College Football: The Most Disappointing and Surprising Teams in Each Coference

With Week 5 in the books a lot of expectations have been broken around college football and few surprises have popped up. Everyone saw the Texas A&M move to the SEC, but we were all caught off-guard when the ACC poached Pitt and Syracuse virtually destroying a great basketball conference. 

We knew Alabama, LSU, and Oklahoma were high caliber teams and they continue to prove that, but we didn't know Auburn, Kansas State and Washington would be good as well.  Who would have guessed a quarterback from Baylor would be sitting atop many Heisman ballots at this point in the season? I know I didn't.

There have been a few falls from greatness as well, with Florida State going down and what the heck happened to Ohio State?  For every fan that is excited for an upset victory there is another fan across the field that has to mull over the disappointment of losing an easily winnable game. 

But that is the beauty of college football and why most of us love the game.  So to cultivate your pride or to vent your disgust here is a breakdown of which team has disappointed or surprised us the most from each conference.

ACC

Disappointing: Miami

Miami wasn't necessarily the favorite in the ACC, but at the beginning of the season I would have said coming out of Week 5 that the Hurricanes would be 4-0.  Instead they are 2-2 after losing to a Maryland team that was handled by Temple and also falling to a surprising Kansas State. 

They do have a win against Ohio State but this is definitely not the Ohio State team of yore. With tough upcoming games against Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State and USF, Miami may be heading in the direction of a 6-6 season. 

Surprising: Clemson

On the flip side if you were to ask me how I feel about Clemson coming out of Week 5 at the beginning of the season, I would have said they would probably be 2-3 or maybe 3-2.  But instead Clemson has come roaring up beating Auburn, Florida State and then crushed Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  The Tigers have two more tests on their schedule in No. 18 South Carolina and No. 13 Georgia Tech.  If they can come away with wins in those games, Clemson could make a case for the National Championship.

Big East

Disappointing: UConn

Though no one expected UConn to repeat their Big East success from last year, many assumed by now they would have at least three wins.  Losing to Vanderbilt, Iowa State and Western Michigan (a middle of the road MAC team), has created a significant setback.  Don't expect things to get better as they face West Virginia, South Florida, and Pitt over the next three weeks.  Do expect UConn to leave October with no chance of becoming bowl eligible this season. 

Surprising: Rutgers

Rutgers, for all intents and purposes, was picked to finish last in the Big East this year.  Currently they are 3-1 after beating Syracuse on Saturday and are sitting atop the standings.  Though their wins are not necessarily quality, they weren't expected to have three wins by this point in the season.  With Louisville, Army and UConn remaining on their schedule, you may see Rutgers reach the six wins that are necessary for bowl eligibility. 

Big Ten

Disappointing: Ohio State

Many of the preseason polls had the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten. Though they are still a winning team as of right now, they still have to face Penn State, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Four out of those five teams are ranked.  If they show up to those games like they did against Michigan State, you may see the first losing Ohio State team since 1988. 

Surprising: Illinois

Illinois has overcome some very close contests having been tied or behind heading into the fourth quarter in every game over the past three weeks.  Saturday's win over Northwestern marks the first time Illinois has won its Big Ten opener since 2007.  Though the remainder of their schedule is very tough, if they can upset No. 4 Wisconsin and handle Penn State, you may see Illinois in the Big Ten championship game.  

Big XII

Disappointing: Texas A&M

The disappointment of Texas A&M is two-fold.  The first is their decision to head to the SEC, leading to endless arguments about the future of college football and adding fuel to the fire of super conference talk and putting even bigger dollar signs in the eyes of the major football programs.

Second, has been the Aggies' play in the past two matchups.  They have had major second-half meltdowns in their last two games being outscored by a total of 52-12 in the third and fourth quarters.  As of right now, there is nothing showing us that this team deserves to be ranked with their only wins coming against SMU and Idaho.  With Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all waiting, the Big 12 may send Texas A&M off to the SEC without a bowl.

Surprising: Kansas State

After already putting up a good win against Miami, the Wildcats have defied the predictions by being undefeated even before getting a win over Heisman candidate Robert Griffin III and his Baylor Bears.  Kansas State is likely to win three more games in the regular season and it is entirely possible that they finish the season with 10 wins and a bowl victory.  With Texas A&M faltering just before their exit to the SEC, it is nice to see other teams like Kansas State step up.   

Conference USA

Disappointment: Alabama-Birmingham

Picked as a middle of the road C-USA team with the potential to upset a few in-conference foes this year, UAB has done nothing but lose.  Tulane was their most painful defeat as it was a game that they were supposed to win, but ended up losing by their largest margin this season.  Though it was expected that they would lose to Florida, the body of their work this entire season has been absolutely atrocious.  With Mississippi State and Tulsa coming up expect this team to be one of the first FBS teams to become ineligible for bowl play.

Surprise: Marshall

Everyone expects SMU and Houston to do well this year and they are.  What no one expected is that Marshall would have two wins when some preseason polls had them picked last in the C-USA east.  They are currently tied for first in the C-USA standings after their win over a Southern Mississippi team that a few polls had picked to win the C-USA east.  Though the Thundering Herd are 2-3, two of those losses came against West Virginia and Virginia Tech, which was expected.  They did slip up against Ohio but this past weekend they beat Louisville of the Big East.  

