Surprises Abound During First Month of College Football Season

Posted on October 07, 2015 by Brooke Chaplan

Leonard Fournette has been the most dominant player during the first month of the college football season.

As college football moves into the second month of the season, there have already been many surprises. As defending national champion Ohio State has struggled against Virginia Tech and barely managed a win against Indiana. While working out the kinks of its two-quarterback system and showing weaknesses in turn overs and fumbles, other teams such as Michigan State and SEC powerhouse LSU have emerged as national championship contenders. With many weeks still to go before the playoff begins, there are still many questions left to be answered.

Pac-12 Conference
While many college football fans tend to focus on the Southeastern Conference and its usual arsenal of powerhouse teams such as Alabama and Auburn, more and more people are turning their attention to the Pac-12 conference. Although Oregon appears to be on a decline after losing 62-20 to Utah, other teams such as USC and Utah appear to be on the verge of having what may be a very special season. With five teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25, the conference appears to be well on its way to breaking the so-called “East Coast bias” that supposedly plagues it annually.

Big Ten Conference
Despite its struggles, Ohio State still remains the top-ranked team in the nation. However, the Spartans of Michigan State are hot on their heels at number two. Add to the mix traditional powers such as Wisconsin and surprise teams like Northwestern and Michigan, and fans have the ingredients for what promises to be a return to prominence for teams in the Midwest. For those who possess an online sports management degree, working in the athletic departments with the likes of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh could prove to make each day an exciting one indeed.

Alabama and the SEC
With the Crimson Tide ranked low, fans of Roll Tide nation are still up in arms, though somewhat pacified after dominating Georgia. And with Coach Nick Saban at the helm, the results at season’s end tend to be pretty good. This year, all eyes are currently on LSU running back Leonard Fournette, who’s making a strong early statement for the Heisman Trophy. With back-to-back 200-yard games, he’s certainly got that Heisman look to his game.

With more surprises still to come and teams such as Clemson and TCU hungry for a title, this year’s college football season may be the best one yet.