College football can get monotonous at times. The same programs are at the top of the AP rankings week in and week out, and it just feels like we're all waiting for a preseason favorite to be crowned champions.
The 2025 season gave us Indiana out of the blue as a team that looked on paper to be a probable Pop Tarts Bowl participant but wound up winning it all. That's probably not going to happen this year but a few programs have reemerged from the shadowy depths of their respective conferences to surprise folks. Let's give them their flowers as the second half of the season is about to get underway.
UCLA Bruins (5-0)
Don't look now but the Big Ten may have a shadow contender. The Bruins landed at No. 12 on the latest AP poll after taking down then-No. 13 Oregon at Autzen Stadium. Head coach Bob Chesney seems to have brought some James Madison magic (his previous home) with him to UCLA -- maybe even some Curt Cignetti magic? In three of the program's five games, the Bruins have put up 40 or more points with an offense built around JMU transfers.
The rest of UCLA's schedule now looks to be extremely favorable with the Ducks having been their toughest obstacle. It'll avoid having to meet Ohio State or Indiana unless it reaches the Big Ten championship and the only other ranked hurdle ahead is cross-town rival USC on the final weekend of the regular season. UCLA looks well on pace to secure its first winning season since Chip Kelly's last hurrah with the team back in 2023.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1)
Many thought a massive Week 2 upset over a ranked Oregon squad would be the highlight of Oklahoma State's entire campaign, especially after finishing 1-11 and losing long-time head coach Mike Gundy last year. Rather than take the time to rebuild and have a middling year, the Cowboys came out swinging with new head coach Eric Morris who brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker with him from North Texas. The pair went 12-2 last season and appear to have carried over that success to Stillwater.
The Cowboys have worked their way up to No. 18 in the latest rankings and are very much in the mix to potential spoil a Big 12 title bid for any number of top contenders. Two ranked matchups remain on Oklahoma State's schedule but a Week 7 bout against No. 20 Houston could determine whether it's underdog campaign comes to an abrupt end. Either way, the Cowboys have given fans an interesting storyline to follow in a conference that isn't quite clear cut.
Northwestern Wildcats (4-1)
A controversial loss to Indiana is the only thing standing between the Wildcats and an undefeated start to the season. They've taken care of business against lesser foes and bested a Penn State squad that started the year amongst the Top 25. It's tough for Big Ten teams not named Ohio State to get footing once the conference slate begins but Northwestern is building momentum at a crucial time.
Two very winnable games against Michigan State and Rutgers should advance the program to 6-1 before its next tests arrive in the form of an Oregon squad with nothing left to lose and a ranked Iowa that needs everything to go right if a program-first CFP appearance is in the cards. The Wildcats could play spoiler to both before the Buckeyes arrive to dagger their hope of qualifying for anything better than a Holiday Bowl invite.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1)
A lot of college football fans probably forgot Wake Forest even had a football program outside of some hardcore Sam Hartman stans (if you know, you know). Yet, the Demon Deacons have seemingly reintroducted themselves to the sport via giving national runner-up Miami a tough time in Week 3 and then following it up with an upset over Louisville. Quarterback Gio Lopez has found redemption elsewhere in the state after having a forgettable tenure for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The ACC is anything but predictable. Last year the Hurricanes were the on-paper pick to win the conference but the end-of-season standings forced them into third place via wild tiebreakers. Wake Forest could benefit from the same crazy system, especially with a favorable schedule ahead that only contains one more ranked matchup -- No. 24 SMU on Nov. 14. The program hasn't had back-to-back winning campaigns since 2021-22.
Kentucky Wildcats (5-1)
This all started with the Wildcats following up a tough blowout loss to Alabama with a massive upset over a Top 10 Texas A&M team. While the Aggies have since fallen from grace, Kentucky proved it's for real with three more consecutive victories. Oh, and the most recent of those was an overtime upset over No. 10 LSU. It's since shot up the rankings to No. 15 and could be a nuisance in the SEC. That's going to be very entertaining but it could be all for nought because Kentucky doesn't play Georgia or Texas this season.
The Wildcats haven't had a winning season since 2023 but they're already halfway to tying their best win total in the last decade (10) which they put up twice (2018 and 2021). Their remaining schedule is still very tough even without the Bulldogs or Longhorns upcoming. Week 7 they'll face an Oklahoma team that just upset No. 1 Texas and then that's followed up with four of five weeks featuring ranked or winning programs. Sign us up for Kentucky to serve as the ultimate spoiler this year.
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