Jun 164 min read

Which College Football Teams Are Flying Under The Radar

I'm higher on these teams than the consensus.

With all the conference realignment in college football, more teams than ever are being undervalued in the preseason.

For this article, we will utilize ESPN's FPI Power Index, which measures each team's strength compared to an average FBS squad.

Under the Radar Teams For The 2024 Season

Iowa Hawkeyes

The Hawkeyes had a great 10-4 season, winning the Big Ten West on the back of their top-five defense, which only allowed one team to score more than twenty points in the regular season. However, their offense was one of the nation's worst, ranking 129th out of 130 teams and averaging only 15.4 points per game. As a result, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz made the tough decision to fire his son Brian Ferentz, the offensive coordinator. He brought in Tim Lester as the new Iowa OC. Lester was previously a Senior Analyst for the Green Bay Packers and the head coach for Western Michigan from 2017-2022. In his first season at Western Michigan, he led the team to the No. 9 ranking in scoring offense nationwide. If Iowa can improve its offense and become a top-half unit, the Hawkeyes could be a serious contender for the Big Ten title.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Under the Radar Virginia Tech — Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones

Virginia Tech is a team flying under the radar in the ACC. The Hokies have the most returning production in the country, with 95% of the offense and 77% of the defense coming back. Eight out of the eleven offensive starters are seniors, and ten out of the eleven defensive starters are seniors. Despite starting 1-3, they finished the season strong, winning six out of their last nine games to end with a 7-6 record.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Under the Radar West Virginia — West Virginia QB Garrett Greene

No one talks about West Virginia as a dark-horse team that can win the Big 12. They quietly won nine games, finishing fourth in the Big 12 standings, and two teams that finished ahead of them, Texas and Oklahoma, have since joined the SEC. They return the 24th most production, bringing back three of the five starting offensive linemen and quarterback Garrett Greene, who had his break-out season throwing for 2,406 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. If the Mountaineers want to build off its nine-win season, the new look secondary must come together quickly.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

In a season where the Cornhuskers lost seven games, it still had one of the nation's top defenses, top 15 in total, and scoring defense. So, I bet you're asking why it matters; they still lost seven games. It matters because the defense kept them in almost every game, with five of the seven losses by one score. They'll bring back most of that defense, having the third-most returning production in the country. If Nebraska averaged 25 PPG instead of 18 PPG, they would've had a 10-2 record instead of a 5-7 record. The question now is, can the offense help the defense in these one-score games? The offense last season was held back by its passing attack, averaging a measly 135.9 yards per game, good for 126th in the country. Enter freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola was a five-star, the No.2 ranked quarterback for the class of 2024, who was committed to the University of Georgia. Two days later, he signed his letter of intent to Nebraska. If Raiola can live up to his five-star rating, Nebraska could be in a position to take a massive year two leap under Head Coach Matt Rhule.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Under the Radar Oklahoma State — Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon

The Cowboys are ranked 26th in ESPN FPI's rankings, which is way too low. The Pokes are returning the fourth-most production in the nation; apart from that, production is the nation's top offensive line, having experience and production with over 200 starts played together. Ollie Gordon II is back for another season; he saw success behind this offensive line, rushing for a league-high 1,732 yards, winning the Doak-Walker Award, and finishing seventh in Heisman voting. Quarterback Alan Bowman is set to make his return for his second season in Stillwater and his seventh year of college football. The only thing that could hold back the Pokes is its defense. In 2023, the defense ranked 122nd in total defense but is set to return ten of its eleven starters from the previous season, and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo is back for his second season. If Nardo can get right the ship with his defense, Oklahoma State could surprise many people.

Utah Utes

If Cam Rising completely recovers from his knee injury, Utah at 27 is too low. Rising improves the Utes roster, with tight end Brant Kuithe returning from injury and USC wide receiver Dorian Singer joining from the transfer portal. Additionally, they have eight starters returning on a defense that only allowed 19 points per game. If the Utes are at full strength for the 2024 season, this team could win the Big 12 in its inaugural season.

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