by We are nearly at the halfway point of the regular season (which is nuts) and college football fans are beginning to find out who’s legit and who’s fraudulent. While rankings only start to matter when the CFP begins unveiling them at the end of October and conference play is about to heat up, there are still a few notable programs being written off five weeks into the year.
Here are five underrated teams who deserve more attention in the national spotlight.
Maryland
Mike Locksley’s Terps are 5-0 and still unranked despite beating their opponents by an average of 25 PPG. While they have yet to pick up a notable win, Maryland’s offense is firing on all cylinders (454.8 YPG) and its defense ranks third in the country in forced turnovers. Taulia Tagovailoa is coming off his best game of the season after throwing for 352 yards, 5 TD and 0 INT against Indiana too. While Maryland squares off against Ohio State this Saturday (currently 19.5-point underdogs), as well as Penn State and Michigan down the stretch, the rest of the schedule is very favorable. This could quietly end up being a 9-3 team within a blink of an eye.
#25 Louisville
Jeff Brohm has yet to suffer a loss ever since he took over for his alma mater this past offseason. The Cardinals looked a little shaky at NC State last week, but it’s never easy winning on the road in the ACC (just ask Florida State). If QB Jack Plummer can be more consistent in the pocket and play at the same level as he was against BC, then this will be a very balanced offense with explosive RB Jawhar Jordan (averaging 7.7 yards per carry) carrying the rock as well. Louisville is currently 5-0 and controls its own destiny for a shot at the ACC title, as four nationally ranked teams remain on its schedule. One of those teams is #10 Notre Dame this Saturday night.
#24 Fresno State
Despite losing one of the best quarterbacks in school history in Jake Haener, this Fresno State team has not skipped a beat. The reigning Mountain West champs are 5-0 with two road victories over Power Five opponents. Fresno State is currently the only ranked Group of Five team and its two toughest games remaining are at home against UNLV and Boise State in back-to-back weeks. Jeff Tedford’s squad just may end up being the best G5 team this year. Keep them on your NY6 radar.
Texas A&M
My preseason prediction about the Aggies contradicts everything I’m about to say. This team is a lot better than I anticipated. With Jimbo Fisher on the hot seat entering the season, Texas A&M has looked rock solid so far with dominant wins over SEC rivals Auburn and Arkansas. Despite QB Conner Weigman going down with an ankle injury two weeks ago, Max Johnson looks like the more reliable starter. The Aggies have a golden opportunity on Saturday afternoon to keep their path to Atlanta unscathed and crush Alabama’s season at Kyle Field – a place where Nick Saban and the Tide have struggled in the past.
#17 Miami (FL)
I may be higher on the Canes than most people right now, but this is a good football team. Are they College Football Playoff material? I’m not sure. Are they good enough to reach an ACC title game and give Florida State a run for its money? Absolutely. Miami is currently 4-0 and ranked Top-20 nationally behind a convincing Week 2 win over an aforementioned Texas A&M team that is shaping up to be better than most people expected. Mario Cristobal is a terrific coach that is accustomed to revitalizing programs that were once on the downturn. Florida State and Duke have gotten a lot of ACC hype early on, but Miami will soon be in that discussion.
Other teams to keep an eye on: Oklahoma, James Madison, Liberty, Marshall, Air Force, BYU, Kansas (if Jalon Daniels gets healthy)
