College football rankings: Baylor, Indiana need wins to escape final Bottom 25 of the year

25. Western Michigan 4-7 Western Michigan appeared find it irresistible used to be trending up when it scored 45 and 38 issues in wins over Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, respectively. Then got here final week’s 24-0 loss at Northern Illinois. The Broncos accrued simply 206 general yards and could not run the football in any respect as their hopes of bowl eligibility vanished. (Last week: NR) 24. Ball State 4-7 Ball Sate is taking giant steps in the proper route — uncommon for a Bottom 25 workforce — and would escape the ratings altogether with a win over 9-2 Miami (Ohio) to shut the season. The Cardinals have gained two immediately and 3 of the final 4 after preserving lowly Kent State to 97 yards in a 34-3 win final week. (11) 23. Indiana 3-8 Say what you’ll about trainer Tom Allen’s long term, however the Hoosiers have not stopped combating. If three-point losses to Illinois and Michigan State had long past the opposite direction the previous two weeks, Indiana could be taking part in for bowl eligibility towards Purdue this week. Alas, the highest IU can do is fit final season’s 4-8 report. (NR) 22. Arizona State 3-8 Barring an disappointed victory over red-hot rival Arizona, the Sun Devils are most likely to end in the Bottom 25. But there were some encouraging indicators in Year 1 below Kenny Dillingham, who inherited a large number from predecessor Herm Edwards. Unfortunately, a 49-13 loss to Oregon final week used to be now not one of the ones encouraging indicators. ASU is solely out of gasoline. (NR) 21. Stanford 3-8 Barring an disappointed victory over Notre Dame, the Cardinal are most likely to end in the Bottom 25. But there were some vivid spots in Year 1 below Troy Taylor, who inherited a program coming off consecutive 3-9 seasons below predecessor David Shaw. However, the workforce did not glance just right 27-15 house loss to rival California final week. Are the Cardinal merely out of gasoline? (22) 20. UTEP 3-8 Unless UTEP turns into the first workforce to beat Liberty this season, it is going to end 3-9. That would mark a moment immediately season of regression below fifth-year trainer Dana Dimel. It’s a troublesome activity, and Dimel led the Miners to a bowl in 2021. But the wind is long past from the sails in El Paso. (19) 19. FIU 4-7 There used to be a time when FIU stood at 3-1 and appeared succesful of creating a bowl below second-year trainer Mike MacIntyre. Then got here a stretch of six losses in seven video games. That endured final week with a 44-20 loss at Arkansas. Every loss in that reach got here by way of a minimum of 13 issues, and the lone victory used to be towards Sam Houston, a first-year FBS program. (23) 18. Baylor 3-8 Bringing trainer Dave Aranda again for a 5th season feels increasingly more tricky to justify as the Bears proceed to crater right into a Big 12 doormat. This workforce’s simplest Big 12 victories are by way of a mixed 4 issues towards league newbies UCF and Cincinnati. Those groups are a mixed 3-13 in convention play. The final two weeks, Baylor has been outscored 101-42 towards Kansas State and TCU. (NR) 17. Louisiana Tech 3-9 Louisiana Tech is not anything if now not constant. The Bulldogs wrapped up their 3rd consecutive 3-9 season final week with a 56-17 loss at Jacksonville State. That marked six immediately defeats to finish the season. The first 3 have been one-possession video games. But since November arrived, the Bulldogs’ stage of competitiveness has waned. (NR) 16. San Diego State 3-8 San Diego State did not precisely rally round the announcement that Brady Hoke is retiring after the season. The Aztecs adopted up the news with a 24-13 loss at San Jose State. If SDSU does not beat Fresno State this week, it’ll end with its lowest win general since 2008. (16) 15. Buffalo 3-8 Buffalo simply navigated a ludicrous MAC gauntlet, dropping to Toledo, Ohio and Miami (Ohio) in 3 immediately weeks. Those are the 3 highest groups in the MAC with a mixed 27-6 report, and Buffalo used to be pressured to play two of them on the street. What did did the Bulls do to anger the league’s scheduling set of rules? (15) 14. Hawaii 4-8 Hawaii completed 2-6 in Mountain West play final season. To strengthen on that mark in Year 2 below trainer Timmy Chang, it’ll need a win over Colorado State this week. That turns out not likely given how poorly final week’s go back and forth to Wyoming went. The Rainbow Warriors fell at the back of 35-0 in the first part en direction to a 42-9 loss. (20) 13. Charlotte 3-8 Charlotte adopted a win at Tulsa and a near-upset of Memphis with a 28-7 house loss to…Rice? The 49ers mustered simplest 158 yards in the loss and did not ranking till the fourth quarter. The Biff Poggi generation goes to need slightly extra runway ahead of