Seven teams in the past five seasons have accumulated a win percentage of less than 50 or their wins average against teams within the Top 50. Alabama has done it three times, the most of any school, while Stanford and Ohio State have both done it twice, while Florida State, Clemson, Notre Dame, and USC round out the rest. No team will accomplish the feat this year as Alabama can only reach an even 50 while Clemson would be just behind that mark if they were to win.
So here's a look at the teams that were good enough to help other teams by being quality wins.
Previous Rankings: 130-121 120-111 110-101 100-91 90-81 80-71 70-61 60-51
50.)
Led by former Oklahoma transfer, Justice Hansen, the Red Wolves helped lead a revived Sun Belt Conference that was formerly the worst in college. Continuing a fun trend, Arkansas State also scored more than LSU and Mississippi State against Alabama albeit a 57-7 loss.
The Red Wolves finished with a strong enough record to make their eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Prior to LSU, they were the last team to beat UCF. Their bowl match-up in the Arizona Bowl against Nevada was an intriguing match-up of Group of 5 schools that ended in a defensive showdown. Arkansas State led late before Nevada rallied and won in overtime.
With Neal Brown being swiped from Troy and Scott Satterfield from Appalachian State, coach Blake Anderson could draw a lot of interest from teams down the road as the Sun Belt continues to grow.
Best Win: Louisiana Monroe
Worst Loss: Louisiana
2017 Finish: 52
49.)
The Cougars could score points with the best of them, but even with one of the better defensive players in college, they couldn't outscore everyone. With D'Eriq King leading the way, Houston scored at least 40 points in ten of their games. In all five losses they allowed 40 points or more.
Part of the defensive issues stemmed from injuries to Ed Oliver, who also had a major sideline blow-up with coach Major Applewhite over a jacket being worn on the sideline. Oliver also sat out the Armed Forces Bowl and watched his team get steamrolled by Army, who set a bowl record with 70 points and a 56 point margin of victory.
That disaster was enough for Applewhite to be shown the door after just two seasons. They now turn to Dana Holgorsen who was previously at West Virginia. The move seemed odd to some as he moved from a Power 5 school to a Group of 5 team, but Houston will make him the high-paid coach ever in that area. He was also the offensive coordinator for two years under Kevin Sumlin back in 2008-09.
Best Win: Arizona
Worst Loss: SMU
2017 Finish: 50
48.)
The Bulldogs were primed to make a run in Conference USA this year as they sat at 7-3 with two of their losses coming against marquee SEC schools. Then came a stunning one point loss to Southern Miss and an even more surprising loss to Western Kentucky that had them delegated to a mid-range bowl game.
At least it was a beautiful and familiar site as they headed to the islands to face former WAC foe Hawai'i in the Hawai'i Bowl. Both teams dragged their way to a 7-3 halftime score before La Tech dropped 21 straight in the third quarter en route to a 31-14 victory. They have now won five bowl games in as many years all under the guidance of coach Skip Holtz.
Best Win: North Texas
Worst Loss: Western Kentucky
2017 Finish: 72
47.)
Missouri (8-5, 87.9 WP, 36.2 LP)While most of the attention for surprise SEC team of the year went to Kentucky, the Missouri Tigers had an equally impressive campaign. They began the year 3-0 including a survival of season wrecker Purdue.After losing three straight in SEC play, the Tigers rattled off five of six to end the season including a thrashing of Florida in the Swamp.
That set up quarterback showdown in the Liberty bowl between Drew Lock and Oklahoma State's Taylor Cornelius.The ranked Tigers could not overcome a 21 point surge from the Cowboys to fall 38-33. It was the second year in a row that Missouri had their season end with a loss to a former Big 12 foe.
The Tigers may lose Lock, but they'll be getting a National Champion in Kelly Bryant, who is transfering from Clemson.
Best Win: Florida
Worst Loss: Oklahoma State
2017 Finish: 69
46.)
The Badgers had one of the greatest offensive weapons in Jonathan Taylor as he ran for over 2,100 yards a year after falling just 23 yards short of 2,000 in 2017. The scary part is that he'll return in 2019 as he'll only be a Junior next season.
