There is no such thing as a bad win, and if you have watched "The Fast and the Furious," Dom Toretto says it best: "It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning's winning."
However, the same cannot be said for losing. A loss can come in many forms. A quality loss — maybe to a ranked team in a close battle — can keep you in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Then there are the heartbreaking losses, the back-and-forth affairs that come down to the last second. Next, you have the upset loss that can come via a trap game or just against an opponent who has game-planned really well. Finally, you have the embarrassing losses that come in two forms: being blown out or blowing a big lead.
Week 5 of the 2023 college football season checked all of those boxes. So, if your team is on the losing end and you have some common sense, have no shame in stopping right here, as there is a good chance they have made this list.
Here are the worst losses of Week 5.
Utah 7, Oregon State 21
Photo by Logan Hannigan-Downs/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Utah Utes had been leaning on their defense to win games since their offense had been putting up poor numbers without star quarterback Cam Rising. Their defense was not enough to stop the Oregon State Beavers from handing the Utes their first loss of the season. Utah fans should be concerned as this loss comes to probably the fourth-best team on their schedule as they still have USC, Oregon and Washington left to play.
Florida 14, Kentucky 33
The Florida Gators dropped their first game of the season to Utah, and many thought this would be a rough year for the Gators. But after beating Tennessee two weeks later, expectations were raised on how good this team could be. However, the Gators found themselves back in the "L" column after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 5. The Gators found themselves down 23-0 in the second quarter and never overcame that deficit. The Gator's playoff hopes are gone and their SEC title hopes are hanging on by a prayer.
Nebraska 7, Michigan 45
The expectations for the Nebraska Cornhuskers were to just be better and show improvement under new head coach Matt Rhule. Yes, they played one of the top teams in the country in the Michigan Wolverines, but putting up seven points and getting blown out in front of a sold-out crowd at home is the definition of an embarrassing loss. The Cornhuskers clearly still have a long way to go, and they need to use the rest of this season to have something to build off of for 2024.
Illinois 19, Purdue 44
The Illinois Illini were picked by many (myself included) to not only be a contender but to win the Big Ten West, but the Illini find themselves under .500 with a 2-3 record following their 25-point loss to the Purdue Boilermakers that saw the Illini defense allow over 400 yards, with 189 yards coming from the Purdue ground game. Bret Bielema shouldn't be on the hot seat, because if not him, then who? But the Illini are drowning and will need a strong second half of the season to get back at the top of the division.
Georgia Tech 27, Bowling Green 38
Georgia Tech continues to find themselves at the bottom of the Power Five conferences. They have posted four-straight losing seasons, and after their loss to Bowling Green on Saturday, it looks like another losing season is on the table for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech was never a powerhouse but used to be competitive, posting 19 winning seasons from 1997 to 2018. Since then, they have been nothing but disappointing, and their loss to Bowling Green tells you exactly where this program is at.
UCF 35, Baylor 36
Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Joining a new conference can be fun and exciting, especially when you are going from a Group of Five conference to a Power Five conference. But for the new members of the Big 12, life has not been easy. All four are a combined 1-7 in conference play but are 0-6 against the legacy members of the conference. On Saturday night, the UCF Knights had an opportunity to pick up their first Big 12 win. They had a 35-7 lead in the third quarter but blew their lead, allowing 29 unanswered points and dropping to the bottom of the conference standings.
LSU 49, Ole Miss 55
The LSU Tigers had a poor start to their season, losing to Florida State for the second straight season. Still, they seemed to be in good shape to contend for an SEC title. Their hopes are still alive due to their remaining opponents, but their 55-49 loss to Ole Miss is very troubling, especially from a defensive standpoint. If you cannot win after putting up 49 points and more than 600 yards, you are going to have issues the entire season and need to get that fixed before even considering being in play for an SEC championship.
