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25. ULM |
2-2 |
The Warhawks picked up a huge win over in-state rival Louisiana on Saturday, beating the Ragin’ Cajuns 21-17. It snapped a four-game losing streak to their neighbors and put the Warhawks into sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt West, but it wasn’t enough to get out of The Bottom 25. (Last Week: 10) |
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24. Nevada |
2-3 |
OK, so I did not think Nevada would have two more wins than Colorado State at this point. I’m sure there are plenty of fans in Reno, Nevada, reveling in Jay Norvell’s struggles with the Rams, but the Wolf Pack have now lost three in a row since starting 2-0 and enter The Bottom 25 for the first time this season. (Not Ranked) |
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23. Ohio |
2-2 |
Ohio won a wild game against Fordham, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to avoid the upset in a 59-52 win. The teams combined for 1,332 total yards and 1,040 passing yards in the game. They also combined for 228 yards of penalties. It was incredible stuff. Not enough to get the Bobcats out of The Bottom 25, but incredible all the same. (20) |
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22. Northern Illinois |
1-3 |
Last season, Northern Illinois went 7-3 in one-score games. After losing to Kentucky 31-23 Saturday, they’re 1-2 in one-possesion games this season, and their third loss was by only 10 to Vanderbilt. This team is designed to keep things close, so don’t expect this week’s game at No. 15 Ball State to get out of hand. (23) |
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21. Arkansas State |
1-3 |
Butch Jones and Arkansas State make their first appearance in the poll after losing at Old Dominion 29-26. It’s the Red Wolves’ third straight loss after opening the season with a win over Grambling, and it was also their third straight road game. They return home to face No. 25 ULM on Saturday. (NR) |
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20. UTEP |
2-3 |
One of the funnier aspects of college football is that UTEP has already played five games while others have only played three. Anyway, the Miners have won two of three after beating Boise State 27-10, but they haven’t managed to drop from the poll. A win against No. 7 Charlotte on Saturday would likely be enough. (13) |
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19. Navy |
1-2 |
I said a couple of weeks ago that Navy might struggle to get a win this year. Well, it got one. The Midshipmen took down East Carolina 23-20 in overtime, and things are looking a little brighter than they did after the first two games. And just in time, too, as the race for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy starts off this weekend against Air Force. You know, the one team in Colorado that’s good. (5) |
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18. Louisiana Tech |
1-3 |
It’s never great when your only win is against an FCS team and your three FBS losses have come by an average of 26.7 points each. The Bulldogs will look to use this week’s bye to figure things out. (24) |
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17. Buffalo |
1-3 |
The Bulls got on the board with a big 50-31 win over Eastern Michigan to open conference play. That gets them out of The Bottom 10, but it isn’t nearly enough to drop out of the poll altogether. Now Buffalo must prepare to face a Miami OH team that beat Northwestern Saturday night. (6) |
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16. Bowling Green |
1-3 |
Not many people gave Bowling Green a chance against Mississippi State, and the Falcons showed us why. The Bulldogs cruised to an easy 45-14 win over the Falcons, but life will be much easier this week when Bowling Green is back on the road to face No. 6 Akron. (22) |
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15. Ball State |
1-3 |
The MAC is just non-stop Bottom 25 showdowns this week. The Cardinals drop four spots in the poll this week following a 34-23 lead to the Fightin’ Clay Heltons of Georgia Southern. This week they get No. 22 Northern Illinois. (19) |
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14. Georgia Tech |
1-3 |
Geoff Collins became the third Power Five coach to lose his job before October, with the Yellow Jackets losing 27-10 at UCF. You always knew the transition away from an option offense would be difficult, but there should be signs of improvement in the fourth season. There haven’t been. The post-Collins Era begins Saturday at Pitt. (15) |
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13. South Florida |
1-3 |
Two weeks ago, the Bulls were hanging with Florida, and you thought maybe this team was turning a corner. Then they went to Louisville and got obliterated 41-3. Now I have no idea what to expect, but this week they’re facing the East Carolina team Navy just beat. (25) |
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12. Utah State |
1-3 |
Utah State might go from Mountain West Champion to Bottom 25 Playoff team. The Aggies lost to UNLV 34-24 this weekend but played well enough to rise from No. 7 to No. 12. Now they face a short turnaround before heading to Provo, Utah, to face BYU Thursday night. (7) |
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11. Georgia State |
0-4 |
The Panthers are one of only three winless teams remaining, but the fact they are ranked outside The Bottom 10 is an indicator they aren’t likely to remain winless. While the loss to Charlotte is one they’ll regret all season, there’s no shame in losing to South Carolina, North Carolina or Coastal Carolina. The good news is they aren’t playing a team from one of the Carolinas this weekend. The bad news is, they’re playing Army. (9) |
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10. Western Michigan |
1-3 |
Outside a 37-30 win over No. 15 Ball State in Week 2, the Broncos have been outscored 103-32 in their other three games. Not great! I expect they’ll pick up another win this week against New Hampshire, which will get them out of the Bottom 10 but not far out of it. (16) |
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9. UConn |
1-4 |
It says a lot about UConn that being ranked No. 9 in The Bottom 25 this late into the season would be considered progress. The Huskies still aren’t very good, and they’re being battered by much better teams, but there are signs of progress. You have to look hard to find them, but they’re there! (11) |
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8. New Mexico State |
1-4 |
The Aggies got their first win over the weekend, beating Hawaii 45-26. Unfortunately, beating Hawaii will only boost your rating so much. This week, the same can be said about a possible win over No. 2 FIU. (2) |
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7. Charlotte |
1-4 |
The 49ers couldn’t carry over the momentum from that win over Georgia State. That said, it should be pointed out Charlotte hung with South Carolina for a half, trailing only 20-14 at halftime. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off afterward, as the Gamecocks put 22 points on the board in the third quarter and cruised from there. (12) |
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6. Akron |
1-3 |
Akron had a much better time against Liberty than in blowout losses to Michigan State and Tennessee, but the result was the same: a 21-12 loss. Maybe this week, the Zips will get a win against No. 16 Bowling Green. (8) |
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5. UMass |
1-3 |
UMass is living that independent life to the fullest. Its lone win was against FCS Stony Brook, which was the team’s lone home game to this point. Its losses to Tulane, Toledo and Temple have all come on the road, and the Minutemen will be back on the road this week to face Eastern Michigan. (14) |
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4. Hawaii |
1-4 |
Hawaii came to the mainland and lost a winnable game at New Mexico State. The good news for the Rainbow Warriors is there are plenty of winnable games left on the schedule, though I don’t know that this week’s game at San Diego State qualifies. (4) |
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3. Colorado |
0-4 |
I mentioned that Geoff Collins was the third Power Five coach to lose his job already. Well, I’d go with Karl Dorrell if you’re looking to figure out who the fourth will be and don’t want to take the obvious choice in Bryan Harsin. The Buffs were stampeded 45-17 by UCLA, and if they lose this week at Arizona, there’s a significant chance this team could go winless. (3) |
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2. FIU |
1-2 |
There’s no way to spin a 73-0 loss to Western Kentucky, but the Panthers leap from No. 17 to No. 2 this week, partially due to the lack of sample size. They’ve only played three games so that 73-0 loss carries a lot of weight right now! This week the Panthers have a massive game at No. 8 New Mexico State in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week! (17) |
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1. Colorado State |
0-4 |
When you lose to an FCS program like Sacramento State, it’s one thing. It happens. We see it every year. The little guy bites the bigger guy. What we don’t see every year is FBS teams losing to FCS teams by a score of 41-10. The Rams weren’t even competitive. (1) |
