The Spooky 6: Scariest sights we've seen in college football this season

As the calendar approaches Oct. 31 and we near Halloween, it's officially the spookiest time of the year.

There's been plenty of scary sights from the 2022 college football season - for both good and bad reasons - thus far, but there are six that stand out above the rest.

Iowa's offense

Iowa's offense hasn't exactly lit up scoreboards during Kirk Ferentz's lengthy tenure, especially since his son, Brian, took over as offensive coordinator in 2017. In the five full seasons since that point, the Hawkeyes rank 98th in the country in yards per play. Even with that qualifier, the team's performance in 2022 has reached a terrifying level of ineptitude.

The 7-3 victory to begin the season was a sign that this year would be difficult. A field goal and two safeties were enough for the Big Ten West program to win thanks to its dominant defense. Iowa ranks among the worst of 131 FBS programs in almost every major offensive category.

• Scoring offense: 128th
• Rushing offense: 127th
• Passing offense: 122nd
• Yards per play: 130th

The Hawkeyes haven't scored an offensive touchdown since Oct. 1 and have thrown just two TD passes all season. Most programs would have likely made a change at offensive coordinator, but with the family ties in play in Iowa City, don't expect that to happen. The elder Ferentz was even quick to dismiss the idea earlier this week.

Ferentz has done incredible things during his lengthy tenure and is under contract through 2029. Unfortunately for the Iowa faithful, his unwillingness to address the repeated failures of the unit led by his son could make for a rough ride over the lifespan of his deal.

Playing defense vs. Tennessee

Ask Alabama's talent-laden defense just how scary it is to match up with Tennessee's incredible offensive unit this season. The Volunteers hung 52 points on the vaunted Crimson Tide in a dramatic upset victory, the most Alabama has allowed since 1907. Yes, you read that correctly.

Josh Heupel's turnaround with the program has been nothing short of sensational, as the former UCF frontman inherited one of the worst offensive units in the country and has made them No. 1 in under two years. Tennessee's 50.1 points per game this season ranks slightly ahead of Ohio State for tops in the nation.

Hendon Hooker used a brilliant performance against Alabama to vault to the top of the Heisman race, with the Virginia Tech transfer throwing for 18 touchdowns against just one interception this season. Hooker has a number of options at his disposal, but it's Jalin Hyatt who has broken out as a legit superstar out wide. The junior leads the nation with 12 touchdown catches - including his outrageous five-touchdown day versus the Tide - while averaging almost 20 yards per catch.

It's clear the Vols are a juggernaut, but the next couple weeks will show if they can take down the SEC East. Back-to-back contests with Kentucky and Georgia should essentially decide the division and the participant in the conference title game.

Jimbo Fisher's contract

The scariest thing in all of college sports might be the buyout attached to Jimbo Fisher's contract at Texas A&M. The veteran coach inked a massive 10-year, $94.95-million fully guaranteed extension on Sept. 1, 2021. Since then, the Aggies are 9-8 against FBS competition and are currently on a three-game losing streak.

Perhaps the most jarring thing about Texas A&M is the offense's continued deterioration. Fisher made his name as an offensive guru that tutored the likes of Jameis Winston, but the Aggies' attack has plunged to new depths under Fisher.

While most coaches producing Fisher's results would be on the hot seat, the 57-year-old is among the safest coaches in the country due to the enormous sum it would cost to fire him. The Aggies would owe him the rest of his contract as a buyout, starting at the $85.95 million that currently remains.

Facing TCU as a ranked opponent

TCU's success in Sonny Dykes' first season with the program has been one of the season's biggest surprises. The Horned Frogs have raced out to a perfect 7-0 start and sit atop the Big 12 standings, and October has proved particularly friendly. They became just the third team to collect four wins over ranked opponents (ranked at the time of the game) in a calendar month.

Dykes' arrival has led to the best stretch of play in Max Duggan's lengthy collegiate career, with the offense leading the country in plays of 50-plus yards. Add in future pros at running back and receiver in Kendre Miller and Quentin Johnston, and it's easy to see why TCU has plowed through the competition thus far.

The Horned Frogs currently have no contests against ranked opponents remaining on the schedule, but by the time the team heads on back-to-back road trips to Texas and Baylor, it's likely one will be ranked. Given how things are going in Fort Worth this season, that might just be the best news for Dykes and his outfit.

Lining up against Marvin Harrison Jr.

Ohio State has been churning out top-level NFL receivers for years, but Marvin Harrison Jr. might just be the best of the bunch. The sophomore standout isn't even draft-eligible for another season but is already sending scouts into a frenzy with weekly brilliance.

Harrison is second in the country with 10 touchdown grabs on the season and routinely makes the impossible look simple on Saturdays.

With the Buckeyes' other star receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, finally looking set for a return from injury, Ohio State's offense is primed to hit the next stratosphere - a scary thought for anyone left on the schedule.

The play of the ACC Coastal/Big Ten West

Only three Power 5 conferences still employ the divisional model, and two of them are offering a very strong argument for why it should be abolished. The play in the ACC Coastal and the Big Ten West has been downright scary with both divisions falling well behind their counterparts on the other side of the conference.

The seven teams in the Coastal are a combined 11-14 in conference play with No. 21 North Carolina the only team that's ranked and holding a winning record in ACC play. Georgia Tech currently sits second in the division despite holding a minus-71 overall point differential and already fired its coach this season. Five of the seven members have a negative point differential compared to just two in the Atlantic.

Perhaps the scariest results so far have been turned in by Miami, as the Hurricanes have flopped in Mario Cristobal's first season. Home losses to Middle Tennessee State and Duke were particularly troubling as both opponents hung 45 points on Miami.

With Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in the East, the Big Ten West has always felt like the forgotten sibling of the conference, but this year might be its worst showing yet. Only No. 17 Illinois is currently ranked, and the Illini and Purdue are the only teams with winning conference records right now. The division holds a combined 13-17 mark, and both Nebraska and Wisconsin fired head coaches already. And then there's Iowa, which we already covered in detail.

The Big Ten has already talked about scrapping the divisional format once UCLA and USC join the conference, but the varying performance of the two sides in 2022 should make that a certainty.