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Eight saddest college football fan bases after Week 7

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Eight saddest college football fan bases after Week 7


There’s no mystery or suspenseful reveal as to which college football team tops this list after Week 7, so let’s just get right into it.

These are the fan bases in the worst shape on Sunday morning after Week 7 of the college football season.

Penn State has gone from a preseason No. 2 ranking to 3-3 and entirely out of the Big Ten race halfway through the season after three straight losses to Oregon and improbably UCLA and Northwestern. The road loss at previously-winless UCLA seemed like it would surely be rock bottom for the Nittany Lions, but then they went and lost 22-21 at home to the middling Wildcats as coach James Franklin stared off into the abyss that has become his team’s season.

“We shouldn’t lose that game,” Franklin said afterward. “It’s 100% on me, and we have to get it fixed, and I will get it fixed.”

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Actually, he won’t. Franklin was fired Sunday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.

This season started with national championship aspirations, and now it’s not even clear if the Nittany Lions will reach a bowl game, especially with quarterback Drew Allar sustaining a season-ending injury. More to the point, they’re looking at a total reset for the program.

It doesn’t get any more disappointing than that.

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell after losing the game to the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

There also should be no surprise as to No. 2 on this list.

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Florida State didn’t have the same outside expectations this season as Penn State, but after beating Alabama in the season-opener hopes we’re certainly heightened for the Seminoles.

Instead, they too have now lost three straight, including a crushing 34-31 home loss Saturday to Pittsburgh.

Patience is running very thin for sixth-year coach Mike Norvell, after a 2-10 finish last year and now this.

Wisconsin Badgers football coach Luke Fickell.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The general reaction was that Wisconsin made a good hire a few years ago when it landed Luke Fickell as head coach after his successful run at Cincinnati.

Now? It seems only a matter of time before Fickell is fired.

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After going 7-6 and 5-7 in his first two seasons, the Badgers are now 2-4 and have lost all four games against Power Four opponents by at least two touchdowns. However, the worst was Saturday with a 37-0 loss at home to Iowa.

“That’s as low as it can be,” Fickell said afterward. “And I apologize. I apologize to our guys to not be ready, to not have them ready. I’m dumbfounded in a lot of ways.”

So too are the fans as “Fire Fickell” chants broke out in the stadium Saturday. That sure seems inevitable at this point, and for Wisconsin fans it can’t come soon enough

Auburn loses to Georgia.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images / John Reed-Imagn Images

No matter what happens the rest of this season, Auburn and its fans are going to lament the major what-if from its 20-10 loss at home to No. 10 Georgia on Saturday.

The Tigers were up 10-0 and thought they were about to make it 17-0 late in the second quarter when quarterback Jackson Arnold took the ball on third-and-goal from the 1 and attempted to dive over the pile into the end zone.

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But the ball was poked out and ruled a fumble. A lengthy video review — in which it certainly could have gone either way — upheld the ruling, leaving Auburn coach Hugh Freeze apoplectic on the sideline.

The Tigers never scored again as Georgia reeled off 20 unanswered points to seize the game.

Auburn is now 3-3 and winless in the SEC after losing three straight games.

Oklahoma Sooners lose to Texas in Red River Shootout.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) walks off the field following the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a great story that Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer got himself ready to play less than three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing hand, willing himself back to action in time for the Red River Shootout against rival Texas on Saturday.

But then the game started …

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Mateer threw three interceptions, and the Sooners looked overmatched in a 23-6 loss to the reeling Longhorns.

It was the first loss for Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC), but the Sooners dropped eight spots in the AP poll to No. 14 and face arguably the toughest remaining schedule in college football with a road game at South Carolina followed by five straight games against ranked opponents (as the poll currently stands) — vs. No. 5 Ole Miss, at No. 11 Tennessee, at No. 6 Alabama, vs. No. 16 Missouri and vs. No. 10 LSU.

Considering how the Sooners looked Saturday, their fans must be wondering now how many of those remaining games they can win.

Michigan State Spartans coach Jonathan Smith.

