by In no particular order, here are the programs that popped off, surprised many, and exceeded expectations in 2023.
Northwestern
An obvious choice considering the preseason distractions behind the Pat Fitzgerald firing and hazing scandal. The entire nation thought the Wildcats were a dead program and their “under 2.5 total wins” seemed like the hottest preseason bet out there. Wrong. All head coach David Braun did was lead this team to bowl eligibility and clinch a winning season behind seven victories (two one-possession losses). Bravo.
Arizona
Jeff Fisher at least needs to be a Coach of the Year finalist for how well he’s turned things around for the Cats in 2023. Arizona is one of the hottest teams in the country and finished third in the most loaded conference in the FBS. A round of applause for a damn good season.
Missouri
Eli Drinkwitz will probably win Coach of the Year and the Tigers are bound to play in a NY6 bowl. What a season for Mizzou. Enough said.
New Mexico State
In one of the oddest 9-3 seasons you will ever see, the Aggies of NMSU clinched a spot in the C-USA Championship and posted its best regular season since 1965. After dropping the first game of the year to UMass and eventually falling to a 5-8 Hawaii team on the road, NMSU has gone 8-0 since October, including a shocking 31-10 beatdown over Auburn in Jordan-Haire — a place where Alabama needed a miracle to win at. What a strange season and great story for this program.
Oklahoma State
Reaching nine wins is no shocker for a Mike Gundy-coached Pokes team considering the fact that they have failed to win seven or more regular season games just twice since 2007. However, nobody really predicted Oklahoma State to reach a conference title game in 2023. In a season after losing star QB Spencer Sanders and other notable players to the transfer portal, as well as having a recruiting decline and being undermined by OU and Texas, the Cowboys ascended to the top of the Big 12 behind pivotal wins over the Sooners and K-State. See what happens when Mike Gundy is an underdog?
Boston College
Going 6-6 in the ACC is nothing to brag about, but the Eagles went 5-3 in one-score games, including a three-point win over Holy Cross, to reach bowl eligibility. That is pretty impressive for a team that was projected to be the door mat of the conference alongside UVA.
Louisville
Staying in the ACC, the Cardinal have pieced together a terrific turnaround season in Year 1 under Jeff Brohm. Despite head-scratching losses to Pitt and Kentucky, UL is 10-2 on the season with a groundbreaking win over Notre Dame and a trip to Charlotte with an opportunity to crush FSU’s playoff hopes and win the conference. Louisville is one great QB away from being a perennial playoff contender too. Give it time under Brohm.
Iowa
It’s no secret that the Hawkeyes are consistently a good program that finds themselves ranked in the Top 25 just about every year, but considering how bad this offense was all season it’s honestly incredible that this is a 10-2 football team. Iowa became the first team since 2006 to eclipse 10 wins while averaging under 300 YPG offensively (246.3), as elite defense and special teams have paved the way for them. While it’s highly unlikely, the Hawkeyes have a golden opportunity to shock the world and upset the mighty Wolverines this Saturday in Indy.
UNLV
The Rebels have one of the cooler feel-good stories in the nation this year as they have put together an impressive 9-3 campaign, which is their best season since 1984. Mountain West Coach of the Year Barry Odom is transforming a once-inferior G5 team into a relevant west coast program that is on the cusp of a conference championship. Saturday afternoon against Boise State can put the icing on the cake for an unexpected, yet tremendous 2023 season for UNLV.
West Virginia
The Mountaineers were picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 and already had its head coach on the hot seat before the season even kicked off. However, it’s safe to say that Neil Brown saved his career and this fanbase’s mental health. WVU marched to an 8-4 finish and tied for fourth in the conference, which is a W in my book.
Iowa State
Preseason suspensions and overall turmoil led to an embarrassing 10-7 road loss to Ohio and an infamous video clip of Matt Campbell cussing out a fan for criticizing him. The Cyclones somehow dusted things off and turned in a 7-5 record with big wins over Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Talk about a 180.
Texas State
The Bobcats punched a ticket to a bowl game for the first time in program history and are also a game away from earning eight wins at the FBS level. That’s a huge accomplishment for a once-no named Division 1A program. P.S. The Fun Belt rocks this year.
Rutgers
Got to be proud of the State University of New Jersey for not only making a bowl game but actually being competitive in the Big Ten this year. They started out 6-2 and gave the Buckeyes a run for their money. Not your typical Rutgers outcome.
Liberty
Any Group of Five squad that goes 12-0 deserves attention and the Flames did just that under first-year head coach Jamey Chadwell. The Flames are a surefire NY6 contender and a win over aforementioned NMSU on Friday just may earn them a bid.