Most surprising/Most disappointing CFB teams for 2024

[long green]

College football is here but I haven’t done my usual two prediction threads for the most and least disappointing teams for this upcoming (in hours) season. The blowing up of the Pac 12 and the mountaintop removal of the Big 12 have blown schedules apart and that has made handicapping teams much more difficult. The fact that LSU doesn’t play Mississippi State this year hits me like the death of a distant relative.

This year’s thread is combined into one and is dedicated to that late rivalry (dear Aunt Wanda).

Surprise team: oh what the hell, I’ll take USC. Caleb Williams is showing himself to be everything Tulane fans thought he would be. That should bode ill for USC right? I’m going to predict that Williams’ absence will take pressure off of Lincoln Riley. The new guy, Moss, will do very well and I think USC will be a factor throughout the season.

Disappointing team: Alabama. Nick Saban was the kid who not only blew the curve for The rest of the class, he did extra credit and Finished with a 104 average. Kalen Deboer might very well be an A student, but with a 95 average. How are Alabama fans going to react to the absence of those nine extra average points? I predict they will react with their usual grace and patience.

[ml wave]

Surprise team: oh what the hell, I’ll take USC. Caleb Williams is showing himself to be everything Tulane fans thought he would be. That should bode ill for USC right? I’m going to predict that Williams’ absence will take pressure off of Lincoln Riley. The new guy, Moss, will do very well and I think USC will be a factor throughout the season.

From your keyboard...
I don't know about throughout the season, but if they're a surprise team in week 1...the meltdown would be glorious.

[long green]

I don’t think LSU is winning the title next year but their fans should be thinking about 2024 like it’s 2018. Let the new QB take control and take their shot next year. A loss to USC in the opener would just be part of that process. Not that they’d treat it that way.

[PeteRasche]

I don't follow all the other teams nearly enough to guess who might be a surprise but I'm sticking with my belief that UTSA is going to be a disappointment, at least in terms of all the attention they're getting. I don't think they'll be the slightest factor in the G5 competition for the CFP nor a real threat to win the AAC. They will end up no better than 8-4 (acknowledging that we'd have killed for that record for decades) but will be destroyed by Texas so badly they'll be forgotten in any CFP talk, and they'll lose at least one, possibly two, conference games besides Memphis. I wouldn't be surprised if they lose to ECU, which is early and would stick a fork in their season. .

This is based on the fact they dominated a horrible CUSA for two years with one of their program's all-time QBs (yet who wasn't even an NFL thought, which says a lot), then came to the AAC and played virtually the same quality schedule (all the old CUSA teams and only the worst AAC teams), until finishing with Tulane who dominated the game from start to finish despite missing key players and having a hobbled QB. I still don't understand how all these pundits have missed this fact. And now they are auditioning a new QB and everyone thinks they'll be a CFP contender? Until I see otherwise, they're still a "high CUSA" level program.

[waverider]

I’m kind of torn. I want to pick Oregon as my National Champion and the most disappointing at the same time. Towards the end of last season I was already looking at them as a NC contender, then everyone started picking them this year as well.

Another I’m torn on is Ole Miss. They could surprise a lot of teams this season, but they too have a lot of hype and could easily fall well short of expectations. (Like USC, I just need them to win 1 game!)

As much as I’d like to see Miami do well, I think they fall below expectations.

Surprise team will be SMU doing better in their first year of the ACC than the other 3 that left for the B12. Clemson will likely be back on top of the conference.

Houston could surprise everyone and not finish dead last in the Big12.

Boise St will be the disappointing team after getting all the hype. The only caveat is after Oregon, they should beat the rest of their schedule pretty easily.

In conference, I’ll go with USF. Though ranked pretty low, a lot of people think their QB, Brown, is the best in the conference and I have even seen them as a long shot for the AAC title.

[waverider]

Maybe I’m wrong about SMU who is struggling as they move up to face powerhouse Nevada from the… MWC Conference. It’s only half time but SMU trails 17-10.

SMU scores a TD with a minute or so left and holds on to win 29-24. A muffed kickoff put Nevada on the 2 yd line which lead to a safety.

