The biggest surprises in college football

The last two weekends of college football have provided fans with the most entertainment we’ve seen in years. Incredible surprises, thrilling finishes and overtime games have kept fans on the edge of their seats all season long. Since the start of the season, many teams have exceeded expectations while others have fallen short. This column looks at three teams that exceeded preseason expectations and three programs that fell short of their expectations.

Teams that exceeded expectations

Vanderbilt

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4), left, is tackled by Vanderbilt linebacker Bryan Longwell (4), right, during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee . Photo by George Walker IV/AP Photo.

The Commodores have been the SEC’s bottom team for decades and were, some would say, a walkover whenever they were on their schedule. But this year, Vanderbilt wasn’t just a powerhouse in their conference, they were also a giant killer. In the first week, they defeated one of the ACC favorites, Virginia Tech. This win set the tone for the rest of the season. In week six, the Commodores celebrated their biggest win in program history after defeating Alabama, who was the No. 1 team in the country at the time. Vanderbilt got off to its best start in years and was one of the storylines of the season.

Indiana

In recent years, Indiana has been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, which led them to fire their head coach, Tom Allen. After hiring former James Madison coach Curt Cignetti, fans of the program were excited about their future. Cignetti has a reputation for winning anywhere, and that was the Hoosiers’ expectation. Although a win was expected, the first year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Indiana. That’s not the case yet, as the Hoosiers were 6-0 and ranked No. 16 in the last AP poll. The Hoosiers have a tough second half ahead of them, but a playoff appearance in their first year under Cignetti is certainly within reach.

UConn

On Saturday, October 5, the Huskies secured their fourth home win over the Temple Owls with a final score of 29-20. The final touchdown was scored in the final seconds of the game by Jordan Wright after a fumble. Photo by Mercer Ferguson/The Daily Campus.

UConn has been a pleasant surprise in college football this season, starting 4-2 in the third year of the Jim Mora era. UConn added 50 new players in the offseason, both in the transfer portal and through recruiting. After Maryland was throttled 50-7 in week one, many thought it would be the same old UConn. However, that wasn’t the case as UConn is undefeated at home and has knocked out a few teams. Some would say UConn has become a juggernaut. While their schedule will be a little more difficult, UConn has a good chance of achieving a winning record. A matchup with ACC member Wake Forest will set the tone for the rest of the season and could be monumental for the program.

Teams that fail to meet expectations

State of Florida

Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams (0) sends Florida State defensive back Conrad Hussey (12) to the ground before running past Florida State’s Fentrell Cypress II (23) into the end zone for his team’s first touchdown of the scoring during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Tallahassee, Florida. Photo by Colin Hackley/AP Photo.

Florida State is an obvious choice for this list as they are off to one of the worst starts in program history. After going undefeated in the regular season last year, the Seminoles entered the year ranked No. 10. They quickly fell out of the rankings after losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College and have declined ever since. They are ranked 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the ACC and have not been competitive in most games. The Seminoles are a long way from their undefeated start a season ago and need to win soon to salvage hope for this season, even if the damage has already been done.

Utah

Utah was the preseason favorite in the Big 12 and should be their representative for a playoff team. However, after star quarterback Cameron Rising was injured again, the Utes struggled to regain their footing. They currently have a record of 4-2, but are just 1-2 in conference play. They have lost two straight games to unranked teams and their season is just around the corner. Additionally, this is Rising’s second injury of the year and will miss this week’s matchup against TCU. Utah was supposed to be a playoff team, but due to injuries to their quarterback and inconsistent play, they could continue to struggle as the season progresses.

Ole Miss

LSU cornerback Ashton Stamps (1) breaks up a pass intended for Mississippi wide receiver Tre Harris (9) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, April 12. October 2024. Photo by Matthew Hinton /AP Photo.

Lane Kiffin’s team was the No. 1 seed in the transfer portal and returned Heisman-contender quarterback Jaxson Dart. They were No. 7 in the AP preseason poll but have since lost two of their last three games. One of them went to Kentucky, where they were two touchdown favorites to beat the Wildcats at home. The other game was against LSU, where they blew a double-digit lead and lost in overtime. As Dart said in his post-game press conference, they would have to win to get into the playoffs. Although their schedule is favorable, they still face Georgia and cannot afford any slip-ups against other teams. If Kiffin and the Rebels fail to top the standings, questions will be raised about Ole Miss’ disappointing year.