Michigan State’s head coach Jonathan Smith walks the sideline during the fourth quarter in the game against UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Maybe UCLA isn’t as bad as everyone thought after it started 0-4 and fired head coach DeShaun Foster, but still … Michigan State fans aren’t taking a blowout 38-13 loss at home to the Bruins well.

They especially weren’t happy to hear Smith say after the game, “I’m not pressing a huge panic button here.”

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The Spartans are 3-3 overall but 0-3 in the Big Ten, having lost all three games (to USC, Nebraska, and now the 2-4 Bruins) by double digits. After a 5-7 finish last season, it’s hard to see this as a program going in the right direction.

Michigan Wolverines football.

USC Trojans cornerback Trestin Castro (37) deflects a pass by Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) in the second half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Michigan fans were eager to believe that the Wolverines were ready to compete for a College Football Playoff spot again, with five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood elevating the offense.

It was a bit disheartening to watch the Wolverines get dominated in a 31-13 loss at USC, which was unranked entering the game.

Underwood certainly wasn’t the main culprit in the loss, though. He passed for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception, but the Wolverines’ defense did the damage in allowing 490 yards, including 158 rushing yards (plus 14 receiving yards) to USC walk-on King Miller after the Trojans’ top two running backs left with injury.

The Wolverines are now 4-2 and have lost their two biggest games (including at Oklahoma last month) and dropped from No. 15 to out of the AP top 25.

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Maryland Terrapins football.

Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley looks onto the field during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It needs to be said first that Maryland (4-2) has exceeded expectations this year while already matching its win total from last season.

But, Terrapins fans have to be feeling some lament at how close this team is to being 6-0.

For the second week in a row, Maryland collapsed in the fourth quarter at home to squander a lead and lose. Last week, the Terps held a 20-0 lead late in the third quarter against Washington only to lose 24-20. On Saturday, they led Nebraska 31-24 in the fourth quarter only to lose 34-31.

Maryland is a fun team that looks to be on the rise with talented freshman quarterback Malik Washington, but it’s hard not to think about what could have been at the midway point of the season.





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Impact Day: Wintry mix to 60s in SE Wisconsin

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Impact Day: Wintry mix to 60s in SE Wisconsin


Impact Day: Wintry mix to 60s in SE Wisconsin

Sprinkles early Wednesday ahead of a big warmup to end the week.