[windywave]

UVA....the answer is always UVA

[long green]

‘rider, I think Oregon is always a good bet to be disappointing. As for Ole Miss, there’s another dead old annual game, Ole Miss versus Vanderbilt. That means their weakest league opponent is Mississippi State, who is willing to die in the attempt of ruining Ole Miss’s season. Also, aside from Vandy, Ole Miss played a lot of close games in league play last year. Now they have a probable extra one.

[tulaneoutlaw]

I think Miami makes the playoff.

I think Ole Miss misses the playoff despite much fanfare.

I bet either Oregon St. or Washington St wins the Pac 12

[Baywave1]

Clemson gets stomped today by No 1 UGA. One advantage of beatdown is it just adds another little motivation to Tigers to leave ACC ASAP so it can get more money elsewhere to compete with SEC big boys.

ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

[waverider]

Clemson gets stomped today by No 1 UGA. One advantage of beatdown is it just adds another little motivation to Tigers to leave ACC ASAP so it can get more money elsewhere to compete with SEC big boys.

ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

They have the money, they need to use it on a coach who will adapt to the modern game.

[Roller]

...ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

We've read that book before. We'll get in just to experience the dissolution of the conference.

[GSx]

...ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

We've read that book before. We'll get in just to experience the dissolution of the conference.

Perhaps, but a dissolved AAC is better than the clown car in which we currently reside.

[Sophandros]

Clemson gets stomped today by No 1 UGA. One advantage of beatdown is it just adds another little motivation to Tigers to leave ACC ASAP so it can get more money elsewhere to compete with SEC big boys.

ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

Clemson got stomped because their coach refused to take advantage of NIL and the transfer portal. Every other school in the ACC has fully participated in the new environment. That Boy refuses to do so, and these last two seasons are the result.

[Sophandros]

...ACC settlement will start the falling dominoes likely opening spot for Tulane.

We've read that book before. We'll get in just to experience the dissolution of the conference.

Perhaps, but a dissolved AAC is better than the clown car in which we currently reside.

Exactly. An "ACC" with Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake, Syracuse, BC, SMU, Cal, Stanford, Memphis, Tulane, UVA, Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech is significantly better than where we are. I'm assuming Clemson, FSU, UNC, and NC State bail.

[long green]

Oh what the hell, I’ll take USC.

[waverider]

Oh what the hell, I’ll take USC.

At this point, who cares if they are a factor for the rest of the way

[long green]

Did anyone have Florida State in the Disappointing Team race? Because DJ Uiagalalei is trying to relegate those guys. It’s insane how bad he looks.

[waverider]

Did anyone have Florida State in the Disappointing Team race? Because DJ Uiagalalei is trying to relegate those guys. It’s insane how bad he looks.

After seeing him kill two other programs, what made Norvell think this would be different? The bee stung two others and now a third time.

[tulaneoutlaw]

Did anyone have Florida State in the Disappointing Team race? Because DJ Uiagalalei is trying to relegate those guys. It’s insane how bad he looks.

After seeing him kill two other programs, what made Norvell think this would be different? The bee stung two others and now a third time.

I don't think he killed oregon st. If anything, he looked a lot better there than at Clemson which probably made fsu think he could be serviceable

[doncecco]

Can we just call it now that FSU has officially won most disappointing?

[waverider]

Before the season I knew the low hanging fruit was Notre Dame for most disappointing team. The loss today to NIU proves it.

[PeteRasche]

... I'm sticking with my belief that UTSA is going to be a disappointment .... everyone thinks they'll be a CFP contender?...

Cashing this receipt in only week two!

[waverider]

... I'm sticking with my belief that UTSA is going to be a disappointment .... everyone thinks they'll be a CFP contender?...

Cashing this receipt in only week two!

I recognized it in the weekly AAC thread, adding that I didn’t think there was too much pushback on that pick.

[waverider]

A lot of hype for Preston Stone before the season. He was the reason people (myself included) thought they would be able to compete. Three weeks in and he’s already been replaced by the backup, Jennings, who beat us in the AAC championship game.