Five teams in college football have the ability to shock the world and actually compete at a high level without anyone knowing it.
College football preseason hype is a tricky thing to get caught up in. Paying too close of attention to preseason rankings can keep your focus away from what actually matters with the start of the season every August. Yet, talking about which teams have the best chance at appearing in the College Football Playoff is one of the most fun things you can do to pass the time during the offseason.
There’s always a few teams that get lost in the mix of teams that should be talked about but no one actually recognizes as legitimate title contenders. All the teams on this list are not ranked in the Amway Coaches Poll top 25 that came out about a week ago.
Most of the five teams mentioned here are Power Five conference teams. However, all Group of Five teams were still considered as well. It’s just so much more difficult for a Group of Five team to actually get into the Playoff picture. The Houston Cougars had a chance last year with victories against the Oklahoma Sooners and Louisville Cardinals. Losses to teams like the Navy Midshipmen and SMU Mustangs ultimately cost the Cougars any chance of making the Playoff. Things fell off the rails rather quick for Tom Herman and the Cougars.
The main thing that this article is meant to do is to finally give recognition to five teams that will pose threats to the top teams in their respective conferences. If nothing else, every team on this list should be in a respectable bowl game.
Now, let’s take a look at five teams that nobody is talking about but everyone should be.
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The NC State Wolfpack are one of the forgotten members of the ACC. With teams like the Florida State Seminoles, Clemson Tigers, Louisville Cardinals, Virginia Tech Hokies, Miami Hurricanes, etc., constantly getting the bulk of the hype in the ACC, NC State has a chance to surprise some folks in 2017.
Players like defensive end Bradley Chubb and quarterback Ryan Finley headline a roster that should have been put in the Coaches Poll top 25. Chubb will be a top 10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Finley could be one of the breakout stars in college football this year.
Moreover, look out for the running back trio of senior Dakwa Nichols and juniors Nyheim Hines and Brady Bodine. Hines is a wide receiver converted to a running back that has provided value for NC State both on offense and on special teams.
One of the games going under the radar in Week 1 that could be a great watch for numerous college football fans is NC State against the South Carolina Gamecocks. That game will tell how good the Wolfpack can be in 2017.
Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien steadily improved his numbers last year after a big freshman campaign in 2015. Rypien threw for more than 3,600 yards and 24 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. He’ll lead a Bronco squad that could be the Group of Five representative in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
Sophomore running back Alexander Mattison has the responsibility of replacing Boise State’s biggest producer over the past two seasons of offense, Jeremy McNichols. However, Mattison averaged 5.3 yards per carry last year and the same type of average could mean big things for him in this year.
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The three toughest tests for the Broncos come against the BYU Cougars, Washington State Cougars, and the Virginia Cavaliers. A return to the Mountain West Championship Game would be the first step for Boise State to really making a big run. Their regular season finale loss to the Air Force Falcons cost them the chance to play in the MWC Title Game last year.
The TCU Horned Frogs are not even close to the most talked about Big 12 team in the state of Texas this offseason. With the addition of former Houston head coach Tom Herman, the Texas Longhorns have caught the national spotlight and have not let it go since he was first hired.
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With an improved defense and another year of quarterback Kenny Hill and running back Kyle Hicks, the Frogs look poised to at least make some noise in the Big 12. TCU has proved since they joined the Big 12 that they can defeat even the best of teams on any given Saturday.
As long as Hill can minimize the turnovers then TCU will be a dangerous dark horse to overtake Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, West Virginia, and Kansas State. An appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game would be a huge step forward for the TCU football program.
Head coach Gary Patterson has never been one to doubt and the last time TCU finished with a losing record in the Big 12, they followed that up with a one-loss season in 2014.
The Washington State Cougars were the closest team to getting inside the top 25, that was left out. Wazzu received 99 votes in the Coaches Poll, good for No. 26. Furthermore, three of the first four games of the season come against easier opponents and could give the Cougars a boost into the top 25.
Wazzu faces Montana State, Boise State, Oregon State, and Nevada, in their first four games of the 2017 season. Quarterback Luke Falk can kick off his Heisman campaign in style with four weaker defenses to build his stat line.
The Wazzu and Boise State game in Week 2 is one to watch because it could have a huge effect on two teams that could still be in the New Year’s Six Bowl picture by the end of the year. Most of all, Wazzu has to overcome the competition in the Pac-12 North.
The Washington Huskies, Oregon Ducks, Stanford Cardinal and Utah Utes, are all sure to be tough opponents for any team in the country.
Arkansas received 22 votes in the Coaches Poll, less than the Nebraska Cornhuskers who got 23 and the same as the Memphis Tigers. That’s downright disrespectful for an Arkansas team with as good of a quarterback as senior Austin Allen.
Another season and another starting quarterback with the last name Allen for the Razorbacks. However, this should be the best year with any Allen in Fayetteville yet. Austin Allen threw 25 touchdown passes but also 15 interceptions in 2016. Bringing down the interception number is Allne’s biggest key to success in 2017.
With the unexpected departure of Rawleigh Williams III, Arkansas is left with talented sophomore running back and former five-star recruit Devwah Whaley as the lone starter in the backfield. In limited action, Whaley totaled 741 total yards and three touchdowns.
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Competing in the SEC West is not easy for any team, let alone one that just posted a record of 3-5 in the SEC in the previous year. However, with the doubt fueling head coach Bret Bielema and Arkansas in 2017 they could do some great things while flying under the radar.