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Takeaways from Week 7 of College Football: Indiana earns defining win, James Franklin on the hot seat

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Takeaways from Week 7 of College Football: Indiana earns defining win, James Franklin on the hot seat


College football is unpredictable and delightful, which is why we live for what happens on Saturdays. Week 7 certainly delivered, from a statement win by Indiana in Autzen Stadium to the biggest win for USC in years.

Each Sunday, I’ll publish my biggest takeaways from the college football weekend. I’ll highlight the most interesting storylines, track College Football Playoff contenders, and specifically shout out individual and team performances that deserve the spotlight.

1. Indiana just had its biggest win in program history.

I have seen all sorts of stats celebrating the Hoosiers’ win over then-No. 3 Oregon. Probably the most notable one is that it’s the first road win over an AP top-five opponent in Indiana football history. But let’s be real for a second. We don’t need qualifiers. This is the best and biggest win in program history, full stop. This is the losingest program in the history of college football! The high points have been few and far between. Last year’s 10 wins were the most in a single season. Indiana has only started a season 6-0 three times in its history … and two of them have come under Curt Cignetti (last year and this year). We are in uncharted territory here! And we might as well say as much!

I don’t know if Indiana is the best team in the country or if the Hoosiers are going to — gasp! — win a national title. But I do know it would be unwise to put any limits on this team.

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Indiana secures program-defining win over Oregon

Indiana showed that it can compete with the big boys by walking into Eugene and defeating Oregon.

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2. Steve Sarkisian finally found a winning formula for Texas.

The Longhorns’ second-half performance vs. Oklahoma had to be therapeutic for Texas fans. This was an offense that finally had some balance, which made everything easier — both for quarterback Arch Manning (who completed 21 of 27 passes) and play caller Steve Sarkisian, who could finally put his quarterback in positions to succeed thanks to a functional run game. Plus, the vaunted Texas defense returned to form after a rough outing against Florida, forcing three John Mateer interceptions and holding the Sooners to just 88 total yards of offense in the second half. Throw in a fourth-quarter punt-return touchdown, and you’ve got wins in all three phases. Boy, did Texas need a performance like that.

Manning encouraging in Texas’ win over Oklahoma

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Arch Manning and Texas got a desperately needed win by playing virtually mistake-free football against rival Oklahoma.

3. Texas A&M might be the best team in the SEC.

Every weekend, I attempt to figure out the pecking order in the SEC, and I often end up more confused than I was when I started. For a few weeks, I felt best about Alabama and Heisman hopeful Ty Simpson, believing I’d pick them on a neutral site against any other SEC opponent. But now I think I’m going to join the Aggies’ bandwagon — even knowing that Texas A&M has a history of late-season collapses. This team feels different, not just because I trust Mike Elko defenses. I like how explosive the pass game can be, with Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, and a fairly reliable rushing attack. I know that Marcel Reed doesn’t always dazzle, but when he’s on, he makes this offense one that can strike fear in opposing SEC defenses.

That, and Alabama’s offensive line continues to be a problem. And Ole Miss nearly lost to Washington State. So, that’s where I am for now.

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4. USC might be back.

Well, maybe. At the very least, Lincoln Riley earned the first signature win of his Trojans tenure so far. USC averaged 7.2 yards per play against one of the better defenses in the Big Ten in Michigan. Coming into the game, I thought it could be a huge opportunity for the Trojans to prove they can be tough and physical — that they could win a game at the line of scrimmage. And they did so despite injuries to their running backs. USC has spent the past two seasons trying to develop on the defensive side of the ball (both with coaching hires and personnel), and the Trojans limited a previously prolific rushing attack (that also dealt with injuries) to just 3.5 yards per carry.

But beyond the nuts and bolts of the win, it was just extremely impressive for a program that has had a history of close, painful losses. What better way to make a statement than by not letting Michigan stay close enough to have a chance late? Entering Saturday, Riley was 4-11 vs. ranked opponents at USC. The only way to start to change a narrative is to win a game like that.

