Fraud alert: In college football’s flop rankings, one team beats Texas

• Texas and Penn State auditioned for the starring roles in college football’s flop fest.
• Don’t forget about Clemson in flop fest, but at least Tigers beat North Carolina.
• Bill Belichick’s buyout, you ask? More than $20 million.

Texas and Penn State auditioned in Week 6 for the starring roles in college football’s fraud fest.

No more can we say UCLA is the worst Power Four team, not after its stunning takedown of Penn State. Who’s here for the Nico Iamaleava redemption story? Texas coach Steve Sarkisian needs to evaluate his starting quarterback situation after another bad showing from Arch Manning.

Oh, the drama!

No. 1 Ohio State avoids drama, at least. The most intrigue in a Buckeyes game is whether the opponent will cross the goal line.

Here are some questions left on my mind after an eventful Week 6:

Which team is college football’s biggest flop?

∎ Top flop: Clemson. When Clemson’s shining moment is a decisive win against hapless North Carolina, that’s a sign of how bad it got for the Tigers in September. Billed as a national championship contender in August, Clemson faceplanted in three losses that now have it earmarked for an also-ran bowl. Preseason rank: No. 6. Current rank: Unranked.

∎ Runner-up: Texas. It’s not just that Arch Manning was grossly overhyped. This whole team got blown out of proportion in the preseason. Manning’s a bust, but he’s also received little support. The offensive line is flimsy, the run game is insufficient and the defense isn’t nearly as fierce as its billing. Preseason rank: No. 1. Current rank: No. 19.

∎ Third: Penn State. Those thinking in August that James Franklin would produce a national championship and that Drew Allar was a Heisman contender must have been sipping some kind of Kool-Aid. Franklin and Allar have upheld their reputations for wilting in big games, but this loss to woebegone UCLA is a new wrinkle for misery. Preseason rank: No. 3. Current rank: No. 22.

∎ Fourth: Kansas State. Never travel to Ireland. Not if you’re a college football team. A year ago, Florida State lost in Ireland to open the season and never recovered. Now, it’s Kansas State, which lost a close one to Iowa State in Dublin, the first of four losses. A preseason Big 12 frontrunner, the Wildcats will struggle to reach a bowl game. Preseason rank: No. 20. Current rank: Unranked.

∎ Fifth: SMU. The Mustangs returned their star quarterback from a playoff team. That should have laid groundwork for another year of playoff contention, except SMU was actually an average team in 2024 that qualified for the playoff thanks to a weak schedule and some poor logic by the committee. SMU’s mask slipped in two September losses. More losses await. Preseason rank: No. 16. Current rank: Unranked.

Rounding out the top 10: Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Boise State.

What’s Bill Belichick’s buyout?

Belichick would be owed more than $20 million if North Carolina fires its coach after one season. That buyout affords Belichick some protection for a second season, but UNC cannot hope to recapture the energy that surrounded the program barely more than a month ago, when Tar Heels fans wanted to believe a six-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots would spur an uprising. He’s spawned embarrassment.

By the second half of a 38-10 loss to Clemson, Kenan Stadium looked emptier than a beach in a hurricane.

Spare me the excuse Belichick’s roster features more than 70 new players. Most new coaches nowadays undergo a significant roster overhaul, and the transfer portal allows opportunity for instant upgrade. In Curt Cignetti’s first season at Indiana, he infused a mass influx of transfers to turn a 3-9 program into an 11-win playoff qualifier.

When I watch UNC, I don’t see a squad that will improve greatly with another year of seasoning. I only see a bad team Belichick and his staff assembled.

Ohio State or Miami for No. 1 ranking?

There’s two ways to go about this.

If voting based purely off resumé, Miami should be No. 1. The Hurricanes look formidable and without weakness, and they own wins against Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State and South Florida, the last of which has a case for being the Group of Five’s best team. That’s an unmatched collection of wins. Miami dazzles on the eye test, too.

If voting based on sheer dominance, then Ohio State is the play. The Buckeyes have allowed two touchdowns all season. No opponent has reached 10 points against them. Quarterback Julian Sayin keeps getting better, and the Buckeyes’ wide receivers form one of those rare groups that’s even a notch better than Miami’s wideouts.

Ohio State doesn’t have Miami’s resumé. Its best win, in the season opener against Texas, lost luster after the Longhorns were subsequently revealed to be a fraud.

Not many nits to pick with the Buckeyes’ performance, though.

If I had a vote, I’d put Ohio State No. 1, followed by Miami, followed by whichever team wins Indiana-Oregon this weekend.

Is Billy Napier off the hot seat after Florida beat Texas?

Not by a long shot. Credit Napier for not turtling up and sticking his hand out for the buyout check. That’s never been his style. He saves his finest coaching for when his rump sits on a scalding hot seat. He outcoached Steve Sarkisian in a 29-21 victory at The Swamp.

Napier now owns wins against Sarkisian, Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin within the past calendar year. The problem is, those aren’t his only games, and that loogie-logged loss to South Florida is a stain that won’t scrub away with one win against Texas.

Napier remains a sub-.500 coach in his fourth season, and the remaining schedule is daunting. He’ll need several more triumphs like this one against Texas to escape the heat, but allow the man a victory lap for throttling Texas. He earned that much.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.