If you are Colorado, there's no need to imagine as this was the nightmare Buffs fans had to endure. SMU and Coastal Carolina just had to beat a two-win team in the final week. They didn't. FAU and Kansas State also had their one last shot stomped out to end up out of bowl contention. They did however, all avoid the dreaded bottom tier of the Pool Rankings.
Previous Rankings: 130-121 120-111 110-101
100.)
UNLV (4-8, 82 WP, 63.5 LP)The Rebels got off to a 2-1 start and even looked good through the first three quarters against USC, but then the wheels came off. UNLV lost six straight including the only win for San Jose State. However, Tony Sanchez got his group to play better in the final three games as they stunned San Diego State and Nevada to finish 4-8 and almost out of the bottom layer of college football hell. The Rebels haven't had a winning season since 2013.
Best Win: San Diego State
Worst Loss: San Jose State
2017 Finish: 89
99.)
Wow! That's the only way to describe the season for Old Dominion. They started 0-3 with losses to the like of Liberty, FIU, and Charlotte, but snapped that streak with a 14-point win over No. 13 Virginia Tech. Then they dropped three more before winning on an untimed field goal against Western Kentucky. They also helped ensure that North Texas didn't make it to the Conference USA Championship only to lose to Rice in the final game of the year.
Best Win: Virginia Tech
Worst Loss: Rice
2017 Finish: 94
98.)
The 49ers stood at 4-4 with a chance for their first bowl appearance. That didn't happen as they lost three straight, but they did prevent Lane Kiffin and FAU from getting to a bowl game. The five wins are the most since they moved up to the FBS level in 2015 and a vast improvement from their 1-11 finish in 2017. It wasn't enough to save Brad Lambert's job.
After being spurned by now ECU coach Mike Houston, Charlotte turned to Will Healy who was the FCS Coach of the Year in 2017 while at Austin Peay.
Best Win: Southern Miss
Worst Loss: UMass
2017 Finish: 125
97.)
My favorite service academy suffered a big injury that likely hurt their bowl chances. Aurora the Falcon was injured during a kidnapping attempt by members of the U.S. Army before the two schools met. Air Force lost by three and then two weeks later watched their bowl chances evaporate with a loss to Wyoming.
The good news is that the Falcons didn't lose the games they should not have aside from the collapse against Wyoming. The bad news is that the Mountain West doesn't look like it's going to get any easier.
Best Win: UNLV
Worst Loss: Florida Atlantic
2017 Finish: 87
96.)
Ole Miss (5-7, 102.4 WP, 45 LP)The Rebels were enjoying their last season of bowl ineligibility by dropping points like crazy against non-conference opponents. In two victories, Ole Miss put up at least 70 points. Then SEC play happened and they finished 1-7 including five straight losses.
In 2019 the Rebels can compete again for a bowl and they can rest easy knowing the man who was in charge of letting the program implode, Hugh Freeze, has found a job as the new head coach at Liberty.
Best Win: Texas Tech
Worst Loss: Vanderbilt
2017 Finish: 74
95.)
Coastal Carolina (5-7, 99.8 WP, 61.4 LP)Sitting at 5-3, the Chanticleers were making travel plans for a bowl game. Then they lost three straight games to the top tier teams of the Sun Belt. No big deal, all they had to do is beat a 2-9 South Alabama team. They didn't.
Coastal Carolina improved from a 3-9 campaign that was their first in the FBS. The Chanticleers may have a guaranteed bowl landing spot as the Sun Belt and MAC have created the Myrtle Beach Bowl, which will be played on the beautiful teal field of Coastal Carolina.
Best Win: UAB
Worst Loss: South Alabama
2017 Finish: 115
94.)
Seven straight losses not only sunk the Buffaloes bowl bid, but also ended Mike MacIntyre's tenure at Colorado. The dagger came against Oregon State where the Beavers scored 24 in the fourth to force overtime where they shocked the Buffs.
Now former Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will try to make sure that Colorado doesn't continue one of the longest active losing streaks in the FBS.
Best Win: Arizona State
Worst Loss: Oregon State
2017 Finish: 93
93.)
FAU (5-7, 94.2 WP, 53.7 LP)Despite being obliterated by Oklahoma and UCF, Florida Atlantic was still poised to make noise in Conference USA play. Unfortunately they lost their final two games, including a shocking loss to Charlotte to knock the Owls out of bowl contention.
This was no doubt a disappointment after an 11 win season in 2017.
Best Win: FIU
Worst Loss: Charlotte
2017 Finish: 12
92.)
The end of an era...again...for Bill Snyder. The legendary Kansas State coach will be retiring and in his final season, the Wildcats nearly fought their way to a bowl game. Entering their rivalry with Kansas, the Wildcats trailed the Jayhawks and saw their bowl hopes slipping. They rallied and caused Kansas to fire their coach.
Then they held Texas Tech to just six points to move up to 5-6. They finally had Iowa State on the ropes to get to 6-6, but the Cyclones avenged a comeback victory by KSU in 2017 with a comeback of their own to knock out the Wildcats.
Kansas State now turns to Chris Klieman to be their new leader. Before he comes to Manhattan, Klieman will try to win his fourth FCS title in the last five years for the North Dakota State Bison.
Best Win: Oklahoma State
Worst Loss: TCU
2017 Finish: 46
91.)
SMU (5-7, 85.6 WP, 56.3 LP)After an 0-3 start, the Mustangs got things turned around and nearly upset Cincinnati en route to a 5-2 mark in their next seven games. A tough, but expected loss to Memphis meant they need to beat 2-9 Tulsa to become bowl eligible. Instead they lost by three. Although it's better than their 2016 season where they needed a win against Navy and lost 75-31.
Best Win: Houston
Worst Loss: Tulsa
2017 Finish: 73
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