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After five full weeks of the 2017 college football season, several things (such as Alabama's dominance and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield shredding defenses) remain the same.

But that doesn't mean we've been devoid of some surprise excitement throughout the first third of the year.

From between the hedges in Georgia, down into South Florida and all the way up into the Pacific Northwest, college football is giving us some pretty compelling storylines.

A couple of mid-majors are stealing spotlights in the Sunshine State in the UCF Knights and South Florida Bulls.

There was a Friday night party in Pullman, Washington, last week that could be a sign of a new Pac-12 power, too. We've also witnessed a trio of studs stepping out of the shadow of superstars to make their own names.

We may not know how the rest of the 2017 season is going to unfold, but headlines abound in areas where you may not expect them.

Let's take a look at some of college football's most unexpected successes of the season so far and examine whether they're early-season flashes or long-term locks to keep making noise in the standings or between the white lines.