What a difference two weeks can make.

Every year, the offseason is loaded with optimism. And, hey, that's the perfect time for it! The enthusiasm can be centered on veterans and established coaches or a fresh cast of players and a new staff.

But then, the season starts. Inevitably, the good vibes of July and August descend into the exasperation of September.

Fandom is tough, y'all.

"Worry" and "concern" are the words of the day, although a setback or two in the coming weeks may result in full-on panic.

Auburn Tigers

Hugh Freeze inherited a rocky situation at Auburn, so it seemed fair to temper the level of criticism after his 6-7 debut in 2023.

But those floodgates are on the verge of opening.

Late in 2023, the Tigers lost at home to New Mexico State. That setback is hard to justify when Auburn lost one-possession games to Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama at various points in the regular season.

Auburn walloped Alabama A&M in the 2024 but stumbled through an absolute dud at home in Week 2. The offense committed five turnovers—including four interceptions from Payton Thorne—and mustered just 5.0 yards per snap in a frustrating 21-14 loss to Cal.

That's not an encouraging day before SEC play kicks off.

The looming three-game stretch at home against Oklahoma and on the road against Georgia and Missouri looks a bit scarier today.

Colorado Buffaloes

Look, it was worth the risk. Colorado, which hasn't had a winning season since 2016, needed a real spark when the school hired Deion Sanders two years ago. He's certainly provided that.

The early returns are mediocre, though.

Similar to Freeze at Auburn, the 2023 campaign was never a moment for greatness. Sanders and his staff completely rebuilt the roster, so the bumpy ride to 4-8 was predictable. But those growing pains, in theory, would lead to a much stronger team in 2024.

Unfortunately for CU, that didn't show up against Nebraska—a program that has undergone a major facelift under Matt Rhule, who's also a second-year coach. Colorado gained just 260 yards and lost 28-10.

Worse yet, the Buffs' slate includes all five ranked Big 12 teams plus trips to UCF and Texas Tech. The path to a bowl is very difficult.

If CU finishes 4-8 again, how quickly will the fan base's patience thin?

Florida Gators

Where you see a 5-star freshman quarterback, you'll find belief.

No matter how rough the 2024 season gets for Florida, "at least we have DJ Lagway" will offer hope for the future. In relief of injured Graham Mertz last weekend, the young QB finished 18-of-25 with 456 yards and three touchdowns as the Gators beat Samford 45-7.

Despite that performance, UF coach Billy Napier told reporters he plans to use both Mertz and Lagway going forward.

If you don't love the idea, you're not alone.

The bright side is the toughest part of the Gators' schedule isn't until November. The bad news is the upcoming stretch still includes Texas A&M, at Mississippi State, UCF, at Tennessee and Kentucky.

Florida looked harmless in the 24-point shellacking at the hands of Miami. The longer UF embraces a two-QB system, the more Napier is welcoming inconsistency to an offense that cannot afford it—during a season in which his job is probably on the line, too.

Florida State Seminoles

Comparing this Florida State team to last year's roster is unfair, given the vast amount of the transition this offseason.

But, uh, this has been miserable to watch.

Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei has mustered 6.7 yards per pass attempt, while the rushing game has crawled to 2.5 per carry. The offense's ineffectiveness is the main reason the Seminoles have already fallen to ACC foes Georgia Tech and Boston College.

Barring a stunning rise, FSU is basically out of the ACC and College Football Playoff races. One more conference loss would formally end those aspirations, and both Clemson and Miami remain on the slate.

Florida State recently posted 10-3 and 13-1 years but risks losing much of that recruiting momentum with a bad 2024.

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky began the season with a straightforward 31-0 victory over Southern Miss. The offense wasn't stellar, no, but an efficient day from Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff and a stout defensive effort made it a successful outing for the Wildcats.

The exact opposite happened in Week 2 as Kentucky flailed at home in an ugly 31-6 conference loss to South Carolina.

Seriously, it was awful.

Vandagriff hit 3-of-10 passes for 30 yards and an interception, and backup Gavin Wimsatt ended 3-of-7 with 14 yards and a pick. The running game labored to 139 yards on 46 carries. The defense held on until the proverbial dam opened in the third quarter after UK's first two drives resulted in minus-22 yards and excellent field position for South Carolina.

If that's what UK's offense could manage against South Carolina—which barely escaped Old Dominion in Week 1—the September clashes with Georgia and Ole Miss should look fairly terrifying.

November is a long way off, but those matchups with Tennessee, Texas and Louisville won't be much easier, either.

SMU Mustangs

The late-September showdown between Florida State and SMU has lost an awful lot of its shine, huh?

After winning the American last season, the Mustangs joined the ACC with an experienced roster. Star quarterback Preston Stone highlighted a group that ranked 11th nationally in returning production, per ESPN.

Fast-forward to Week 3, and SMU is searching for answers on offense after a disheartening 18-15 letdown to BYU.

Head coach Rhett Lashlee has waffled between Stone and Kevin Jennings in every game. Benched and reinserted in the opener, Stone guided SMU to a comeback win at Nevada but watched from the sideline for most of the BYU loss after a quick hook for Jennings.

The next three contests—home to rival TCU, home to FSU and at 19th-ranked Louisville—will hopefully offer some clarity about the team.

But the reality is Mustangs fans might not like what they see.