Louisville’s, A&M’s, Wisconsin’s play rewarded in polls
Utah also impresses with wins against BYU, Southern Cal
With just shy of a third of the season in the books, the national picture in college football already looks a lot different than it did a month ago.
The Amway Coaches Poll is by no means a perfect lens through which to view the season. But it does provide insight into how some programs were perceived before taking the field compared to how they’re seen now.
Here are the five biggest surprise teams of September based on the rankings.
LOUISVILLE
Current rank: No. 4. Presea
son rank: No. 23. Even the most optimistic Cardinals fan probably didn’t expect everything to come together this quickly. While Lamar Jackson’s highlight-reel plays have drawn most of the attention, Louisville has been just as impressive on defense and in the kicking game when the first-unit players have been on the field.
WISCONSIN
Current rank: No. 8. Preseason rank: second among oth
ers receiving votes. Two wins against teams believed to be top-10 worthy can accelerate a rise in the polls. The Badgers will know soon enough if they indeed have staying power with a trip to Michigan on deck.
TEXAS A&M
Current rank: No. 10. Preseason rank: sixth among
others receiving votes. The Aggies have again been sound in September. Their fans can be forgiven if they want to see results the rest of the way, but this year’s version appears to have the leadership and defensive toughness that has been lacking in recent seasons. Again, time will tell.
MIAMI (FLA.)
Current rank: No. 14. Preseason rank: first in others
receiving votes. The Hurricanes can mainly thank teams that have gone by the wayside for their current poll position, though Miami’s businesslike performance at upstart Appalachian State has for now earned the Hurricanes the team-to-beat label in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal division.
UTAH
Current rank: No. 18. Preseason rank: fourth in oth
ers receiving votes. The Utes aren’t blowing anyone away by any stretch. But there’s always something to be said for doing what it takes to win. Even though name-brand programs BYU and Southern California have losing records at present, Utah’s victories against them still carry weight in the world of perception.