The season is a month old, but it’s already been full of surprises.
Some are better than others. Hyped quarterbacks such as Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier have underwhelmed. Unknowns such as Trinidad Chambliss have thrived. John Mateer and Rueben Bain have enjoyed breakout seasons.
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But which teams have been the biggest disappointments? And which have excelled, suggesting expectations were too low?
Here are five(ish) of each.
Most disappointing
Clemson
The Tigers opened the season as the clear ACC favorite (167 of 183 first-place votes in the preseason poll) and a trendy pick to win the national title. Klubnik also started the season as one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.
A month into the season, the Tigers are tied for last place in the ACC and, at 1-3, aren’t receiving a single vote in either major poll. The Tigers have losses to LSU, Georgia Tech and Syracuse. In their only win, they trailed Troy 0-16 before the Tigers rallied in the second half for a 27-16 victory. The Tigers’ roster, stocked with All-Americans on both sides of the ball, is 116th in scoring offense.
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