It's still September but desperation is already setting in around much of college football. There's a surplus of unrolled toilet paper on the Plains as Auburn's once-promising season circles the drain. There's stunned silence at Arizona State as all the big talk from Todd Graham has disappeared into the desert air. Arkansas' Bret Bielema also drew attention for his mouth, but his team's actions -- losing three straight -- has the Head Hog reeling. Tennessee fans are heartbroken and angry, while Oregon fans are still hoping Saturday night was only a bad dream.
Every season produces teams that fall shy of expectations, but there seems to be a spike in them early this fall, especially in the SEC. The boulevard of broken dreams is filling up fast, as several two-loss teams already have seasons on the brink.
Here's a look at six desperate squads and why they've fallen short, with coaches around the country weighing in on what has gone so wrong.