The Surprises

Leesl: Wow, what a crazy weekend in college football! We saw some teams make some huge statements, and others just fall completely apart. Let’s get right into it, what were your biggest surprises?

Andy: You know, there’s been a lot of chaos, but for me, a few teams have really jumped out as pleasant surprises. I’m thinking of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, for one. They’re 3-0 and have already beaten two Power 4 teams in Colorado and Clemson. With four winnable games up next and no currently ranked opponents on their schedule, the buzz is they will seriously compete for the ACC Championship this year!

Leesl: Absolutely, they have been incredible. My surprise is the Miami Hurricanes. We thought they would be good, but beating both Notre Dame and South Florida was not expected. South Florida had beaten Boise State and Florida by a combined 29 points, and then Miami came out and beat them by 37. They have an easy game this week, and then a showdown with FSU—the storm is definitely coming!

Andy: (sigh) As much as it pains me to say this, I have to give a Texas team credit. My third surprise is the Texas A&M Aggies. After their fast start to the season, they have surged from preseason #19 to the Top 10, defeating my not-so-Fighting Irish with a fourth-and-goal touchdown in the final seconds of the game. Aggieland is feeling some serious “Good Bull” with the momentum head coach Elko is building in his second season!

The Setbacks

Leesl: Now that we’ve talked about the good, let’s get into the bad. What’s been the biggest disappointment so far?

Andy: My vote for the biggest disappointment has to be the Kansas State Wildcats. They’ve been anything but “wild” and have underperformed in all four games. Their offense and defense have both gotten worse from game to game. A 3-point win over North Dakota is nothing to brag about, especially when the Wildcats were predicted to challenge for the Big 12 Championship this year. With eight conference games remaining, they have a tough road ahead!

Leesl: Hold on for a minute, Andy! As a proud K-State mom, I can tell you that those Wildcats are far from a disappointment. They might have a tough road ahead, but their true colors will show in conference play. I’m not giving up on them yet!

Andy: Alright, alright. I’ll concede your passionate defense of the Wildcats. But if we’re looking at pure performance, my next disappointment is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As a fan, I’m worried their season could already be over. With a 0-2 start and losses to Miami and Texas A&M, their offense has been terrible, and the quarterback looks overmatched. The defense is giving up over 400 yards a game, including over 280 passing yards. While it is technically possible to reach the playoffs, they would have to win every remaining game on their schedule—a true test of their fighting spirit!

Leesl: I completely agree on Notre Dame. But for me, the biggest disappointment has to be the UCLA Bruins. If you searched the internet for the word “embarrassing,” this team’s logo was your result. They’re now 0-3 after being expected to be a top 25 contender. These weren’t just losses; they were absolute disasters, losing two home games by 33 and 25 points. The firing of their head coach immediately after game three clearly shows the severity of the situation. The bears are hibernating early this year!

The Final Statement

This season has been a whirlwind so far, and with conference play heating up, we’re sure to see even more surprises and disappointments. We’ve given our take, but what about yours? What are your biggest college football surprises and disappointments so far? Let us know in the comments below!