CFB Week 6 winners, losers: Miami may be the best team in the country

We didn't see this coming.

College football has always produced some wild results, but Penn State and Texas being out of the College Football Playoff picture before the midway point of the season? No, that definitely caught us off guard.

With a memorable Week 6 in the books, here are the winners and losers from the weekend in college football.

Winner: Miami Hurricanes

Associated Press No. 3 Miami (5-0, 1-0 in ACC) looked like it could be the best team in the country in its 28-22 win over No. 18 Florida State Seminoles (3-2, 0-2 in ACC). Florida State made the final score more respectable with scores on its last three drives, but Miami left no doubt it was the superior team. 

Quarterback Carson Beck inched closer to being one of this year's four Heisman finalists, going 20-of-27 for 241 yards and four touchdowns, lifting an offense that struggled to run effectively, gaining 97 yards on 32 attempts. The defense made an impressive statement against an explosive Florida State offense, holding it to just two plays over 20 yards and only three points on its first eight possessions. The unit forced three turnovers and had five tackles for loss, including two sacks.

Loser: Believing the hype

No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 in Big Ten) and No. 9 Texas Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 in SEC) entered the season as the country's two top-ranked teams, but not even midway through each's schedule, both are long shots to make the CFP. On Saturday, Penn State suffered the most stunning upset of the year, losing 42-37 on the road to the previously winless UCLA (1-4, 1-1 in Big Ten), who jumped out to a 27-7 first-half lead, out-gaining the Nittany Lions 285-92 during the first two quarters.

Texas still has problems on offense that might not be solvable during the season, as its 29-21 loss to Florida (2-3, 1-1 in SEC) revealed. The Longhorns defense also took a step back in the defeat, allowing 457 total yards and 10.6 yards per pass attempt. Penn State and Texas likely must run the table to even be considered for the CFP, and neither appears capable of doing so. Penn State still plays No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 in Big Ten) and No. 8 Indiana (5-0, 2-0 in Big Ten), while Texas has No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 in SEC) and No. 12 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 in SEC) on its remaining schedule. After being talked up all offseason, the Nittany Lions and Longhorns are barely making a peep.

Winner: Texas Tech Red Raiders

No. 11 Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0 in Big 12) remained undefeated with a 35-11 win over Houston (4-1, 1-1 in Big 12), continuing to look like the best team in the Big 12. The program also received a boost for the future when 2027 high-school recruit Jalen Brewster, a five-star defensive lineman, committed to the Red Raiders over heavyweights including Ohio State and Oregon. Texas Tech is building something special in Lubbock. It's time the rest of college football recognizes.

Loser: The Bill Belichick coaching tree

It might be time to place a moratorium on hiring anyone from the Belichick coaching tree (including Belichick himself) as a head coach. The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach may have already worn out his welcome at North Carolina after the Tar Heels fell in an early 28-3 first-quarter hole at home against Clemson in an eventual 38-10 loss. Not to be outdone, his former New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, watched his Boston College Eagles lose 48-7 to Pittsburgh, which gave true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel his first start of the season, falling to 1-4 on the season, including 0-3 in ACC play.

Winner: This one-handed catch from Baylor tight end Michael Trigg

It's a shame that Baylor's 35-34 win over Kansas State (2-4, 1-2 in Big 12) was stowed away as an ESPN Plus exclusive, not only because it was one of the best games of the day but also due to tight end Michael Trigg's spectacular one-handed grab.

Baylor (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit in the victory and held on after blocking a go-ahead field goal attempt with two seconds remaining. During the rally, Trigg came up with an unbelievable catch along the sideline, leaping and extending his left arm to haul in the 29-yard reception before getting his left foot down in bounds.