CFB Week 7 winners, losers: Top 25 showdowns reveal a lot

With another Saturday of college football action in the books, here's our winners and losers from an eventful Week 7.

Winner: Indiana Hoosiers

No longer a plucky underdog, Associated Press No. 7 Indiana (6-0, 3-0 in Big Ten) has become one of the best teams in the country under head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers scored a historic 30-20 win over No. 3 Oregon Ducks (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten), the first on the road against an AP top-five team in program history.

The victory was no fluke, with Indiana out-gaining Oregon 326-267. The Hoosiers scored on all five of the red zone opportunities, including three touchdowns, while limiting the Ducks to two field goals on their three trips inside the 20. Indiana's defense wreaked havoc, finishing with six sacks (eight tackles for loss), four quarterback hits and two interceptions, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza showed great resolve, bouncing back from a pick-six that tied the game at 20, going 5-of-7 for 62 yards and a touchdown on the possession directly following the turnover to put Indiana back on top.

Despite going 11-2 last season, losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame kept people from taking the Hoosiers too seriously. But after traveling to Eugene and defeating Oregon, Indiana's earned respect.

Loser: Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State's unfathomable collapse continued with a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern, the team's third loss in a row after a 3-0 start. Making matters worse, senior quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury late in the fourth quarter.

This has quickly become the season from hell for Penn State, which could be forced to have serious conversations about a James Franklin buyout if the skid continues. Losing Allar shouldn't provide the beleaguered coach with insulation. The Nittany Lions looked disengaged and uninterested well before his injury, as if the loss two Saturdays ago to Oregon sucked the life from them. That's on the head coach, which Franklin might not be much longer.

Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson

No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 in SEC) are rolling, and they have their quarterback to thank. Simpson continues to play like a future Heisman Trophy finalist, making several big throws in key situations to lead Alabama to a fifth consecutive win, defeating Associated Press No. 14 Missouri Tigers (5-1, 1-1 in SEC), 27-24.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer kept the ball in Simpson's hands on two fourth downs late, and he rewarded that faith with completions on both, the latter a touchdown, giving the Tide a 27-17 advantage. Thanks to Simpson's steady play, Alabama is right back in the thick of the SEC race, one of two teams 3-0 in conference play, joining No. 4 Ole Miss (6-0).

Loser: Florida State Seminoles

Did Alabama and Florida State swap bodies in Week 1? That's one of the few explanations that makes sense for Florida State's rapid decline, which continued in Week 7 with a 34-31 home loss to Pittsburgh (4-2, 2-1 in ACC). The Seminoles have lost three consecutive games — all in conference — to watch their playoff hopes evaporate and call into question the program's future under head coach Mike Norvell, who has now lost eight consecutive ACC games.

Winner: Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns (and quarterback Arch Manning) salvaged their season with an emphatic 23-6 win over No. 6 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 in SEC). Texas has a lot to prove before being considered a conference contender, but with a favorable schedule before a massive Nov. 15 road game at No. 10 Georgia, it should feel a lot better about itself heading into the 2024 SEC championship game rematch.

Loser: Final two minutes in the first half of Georgia-Auburn

They might still be playing out the first half's final two minutes on The Plains. Because of way too many reviews — none more controversial than a called fumble on what looked like a clear Auburn touchdown — and suspect flags, it took a ridiculous 37 minutes to reach halftime following the two-minute timeout in the first half of No. 10 Georgia's 20-10 win over Auburn. No one tunes into these games because of the refs, yet the crew was the star of the show.

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese

Ohio State's defense is the unquestionable best unit in the country, and Reese is its beating heart. On Saturday, the junior linebacker was sensational in a 34-16 win over No. 17 Illinois (5-2, 2-2 in Big Ten). Reese tied for a team-high eight solo tackles and had nine overall while adding 1.5 sacks, giving him 4.5 this season.

Reese can declare for the pros following this season, and he'd certainly be one of the top names to watch next draft cycle if he makes the move. He showed what could make him a tantalizing prospect on each of his sacks, using speed to finish one play and bull-rushing an offensive tackle into Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer on another.