The college football season is a roller coaster. Every team has its ups and its downs. These five teams have delivered beyond their preseason expectations, making them the five most surprising teams so far in the 2016 college football season….
#5 Western Michigan Broncos (7-0)
We thought the Broncos would be good this season as we tabbed them 43rd in our preseason poll. So far, they have significantly outperformed our expectations.
Through seven games, the Broncos stand at 7-0 and are ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25. They went 2-0 in the Big Ten (victories over Northwestern and Illinois) and have also beaten three other good mid-major teams in Akron, Central Michigan, and Georgia Southern.
They are No. 2 in the MAC in total offense and No. 1 in rushing offense and scoring offense. The key to their success, though, is that they are also having a fantastic year on defense, as they rank 2nd in the league in total defense and 1st in scoring defense.
#4 Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-0)
We were bullish on the Huskers this preseason placing them 30th in our poll. So far, Nebraska has significantly outperformed our prediction for them.
The Huskers currently sit at No. 8 in the country with a 6-0 record. The big question that still remains is if they are for real.
Nebraska’s biggest wins are over Oregon and Indiana. Oregon has had an awful season, and Indiana is good, but unspectacular. The Cornhuskers will really start their season in two weeks when they play Wisconsin and then Ohio State.
#3 Wisconsin Badgers (4-2)
Wisconsin is 4-2 overall but just 1-2 in their conference. The Badgers have also lost two straight games. So why are they on our list of the most surprising teams in college football?
The two losses the Badgers have are both to Top 5 teams, and they are both by just one touchdown. Wisconsin also holds a quality season-opening win over LSU and beat Michigan State in East Lansing.
When we looked at Wisconsin’s schedule before the season, the fear was that it may have four losses at this point. The fact that it has only has two losses and have played so well in defeat makes it one our of top surprises of the season. When you look at the Badgers schedule, it’s all downhill from here. They could very well end up with just two conference losses when all is said and done.
#2 Louisville Cardinals (5-1)
We thought the Cardinals would be pretty good this year and tabbed them as No. 14 in our preseason poll. So far, they have definitely out performed those expectations with a 5-1 record and their only loss coming at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.
Lamar Jackson has been a huge surprise and has cemented himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate (and the front-runner at this point in the season).
The success of the Cardinals goes beyond Jackson. They also rank 4th in the conference in total defense and are holding opponents to a 29% conversion rate on third down.
The Cardinals are a contender and if they keep playing the way they are, who knows how far they can go.
#1 Texas A&M Aggies (6-0)
Who thought Texas A&M would be the 6th ranked team in the country as it heads into its showdown against Alabama this weekend?
The Aggies have found their offense. They finished 2015 ranked 6th in total offense in the SEC; this season they rank first. Trevor Knight’s stats don’t jump off the page at you, but he’s been a great fit and has made the plays he needs to make to lift the Aggies. Freshman Trayveon Williams has also given the Aggies that boost of playmaker that has really helped this offense.
The Aggies defense is giving up yardage, but it is only giving up 19.2 ppg and has been very good in the red zone. The Aggies big test is this weekend, but right now they are our most surprising team of 2016.
