We’re officially through Week 6 of the college football season. Certain things are becoming more and more apparent, such as the fact that the sport will continue to run through the SEC, and the Kansas Jayhawks may in fact be here to stay.

Here are some of the best moments from the weekend:

Best celebration

One of the perks of the setting for the Texas–Oklahoma game in Dallas is there are alternatives to suffering through a loss to your most hated rival. On a day like Saturday, when there’s a 49-0 blowout, fans could instead opt to stream out of the stadium and into the State Fair of Texas, where they can eat things such as this year’s winner for the Big Tex Choice Award for Best Taste, the Fried Charcuterie Board (mozzarella, salami and green apples in olive oil, balsamic vinegar with Italian herbs, wrapped in a wonton wrapper and fried, topped with goat cheese and hot honey).

While Bijan Robinson was starring inside the Cotton Bowl with 130 yards and two touchdowns, one of his big NIL initiatives was starring outside, with Bijan Mustardson (Bijan’s official dijon, of course) on condiment stands for the customers of Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, a State Fair of Texas tradition. As soon as the game ended, the mustard’s official Twitter account surprised even its namesake, sharing an image featuring the game’s Golden Hat trophy atop a bottle. Robinson was asked whether he knew that it was ready to go.

“I didn’t know that,” Robinson said, laughing, after the game. “Are you serious? That’s sick.”

Meanwhile, Texas defensive lineman Moro Ojomo brought a little Fair flavor inside the stadium, conducting interviews while eating a smoked turkey leg, a nontraditional postgame meal.

After four straight losses to the Sooners, he savored this one a little more than what he ate after those other games.

“This tastes better,” he said.

— Dave Wilson

Forget Jimbo-Saban, this was the coach beef of the week

Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. (not related to the former Grambling legend) wanted nothing to do with an embrace from Deion Sanders after losing the school’s homecoming game 26-12 to Jackson State.

As the two met at midfield, they shook hands, and as Sanders went for a hug, Robinson extended his left hand into Sanders in defense and walked away.

“I’m going to always be respectful and respect the game,” Robinson later explained. “You’ve got the great [coaches], W.C. Gorden, Eddie Robinson, those guys, Marino Casem, I’m living on the shoulders of the SWAC.”

“He ain’t SWAC. I’m SWAC, he ain’t SWAC. He’s in the conference, doing a great job, can’t knock that, got a great team, his son should be up for the Heisman Trophy, I love Shedeur, great player, I love what he’s doing for the conference. … But you’re not going to come here and disrespect me and my team and my school and then want a bro hug. Shake my hand and get the hell off.”

Robinson said he felt Sanders made disrespectful comments in the lead up to the game. He said he also wasn’t happy that Sanders walked through Alabama State’s warm-ups, and that he also should have taken a knee in the final minute instead of trying to score.

Sanders, in part, responded by saying, “I’m not one to come back the next day and you going to pick up the phone and you going to apologize and we straight. No, not whatsoever. You meant that mess. And one of the comments that kind of disturbed me out of all the comments, that I’m not SWAC. Who is? I got time today. Who is SWAC if I ain’t SWAC? Who is SWAC if I ain’t SWAC?”

Robinson also heaped plenty of praise on Sanders for who he is and his coaching ability. He also said he prays that he doesn’t get a Power 5 job so they can play next year in Jackson, which would be appointment viewing after Saturday’s events.

If they do in fact play next year in Jackson, Alabama State has to dial up, “He ain’t SWAC” shirts expeditiously, while Sanders will probably (and frankly should, why not?) show up with a SWAC chain in place of the whistle chain he had on Saturday.

— Harry Lyles Jr.

Best troll

Miami was the preseason choice to win the Coastal Division and — let’s be honest — a program that is not afraid to let everyone know, “It’s All About the U.”

That oftentimes makes the Hurricanes an easy team to troll.

Hence, what happened at the end of North Carolina‘s 27-24 victory on Saturday. In a matchup with obvious Coastal Division implications, the Hurricanes had one last chance to try to win the game. The much-maligned North Carolina defense had something to prove after a rough start to the season.

With eight seconds left from the North Carolina 47, Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke dropped back to pass. DeAndre Boykins was waiting there for the game-sealing interception. His celebration: throwing up the U, then turning it upside down.

Of the play, Boykins explained to reporters afterward, “They were a little bit rushed,” Boykins said. “The quarterback, wide receivers didn’t know where or what routes they were actually running. That’s what I felt like, but I just sat in my window, sat and played the coverage that the coach called and came out with a pick.”

North Carolina has now beaten Miami four straight times — its longest win streak in the series. Three of the past four games have been decided by a field goal. Now the Tar Heels — according to ESPN’s Football Power Index — are the heavy favorites to win the Coastal.

For all the best trolls of Week 6, check this out.

— Andrea Adelson

Best small school moment

A year ago against Saginaw Valley State, Ferris State’s Evan Cummins scored with 45 seconds left to force overtime, where the Bulldogs eventually prevailed 47-45, on their way to the Division II national title. This year, the Cardinals had the champs on the ropes again … and Ferris State survived again. Carson Gulker’s touchdown with 71 seconds left capped a fourth-quarter comeback in a 33-28 win.

That’s 43 straight regular-season wins for the 2021 champs (and 2018 runners-up), who have to regroup immediately and prepare for next week’s Anchor-Bone Classic, a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle against hated rivals Grand Valley State.

— Bill Connelly

More Week 6 takeaways

No coach in the 21st century has figured out how to win loads of games while openly hating yardage like Iowa‘s Kirk Ferentz. Don’t believe it? Ask the man himself!

Iowa won 10 games last season while ranking just 121st in total offense. The Hawkeyes won 12 games in 2015 while ranking 72nd and 11 in 2009 while ranking 89th. They define games with defense, field position and turnovers, and they mainly just hope that their offense gets out of the way.

It’s been getting in the way with increasing frequency, however. The Hawkeyes are averaging a ridiculously poor 238.8 yards per game, dead last in the FBS, and they gained just 222 in Saturday’s eyesore of a 9-6 loss to Illinois. Since a 6-0 start last year, they have now lost seven of their past 14 games, and they’re 1-3 against power-conference foes this fall. The clip above was pretty funny, all things considered. Watching Iowa? Not even slightly fun.

— Connelly

Oregon State’s Hail Mary might have changed its whole season

At about 2:30 a.m. ET, Stanford was moments away from ending a 10-game winless streak against FBS opponents. It has been a difficult stretch for the Cardinal, but leading 27-22, the game was all but over. Oregon State was in fringe Hail Mary territory, needing to cover 56 yards in 23 seconds.

Then this happened:

For Oregon State, it was the kind of play that can change the trajectory of a season.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Beavers were moments away from taking down USC, and there they were on Saturday, about to fall to 0-3 in the Pac-12 with a loss to a team in freefall. Digging out of that hole would have been tough. Instead, they return to Corvallis with a 1-2 conference record (4-2 overall) and a manageable stretch ahead (Washington State, Colorado, at Washington, Cal, at Arizona State).

On the Farm, things are bleak. Stanford steps out of conference play this week to travel to Notre Dame before returning to play Arizona State at home on Oct. 22. It’s hard to fathom that a team that was the model of consistency for so many years under David Shaw could fall this far, but the Cardinal are expected to be an underdog in all seven of their remaining games. Something has to change.

— Kyle Bonagura
Sourced from ESPN