takeoff actually commences. (18) 12. Temple 3-8 E.J. Warner continues to be a a laugh quarterback. The son of NFL legend Kurt Warner has thrown for two,746 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 9 appearances this season. The Owls simply do not need sufficient round him to capitalize on his skill. (14) 11. Tulsa 3-8 Tulsa has misplaced six immediately, and 4 of the ones losses have are available one-possession video games. The Golden Hurricane glance extra like a tropical despair losing mild rain at this level. The degree is about for a Bottom 25 Battle Royale with ECU this week. Hurricanes vs. Pirates appears like an concept for a trip at an upstart theme park, however it will make for an terrible football sport. (12) 10. Vanderbilt 2-9 Would Vanderbilt enthusiasts have signed up for 3-9 this season in the event that they knew it will come with a win at Tennessee to shut the season? It’s a a laugh hypothetical to believe getting into this week’s sport towards the Volunteers. But even the dead Vols shouldn’t have any bother smoking the ‘Dores. During Vandy’s eight-game dropping, the seven losses towards Power Five opposition have come by way of double digits. (9) 9. East Carolina 2-9 When a commentary got here throughout the wires Sunday morning a couple of training group of workers exchange at East Carolina, the herbal assumption used to be the program used to be parting tactics trainer Mike Houston. After all, the program has fallen off a cliff this year. No, it used to be simply the offensive coordinator getting fired, which used to be most certainly warranted after Saturday’s 10-0 loss to Navy wherein the Pirates earned 9 first downs.  (10) 8. UMass 3-8 UMass dropping 49-25 to an unbeaten Liberty workforce seems virtually decent to start with look. It wasn’t. The Minutemen trailed 28-0 by way of the heart of the moment quarter and have been down 49-10 early in the fourth. The Flames let off the gasoline overdue. But with a win over UConn in the Bottom 25 FBS Independent Game of The Century this week, UMass can nonetheless achieve 4 wins for the first time since 2018. (7) 7. Sam Houston 2-9 Sam Houston held a fourth quarter lead towards Western Kentucky ahead of falling 28-23. It’s simply been that sort of season for the Bearkats, who’re of their first season at the FBS stage. They are 1-5 in one-possession video games getting into this week’s season finale towards Middle Tennessee. (8) 6. Southern Miss 3-8 A win over a Mississippi State workforce taking part in below an intervening time trainer in truth appeared like a rational aspiration for Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles entered final week’s in-state showdown on the heels of consecutive victories. But the Golden Eagles could not get celebrity working again Frank Gore Jr. going and wilted overdue towards the Bulldogs in a 41-20 loss. (6) 5. UConn 2-9 Thank goodness for Sacred Heart. The Pioneers equipped the agenda destroy UConn wanted final week as the Huskies picked up a 31-3 win over their lowly 2-9 FCS foe. Even with a win over UMass to shut the season this week, it’ll nonetheless move down as a disappointing marketing campaign after Jim Mora led this program to a bowl final season. (2) 4. Louisiana-Monroe 2-9 For a kid of school football royalty, Terry Bowden positive is not afraid to get his arms grimy by way of grinding in the muck of unglamorous jobs. Trying to budge ULM ahead has no doubt proved difficult. Since their final victory over Lamar on Sept. 9, the Warhawks have continued a painful combine of shut defeats and uncompetitive blowout losses. (5) 3. Akron 2-9 Akron is 7-46 over the final 5 seasons. The glories of two bowl journeys in Terry Bowden’s seven seasons have light a long way into the previous. A win over Ohio this week would nonetheless give the Zips their highest win general since 2018. But Akron’s victories this season are a 24-21 win over FCS foe Morgan State and a 31-27 win over Kent State. There’s no probability the Zips beat the 8-3 Bobcats. (4) 2. Nevada 2-9 Nevada’s back-to-back wins in overdue October grew to become out to be idiot’s gold. The Wolf Pack have returned to their dropping tactics with 3 consecutive double-digit losses. They post a struggle towards Colorado State and previous trainer Jay Norvell final week, however misplaced 30-20. A loss to Wyoming would mark Nevada’s first time profitable two video games or fewer in consecutive seasons as an FBS program (3) 1. Kent State 1-10 This horrendous season displays why former Kent State trainer and present Colorado assistant Sean Lewis will get discussed as a candidate for vacancies round the nation. He posted only a 24-31 report in 5 seasons, however it seems profitable at Kent State is slightly difficult. Lewis is answerable for two of the program’s 4 all-time bowl appearances and guided the Golden Flashes to a 19-17 MAC report. (1)