Clemson, Florida headline college football’s early disappointments.

Every September, hype collides with reality in college football. Some teams exceed expectations, others fall flat, and a few see their seasons effectively derailed before October even begins. This isn’t about squads who simply dropped a marquee matchup—Texas, Penn State, Michigan, and even twice-beaten Notre Dame still have plenty to play for. These are the teams whose playoff paths already look blocked and whose flaws run deeper than one tough Saturday.

Here are five of the biggest letdowns from the season’s first month:

Clemson

Preseason rank: 6 | Current record: 1–3
The Tigers top the list, and not in the way they’d hoped. Losing a close one to LSU wasn’t a disaster, but struggling with Sun Belt member Troy and then dropping back-to-back games to Georgia Tech and Syracuse exposed serious issues. An offense that was supposed to improve has looked toothless, while the defense has managed just five takeaways and averages only 2.5 sacks per game. Clemson isn’t just out of the playoff race—they may already be out of the ACC race.

South Carolina

Preseason rank: 13 | Current record: 3–2
Special teams bailed out the Gamecocks early, but the offense has been sluggish from the start. The alarm bells really rang after a 38–7 home loss to Vanderbilt, followed by another setback at Missouri. They did notch a win against Kentucky, but their next five opponents are all ranked inside the top 13. With quarterback LaNorris Sellers under constant pressure, things could get ugly fast.

SMU

Preseason rank: 16 | Current record: 2–2
The Mustangs haven’t begun their ACC schedule yet, which leaves the door cracked open. Still, their defensive collapses against Baylor and TCU suggest last year’s playoff run was more mirage than momentum. If they can’t stop mid-tier power-conference teams, it’s hard to see SMU contending for much of anything this fall.

Florida

Preseason rank: 17 | Current record: 1–3
Optimism in Gainesville was built on the idea that quarterback D.J. Lagway and the offense would keep climbing after last year’s finish. Instead, the Gators have stumbled into a three-game losing streak fueled by turnovers and miscues. The defense has been strong enough to earn respect, but without help from the offense, Florida is staring down another losing season.

Kansas State

Preseason rank: 20 | Current record: 2–3
A narrow loss to Iowa State wasn’t alarming by itself, but surviving against FCS opponent North Dakota was a red flag. Consecutive losses to Army and Arizona followed, cooling off the Wildcats’ conference-title hopes. A win over UCF brought some relief, but September was a harsh reset for a team that expected to contend in the Big 12.

The Bottom Line

September has a way of revealing which teams are built for the grind and which aren’t. Clemson, Florida, South Carolina, SMU, and Kansas State all came in with lofty expectations. One month later, those hopes are already slipping away.