By Mark Pszonak
There are only a handful of 0-3 or 1-2 P4 teams in mid-September. Some may still have hope, while others are dead men walking. Here is a quick look at each and their chances to try and salvage their season:
Florida State (0-3)
This is basically beating a dead horse at this point, but the Seminoles deserve it as the only 0-3 P4 team in the country. I can see a few potential wins on the horizon, mostly because the ACC is once again pedestrian, but there is no hope of salvaging the season.
Florida (1-2)
Nobody’s seat is hotter than Billy Napier’s and it is deserving after the Gators’ start this season. Also, there is no hope for salvaging the season with a brutal schedule remaining – Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss. And if the Gators manage to lose at 1-2 Mississippi State (see below) then Napier’s seat might explode.
Houston (1-2)
After getting drilled at home in the opener against UNLV, the season quickly looked lost. However, the Cougars fought hard during a 16-12 loss at Oklahoma before cruising against Rice. I’m a little more hopeful now than I was after the UNLV loss, but if the Cougars want to salvage the season a couple of winnable games loom against Cincinnati and TCU, albeit both on the road.
Kansas (1-2)
This is a surprising one, with the Jayhawks being ranked #22 in preseason polls. They cruised as expected against Lindenwood in the season opener, but then the offense looked flat and uninspired during losses at Illinois and at home against UNLV. New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is already getting heat because of this. There are several potential wins remaining, but it can quickly fall apart if they lose at West Virginia on Saturday.
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Kentucky (1-2)
Kentucky may be the most difficult team to figure out on this list, especially because of their last two games. After getting embarrassed at home by South Carolina, the Wildcats almost pulled off an epic upset against Georgia. There is talent on the roster, but if Kentucky wants to salvage their season, they need significantly better play from QB Brock Vandagriff, who has completed 17 of 37 passes for 144 yards, no touchdowns and one interception during the last two games.
Mississippi State (1-2)
It has been an interesting start for new head coach Jeff Lebby. After cruising past FCS Eastern Kentucky and suffering a tough loss at Arizona State, the Bulldogs got absolutely whipped at home by Toledo, 41-17. It is hard to believe that anyone in Starkville saw that coming. Similar to Florida (above), the remaining schedule is brutal with games against five of the top seven teams in the country – Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Missouri – so don’t expect any miracles in 2024.
Wake Forest (1-2)
I didn’t expect too much from Wake this season, so 1-2 seems about right. They only lost by one point to Virginia and showed some fight against Ole Miss though. Could they win five more games to become bowl eligible? Unlikely, but they should be able to squeeze out a couple more along the way.
West Virginia (1-2)
Expectations were pretty high coming off a 9-4 season, but instead after three games the hotseat for Neal Brown is warming up again. Losses to Penn State and Pittsburgh aren’t embarrassing by any stretch and there are plenty of opportunities for a rebound. However, as I said above for Kansas, the game between the Mountaineers and Jayhawks on Saturday has the potential to be a season shifter for both.
