A projected wide-open Pac-12 South race is now more wide open after early stumbles by USC, offensive issues for Utah and piss-poor play from Arizona and UCLA. Enter Colorado?
The Buffs have defensive concerns (Nebraska averaged 6.1 yards per carry in racking up 329 rushing yards in Week 2) and they've committed 20 penalties through three weeks, but they have a friendly schedule (no Stanford or Oregon, and they get Utah at home), receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. is an All-America candidate and the post-Phillip Lindsay running game has shown spurts of competence.
Colorado is a long way from proving they can win the South for the second time in three years but maybe we should cool down the Mike MacIntyre hot seat talk.
Here are seven other sleeper teams off to good starts that could make some noise in conference play.
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Boston College
Boston College became a trendy preseason darling when several pundits picked them to win at least eight games for the first time since 2009 and/or upset a couple playoff-contending teams.
A.J. Dillon — who needs to be taken more seriously in the Heisman race — and the Eagles opened conference play early with a Week 3 win over Wake Forest, though few noticed Dillon's 185-yard effort and the 41-34 road win because Hurricane Florence forced an early Thursday kickoff.
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Duke
Duke's run defense has been dominant in non-conference play, holding Army, Northwestern and Baylor to 3.6 yards per carry. They've committed one turnover through three games, didn't have a single penalty in the 13-point road win over the Bears and, after a win over NC Central in Week 4, host Virginia Tech in the ACC opener.
All eyes on Durham on Sept. 29.
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Iowa
Entering the season, Wisconsin led the Big Ten West odds at 4-9, followed by and Iowa and Nebraska, though they were tied for second miles behind Wisconsin at 10-1. Suddenly, after the Badgers' ugly start, Saturday's Big Ten opener in Iowa City could put the Hawkeyes in the driver's seat.
If Wisconsin loses in Week 4, they also lose the tiebreaker; they'd have to be two full games better than Iowa over an eight-game stretch.
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Kentucky
Georgia is winning the SEC East. That doesn't mean the rest of the division is more meaningless than an Ohio State investigation.
Kentucky has twice finished third or better in the East under Mark Stoops, but they've never posted an above-.500 conference mark in his five seasons. Without Auburn and Alabama on the schedule, there's a potential path to five victories and it starts with a corner-turning win over Mississippi State in Week 4. If that happens, is this the best Wildcats team since the '70s?
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Louisiana Tech
Entering the season Louisiana Tech was one of only two Group of Five teams with the schedule to seriously contend the College Football Playoff if they went undefeated. That hasn't changed, and though they were unimpressive in a four-point win over South Alabama in Week 1, they have two huge opportunities in consecutive weeks with trips to LSU and North Texas (they also visit Mississippi State later in the season).
Let's stop short of predicting an upset in Baton Rouge but the Bulldogs could scare the Tigers before the huge trip to Denton in Week 5.
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Marshall
The loss of Chase Litton shoved Marshall out of the preseason minds of most folks, but the Thundering Herd's two-deep is still laced with enough talent for a second straight eight-win season.
They have a rare Power Five home game in Week 4 (vs. NC State), followed by an easy stretch to open C-USA play that should put them beside FAU in the East standings before they host the Owls on Oct. 20.
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Minnesota
True freshman walk-on starting quarterback and fourth-string running back doesn't scream optimism in the Big Ten but the Gophers' 3-0 start includes a win over Fresno State and dominating defensive performances vs. two bad teams (four forced turnovers and 129 rushing yards allowed vs. Miami Ohio and New Mexico State).
If Iowa beats Wisconsin in Week 4 to take control of the West and Minnesota beats Iowa at home in Week 6 (after a bye), the Gophers are suddenly in play.
