College football winners, Week 6 losers: Michigan falters, Texas A&M QB finally lives up to five-star billing

There was something in the air this week. Maybe we got too calm after a legendary win by Kalen DeBoer's Alabama to reach #1. Maybe it was just the Calgorithm clawing its way to relevance on social media. On paper, week 6 looked boring, but college football always seems to find a way.

Ultimately, five of the top 11 teams fell in the AP Top 25. Four of them lost to unranked opponents, with Missouri falling to No. 25 Texas A&M, which barely made the poll. Four teams in the AP Top 12 haven't fallen on the same day since 2021, making this another special day in sports. Miami closed things out with a 25-point comeback to shock California, the biggest comeback in an FBS game this season.

Suddenly, conference championships and playoff races are wide open. The search for a perfect team this season may be coming to an end. Instead, the year of chaos has only just begun. These are the biggest winners and losers of week 6.

A lot of people deserve credit for a 40-35 win over the No. 1 Tide, but Pavia's story is truly insane. The Albuquerque native recently came to New Mexico State after a year in military school. He led NMSU to its first 10-win season since 1960. He then transferred to Vanderbilt and helped the Commodores win their first-ever game against a No. 1 opponent, throwing for 252 yards and rushing for 56 yards. Pavia is a gamer who now takes his rightful place as the folk hero of the 2024 season.

Loser: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer

Welcome to the hot seat, Kalen DeBoer. Well, not for work, but the honeymoon is officially over after No. 1 Alabama lost to Vanderbilt for the first time since 1984. The Commodores scored 40 points against the Tide for the first time since 1906 and defeated a No. 1 team for the first time in program history. Needless to say, Alabama hasn't suffered a loss like this since Nick Saban's first year at the helm.

These are the real moments that will test DeBoer's entrance into the Southeastern Conference. The pressure in Alabama is of a completely different order than that in Washington, Fresno State or Sioux Falls. Beating then-No. 2 Georgia is forgotten as quickly as it happened. How DeBoer and Alabama handle the next three weeks — South Carolina, at Tennessee, Missouri — will set the tone for DeBoer's first year in Tuscaloosa, and perhaps more.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was unafraid when he took the job and immediately challenged the conference's best teams. Don't look now, but the Hoosiers are the first team in college football to be bowl eligible after starting 6-0 for the first time since 1967. Perhaps even crazier: Indiana was dominant, winning all its games by at least two touchdowns. In a 41-24 win against Northwestern, Kurtis Rourke sliced ​​the Wildcats to pieces for 380 yards and three touchdowns. Cignetti should be on every national coach of the year award list regardless of what happens in the last six games.

Winner: SMU

The Mustangs were written off after falling to BYU, but SMU has found new life with new quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Dallas native completed his first 13 passes and cleared 100 yards rushing in the first half as SMU shocked No. 22 Louisville by moving to 5-1 and entering ACC play with a 2-0 record.

The Mustangs gambled heavily on themselves in their move to the ACC, accepting zero television payouts and moving to the power conferences after nearly three decades. Since Jennings took over, SMU looked like a serious ACC contender with wins over TCU, Florida State and Louisville. A Nov. 2 home date against Pittsburgh suddenly looks like a game with major ACC title implications. After watching the ex-AAC converts compete in the Big 12 last season, SMU's start deserves serious credit as a newcomer to the power conference.

Loser: Tennessee offense

The Volunteers scored just 25 points against Oklahoma, but Josh Heupel told quarterback Nico Iamaleava to take his foot off the gas. After scoring just two touchdowns in an astonishing 19-14 loss to Arkansas, there may still be a few issues at play. Tennessee mustered just 332 yards and 16 first downs, a far cry from the promised elite-level offense. Iamaleava had 158 yards and completed less than 60% of his passes in the loss.

In three games against Power Conference competition, Iamaleava has yet to pass for 211 yards. In two SEC games, he has just one touchdown pass. Gradually, Tennessee has become a team that runs the ball well and defends hard, but simply doesn't have much consistency in the passing game. There's little chance the Vols can compete for a national championship if the unit doesn't improve.

Reports of Weigman's demise were greatly exaggerated. After missing several games due to injury, the former five-star player stepped in and showed off his serious talent in a 41-10 win over No. 9 Missouri. Weigman completed 18 of 22 passes for 276 yards and hit 10 different receivers in the win. Three different players had at least 55 yards and a 40-yard bomb to Jahdae Walker helped turn the game on its head in the second quarter. If Weigman starts to find his form and a manageable schedule, the Aggies will be a serious factor in the SEC title race.

The Wolverines have played with fire in almost every win this season, but a double-digit loss to Washington was not in anyone's plans. Michigan's passing offense was so bad that the Wolverines added seventh-year quarterback Jack Tuttle. Washington outgained them by nearly 150 yards and quietly sliced ​​up the UM secondary rushing for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

After a loss in the national title game rematch, the path for Michigan looks much scarier. A road trip to Illinois next week won't be fun, and games against Oregon and Ohio State were always potential losses. Reaching the top 10 and making the CFP call always felt a little weak, but losing to the rebuilding Huskies sets the floor much lower.

Jeanty could end up on this list any week, but his 186-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 62-30 win over Utah State was hilariously good. Jeanty entered the game with a -2000 prop bet to score an in-game touchdown and delivered his first play with a breakaway of over 60 yards. Amazingly, he has already racked up 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in just five games. More importantly, Alabama's Jalen Milroe didn't do himself any favors in the Heisman conversation. Jeanty's path to New York should be almost certain at this point.

Winner: ULM

Louisiana-Monroe is one of the toughest jobs in the FBS, but Bryant Vincent has pulled off one of the most miraculous turnarounds of the season. The Warhawks have already doubled their win total from last season after starting 4-1. The Warhawks forced two goals in a shocking 21-19 victory over Sun Belt favorite James Madison. ULM hasn't been eligible to bowl since 2018, but Vincent has the postseason well within his grasp.