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College Football: Biggest dark-horse to win each Power Five league in 2022

By Connor Muldowney

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 30: Juju McDowell #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with E.J. Jenkins #13 following a touchdown run during the first half of the Duke's Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 30: Juju McDowell #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with E.J. Jenkins #13 following a touchdown run during the first half of the Duke's Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium on December 30, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Each Power Five college football conference is going to have some surprise contenders in 2022, but here are the ones that I believe could win their leagues.

College football’s Power Five conferences are riddled with dark-horse contenders every year and 2022 will be no different.

There are a handful of perennial powerhouses that always seem to be in the playoff conversation no matter what like Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson, but last year witnessed a handful of dark-horses winning their respective conferences, shocking the nation.

Michigan rose up and won the Big Ten for the first time since 2004, beating Ohio State in The Game for the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era. No one expected the Wolverines to be this good after a 2-4 season the year before with Harbaugh on the hot seat, but they finally played to potential.

In the Big 12, it was Oklahoma State and Baylor that battled it out for the conference title over Oklahoma which had a “disappointing” season.

The SEC had its usual culprits in Alabama and Georgia, so there weren’t many surprises there other than Florida and LSU having nightmare seasons and both finding new head coaches during the offseason. Could they be the dark-horses in 2022?

Utah was the dark-horse of the Pac-12 like they had been every year and the Utes finally broke through, beating defending champion Oregon to win the league.

And lastly, Wake Forest and Pitt were the two surprise teams playing for the ACC title instead of Clemson.

Which team will be the top dark-horse in every Power Five conference this season?

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