College football is a sport that many Americans love, even when our favorite teams aren’t necessarily great. But the teams that start on the bottom don't always stay there. Let’s take a look at the most improved teams of 2021 so far through week ten of the college football season.
Michigan State
The Big10 contains some of the most powerful teams in college football, trailing only the SEC with the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and others. The Ohio State Buckeyes, the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Michigan Wolverines, and (last season) Indiana are always in the top 25 teams. But this year, a new team has emerged- the Michigan State Spartans.
After hiring Mel Tucker before last season started, they posted a very sloppy two and five record in the 2020 season. In all fairness, we were in a global pandemic, but still- last season did not meet the Big10 standard, much less the Michigan State standard. Michigan State started the year not even in the top 25, but have grinded their way through the schedule, and just two Saturdays ago, they won their big in-state rivalry game against John Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines.
The Spartans still have a path to the playoffs, but it is a tough one after the disappointing loss to Purdue. They will have to win out, which would include beating Ohio State and Penn State. Then they would have to win the Big10 championship, and even then they would only get the third or fourth seed.
I think that it is very safe to say that the Spartans are one of if not the most improved teams in college football, even if they end the year with three losses (which I don’t think will happen). It is going to be a tough road to the playoffs, but it is technically doable.
Arkansas
The SEC is without a doubt the most elite conference to play in, making it very hard for any team within the conference to win a lot of games. Now obviously, teams like Alabama, Georgia, and even Auburn almost always have eight to nine win seasons at the minimum. But what if I told you that there was a new team to this list, a team that just won its first conference game in two years?
Arkansas has not been good this decade, never knocking off Bama, and never doing anything of real importance on a national scale. In fact, the Hogs didn’t win a single conference game in either the '18 or '19 seasons under head coach Chad Morris. After firing him, they brought in Sam Pittman. Last season, in his first year, not only did Arkansas win a conference game for the first time in two seasons, they won three. When you take into account that there was a global pandemic happening, and they only played SEC competition the whole year, it’s pretty impressive.
Arkansas came into the year with a lot of momentum, and man did they get off to a hot start. They beat Rice to start the season, and in week 2 they demolished a good Texas team 40-21. The next week they put the heat on Georgia Southern, and then took down a Texas A&M team that just knocked off Bama.
Now yes, they were embarrassed against Georgia, and they took a tough loss to Ole Miss, then got beat up by Auburn, but they are still a very improved team. Also all three of those games were in back to back to back weeks, and two of them were away games, so it really wasn’t that bad (except for Georgia). Even though they sit six and three, they are still one of the most improved teams in college football, and there is still a good chance that they finish with only three or four losses.
Wake Forest
Ahh, Wake Forest, a nobody team in the ACC. That was the Demon Deacons last year, as they only posted a 4-5 record, getting blown out by Clemson and Wisconsin along the way. Eighth year head coach Dave Clawson is the man leading the Demon Deacons team that has drastically improved from last year. The Demon Deacons started the year against two opponents that aren’t exactly great. The offense put up 40+ in both games, and the defense was mediocre. Then they pushed around Florida St, winning 35-14. They came back home, and physically harassed the Virginia Cavaliers. The next two games were a bit sketchy, as they won both by a combined six points. They hosted Louisville, and barely escaped with a narrow win, but they did 37-34. They then went to Syracuse, and won 40-37 in overtime.
This team has been outstanding on offense, but the defense needs to improve if they want to win their last three games. Unfortunately, they lost to North Carolina in a dramatic fashion for the second straight year. Two years in a row now, the Demon Deacons have surrendered a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter. This week, they will host the NCST Wolfpack. If they get through that, then they will travel to Death Valley, and play in a game that Clemson will probably be favored to win by a slim margin. If they somehow get through that with only one loss, which would need major defensive improvements, they got to a good Boston College team to finish out the year. If they somehow get through the rest of the season with only one loss, their CFB resume would be a power five team with wins over Clemson and NCST. But with the loss to North Carolina, it would be very hard for them to get in the final four. It would take major defensive improvements, and some other teams losing.
Even if the Demon Deacons don’t win out, they have really improved from last season, and should finish the season in a New Year's Six bowl and only have one or two losses
One of the most fun things about college football is that it isn't a static sport. The teams that are on top at the beginning of the season aren't always the ones who finish first at the end, and the constant friction between teams who are all fighting for victory is what makes the sport beloved by millions of fans across the country. This year seems to be a good one for underdogs, and the eyes of a nation of sports lovers will be on these teams. They may just surprise us.
This is Brady’s first year on staff and his first year at Edgewood. He loves fishing, roller coasters, and sports. He hopes his enthusiasm for sports will inspire other people to love them as well.