The scariest thing a coach can know is that his days are numbered. For Mike Locksley, that reality is drawing closer.
The clock is ticking in College Park after Maryland opened Big Ten play with a humiliating 54-3 loss to UCLA. Not only was it the Terrapins' worst defeat since Locksley's first season in 2019, it came at a time when he desperately needed to show why he deserves to keep his job.
Maryland entered the season on the heels of back-to-back 4-8 campaigns, with little evidence a turnaround was imminent. The pressure was evident earlier this week when Locksley had a tense exchange with a reporter after saying his team would learn from its losses.
On Saturday,
Sept. 27, there was little sign those lessons sunk in. UCLA traveled across the country and delivered a thorough beating, leaving the Terrapins looking every bit the part of a program stuck in reverse.
Maryland's latest embarrassment was just one of several lowlights from a chaotic Week 4.
Maryland
Malik Washington came into Saturday without an interception, but he threw four in the 51-point loss.
None of them were as bad as his third one.
In a clear sign of miscommunication, Washington darted the ball to absolutely no one other than UCLA defender Scooter Jackson, who could have walked the 65 yards to the end zone for the second pick-6 of the day for the Bruins.
SECOND PICK-6 OF THE QUARTER FOR @UCLAFootball 😱
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 26, 2026
Watch on BTN pic.twitter.com/AvQN2j6xda
Just an all-around bad day at SECU Stadium. At least the bad play and weather meantnot many people saw it?
USC
USC linebacker Desman Stephens II's hit on Dante Moore was frightening. What happened afterward was worse.
While Moore lay injured on the field, Stephens appeared to celebrate the play, smiling and high-fiving teammates as trainers rushed to the Oregon quarterback.
It was a terrible look for USC.
The optics only worsened after a 41-27 loss in which the Trojans were torched by backup quarterback Dylan Raiola. For Lincoln Riley, it was another ranked-game disappointment and another reminder patience doesn't last forever.
Colin Simmons
The Texas defensive end is one of the most impactful edge rushers in the country, and he proved it with five sacks of Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon on Saturday.
However, it's his bizarre penalty that will be remembered. After one of his sacks, Simmons decided to celebrate the play with a NSFW emote, described as "simulating using the restroom" by the official as he flagged Simmons for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Volunteers a first down.
Kirk Herbstreit summed it up on the broadcast: "Absolute idiotic move by Colin Simmons doing that."
To which Chris Fowler added: "Idiotic. It doesn't get much more vulgar either."
Ole Miss' Super Bowl hangover
After the emotional win over Lane Kiffin and LSU, Mississippi coach Pete Golding said "it wasn't our Super Bowl."
Well, it sure appeared that way.
Without Kewan Lacy, the Rebels looked like they were still hungover from celebrating the win, getting completely outplayed by Florida in the Swamp with a 52-28 loss. Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark ran all over a Rebels defense that played like a revolving door, and Trinidad Chambliss had no rabbit to pull out of his hat in this one.
Just more evidence the Super Bowl hangover is real.
John Mateer
The narrative surrounding Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer isn't getting any better.
A week after criticism that he needed plenty of help from the home crowd to identify open receivers, Mateer authored another disastrous moment Saturday in Athens.
Trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, Oklahoma appeared poised to climb back into the game after driving deep into Georgia territory. Instead, disaster struck. Rolling to his right, Mateer cocked back to throw, but the ball slipped from his hand before he could release it. Georgia linebacker Chris Cole scooped up the fumble and raced 86 yards for a touchdown.
What could have been a 14-7 game instantly became a 21-0 Georgia lead.
CHRIS COLE HOUSE CALL 🏠
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 26, 2026
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/wNOacZCjqI
It was the defining lowlight of a miserable afternoon for the Sooners, who were overwhelmed 41-13 as their season continued to spiral.
Boo-meh Sooner.
Michigan
Well, well, well. How the tables have been turned.
After a miraculous added second saved Michigan against Western Michigan earlier this season, the Wolverines got a taste of their own medicine against Iowa. On the final play of the game, Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee on the side of the end zone for a 16-yard score as time expired to pull off the dramatic 20-19 win.
IOWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/RyB7za10SS
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 26, 2026
Michigan should have known crazy things happen in the final moments in the "Big House," and this time, there was no mysterious added second to save it.
Poetic justice indeed.
Illinois secondary
When you're playing one of the best players in the country, you may want to draft up a plan to limit him by any means necessary.
Illinois did not get that memo.
Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith absolutely feasted on Illinois in the battle of the Illibuck, torching the secondary for 12 catches with 217 yards and four touchdowns. What's even worse is how silly Smith made the defense look on these plays, twisting and turning them around while getting destroyed.
This route from Jeremiah Smith was NASTY 😮💨@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/5IHAfocyOx
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 26, 2026
To add insult to injury, Smith knew how much he cooked Illinois defender Mac Resetich, admitting he laughed at the team and did "feel kind of bad for him."
"Yeah, feel kind of bad for him."
— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) September 26, 2026
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith admitted he started laughing after cooking Illinois' secondary during his 4-TD performance. pic.twitter.com/hUYyipVofn
South Carolina
Shane Beamer is another coach with the clock ticking, as South Carolina suffered another big loss, this time a big 49-18 defeat from Alabama to drop to 0-2 in the SEC.
While nothing went right in the game, it got worse for one of his star players in Dylan Stewart, as the edge rusher punched Alabama tight end Josh Ford after a Crimson Tide score. Somehow, Stewart didn't get ejected, although he probably should have.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 27, 2026
That came after the edge rusher was seen getting yelled at by Beamer after a play, not a good look for when your best player is making the news for all the wrong reasons. Sad times for the Gamecocks.
Sam Houston State quarterbacks
Sam Houston needed a few breaks to pull off an upset at Texas Tech. Instead, everything went wrong in seven disastrous seconds.
Trailing 7-0, the Bearkats watched linebacker Austin Romaine return a deflected interception 15 yards for a touchdown. On the very next offensive snap, Romaine picked off another pass and took it 31 yards to the house.
Just like that, Texas Tech turned a one-score game into a 21-0 rout-in-the-making.
The Bearkats fought back, but the damage was done as the Red Raiders rolled to the win.
Miami (Ohio) fumble recovery
Miami (Ohio) forced the turnover it desperately needed against UConn.
Then it literally handed the ball back.
After quarterback Kalieb Osborne fumbled, RedHawks defensive back Amariyun Knighten recovered it but appeared to think the play was dead. With no whistle blown, he casually gave the ball to UConn receiver Zy'marion Lang, who quickly realized the play was still live and took off with possession.
It was one of the weirdest moments of Week 4.
He didn't think it was a fumble, handed it off to the UConn player and then UConn gets a first down after review. https://t.co/or9fsvz4n9 pic.twitter.com/fdcqhfckBE
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) September 26, 2026
Luckily for Miami, it wasn't a costly one. The RedHawks survived 24-21.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week 4 Flop 10: Terrible Terps, a dirty hit, bizarre penalty and Michigan karma
