CFB: Let Downs & Surprises of 2018
ACC:
Miami (7-5, 4-4)
Syracuse (9-3, 6-2)
Remember when Miami was sitting at 10-0 in 2017 and were two wins away from being in the College Football Playoff? Well, they ended the season with three straight losses including a 34-24 loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl. However, reaching the ACC title game and a New Year’s Six bowl created a ton of hype for The U heading into 2018. And the Hurricanes thoroughly disappointed. They went from 10-3 to 7-5 (4-4) and a main reason was because of how poorly they played on the road, going just 2-3 away from home. On the other side of the conference, Syracuse was a pleasant surprise. After going 4-8 last year and ending the year losing five straight, the Orange climbed to 9-3 (6-2) and were just one game away from the ACC title.
Big Ten:
Wisconsin (7-5, 5-4)
Minnesota (6-6, 3-6)
Now moving onto the Big Ten, and the team that Miami will play in the Pinstripe Bowl: Wisconsin. The Badgers were coming off the best team in program history, which was one win away from the CFP, so the expectations were at an all-time high. QB Alex Hornibrook and RB Jonathan Taylor returned and many pegged this team as a legitimate contender. Wisconsin fell to an abysmal 7-5 (5-4) and were 0-3 against ranked opponents though. The surprise? Minnesota. Now we know they only improved from 5-7 to 6-6, but it’s important for HC P.J. Fleck to get the Golden Gophers to a bowl and in the midst of doing so, he also ended a 14-game losing steak to rival Wisconsin and had a couple of key victories over Fresno State (21-14) and Purdue (41-10).
Big 12:
Oklahoma State (6-6, 3-6)
Texas (9-4, 7-2)
Oklahoma State finished 2017 with a 10-3 record to cap off senior campaigns by QB Mason Rudolph and WR James Washington. Two of the best players in program history were out the door so it was expected there would be a fall off. Not many saw a four-game decline though. The Cowboys finished just 6-6 (3-6) and were a pathetic 1-4 away from home. Even though Oklahoma State did beat Texas at home, the Longhorns saw a huge jump in production. After going 7-6 last season, they reached a 9-3 (7-2) record and earned a spot in the Big 12 title game. The best moment of the year was undoubtedly a 48-45 win over rival and 7th ranked Oklahoma. There is still room for improvement, but HC Tom Herman made great strides in his second year.
Pac-12:
USC (5-7, 4-5)
Washington State (10-2, 7-2)
Another one of Texas’ big wins during the regular season came against USC. Looking back, though, it wasn't that impressive of a victory. The Trojans lost QB Sam Darnold (3rd overall pick in NFL Draft) and after going to the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl the last two years, they completely fell off. They went 5-7 (4-5) and had a -11 point differential for the year. Going a step further, they were 1-3 against ranked opponents and lost rivalry games to Stanford, UCLA, and Notre Dame. A team they did beat, Washington State, actually ended up being a great surprise. The Cougars went 10-2 (7-2) and only lost to USC and Washington. QB Garden Minshew helped this team earn a +183 differential. They'll face 24th ranked Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl.
SEC:
Auburn (7-5, 3-5)
Kentucky (9-3, 5-3)
The biggest disappointment in the SEC was far and away Auburn. The Tigers went 10-4 last season and had a chance to go to the CFP if they would have taken down Georgia in the SEC championship. But they didn't. And since then, they're a .500 ball club. This year, Auburn went 7-5 (3-5) and were blown out by rival Alabama, 52-21, one year after beating the Crimson Tide. The Tigers couldn't get it done in big games, going 1-4 versus ranked opponents. The surprise in the South? It has to be Kentucky. The Wildcats were 7-6 last season and lost to Northwestern in the Music City Bowl, 24-23, to end the year. But this year they absolutely shocked the nation, going 9-3 (5-3) and will take on 12th ranked Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.
Photo Credit: ESPN.