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REALLY AWESOME TO SEE HOW FAR HOPEFULLY THIS CAN TAKE US TO MORE EXPLORATION. YES, YES, 100%. AND THIS MORNING, OTHERWISE NOT PERFECT. IT’S NOT TOO BAD. WE’RE WAKING UP TO A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN, BUT IF YOU DIDN’T LIKE THE WEATHER YESTERDAY, WE ARE GOING TO BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT BY THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY TOPPED OUT CLOSE TO ABOUT 34 DEGREES. THAT’S WHERE WE’RE SITTING FOR A LOT OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN RIGHT NOW. WE’RE GOING TO WARM UP INTO THE 60S THIS AFTERNOON. YES, SOME OF US ARE WAKING UP TO MAYBE A FEW SNOWFLAKES OUT THERE. MOST OF US ARE WAKING UP JUST TO RAIN SHOWERS TO KICK OFF THE DAY TODAY, SOME DRIER CONDITIONS SOUTH OF I 94 IN OUR VIEWING AREA RIGHT NOW. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE ACTIVITY THAT’S STRETCHING BACK WEST OF MADISON. JUST A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS AND SPRINKLES ARE LOOKING POSSIBLE THROUGH ABOUT 10:00. THERE’S RAIN ALL THE WAY BACK CLOSE TO WATERLOO RIGHT NOW, SO IT’S NOT GOING TO STICK AROUND THE ENTIRE TIME. WE’LL HAVE DRY TIME BETWEEN NOW AND 10:00, BUT ON AND OFF SHOWERS ARE STILL POSSIBLE. MILWAUKEE HAS HAD SOME SHOWERS THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEE THE RAINDROPS ON THE CAMERA LENS THERE IN OCONOMOWOC, AS WELL AS BROOKFIELD. DELAVAN SO FAR HAS STAYED PRETTY DRY AND RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN IS A LITTLE MORE LIKELY. CLOSER TO AND NORTH OF I-94. RAIN IN MILWAUKEE RIGHT NOW. THOSE CHANCES STICK AROUND INTO THE MORNING. BUT THE BIG STORY TODAY IT IS THE WARM UP. IT IS GOING TO BE NICE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWER CHANCES JUST ABOUT 9 OR 10:00. THEN THE REST OF YOUR WEDNESDAY IS GOING TO BE DRY OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN THAT MOVES OUT BY THURSDAY. BUT THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, ANOTHER RAIN CHANCE IS ON THE WAY. MOST OF OUR DAYLIGHT HOURS ARE LOOKING DRY 56 DEGREES ON SATURDAY, DRY FOR SATURDAY. THEN WE’RE TRACKING. WILL TRACK MORE RAIN CHANCES SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND A BIG COOLDOWN AS WE HEAD INTO TUESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, TEMPERATURES COULD BE ON THE CHILLY SIDE. ONCE AGAIN. HERE’S FUTURE CAST. NOTICE IT’S MAINLY RAIN THAT WE’RE SEEING, BUT I CAN’T RULE OUT A FEW SNOWFLAKES HERE. OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. THEN JUST SOME SHOWERS FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE DAY. AND THEN SUNSHINE IS BACK. IT WILL BE WINDY, SOME GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35MPH, BUT THAT’S BRINGING IN TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S LATER TODAY. AND THEN A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH AND RAIN CHANCES BUILD BACK IN REALLY FROM ABOUT 10:00 TONIGHT THROUGH ABOUT THREE, 4:00 IN THE MORNING. AND MOST OF YOUR THURSDAY IS DRY AND SUNNY. THEN NOTICE LATE THURSDAY EVENING INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THAT’S WHEN WE’LL TRACK OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN. SO THE BOTTOM LINE, THE BIG CHANGE FROM WHAT WE SAW THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IS THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE BACK IN THE 50S AND THE 60S TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND REALLY THROUGH MOST OF THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST, WE HAVE RAIN CHANCES EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT MOST OF THAT RAIN IS FALLING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, AND WE COULD HAVE A FEW SHOWERS LINGERING OR BUILDING IN IN THE EVENING OR LINGERING INTO THE MORNING. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, DAYLIGHT HOURS. AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK IS GOING TO BE DRY, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME SHOWERS OUT THERE TO KICK OFF THE DAY. TODAY THERE COULD BE SOME WET ROADS FOR YOUR MORNING COMMUTE. RAIN CHANCES RETURN LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. SOME SHOWER CHANCES LATE TOMORROW INTO THURSDAY, BUT AGAIN MAINLY OVERNIGHT RAIN CHANCES. SO THOSE 50S AND 60S WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY 56 DEGREES ON SATURDAY. RIGHT NOW, SUNDAY 70. THAT’S FANTASTIC. AND IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A WASHOUT, BUT WE ARE TRACKING STORM CHANCES SUNDAY AND MONDAY. OH MY GOODNESS. HOPEFULLY WE’RE TURNING A CORNER, BUT IT IS STILL SO EARLY. FINGERS CROSSED. IT’S WILD TO THINK THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME SNOWFLAKES AROUND RIGHT NOW AND WE’

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Impact Day: Wintry mix to 60s in SE Wisconsin

Sprinkles early Wednesday ahead of a big warmup to end the week.

Updated: 5:46 AM CDT Apr 8, 2026

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Early rain showers Wednesday morning, with parts of the area seeing a wintry mix as temperatures start near freezing. Showers move out later this morning. Skies will gradually clear through the afternoon, with highs warming into the low to middle 60s.Rain with a few thunderstorms return late Wednesday evening and night. Rain will move out by early Thursday morning. Thursday will be a bit cooler, but still mild with a mix of sun and clouds. Another chance for rain returns late in the evening, with shower chances lingering into early Friday. Most of Friday is expected to stay dry, with highs in the low 50s.Drier Saturday with seasonable temperatures in the low 50s. Looking ahead, a more active pattern returns with chances for storms Sunday and Monday as temperatures jump into the low 70s. Rain chances continue Tuesday, with afternoon highs dropping back into the low 50s.

