The last two weekends in college football have provided fans with some of the biggest entertainment we have seen in years. Unbelievable upsets, nail-biting finishes and overtime games have left fans on the edge of their seats all season. Since the start of the season, many teams have exceeded expectations, while others have fallen below expectations. This column will touch on three teams that have beaten preseason expectations and three programs that have failed to meet their expectations.
Teams who exceeded expectations
Vanderbilt
The Commodores have been the bottom dwellers of the SEC for decades now and have been what some would say is a free win anytime they come on their schedule. However, this year, Vanderbilt has not only been a force in their conference, but they have also been a giant killer. In week one, they knocked off one of the ACC favorites, Virginia Tech. This win set the tone for the rest of their season. In week six, the Commodores had their biggest win in program history after knocking off Alabama, who, at the time, was the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Vanderbilt is off to its best start in years and has been one of the storylines of the season.
Indiana
In the last few years, Indiana has been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, prompting them to fire their head coach, Tom Allen. After hiring former James Madison coach Curt Cignetti, fans of the program were excited for their future. Cignetti has a reputation for winning everywhere he has gone and that was the expectation for the Hoosiers. Though winning was the expectation, year one was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Indiana. This has yet to be the case, with the Hoosiers going 6-0 and being ranked No. 16 in the last AP poll. The Hoosiers have a tough second half of the schedule, but a playoff appearance in year one under Cignetti is certainly within reach.
UConn
UConn has been a pleasant surprise in college football this season and is off to a 4-2 start in year three of the Jim Mora era. UConn took in 50 new players in the off-season, both in the transfer portal and through recruiting. After being throttled 50-7 by Maryland week one, many thought this would be the same old UConn. This has not been the case, with UConn undefeated at home and blowing some teams out. Some would say UConn has turned into a juggernaut. While their schedule will get a little more difficult, UConn has a great shot at having 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 Failing to Meet Expectations
Florida State
Florida State is an obvious choice to make 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 were ranked No. 10 to start the year. They quickly fell out of the rankings after losses to both Georgia Tech and Boston College, and have worsened since. They are 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the ACC, and have been noncompetitive in most games. The Seminoles are far away from their undefeated start a season ago and will need to win soon to save any hope for this season, although the damage has been done.
Utah
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson, left, throws the football during an NCAA college football game against Arizona, Saturday, Sept. 28 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by Tyler Tate/AP Photo.
Utah was the preseason favorite in the Big 12 and was expected to be their representative for a playoff team. However, after star quarterback Cameron Rising got hurt again, the Utes have struggled to find their footing. They currently have a 4-2 record, but just 1-2 in conference play. They have dropped two games in a row to unranked teams, and their season is on the ropes. On top of that, this is Rising’s second injury of the year and will be out for this week’s matchup against TCU. Utah was supposed to be a playoff team, but with injuries to their quarterback and inconsistent play, they may continue to struggle down the stretch of the season.
Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin’s team had the number one class in the transfer portal and returned Heisman contender quarterback Jaxson Dart. They were No. 7 in the AP preseason poll but have since dropped two of their past three games. One of them went to Kentucky, where they were two touchdown favorites to beat the Wildcats at home. The other one was to LSU on the road, where they blew a double-digit lead and lost overtime. As Dart said in his postgame press conference, they would need to win out to make it to the playoffs. While their schedule is favorable, they will still face Georgia and cannot afford any slipups to any other teams. If Kiffin and the Rebels fail to run the table, questions about the disappointing year at Ole Miss will be raised.