These Dark Horse Teams Are Making Their Way in College Football đź‘€

By ESPN College Football

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Matt Simms, Skubie Mageza, and Sam Ravech break down the biggest surprise contenders a month into the season — the teams nobody was buying in August but are suddenly surging in September’s college football bull market. Skubie kicks things off with UCLA, praising how Bob Chesney has the Bruins at 4‑0 and fresh off a 50‑point demolition of Maryland on the road. Matt dives into Wayne Knight’s breakout season, running like a deer and ranking fifth nationally in rushing, while also spotlighting how JMU continues producing coaching wizards with Chesney following the Cignetti blueprint. Sam makes the case for Oklahoma State as the most shocking riser of all, rebuilding a 1‑11 roster with 91 newcomers and already upsetting Oregon behind Drew Mestemaker’s huge numbers. Together, the crew debates which sleeper is real, which contender is sustainable, and which under‑the‑radar squad could crash the playoff picture next. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ #ESPN

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