Mid-American Conference

Disappointing: Northern Illinois

The Huskies' biggest disappointment came this weekend when they lost to Central Michigan, a team that a few polls had finishing near the bottom of the MAC. They were also disappointed when they lost to, quite possibly, the worst Kansas team in Big 12 history. With Northern Illinois already off to a shaky start, the directional Michigan schools (Central, Western, and Eastern) putting up good numbers and a potential loss against Toledo on the horizon, the Huskies may be staring down a losing season.

Surprising: Ball State

Picked to finish last in more then a few of the MAC preseason polls, this team is currently sitting as the top team in the MAC West.  Having lost to Oklahoma and South Florida, the Cardinals put up some nice wins against Indiana and Army.  Though the remainder of their schedule is very tough by MAC standards, this team has a definite chance of returning to a bowl game after missing one last year.

Mountain West Conference

Disappointing: Texas Christian

A year after their Rose Bowl win and, really, what should have been a team that went to the National Championship, the Horned Frogs have begun their slip into oblivion.  Having lost to both Baylor and SMU (both games they were favored in), TCU has now dropped completely out of the polls.

With potential losses against San Diego State, BYU and a surging Wyoming, TCU may have to hinge its potential bowl eligibility on defeating No. 5 Boise State in Boise.  Something that, quite frankly, is not possible for this TCU team.  The Mountain West would love to send the Horned Frogs off to the Big East without a bowl this year.

Surprising: Wyoming

After winning only three games last year, the Wyoming Cowboys have matched that mark in their first four games.  The Cowboys were picked to finish second to last in the MWC and their only loss thus far comes from No. 8 Nebraska.  Looking ahead, Wyoming could have wins against Utah State, UNLV, New Mexico and Colorado State, leading to a definite bowl bid.  Finally, TCU may also be primed for an upset when they make a trip to Laramie in early November.  

PAC-12

Disappointing: Oregon State

The Beavers were placed as high as third in a few preseason polls this year, but they have shown that this year they may be the worst team in the BCS, let alone the PAC-12.  The biggest disappointment comes from their season opener where Sacramento State, a division 1-AA school with a record of 2-3, upset Oregon State in Corvallis.  Oregon State is well on their way to their second losing season in a row and given the rest of their schedule, they may not have a single win this entire season.

Surprising: Washington

Currently, sitting at No. 1 with Stanford in the PAC-12 North, the Huskies are performing better than expected after defeating Utah, Cal and WAC favorite Hawaii.  Some polls had Washington finishing fifth in the PAC-12 North, but this team has proven they have upset-potential and will definitely be returning to a bowl.  Could Washington be moving back in to position as one of the elite teams in the PAC-12?  It is possible this year, so Stanford and Oregon may have their work cut out for them. 

Southeastern Conference

Disappointing: Georgia

I hate to say it because Georgia has been performing very well lately and their only two losses were to Boise State and South Carolina, two teams which were ranked ahead of them.  The reason for them being placed here is due to the fact that Georgia was picked to win the SEC East in multiple polls.  This still can happen if they defeat Florida but Bulldog fans remain a bit cautious after their 0-2 start.

Many would argue Ole Miss or Mississippi state are worse in the SEC and they would be right, but we expected those teams to lose.  If you asked Georgia fans if they thought their team would have two losses at the beginning of the season, the majority would have said no.    

Surprising: Auburn

Auburn was completely discounted this season after winning the National Championship last year.  The reason?  It was assumed that no Cam Newton, no winning season.  Well, they certainly proved everyone wrong having beaten No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 10 South Carolina.  Their only loss comes against a Clemson team that is currently ranked No. 8. 

Do I think Auburn has the potential to challenge teams in the SEC west?  Definitely.  However, with LSU and Alabama sitting in front of them it is unlikely they repeat their SEC championship success from last year.   

Sun Belt

Disappointing: Western Kentucky

At least one poll had Western Kentucky as high as No. 4 in the Sun Belt conference, but they have proven they should have been much lower.  With their 0-4 record, Western Kentucky has lost to Indiana State and Arkansas State.  Looking ahead to their upcoming matchups, the Hilltoppers could easily rack up another five losses leading to yet another losing season. 

Surprising: Louisiana-Lafayette

The Ragin' Cajuns were picked last in virtually every single preseason poll for the Sun Belt conference, yet they currently sit at the top of the conference having beaten Florida International, the team picked to win the Sun Belt Conference.  At 2-0, there is a high probability this team could have 10 wins by the end of the season given that the rest of their in-conference foes are struggling.

Western Athletic Conference

Disappointment: Hawaii

With Boise State out of the picture, Hawaii was supposed to be the team that takes the WAC to its next BCS bowl with a schedule that they could have easily handled.  Though they are 3-2 and stand atop the WAC, failing to step up against Washington, and being embarrassed by UNLV has eliminated any chance of the Warriors attending a bowl outside of their home state. 

They are still favored to win the WAC and will look forward to moving to the MWC next year, but those two losses have put a major damper on Hawaii's season.

Surprise: Utah State

Don't let their 1-3 record fool you.  Were it not for a perfect onside kick this team would have defeated Auburn.  It also took BYU and Colorado State well into the fourth quarter to come back and beat the Aggies in the past weeks.  Utah State only lost to all three of those teams by a combined eight points. This team may be a dark horse contender for the WAC championship, especially if Hawaii or Fresno State overlook them.