Every preseason, we think we know how the upcoming college football campaign will go. And every year, we’re quickly reminded that we don’t know anything. Through four weeks, we’ve seen some schools — sorry, Texas A&M — lay an egg out the gate. Others brilliantly timed the starting whistle and are ahead of the pack.
On Wednesday, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy revealed his five most surprising teams in college football. Two Big Ten squads — the UCLA Bruins and Iowa Hawkeyes — earned praise from McElroy, as did two SEC teams: the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Florida Gators.
“[Mississippi State was] unranked in the preseason poll. They are now 4-0. They are 2-0 in the SEC,” McElroy recapped. “[The Bulldogs] currently sit in the top four when it comes to strength of record. You got road wins at Minnesota and South Carolina… they’ve been a tremendous surprise so far this year.”
.@GregMcElroy’s five biggest surprises so far this season 👀👀👀#CollegeFootball | #CFB pic.twitter.com/f4ekxYY8Tg
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) September 30, 2026
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“At No. 2, it’s the Florida Gators. They got a little bit of love in the preseason poll… now, they’re top eight,” McElroy said. “This is their highest ranking since 2020… head coach Jon Sumrall, in year one at Florida, [has] already beaten a top five team by 24 points… the offense has been outstanding.”
Each of McElroy’s first four teams are undefeated through Week 4, but his No. 1 choice — the Oklahoma State Cowboys — are not. He chalked up their ranking to the drastic turnaround of their first two games, going from a loss at Tulsa to a home victory over then-No. 6 Oregon. All five squads McElroy mentioned earned spots in the Week 5 AP poll.
