As the college football season hits its midpoint, nine teams are maintaining perfect records at 6-0. This includes powerhouses such as No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Penn State, and No. 6 Miami, which comes as no surprise to fans and analysts alike.

However, some of the other unbeaten teams have made headlines due to their unexpected success. No. 9 Iowa State hasn’t had a 6-0 start since 1938. Similarly, No. 16 Indiana last opened a season with six consecutive wins in 1967, while No. 20 Pittsburgh had not achieved it since 1982. No. 23 Army’s last unbeaten start was in 1996, and No. 13 BYU’s perfect record dates back to the 2020 season, which was affected by the pandemic. Notably, none of these five teams were included in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, with Iowa State being the only team that received votes. Additionally, 5-0 Liberty and No. 25 Navy are also aiming to remain unbeaten in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Iowa State shows significant improvement, having been 3-3 at this juncture last year. This marks a notable turnaround, as they are currently riding a win streak after securing nine returning starters on both offense and defense, along with valuable transfers to bolster their offensive line. This week, the Cyclones will host UCF.

For Indiana, last year’s record of 2-4 through six games led to a frustrating season that ended with a dismal 3-9. The hiring of Curt Cignetti from James Madison has transformed the roster, notably with the acquisition of Kurtis Rourke, the Mid-American Conference player of the year, to play quarterback. The Hoosiers face their biggest challenge yet with a home game against Nebraska this Saturday.

Pitt endured a rough 3-9 season last year, having lost four of their first six games and finishing with five losses in their last six. This season, however, they have won half their games by narrow margins, achieving victories over Cincinnati, West Virginia, and California by a total of just seven points. A tough matchup is on the horizon as Syracuse is set to visit this Thursday.

Army, with a history of 6-6 records over the past two years, finds itself on the opposite trajectory at 6-0 for the third time in its history. Under coach Jeff Monken, they possess the nation’s longest active win streak at ten games and will welcome Eastern Carolina to their home stadium this week while being recognized in the Top 25 for the first time since 2020.

Meanwhile, BYU looks to improve on last season’s struggles, where they started with a 4-2 record only to spiral into a five-game losing streak, leaving them at 5-7. They now share the top spot in the Big 12 with Iowa State and Texas Tech and will challenge Oklahoma State at home.

Focusing on some of the teams in the Top 25:

**No. 2 Oregon** is advised to remain cautious despite their significant victory over Ohio State, as they prepare to face Purdue, who despite only having one win, recently came close to upsetting Illinois.

**No. 5 Georgia** faced a tough challenge in defeating Mississippi State before their upcoming match against Texas. This week is crucial as the Longhorns have been demonstrating strong offensive capabilities with the return of quarterback Quinn Ewers from injury.

**No. 10 Clemson** has rapidly turned things around since their loss to Georgia, now winning five consecutive games. Cade Klubnik’s leadership has resulted in a consistently potent offense, reaching over 500 yards in multiple games.

**No. 17 Kansas State** continues to climb the ranks, recently defeating Colorado. With a strong offensive and defensive duo, they remain a competitive force in the Big 12, preparing for their encounter with West Virginia.

**No. 22 Illinois** nearly let a significant lead slip away against Purdue, ultimately needing a field goal to clinch a narrow overtime victory. As they face Michigan this week, Coach Bret Bielema remains optimistic about their team’s potential to achieve more this season.

In additional notes, Vanderbilt is enjoying its best season start since 2008, and a victory over Ball State could push them into the Top 25. The American Athletic Conference is also seeing a resurgence, with Army and Navy both in the rankings for the first time in several months. Furthermore, the Big Ten has successfully joined the SEC as the only conferences to place three teams in the top four for consecutive weeks, marking a historic achievement.