5. It’s hard to imagine James Franklin remaining the head coach at Penn State.

I don’t know how soon James Franklin and Penn State will part ways, but it feels impossible to imagine him on the sideline in Nittany Lions’ gear next season. Does Penn State just find frustrated donors to pony up and pay a buyout of more than $50 million? Or does athletic director Pat Kraft get with Franklin to negotiate down the buyout, knowing that Franklin deep down doesn’t want to stay in an environment (and fan base) that has grown so toxic?

Last week, I argued that Franklin should be the one to leave — that he should find one of the Power 4 jobs that open this season and get a fresh start. But at this point, after two inexcusable losses to two of the worst teams in the Big Ten (with a season-ending injury to quarterback Drew Allar to make things even worse), I don’t know that it will be his choice after all. Penn State cannot move forward with him; the situation feels far too untenable.

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‘No way forward’ for Franklin at Penn State

With three consecutive Big Ten losses and Drew Allar out for the season, Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry have a hard time seeing James Franklin at Penn State moving forward.

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Valparaiso 63-62 Indiana State (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN

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Valparaiso 63-62 Indiana State (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN


ST. LOUIS — — Rakim Chaney had 18 points in Valparaiso’s 63-62 win over Indiana State on Thursday in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Chaney added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Beacons (18-14). JT Pettigrew added 14 points while going 5 of 8 and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line while they also had seven rebounds. Brody Whitaker finished with 10 points.

Camp Wagner led the Sycamores (11-21) in scoring, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Indiana State also got 12 points and three blocks from Ian Scott. Enel St. Bernard finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals. The loss was the Sycamores’ seventh in a row.

Chaney scored nine points in the first half and Valparaiso went into halftime trailing 37-28. After trailing by nine points in the second half, Valparaiso went on a 7-0 run to narrow the score to 37-35 with 17:11 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Pettigrew scored 12 second-half points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state

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Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state


Central Indiana has seen a very wet start to March, with several rounds of rain and storms moving through the region over the past few days. In fact, the city of Indianapolis has already received more rain in the first four days of the month than it typically gets during the entire month of March.

So far this month, Indianapolis has recorded 3.90 inches of rainfall, which already exceeds the normal March monthly average of 3.79 inches. Much of that rain came during a widespread soaking on Tuesday, when a strong system pushed steady showers and thunderstorms across the state.

Some of the highest totals over the past three days have been recorded across central Indiana. Rain gauges show 5.86 inches in Marion County, 5.02 inches in Morgan County, 4.97 inches in Hancock County, 4.95 inches in Shelby County, 4.57 inches in Johnson County, and 4.26 inches in Hendricks County. These totals represent a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time and have left many areas with saturated ground and standing water in low spots.

Despite the widespread rainfall, the impact on drought conditions has been somewhat uneven across the state. According to the latest drought monitor, the areas that received the heaviest rain over the past few days are largely the same areas that were already in relatively good shape in terms of moisture levels. Meanwhile, parts of northern Indiana that have been dealing with more persistent dryness have seen much lighter totals.

Cities such as Kokomo, Lafayette, and Muncie have generally picked up less rain compared to areas farther south. Forecast models suggest that pattern may continue over the next several days.

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Additional rainfall is expected through Thursday, with another round possible around midday Saturday. Current projections show the best chance for another inch or more of rain focusing once again across the southern half of the state, while northern Indiana may see lower totals.

That means while the recent rain has certainly helped improve soil moisture in many areas, it may not fully address the lingering dryness farther north. For now, the pattern remains active, and Hoosiers should expect more wet weather before the system finally begins to move out later this weekend.



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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac

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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac


Indiana basketball sharpshooter Lamar Wilkerson is known for his generosity.

Upon joining the Hoosiers, he gave a tidy sum of his NIL earnings to his previous program, Sam Houston State.

“I was blessed to be able go from that, from not having a lot, to being here, having a lot more than I even knew what to do with,” Wilkerson said at the time. “I just thought, I can give them this.”

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He upped the ante on IU’s Senior Night, giving his mother a Cadillac after the Hoosiers throttled Minnesota.

You could imagine her reaction.

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