Sports
College football, more than any other sport, is driven by perception: Year after year, debate after debate, the discussion inevitably devolves into parsing the collective wisdom as reflected by polls, selection committees, and talking heads. And as anyone who has ever required a reputation can tell you, perception is difficult to change. Teams at the top tend to stay there in the hive mind despite temporary setbacks, or to return quickly if they suffer an extended lapse. Meanwhile, other programs can go years or even decades without moving the needle, and usually return promptly to obscurity after the rare occasions in which they do.
Earlier this week, I examined the teams perceived as serious championship contenders in 2015 to determine which front-runners best fit the template established by past champs. Today, I’m shifting the focus a little further down the food chain, to a handful of teams that have the best chance of shifting perceptions this season after suffering through extended bouts of mediocrity or worse. None of the teams listed below are aspiring for a playoff bid just yet, but relative to how they’ve been viewed over the past few seasons, they’re in the best position to take a great leap forward this year.
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