The first two weeks of the college football season have not disappointed. We’ve seen big name teams like LSU and Texas shine early with big wins, while others have fallen short of the high expectations they had coming into the season.
The high-profile schools near the top of the rankings will always get the attention, but there are several other teams that have performed well early in the season and have yet to get their shine. Here are four teams that have impressed so far and deserve more respect after Week 2 of the college football season.
The 4 emerging college football teams that deserve more attention
Mississippi State quietly had one of the most impressive performances of the weekend in its 38-13 victory at Minnesota. Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor is a rising star with his elite arm talent and athleticism, and will soon be a household name in the college football world. While Taylor was great through the air in that Week 2 game, Mississippi State also had a strong performance on the ground with 252 rushing yards and a stellar defensive performance, giving up only 13 rushing yards, which allowed them to control the game from start to finish.
The win against Minnesota was a good one for Jeff Lebby’s team, but it wasn't necessarily a result that has people seeing Mississippi State as a legitimate contender in the SEC. They’ll have the chance to prove that soon, as we’ll learn how good this team really is in the coming weeks when the Bulldogs face South Carolina in a massive measuring-stick game for both teams in Week 3 before taking on five straight Top 25 opponents.
Bob Chesney looks to be the next coach to show that you can turn a program around in your first season. The Bruins are sitting at 2-0 after picking up a huge win in a tough road environment at Cal, along with a victory over a solid Group of Six opponent in San Diego State. UCLA has leaned heavily on its rushing attack, with multiple guys sharing the load in Wayne Knight, Anthony Woods, and Jaivian Thomas.
It feels cheap to make the comparison between this team and 2024 Indiana, given the Cignetti/Chesney James Madison connection, but the Bruins look legit early. Even with their strong start we still haven’t seen this team, and especially quarterback Nico Iamaleava, play their best football for a full four quarters.
The Bison have seamlessly made the jump from FCS to FBS, winning their first three games and scoring 30+ points in each contest. They’ve done so in dominant fashion as well, picking up wins against solid Group of Six programs in Jacksonville State and a tough road win at Air Force in Week 2. While the Bison are normally known for their rushing attack, which has been solid, they have also been getting great play out of their first-year starting quarterback Nathan Hayes. With the schedule that lies ahead, there is a good chance NDSU will be favored in each of its remaining games and in the conversation for that Group of Six playoff spot at the end of the season.
Although Utah is ranked in the Top 25, they feel like a team that nobody is talking about. Despite losing Kyle Whittingham along with several coaches and key players in the offseason, Utah has looked like their typical selves through the first two weeks. The competition they have faced hasn’t been the best, but they do have a dominant 33-point win over an SEC opponent in Arkansas in Week 2.
New head coach Morgan Scalley, who was promoted from defensive coordinator, looks to have the Utes playing at a high level on that side of the ball once again, and they still have one of the top quarterbacks in college football with Devon Dampier. With the struggles that supposed Big 12 frontrunner Texas Tech has had early, the conference could be wide open, and Utah is a team to keep an eye on as the season continues.
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