Parity was promised after summer changes across college football. After the first month, we’ve seen plenty of it in the top 25. From transfer portal busts to unexpected national championship contenders, surprises and disappointments have come in rapid succession with the midseason point two weeks away.
Here’s a look at some of the primary storylines to emerge in September across the rankings as conference play kicks into full swing.
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Tom Fornelli
Firings aplenty with more coming
Deshaun Foster, Brent Pry, Mike Gundy and Sam Pittman all lost their jobs this month — an unusually early start for the coaching carousel. UCLA cut ties with Foster after an 0-3 start for a team that drew considerable attention entering the season after signing former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava from the transfer portal. Pry was fired at Virginia Tech following an embarrassing home loss to Old Dominion, while Oklahoma State parted ways with Gundy for similar reasons. Pittman watched his Arkansas defense give up 42 first-half points to Notre Dame over the weekend before he was handed his walking papers.
Lane Kiffin uncovers Division II gem
Ferris State quarterback transfer Trinidad Chambliss was expected to be the emergency option behind Austin Simmons for the Rebels after his post-spring signing, but the 6-foot dual-threat now holds the title of leader for fourth-ranked Ole Miss. Thrust into action in Week 3 with Simmons slowed by injury, Chambliss has stacked three consecutive 300-yard outings with 245 yards rushing across those starts. He fueled a win over nationally ranked Tulane with 419 total yards before helping the Rebels topple LSU over the weekend to stay perfect. With only Oklahoma and Georgia left as elite competition, Ole Miss is staring down its first playoff appearance in school history.
Chambliss by the numbers
|
Opponent |
Result |
Passing |
TDs |
Rushing |
TDs |
|
W, 63-7 |
4-of-6; 59 |
1 |
8 |
0 |
|
|
at Kentucky |
W, 30-23 |
0-of-0; 0 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
|
Arkansas |
W, 41-35 |
21-of-29; 353 |
1 |
62 |
2 |
|
Tulane |
W, 45-10 |
17-of-17; 307 |
2 |
112 |
0 |
|
No. 4 LSU |
W, 24-19 |
23-of-39; 314 |
1 |
71 |
0 |
Underwhelming Clemson unranked
Dabo Swinney’s preseason prediction has aged poorly, almost as badly as Cade Klubnik’s play at quarterback and the team’s defensive struggles, despite three starters projected as future first-rounders. A nearly unanimous pick to win the ACC and a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff, Clemson fell from No. 4 in the AP Poll after just a couple of games following losses to Florida State and Georgia Tech. Klubnik ranks 94th nationally in QBR (45.1) after throwing 36 touchdown passes as a junior last season and earning preseason first-team All-American honors in August.
South Florida spikes Group of Five conversation
You know why Alex Golesh’s name is mentioned in every Power Four coaching vacancy this season? Look at what he’s doing for the Bulls. After opening with a win over nationally ranked Boise State, USF followed with a road victory and handled Florida inside a raucous Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Bulls host Charlotte as heavy favorites Friday night with a chance to start 4-1 and potentially crack top 25. Three other unbeatens — Memphis, Navy and North Texas — along with Tulane, will challenge USF the rest of the way for the Group of Five playoff bid from the American Conference.
Air Manning grounded at Texas
Justified or not, Arch Manning entered the season as the preseason Heisman favorite, only to see his odds plummet to 36-1 after his second start following underwhelming performances against Ohio State and San Jose State. The lackluster showing against UTEP, which included 10 straight incompletions, fueled post-game frustrations. Steve Sarkisian said he expects his quarterback to benefit from early adversity and believes Manning will bounce back during SEC play. That begins this weekend at Florida, a team desperate for a season-changing win.
Bill Belichick’s already back-page news
Clemson-North Carolina was supposed to carry national significance in the ACC, but the Tar Heels have joined the Tigers below the fold with anemic offensive showings against Power Four competition. Belichick transition to college football began with an embarrassing performance on Labor Day against TCU and includes a recent loss at UCF that left him without answers for North Carolina‘s struggles. Reaching bowl eligibility should have been a given for a team with a roster largely built through the transfer portal, but that is no longer a guarantee after five weeks.
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Vanderbilt humming again to oddsmakers’ dismay
Veteran quarterback Diego Pavia expressed confidence over the summer that those inside the Commodores’ locker room believed they could win the SEC this season. That’s not so far-fetched after a 5-0 start that has included a rout of then-ranked South Carolina on the road and a win at Virginia Tech that drew national attention. Returning 70% of last season’s production, Vanderbilt has picked up where it left off inside the top 25 and could ascend to league frontrunner status with a win at Alabama this weekend. It’s only October, and the Commodores are already one victory away from surpassing their projected win total. Surprise!
Georgia Tech’s real playoff aspirations
From unranked to top 20, Brent Key’s Yellow Jackets have a couple of comeback road wins under their belts and have already taken down the ACC team expected to pose the most trouble on the path to the league title game. Georgia remains the last ranked opponent on Georgia Tech’s schedule, and if quarterback Haynes King stays healthy, he’s on pace to set a career-best rushing mark this fall.
South Carolina’s offense stinks
Despite preseason first-team All-SEC quarterback LaNorris Sellers and a starting lineup littered with returning starters, South Carolina’s offense has been stuck in quicksand under first-year coordinator Mike Shula. The Gamecocks haven’t eclipsed 400 yards of total offense in any game this fall — a mark that 64 other FBS teams have already hit. After nearly reaching the playoff for the first time last season, many assumed a preseason top-15 South Carolina would build on that success. Instead, struggles at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield led to a stumbling 3-2 record out of the gate.
One of the transfer portal’s top running back acquisitions this offseason, the former Tulane star has been MIA for the second-ranked Ducks — and they haven’t missed a beat. Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Green Wave last fall but has just 70 yards on 17 attempts at Oregon. Meanwhile, Dierre Hill Jr. and Jayden Limar have emerged as top-tier threats alongside Noah Whittington in the backfield, and quarterback Dante Moore is playing at a Heisman level. It’s a surprise Hughes has been a non-factor on a team ranked inside the top 15 in both total offense and scoring this season.
