TCU was the surprise team of the college football season this past year that nearly made the College Football Playoff, and there are several programs hoping to have similar success in 2015. Here are three teams that have surprised so far this season:
Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern turned heads on the opening weekend of the college football season by dominating Stanford (who just beat USC), and that has continued against Eastern Ilinois and Duke. The Wildcats sport the top defense in the country, allowing just 5.3 points per game, and have one of the best running backs in the country in Justin Jackson (332 rushing yards, TD). Now ranked 17th in the country, Northwestern looks like a team to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.
Cal Golden Bears
Cal is the only team on this list that isn't currently ranked, but they're still undefeated and are legitimate Pac-12 contenders thanks to the play of quarterback Jared Goff. The Golden Bears sport the 8th-best offense in the country (51 points per game) and a top-10 passing mark thanks to Goff, who already has 898 yards passing and nine touchdown throws on the season. As long as their defense holds up (allowing 21.7 points per game), Cal will be a threat this season.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies were expected to finish at or near the bottom of the loaded SEC West this season, but after three games, they've already risen to a No. 14 ranking. A large part of that rise has to do with their improvement on defense. They've had one of the worst defenses in the country over the past two years, but new defensive coordinator John Chavis has this unit playing at a much higher level, as they're giving up just 337 yards per game.
As for the offense, Kyle Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season, passing for 594 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with two more rushing touchdowns. He has totally mastered head coaach Kevin Sumlin's spread offensive system in his sophomore year, and the Aggies' offense (46 points per game) is exploding because of it.
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