In college football, it is easy to forget about the underdogs. However, the college football dark horse may very well be the winner at the end of the year. Maybe these teams won’t even threaten the BIG Ten after all. However, these teams need to be watched after a good start, and these teams cannot be forgotten. And maybe soon, these teams will be heard loud and clear.
College Football Dark Horses After Week 3
Â
BIG Ten: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Let’s be honest, this is a team that not many are even bringing up. After the Nebraska Cornhuskers have disappointed year in and year out, why even care? Well simply put, Nebraska struggled to put away the Cincinnati Bearcats in a game it felt like they should’ve won by more. This probably killed a lot of interest in the Huskers. However, Nebraska outscored its next two opponents 127-7, by far its best performance in years. Nebraska may not be seen as a threat for now, but if they defeat Michigan, things will change massively.
The Huskers are definitely a team to watch out for with a potent offense and a potentially great defense. The defense hasn’t been too good over the last few weeks, but it certainly hasn’t been bad. Watch out for Nebraska, a big dark horse… The Huskers have had the best secondary in the country while also having one of the best passing offenses in the country, a recipe for winning.
SEC: Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs may be in a division of nothing but good teams. However, the Bulldogs have looked pretty good to begin the season with a ranked win and a convincing victory over Alcorn State. Sure, the Bulldogs aren’t set up very well at all. The Bulldogs have got their work cut out for them, with an abundance of ranked teams and a very hard schedule. However, if forced to pick a dark horse in the SEC, the Bulldogs make sense. Their schedule will get harder as time moves on; however, even then, they could be up to the challenge. In the SEC, sometimes teams surprise, and the Bulldogs feel like a team that could do that in 2025.
Big 12: Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars have flown under the radar to begin the season. However, a 3-0 start and a dominating win over the Colorado Buffalo makes me think that the Cougars are a very dangerous team. The Cougars have had back-to-back 4-8 seasons. However, even then, the Big 12 isn’t as bad in terms of strength of schedule as the BIG Ten or SEC. The Cougars’ relatively easy schedule could set them up beautifully to make a push at the Big 12 title itself. With several Big 12 teams just not looking good to begin the season, why not? Houston has been good in the past and can do it again in 2025.
ACC: California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears haven’t been very good recently either. However, like other conferences, the ACC isn’t as dangerous as it might seem. With a very winnable schedule, the Golden Bears and their 3-0 start look like a team set up for a potential run at the ACC Championship. After two good wins, Cal is set up better than most teams in the country. Cal’s schedule after feels like it can be easily turned into a 9-win or more season. If there is one team to watch out for in the ACC, watch out for the newcomer, California.
Overall, these teams may very well disappoint. However, they have also been flying under the radar, and it should be known that the Huskers, Golden Bears, Bulldogs, and the Cougars have all been good to begin the season. Maybe they haven’t faced good opponents, but sometimes momentum will carry over from “tune up” wins. One thing is for sure, though, you have to watch out for each team this season.
Main Image: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