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Early rain showers Wednesday morning, with parts of the area seeing a wintry mix as temperatures start near freezing. Showers move out later this morning. Skies will gradually clear through the afternoon, with highs warming into the low to middle 60s.

Rain with a few thunderstorms return late Wednesday evening and night. Rain will move out by early Thursday morning. Thursday will be a bit cooler, but still mild with a mix of sun and clouds. Another chance for rain returns late in the evening, with shower chances lingering into early Friday. Most of Friday is expected to stay dry, with highs in the low 50s.

Drier Saturday with seasonable temperatures in the low 50s. Looking ahead, a more active pattern returns with chances for storms Sunday and Monday as temperatures jump into the low 70s. Rain chances continue Tuesday, with afternoon highs dropping back into the low 50s.

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Wisconsin defense lawyers argue conviction in Oshkosh boat crash should be overturned

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Wisconsin defense lawyers argue conviction in Oshkosh boat crash should be overturned


OSHKOSH (WLUK) — The state defense lawyers association argues the judge made a mistake in allowing a Winnebago County jury to hear the case against Jason Lindemann, who crashed his power boat into a cruise boat.

Lindemann was sentenced to five months in jail and three years on probation and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as a result of the July 9, 2022, crash between his powerboat and the On The Loos paddlewheel cruise boat. He was also ordered to pay $11,702.79 in restitution. The crash injured more than a dozen people.

Lindemann has appealed, claiming he drove his boat like “every boater does” and that the evidence doesn’t support the convictions. Prosecutors replied it believes Lindemann’s conviction should be upheld. Lindemann’s reply brief due is due April 14, then the appeals court will review the case and issue a ruling. That’s expected to take several months.

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Surveillance video of a July 9, 2022, boat crash on the Fox River in Oshkosh. (Courtesy Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office)

On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed what’s known as a ‘friend of the court’ brief, offering its input on the issue of jury selection.

Brief from the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers arguing for Jason Lindemann’s conviction in an Oshkosh boat crash to be overturned.

Click here to view the PDF file

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It noted the extensive publicity on case, from the day of the crash, onwards.

“WACDL submits that a careful analysis of precedent, and a realistic assessment of the pretrial publicity at issue, require that prejudice be presumed. Lindemann’s community was sufficiently against him that drawing his jury from Winnebago County violated his due process rights. The circuit court thus erred in denying his request for a change of venue, and reversal is warranted,” wrote attorney Megan Sanders.

The brief also argues the judge’s faith in voir dire — the juror screening and selection process — was “unfounded,” given the case’s publicity.

It argues the convictions should be overturned.

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“There is an effective solution for the due process problem at issue here. Case law supports it, Lindemann sought it, and the State — after explaining its concerns about proceeding in Winnebago County — declined to contest his request. Under these circumstances, and with no cogent rationale for keeping the case in Oshkosh, the circuit court erred in denying Lindemann’s motion for a change of venue,” the brief states.



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John Blackwell’s Wisconsin teammates comment on his departure

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John Blackwell’s Wisconsin teammates comment on his departure


A pair of John Blackwell’s former teammates wasted no time expressing how they felt about his departure.

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball squad took a huge hit on April 6 when its star point guard announced he’d be entering the transfer portal.

Blackwell posted a farewell message that received mixed reactions, but both Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp expressed their gratitude for getting to play alongside the Michigan native.

“My brother!! Coming into college with you, it’s meant everything to do it by your side. Through all the ups and downs we went through, I won’t forget a second of any of it… go do what you do JB. For life,” Winter wrote.

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Rapp added, “Gonna miss big bro, appreciate this year with you John Blackwell.”

Winter has been with the Badgers since the 2023-24 season, the same year Blackwell joined the program. Rapp, the Portland transfer, only was able to spend one year with Wisconsin’s guard who averaged just shy of 20 points per game.

Badgers fans are still awaiting decisions from Winter and Rapp, though neither has indicated they’ll be continuing their collegiate careers elsewhere.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.





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