- Several teams, including Indiana and Virginia, have exceeded early-season expectations.
- A number of first-year coaches, such as UNLV’s Dan Mullen, are finding immediate success.
- Alabama has recovered from an opening-week loss to become the nation’s highest-ranked one-loss team.
Clemson losing three of four out of the gate. No. 17 Texas losing twice. Bill Belichick going winless against the Power Four. Penn State firing James Franklin.
The first half of college football’s regular season was jammed with surprises, from the disappearing act of many preseason College Football Playoff contenders through the Nittany Lions’ decision to kickstart what will be an unpredictable coaching cycle.
But some of these are surprises of the more positive variety, featuring unexpected results and successes such as UCLA’s in-season resurgence after a coaching change, No. 19 Virginia’s wildly improved offense and Navy’s unbeaten start.
On a conference level, the Cavaliers, No. 12 Georgia Tech and No. 2 Miami have helped the ACC overcome Clemson’s malaise and another fiasco from Florida State.
Before moving ahead to the meat-and-potatoes portion of the regular season, USA TODAY Sports looks back at the most pleasant surprises of the first half:
Indiana is better than ever
In this case, “better than ever” means better than last season, when Indiana had the most successful season in modern program history under first-year coach Curt Cignetti.
The third-ranked Hoosiers are clearly improved. The most recent proof came in last weekend’s 30-20 win at No. 9 Oregon, the Ducks’ first Big Ten loss since joining the conference.
While new quarterback Fernando Mendoza has built a Heisman Trophy case after transferring from California, the Hoosiers’ strengths are deeper than just Cignetti’s foolproof scheme. Indiana is extremely good on both lines and shockingly physical given the program’s long-held reputation as a Big Ten doormat.
Maybe no team has better playoff odds at the midway point. The Hoosiers close the regular season with Michigan State, UCLA and Wisconsin at home, and Maryland, Penn State and Purdue on the road.
Alabama gets back on track
A loss to Florida State in the opener raised the already high level of scrutiny on Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer after his debut season crashed and burn in the second half.
But the No. 6 Crimson Tide have rallied in a major way with a five-game winning streak that includes three SEC wins against ranked competition – No. 7 Georgia, No. 16 Missouri and No. 18 Vanderbilt. This run has made Alabama the highest-ranked one-loss team in the country.
One big key has been the rapid development of new starting quarterback Ty Simpson, who may be one of the leaders for the Heisman thanks to his 18 combined touchdowns against only one interception.
Virginia arrives on the ACC scene
The Cavaliers’ last winning season came in 2019. Fourth-year coach Tony Elliott went into this campaign at 11-22 overall and just 6-17 in ACC play. But thanks to imports, including former North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris, Virginia heads into the second half tied with Georgia Tech atop the ACC.
American’s unmatched depth
There are a few scenarios — and only a few — that could knock the American champion out of the Group of Five’s playoff seat. UNLV could run the table in the Mountain West and sneak into the playoff in Dan Mullen’s first season. Boise State could win out and point to losses to No. 23 South Florida and No. 15 Notre Dame.
The gap has widened between the American and the rest of the Group of Five. No other Group of Five conference comes close to matching the American’s depth. These top four teams in conference standings — Navy, South Florida, No. 20 Memphis and Tulane — have posted wins against Boise State, Florida, Arkansas, Duke and Northwestern.
Cincinnati climbs the Big 12 ladder
After two very subpar seasons under coach Scott Satterfield, the No. 24 Bearcats have arrived as a Big 12 dark horse thanks to standouts such as quarterback Brendan Sorsby, one of the nation’s most efficient passers.
After losing 20-17 to Nebraska in the opener, Cincinnati has rolled off five wins in a row highlighted by a road against Kansas and an upset of then-No. 21 Iowa State. While Texas Tech is the team to beat in the Big 12, the Bearcats could be the Red Raiders’ biggest threat.
First-year coach success stories
While Belichick has flopped at North Carolina, several first-year coaches have hit the ground running:
- After three years in the broadcast booth, UNLV coach Dan Mullen is 6-0 with the help of a few thrilling wins, including last weekend’s 51-48 shootout victory against Air Force.
- Longtime NFL running back Eddie George is 3-3 at Bowling Green with a big upset of Toledo.
- A two-time national champion at North Dakota State, new Fresno State coach Matt Entz is 5-2 and has the Bulldogs position as one of several Mountain West teams in the hunt for the conference championship game.
Other first-year coaches who are experiencing success are Purdue’s Barry Odom, Temple’s K.C. Keeler, Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert and Southern Mississippi’s Charles Huff.
Heisman Trophy sleepers
Simpson might be termed as a Heisman sleeper, though it’s always hard for Alabama’s starter to fly under the radar.
A player who definitely qualifies as an off-the-radar contender is Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who has run with the starting job after replacing an injured Austin Simmons in early September.
He’s won all four of his starts while throwing for 1,227 yards on 9.9 yards per attempt and running for 273 yards with nine total touchdowns, three on the ground.
A few fast-rising Heisman contenders from the first half:
- No. 21 Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava leads the FBS with 10.8 yards per pass attempt after completing 78.1% of his throws for 265 yards in last weekend’s win against Michigan.
- Diego Pavia struggled in Vanderbilt’s loss to Alabama but still stands as the program’s strongest Heisman contender in decades thanks to his 14 touchdown passes and 352 rushing yards on 5.9 yards per carry.
- Sophomore Dylan Raiola has Nebraska knocking on the door of the US LBM Coaches Poll in Matt Rhule’s third season thanks to a strong grasp of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s scheme.
- While he missed the Gardner-Webb game with a lower-body injury, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King has three 100-yard rushing games and 13 total touchdowns to help carry the Yellow Jackets to the top of the ACC.
Others making a Heisman run include Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton and Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain.
