5 Most Disappointing College Football Teams of 2015
By Ty Duffy
The College Football 2015 season is over. Here are the five most disappointing teams.
Auburn Tigers: We ran our college football media survey before the season. Two thirds of respondents projected Auburn into the playoff. There was some collective Kool-Aid drunk, for sure. Though, 6-6 with unimpressive wins remains a profound disappointment. Worse, the offense was the issue. Jeremy Johnson went from breakout Heisman candidate to the bench. The running game never got going in a meaningful way. Will Muschamp looks like he’s gone. Welcome to the hot seat, Gus Malzahn.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Yellow Jackets started the season No. 16 in the AP poll. They dropped 134 points on their first two opponents. Then, against a tough schedule, Tech collapsed going 3-9. Some drop off was anticipated, given the offensive transition. But, few expected things to get this bad. This was Johnson’s first GT team to miss a bowl game and first to finish with a below .500 conference record (1-7). A lot of one-score losses there, but still…
Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Cornhuskers fired Bo Pelini, as 9-10 wins per year was not enough. They went outside the box, hiring much nicer guy Mike Riley. In his first season, Nebraska went 5-7. Six one-score losses show they were competitive. Tommy Arm Punt was prime entertainment, if you weren’t a Nebraska fan and did not fade that huge public line.
Missouri Tigers: A Top 10 defense and…perhaps the worst offense in FBS. Maty Mauk was not an efficient quarterback. Missouri dealt with some injuries and had a lot to replace from 2014. Still, given the track record, you would expect the Tigers to do something with the ball. They scored two touchdowns over their final five SEC games. 3.3 yards/play and three points in Gary Pinkel’s send off against Arkansas. Unwatchable.
UCF Knights: The Knights had won 31 games the previous three seasons. With nine starters returning, total, some level of dip was anticipated. No one expected an 0-12 season that would see George O’Leary fire himself as athletic director and head coach. The Knights did not allow a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown. That’s about the only thing they did well. Thankfully that poor Orlando bar is only giving away free beer during UCF games.