We’re gearing up for bowl season to start on Friday. Crazy to think that another year of college football is in the books, but it has been a memorable season for sure. It started with grand expectations of Alabama-Clemson Round 5, and has since shifted towards LSU-Ohio State. Not something I would’ve projected back in August, but that’s why they play the damn games, folks.
Part of the fun of watching a season unfold is catching all of the surprises that come along with it. That’s why I’m here today to discuss what I consider to be the biggest surprises in all of college football in 2019.
The Biggest Surprises of the 2019 College Football Season
Baylor Bears – People laughed at the idea of the NFL going after Matt Rhule, but who’s laughing now? Baylor was practically a win away from being a playoff team. Had they beaten Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, they probably would’ve gotten that #4 slot. That is insane. If I had told you Baylor….Baylor….would be in contention for the playoffs back in August, you would’ve called me a lunatic. They have a pretty big consolation prize in a Sugar Bowl appearance against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Minnesota Golden Gophers – Row the boat, and what have you. Minnesota’s right up there with Baylor as the biggest surprises in college football season. P.J. Fleck has that program heading in the right direction. They stunned Penn State this season, and had a chance to go to the Big Ten Championship with their playoff hopes alive had they beaten Wisconsin. This is a team on the rise.
SMU Mustangs – Maybe the American conference as a whole deserves to be in this spot. The Memphis Tigers are going to the Cotton Bowl, and that’s not much of a surprise. But, hot damn – how about the resurrection of the SMU program? At one point, they were poised to take that Cotton Bowl spot, and ended up going 10-2.
LSU Tigers – We thought the Tigers would be good….even that this team could be special….but did we really think the Tigers would be this good? That Joe Burrow would be a Heisman winner? That they’d destroy Georgia in the SEC Championship? I think not.
Illinois Fighting Illini – How crazy is it that Lovie Smith’s squad got to 6-6 and bowl eligibility after being the doormat of the Big Ten for several seasons? Just when it looked like this experiment might be reaching its end, they go and shock Wisconsin. Now, they’re going to the Redbox Bowl. Things couldn’t be better.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers – 6-2 in the conference. 8-4 overall. An excellent defense that went on the road and shocked a (technically) SEC team in Arkansas. I thought this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Hilltoppers?
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns – All eyes were on Appalachian State in the Sun Belt, but can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that the conference had two 10+-win teams this season? The Mountaineers were 12-1, and the Ragin’ Cajuns were a surprising 10-3. Their only losses were to App State (twice) and Mississippi State. That’s a hell of a season.
Stay tuned for my biggest disappointments of 2019, dropping later this week.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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