FBS Independents Preseason Rankings

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2018 Rank: 12
2017 Rank: 16
2017 Ended: With a win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl.
2018 Starts With: Michigan (23) finally back on their schedule.
Coached By: Brian Kelly, 48-33 (9th Season)
Army Black Knights
2018 Rank: 50
2017 Rank: 23
2017 Ended: Armed Forces Bowl win in a high scoring affair with San Diego St
2018 Starts With: 34-14 loss to Duke (1-0, 49)
Coached By: Jeff Monken, 24-27 (5th Season)
New Mexico St Aggies
2018 Rank: 96
2017 Rank: 71
2017 Ended: First Bowl invite and victory in 57 years with a win over Utah St in Arizona Bowl. Also their final season in the Sun Belt.
2018 Starts With: Two early losses to Wyoming (1-0) 29-7 and Minnesota (1-0) 48-10.
Coached By: Doug Martin, 17-46 (5th Season)
BYU Cougars
2018 Rank: 101
2017 Rank: 109
2017 Ended: On the beautiful islands of Hawai'i with a win to finish 4-9.
2018 Starts With: Arizona (47)
Coached By: Kalani Sitake, 13-13 (3rd Season)
UMass Minutemen
2018 Rank: 107
2017 Rank: 107
2017 Ended: With a makeup game loss to FIU.
2018 Starts With: A 63-15 romp over FCS Duquesne.
Coached By: Mark Whipple, 62-62 (11th season, coached from 1998-2003 then returned in 2014)
Liberty Flames
2018 Rank: 129
2017 Rank: N/A
2017 Ended: Preparing for life in the FBS, oh and re-watching the victory at Baylor.
2018 Starts With: Old Dominion (110)
Coached By: Turner Gill, 41-29 (7th Season)

Conference USA Preseason Rankings

Florida Atlantic Owls
2018 Rank: 17
2017 Rank: 12
2017 Ended: At home in Boca Raton with a pummeling of Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl. Won Conference USA.
2018 Starts With: Oklahoma (6)
Coached By: Lane Kiffin, 11-3 (2nd Season)
North Texas Mean Green
2018 Rank: 63
2017 Rank: 36
2017 Ended: Losing the New Orleans Bowl to Troy, but winning the Western half of CUSA.
2018 Starts With: SMU (85)
Coached By: Seth Littrell, 14-13, (3rd Season)
Middle Tennessee St Blue Raiders
2018 Rank: 65
2017 Rank: 67
2017 Ended: Edging out former Sun Belt foes Arkansas St in the Camellia Bowl.
2018 Starts With: Vanderbilt (78)
Coached By: Rick Stockstill, 79-72 (13th Season)
Marshall Thundering Herd
2018 Rank: 67
2017 Rank: 47
2017 Ended: Upending Colorado St in the New Mexico Bowl.
2018 Starts With: Miami Redhawks(100)
Coached By: "I'm Your Huckleberry," Doc Holliday, 61-42 (9th Season)
Florida International Panthers
2018 Rank: 70
2017 Rank: 42
2017 Ended: Getting run over by Temple in the Gasparilla Bowl.
2018 Starts With: Indiana (84)
Coached By: Butch Davis, 8-5 (2nd Season)
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
2018 Rank: 73
2017 Rank: 72
2017 Ended: Throttling SMU in the Frisco Bowl.
2018 Starts With: South Alabama(116)
Coached By: Skip Holtz, 38-28 (6th Season)
 UAB Blazers
2018 Rank: 76
2017 Rank: 44
2017 Ended: Beaten badly by Ohio in the Bahamas Bowl, but they make a bowl game in their first season after football was dropped in 2014.
2018 Starts With: A 52-0 win over Savannah St (0-1)
Coached By: Bill Clark, 15-11 (3rd Season)
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
2018 Rank: 77
2017 Rank: 48
2017 Ended: A drubbing at the hands of Florida St in the Independence Bowl.
2018 Starts With: Jackson St (131)
Coached By: Jay Hopson, 15-11 (3rd Season)
UTSA Roadrunners
2018 Rank: 89
2017 Rank: 53
2017 Ended: With no bowl game despite finishing 6-5.
2018 Starts With: Arizona St (51)
Coached By: Frank Wilson, 12-12 (3rd Season)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
2018 Rank: 98
2017 Rank: 81
2017 Ended: Losing the Cure Bowl to Georgia State.
2018 Starts With: Wisconsin (5)
Coached By: Mike Sanford Jr., 6-7 (2nd Season)
 Old Dominion Monarchs
2018 Rank: 110
2017 Rank: 94
2017 Ended: Watching Middle Tennessee St run away with their bowl dreams.
2018 Starts With: Newest FBS member Liberty (129)
Coached By: Bobby Wilder, 72-32 (10th Season)
Rice Owls
2018 Rank: 126
2017 Rank: 126
2017 Ended: One lone victory against UTEP, so at least they weren't the worst team in CUSA.
2018 Starts With: Matching their win total after a late second field goal avoided an upset at the hands of Prairie View A&M (0-1).
Coached By: Mike Bloomgren, 1-0 (1st Season)
Charlotte 49ers
2018 Rank: 128
2017 Rank: 125
2017 Ended: Also with just one victory, but a more impressive overtime win against UAB.
2018 Starts With: Fordham (131)
Coached By: Brad Lambert, 17-41 (6th Season)
UTEP Miners
2018 Rank: 130
2017 Rank: 130
2017 Ended: As the only winless team in FBS.
2018 Starts With: Northern Arizona (131)
Coached By: Dana Dimel (1st Season)