The college football offseason is packed with optimism, but September and October have a nasty way of turning that enthusiasm into frustration and discontent.
In fairness to some programs, they didn't ask for major expectations. Sometimes a hype train builds too much speed even in the face of clear obstacles. No matter the context, though, that only slightly minimizes the disappointment of 2019.
Every team highlighted below had goals of competing for a conference title and/or a premier bowl. None of them are leading contenders in that manner anymore.
As happens each season, a few breakout hopefuls have failed to match their billing.