College Football: There are undefeated teams that matter and those that don’t
By Ronald Evans
College football can be disappointing for many fans. Even fans whose teams run the table and finish undefeated.
Most college football fans are not like Alabama football fans. Alabama Crimson Tide fans have incredibly high expectations. Every season is supposed to bring a championship. Those lofty expectations can lead to disappointment. Even when a season falls short of expectations, being a Crimson Tide fan is a blessing.
With 130 FBS teams, the majority of college football fans root for teams that at best will have modest success. Seeking optimism in every preseason is almost futile for the fans of many FBS programs. In the SEC, Vanderbilt is the perfect example. Being a Commodores fan, particularly with an All-SEC season, must be maddening. Even the most fervent Vandy fan has to be dispirited.
Hopes squashed by hard realities are a heavy load. The higher the unrealistic hope, the heavier the eventual burden. Take undefeated college football teams. After 11 weeks of the college football season, there are 21 undefeated teams.
Current College Football Undefeated Teams
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish; 8-0
- BYU Cougars; 8-0
- Liberty Flames; 8-0
- Alabama Crimson Tide; 7-0
- Marshall Thundering Herd; 7-0
- Cincinnati Bearcats; 7-0
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers; 7-0
- Nevada Wolfpack; 4-0
- San Jose Spartans; 4-0
- Northwestern Wildcats; 4-0
- Indiana Hoosiers; 4-0
- Ohio State Buckeyes; 3-0
- Oregon Ducks; 2-0
- Colorado Buffaloes; 2-0
- Southern Cal Trojans; 2-0
- Wisconsin Badgers; 2-0
- Central Michigan Chippewas; 2-0
- Western Michigan Broncos; 2-0
- Kent State Golden Flashes; 2-0
- Buffalo Bulls; 2-0
- Washington Huskies; 1-0
History shows few of the 21 teams will finish the season undefeated. LSU, at 15-0 was the only one to do it last season. In most years, a one-loss Power Five team has a chance to make the CFB Playoff Field. For the non-Power Five teams, one loss slams a door. Practically, the door is never opened for even undefeated teams outside the Elite Power Five teams.
This season Liberty, Nevada, San Jose, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Kent State and Buffalo fans can dream of undefeated seasons. A few might reach that goal. After which they will travel to Shreveport, LA for the Poulan-Weedeater Bowl. Actually, the Shreveport bowl game is no longer named for Poulan’s weedeaters. It has had multiple iterations since then.
Not to just pick on Shreveport, there are other dull locations as bowl destinations, including Conway, SC and Montgomery, AL.
It is not as though Alabama football fans have never been to a Shreveport, LA bowl game. Whether Crimson Tide fans attended or watched from home, Alabama football fans viewed those back-to-back Shreveport season-enders in 2006 and 2007 as aberrations.
Most college football programs don’t have a reservoir of hopes fulfilled. Down years are easier to endure when they are occasional nightmares rather than enduring gloom. The Alabama Crimson Tide ALWAYS returns to its rightful place as an annual championship contender.
Next. Will SEC Championship determine the Heisman?. dark
Likely, undefeated seasons for two more teams, BYU and Cincinnati will not lead to CFB Playoff slots. Fans of the Cougars and Bearcats will be sorely disappointed.