College football’s fourth weekend had the usual chaos baked in, and the results kept landing like punch lines. Oregon survived USC in a game that turned on a frightening injury, Texas kept flashing the kind of inconsistency that makes you squint at the rankings, and Jeremiah Smith put up another reminder that he’s operating on a different level.
But the headline moment belonged to Dylan Raiola.
When he entered for Oregon after Dante Moore was carted off following a hit that sent Moore to the hospital, the scene was impossible to miss. Raiola’s first snap came with the ambulance still visible on the screen in the top left corner, and the game had clearly shifted into something heavier than football for both sideline and scoreboard.
Two plays later, Oregon was in the end zone. By the end of the day, Raiola had thrown for 289 yards and two touchdowns and helped the Ducks beat USC 41-27.
That’s a huge relief job in any setting. Doing it in that moment made it stand out even more.
Raiola also deserves credit for choosing Oregon knowing he probably wouldn’t be the starter if Moore returned to college. He accepted the backup role, kept learning, and gave the Ducks a level of insurance most teams simply don’t have from QB2 - especially one with 22 career starts.
USC, meanwhile, is still stuck in the same old loop.
The Trojans had another chance to land a defining win and another chance to show that the defense had truly been fixed. Instead, the familiar script showed up again: a big moment against an elite opponent, a defense that couldn’t hold, and another loss to a backup quarterback.
Gary Patterson was supposed to change that side of the ball. The talent was supposed to be better.
The plan was supposed to be better. None of it changed the ending.
Dan Lanning keeps winning the West Coast battles, and Lincoln Riley’s seat keeps getting hotter.
Elsewhere, Florida is starting to look dangerous enough that nobody should be late to the bandwagon. Jon Sumrall stock? Buy it now.
Texas remains the most puzzling top-ranked team in the country. The Longhorns have really looked the part for one quarter all season: the fourth quarter against Ohio State, when they erased a 21-point deficit and stole the game.
Outside of that stretch, the Arch Manning-led offense has been uneven, with a few strong drives followed by long stretches where everything goes cold. That’s hard to square with the weapons Texas has.
It’s also hard to ignore when the penalties get ugly, like they did against Tennessee. Even with 10 sacks, Texas still needed a three-point finish in a game it controlled for so long.
That’s a rough way to live at No. 1.
Ohio State, on the other hand, keeps giving Jeremiah Smith more and more reasons to head to New York City. The Buckeyes found him for four touchdowns on Saturday, which is exactly the kind of stat line that catches the eye of Heisman voters.
Non-quarterbacks usually need something outrageous to get into the conversation, and Smith has that. The wrinkle is that Ohio State also has Julian Sayin in the Heisman mix, which could split the credit when voters start sorting out who gets the biggest share of the offense’s shine.
Smith should still be a finalist. As for the trophy itself, that’s the harder climb.
Either way, the production speaks for itself.
Boise State also keeps strengthening its case in the Group of 6 race for the College Football Playoff. The Broncos already have a close loss at Oregon, a blowout over Memphis, and a dominant win against Western Michigan. They look positioned to be the favorite in the new-look Pac-12, and if they finish that job, they should be in line for the highest ranking among Group of 6 champions and the CFP auto-bid that comes with it.
And then there’s the kind of weekend rule you almost never want to test: never trust a Jeff Brohm team the week after a big win.
Finally, Iowa found the last throw and the last laugh at Michigan Stadium. One second, two seconds - it doesn’t matter.
The Hawkeyes’ comeback over Michigan on Saturday felt like the football gods evening things out after Week 1’s Hail (Bail?) Mary.
Now Iowa gets a massive one next week in Iowa City, with Ohio State coming to town.
In Other News...
Oregon Fans Are Livid Over Chris Simms After Dante Moore Hit
The hit on Dante Moore was the kind of moment that stops a game in its tracks, and it immediately put Oregon fans on edge as the Ducks quarterback ended up hospitalized after the collision with USC linebacker Desman Stephens II. Even before the broader debate settled in, the focus in Eugene was on Moores condition and the kind of physical finish that can change the feel of a rivalry game in an instant.
Chris Simms only widened the divide during halftime, when he defended Stephens to some extent and suggested Moore had slid late, leaving the linebacker in a no-win situation. That take lit up Oregon fans on social media, who were already furious over the play and had little patience for any explanation that seemed to soften it. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Response To The Dante Moore Hit Will Anger Oregon Fans
USCs punishment of linebacker Desman Stephens came down after a dangerous hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in the recent matchup, adding another flashpoint to a rivalry that already had plenty of edge. Stephens was ejected from the game, then stayed on the sideline afterward, a detail that drew criticism in its own right, while his later public apology did little to quiet the noise around the play.
For Oregon, the bigger concern is Moores health, and reports that he is in good spirits after suffering a concussion offer at least some relief. Still, the one-game suspension for Stephens is the kind of response that will leave Ducks fans frustrated, especially after a hit that changed the tone of the game and raised questions about how the situation was handled in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Twisted The Knife After USC Lost Dante Moore
The No. 20 Ducks walked out of a rivalry win over No. 12 USC with more than just another statement victory, and Dan Lanning did not waste the moment. After the game, the Oregon coach talked through Moores recovery status and addressed the targeting penalty that led to the injury, all while making sure to highlight the work Dylan put in on the field.
Lanning also took a moment to praise Dylans performance and, with a coachs grin, pointed to his 3-0 record against USC. For Oregon, it was the kind of postgame backdrop that comes with beating a ranked rival, especially when the win leaves one side dealing with a costly injury and the other side savoring the edge it earned. [Read more 🡒]