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          Kalen DeBoer's black hoodie tops college football Week 7 superlatives

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          Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor rumbles his way to a 1st down (0:29)

          Kadyn Proctor takes the direct snap and hurdles his way to an Alabama first down. (0:29)

          • ESPN staffOct 12, 2025, 10:00 AM ET

          From wild upsets to unlikely performances, college football never fails to deliver the wacky and wild.

          Week 7 of the college football season was no different, with all sorts of characters -- from fans, to coaches, to clothing -- making headlines. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's black hoodie is developing a reputation as a harbinger of doom for opposing teams. Oklahoma State fans went shirtless en masse. And a Northwestern running back won a huge game for his squad by intentionally avoiding the end zone.

          In honor of all these unlikely sentences becoming reality (as well as several others), we handed out several nontraditional superlatives for Week 7 of the college football season.

          Superstition of the week: Kalen DeBoer's 'black hoodie of death'

          On Wednesday afternoon, Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz called into the SEC coaches teleconference to ask a question of DeBoer ahead of the Tigers' game against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

          "Are you going to wear the black hoodie of death on the sideline this game, with us wearing black jerseys?"

          Earlier in the week, an interesting stat circulated on social media: Alabama was 12-2 in games DeBoer coached in a black hooded sweatshirt, and 1-3 in games he did not. DeBoer wore the sweatshirt against the Tigers in Week 7 ... and the Crimson Tide improved to 13-2 in black hoodie games.

          Fans of the week: Oklahoma State

          Oklahoma State lost to Houston on Saturday for the Cowboys' fifth consecutive defeat, continuing their brutal season. But that didn't keep fans from bringing an exciting atmosphere to Boone Pickens Stadium.

          Early in the second half, presumably looking to inspire a comeback, one Oklahoma State fan removed his shirt and waved it around. In time, he was joined by a few more fans. And then a few more. Soon enough, Section 321 was filled by bare-chested fans waving their shirts.

          As Boone Pickens' scoreboard described it, with appropriate hedging: "New world record (probably) / Most shirtless guys in a section."

          Unlikeliest use of the element of surprise: Cornell

          Cornell pulled out an unlikely tactic during its Ivy League matchup with Harvard on Friday night: punting on third down.

          Trailing 7-0 and facing a third-and-25 from their 20-yard line midway through the first quarter, the Big Red evidently decided playing for field position would be the best strategy, and punted on the drive -- literally. All seemed normal enough when Cornell lined up for its third-down play ... until the ball was snapped. Instead of dropping back, quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio quick-kicked the ball down the field.

          Getting little help from a bounce backward, the punt netted 34 yards. Harvard didn't score on its ensuing drive, but still cruised to a 34-10 win.

          Smartest play: Joseph Himon II

          Northwestern is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and that reputation was backed up by the heads-up play of running back Joseph Himon II on Saturday.

          With the Wildcats leading Penn State late in the fourth quarter, Himon broke loose on a second-and-9 rush for what was certain to be a touchdown. But before he could reach the end zone, Himon voluntarily fell to the ground, ending the play.

          Himon didn't get credit for the score on the statsheet, but his decision was far more valuable than any one stat. Northwestern ran out the clock instead of letting the Nittany Lions get the ball back with a chance to tie. The Wildcats' social media admin appreciated the move.

          Best motivational tactic: Tim Skipper

          One week after pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season, UCLA kept things rolling with a 38-13 win over Michigan State.

          Part of why UCLA was ready to keep its momentum on track after such a big win? A unique tactic was deployed by interim coach Tim Skipper before the team's flight to Michigan. Skipper placed a sheet of paper reading "Are you a one-hit wonder?" on each seat of the UCLA team plane.

          The Bruins -- who have scored 30-plus points in consecutive power conference games for the first time since 2022 -- proved they were not one-hit wonders.

          Best personnel deployment: Alabama

          Many teams have a short-yardage specialist on their roster, a bruising player who is hard to bring down and can power through tackles. Alabama also has this kind of player ... 6-foot-7, 366-pound offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.

          On Saturday, Alabama got Proctor involved in the offensive game plan for the third consecutive week, lining up the towering offensive lineman in the shotgun on a third-and-1. Proctor, who has 15 rushing yards on three carries this season, secured the first down but came up just short of the end zone for his first career touchdown.

          Most casual trick throw: Kevin Jennings

          On paper, Jennings' first-quarter completion to tight end RJ Maryland was a simple gain of 9 yards. In reality, the SMU quarterback's toss was one of the sleeker throws this season.

          After faking the handoff on an end-around, Jennings casually went behind his back to flip the ball to Maryland on a shovel pass. Maryland did his part, turning the otherwise nondescript 9-yard gain into more of a highlight after getting the ball, shrugging off one shoulder tackle before spinning off another and lunging for additional yardage.

          Most likely to preach better late than never: Bryan Jackson

          Before facing Michigan at home, USC's pregame availability report looked nothing out of the ordinary -- except when the second half started. Trojans running back Bryan Jackson originally was listed as out, but he ran out of the locker room in full gear after halftime.

          USC had lost two starting backs during the game -- Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders -- leaving a hole at the position. King Miller did his best to fill it, but the Trojans needed more, and in came Jackson, who hadn't played since Week 1. Coach Lincoln Riley said postgame that Jackson has had turf toe, leading to him being limited in practice and missing games. But, with the injuries to Jordan and Sanders, USC communicated with the league and got Jackson cleared to play before the second half, calling it a "wellness issue."

          With USC up 24-13 late in the fourth, Michigan couldn't keep Jackson out of the end zone. He put the finishing touches on the win with a 29-yard touchdown run.