UCLA tops USA TODAY's first-half surprise list as Nebraska and Wisconsin also make the cut

No team has surprised college football more over the first half of the season than UCLA. That is the conclusion of USA TODAY Sports, which put the 5-0 Bruins at No. 1 on its list of the 10 biggest surprise teams. The list also includes two more Big Ten programs, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Columnist Paul Myerberg called the Bruins the biggest success story of the first half. No. 13 Missouri came in second, and the rest of the list ranged from Kentucky and Wake Forest to Group of Six teams such as New Mexico, Oregon State and James Madison.

The ranking comes with a major caveat for UCLA. USA TODAY reported that quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach is set to start this weekend. The Bruins are 5-0 after a trip to Autzen Stadium last weekend, and USA TODAY views their remaining schedule as a real path to double-digit wins and a playoff berth. After Wisconsin, they play Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota on the road, Illinois, Michigan on the road and No. 15 Southern California.

Nebraska and Wisconsin share a spot on the list as two proud programs climbing back up the Big Ten ladder. Myerberg wrote that many observers have discounted Nebraska's 5-1 start because the early schedule was soft. The Cornhuskers' only loss came last weekend, 20-17 to No. 4 Indiana, and he called this group "the sturdiest team of the Matt Rhule era." Wisconsin is 4-1 after four straight wins, which USA TODAY said has eased the pressure on coach Luke Fickell. The outlet also warned that the Badgers' run could turn quickly with UCLA, Southern California and No. 16 Iowa coming up next.

The week ahead

The first of those tests comes Saturday. Wisconsin visits No. 12 UCLA at 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC, and Dieffenbach makes his first start in place of Iamaleava. The market has this one close. UCLA is favored at -133 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook price on the Bruins is -135 at theScore Bet. The spread is UCLA -2.5 and the total is 43.5. Full prices are on the Wisconsin at UCLA odds page.

That narrow number shows how much the quarterback change matters. An unbeaten team ranked in the top 15 is giving less than a field goal at home to a Wisconsin team trying to show its winning streak is real.

Later that night, Nebraska tries to recover from the Indiana loss at Oregon, with kickoff at 11 p.m. EDT on Fox. The Ducks are 3-2 and come in off last weekend's home loss to UCLA, but the market still leans their way. Oregon is favored at -251 on Novig, and FanDuel has the best sportsbook price on the Ducks at -275. The spread is Oregon -7.5 and the total is 52.5. More is on the Nebraska at Oregon odds page.

USA TODAY argued that Nebraska's record has been discounted because of its schedule, and a trip to Eugene is a chance to change that view. For Wisconsin, a win in Pasadena would make a stronger case than anything the Badgers have done so far.