
Penn State football coach James Franklin watches his team's game against UCLA during the second quarter at Rose Bowl Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif.
Now after the most embarassing loss of his tenure and 0-2 in the Big Ten, he's very much deflecting his bold statement after he was asked if he still believes it.
"How am I supposed to answer that when we lose the last two games?" Franklin said. "Then obviously, that's all that matters, we didn't win the last two games. Obviously, I felt that way or I wouldn't have said that, but after two losses it's hard for me to answer that question and say that that's the case."
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Week 6 was a reminder that despite all of the talk, the games need to be played, and you better be ready to face the music when you fall flat. Franklin disappoints in the worst way, and he leads the best and worst things from Week 6 of college football .
Best: Proud father and son
While Franklin was drowning in misery in Pasadena, there was one coach basking in glory.
As the son of former UCLA quarterback and coach Rick Neuheisel, Jerry Neuheisel is a born Bruin. He was a backup quarterback during his college days and has spent most of his young coaching career at his alma mater. With things not working out, interim coach Tim Skipper opted to give Neuheisel the chance to call plays in the biggest game of the season.
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Neuheisel said he only had two days to get a gameplan in, but it looked perfect against Penn State . UCLA scored 42 points, had 435 yards and never trailed against the Nittany Lions after it didn't have a single lead in the first four games. It absolutely called for a celebration, and the team made sure to cheer on the lifelong Bruin by raising him up following the win.
Even better, dad was in the CBS studio to watch his son cook up a masterful gameplan. Normally you hate seeing analysts pick a side, but Rick couldn't help but be a proud dad , and it's a moment that will touch everyone's hearts.
Worst: Snapping back to reality
Vanderbilt's 2024 win over Alabama did wonders for the Diego Pavia bandwagon, as he certanily has ridden that into talking a big game and coming off as an SEC contender. He was finally presented a chance to back it up with an encore on the road against the Crimson Tide. Instead, Vanderbilt looked like the Vanderbilt of old.
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Worse, Pavia really struggled to duplicate any sucesss that catapulted him to headlines. He threw for just 198 yards and turned it over twice as the Commodores were shut out in the second half. Pavia is certainly a good quarterback and Vanderbilt is a better team that it's typically been, but the hype train and talk will have to stop after this one.
Even worse, Johnny Manziel was in attendance sporting a Pavia jersey .
Best: breaking NCAA records
An NCAA record was shattered with Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens getting the most consecutive passes completed in a single game with 46 in a row against Wofford. Even better, he threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns during that immaculate stretch.
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Dickens finished the day 53-for-56 with 378 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Catamounts to a 23-21 win. An impressive mark that's extremely hard to do, and taste even better with victory.
Worst: The Taylor Swift curse
Millions of Americans were thrilled to see Taylor Swift 's latest album "The Life of a Showgirl" get release. But you know who wasn't? Purdue.
In a stat you won't believe, turns out Purdue has never won a game after a Swift album was released. That means 10 losses for the Boilermakers after Swifties got their hands on something new. With the odds severely against them, Purdue had to play Illinois in its first post-album game, and you guessed it, lost 43-27 .
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Make that 0-11 after a Swift album release, and Purdue Pete is probably praying Swift retires soon.
Best: A great one-eyed pup
Dog content always wins, especially when it's a spectacular puppy. The college football world got blessed when one-eyed Reveille.
Back in July, Texas A&M said Reveille X had her right eye removed after veterinarians diagnosed her with glaucoma. She needed some time to recover, but she was at Kyle Field for the Aggies' matchup against Mississippi State. She's already a beauty, but she sported an eye patch that just really made her the star of the show.
16/10 would run out onto the field for her.
Worst: Getting rejected on live TV
Theo Von is quite the character, and during his appearance on "College GameDay," he tried to smooth talk his way with ESPN's Jess Sims with a "will I see you again?"
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Sims quickly responded "I hope not." Ouch.
Best: Snow games
Is it still the fall? Not in Laramie, Wyoming.
The Cowboys hosted UNLV and snow made its way to War Memorial Stadium for one of the best scenes in football: a snow covered field.
It made for a great scene as UNLV overcame the conditions for a 31-17 road victory. A great sign that cold weather is around the corner, even when it was in the 80s in most parts of the country.
Worst: Epic fail leads to loss
A great game transpired in Buffalo with the Bulls and Eastern Michigan playing into overtime. After Buffalo opened the extra period with a touchdown, Eastern Michigan responded with their own score in the end zone. However, the Eagles wanted to go for two and the win.
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So, Eastern Michigan tried some trickery with a pitch play. Instead, it ended in complete disaster, and the Eagles now at 1-5 on the season.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football Week 6 best, worst: James Franklin fails, proud dad