That being said, Wisconsin struggled in some games because of quarterback play. Either inconsistencies or injury, the Badgers were stung at home by BYU and were throttled by Michigan and Penn State. They won a thriller over Purdue in three overtimes before losing the Paul Bunyan Axe to Minnesota for the first time since 2003.
After all that they still landed on the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium for a showdown with the Miami Hurricanes in the Pinstripe Bowl. Taylor ran for 205 yards as the Badgers thrashed Miami in a 35-3 victory. It was the fifth straight bowl win for Wisconsin and their second in a row over the Hurricanes.
Best Win: Iowa
Worst Loss: BYU
2017 Finish: 3
45.)
The Wolfpack had a bumpy, but interesting first half of the season. It started with a 72 point outburst over Portland State (FCS), then a ten point showing at Vanderbilt, before stunning Oregon State and then scoring 44 and still losing to Toledo. They began Mountain West play at 1-2 before rattling off four straight wins, but lost the Fremont Cannon to rival UNLV.
Nevada returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2015 and fell behind to Arkansas State in the Arizona Bowl. The Wolfpack rallied to knock off the Red Wolves to secure their first eight win season since Colin Kaepernick led them to a 13-1 campaign in 2010. They combined for eight wins in the last two seasons combined.
Best Win: Arkansas State
Worst Loss: UNLV
2017 Finish: 111
44.)
The SEC was a tough course to navigate and the Tigers were not immune to some bumps along the way. The year began with a win over Washington, but then two weeks later, LSU knocked in a game-winning field goal to edge Auburn 22-21.
They caught a speed bump in the middle with back-to-back losses to Mississippi State and Tennessee, but then got a big victory over Texas A&M. A tough schedule of Georgia and Alabama to finish the regular season at 7-5. They took their regular season frustrations out on Purdue in the Music City Bowl by putting up the most points in a first half during a bowl ever with 56. They went on to win 63-14.
Best Win: Washington
Worst Loss: Tennessee
2017 Finish: 25
43.)
Virginia made huge strides in 2018 as they jumped out to a 6-2 start with victories over Miami and Duke. Then came a rough finish with three straight ACC losses to Pitt, Georgia Tech in overtime and a crushing Virginia Tech overtime loss. Had they held on, they would've beat the Hokies for the first time since 2003.
The Cavaliers entered their bowl game with a tough match-up against an SEC foe in South Carolina. Virginia's defense smothered the Gamecocks 28-0 and the Cavaliers finished with a winning record for the first time since 2011 when they also finished 8-5.
Best Win: Duke
Worst Loss: Pitt
2017 Finish: 79
42.)
Nick Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs were poised to make some noise in the SEC, couldn't quite navigate the rough schedule. While picking up nice wins over Auburn and Texas A&M, Mississippi State dropped their games to Kentucky, LSU, Florida, and Alabama. They would win four of their final five regular season games, including another Egg Bowl victory over Ole Miss.
The Bulldogs drew Iowa in the Outback Bowl and used two big turnovers to take a 19-17 lead over the Hawkeyes. Iowa rallied and snapped Mississippi State's three game bowl win streak.
Best Win: Texas A&M
Worst Loss: Iowa
2017 Finish: 29
41.)
Duke (8-5, 66.4 WP, 55.2 LP)Duke is out to prove they aren't just a basketball school as they made their sixth bowl game in the last seven years. The Blue Devils joined Oklahoma as the only teams to defeat Army this season while also taking care of business against Northwestern and Baylor. Their last two games showed a major letdown as they were outscored 94-13 by Clemson and Wake Forest.
Duke took on Temple in the Independence Bowl and trailed 27-14 in the second quarter. Daniel Jones turned up his game and tossed five touchdowns for 423 yards as the Blue Devils scored 42 unanswered points. Jones is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class, so Duke will have a major hole to fill next season. Duke has now won its last three bowl appearances.
Best Win: Army
Worst Loss: Virginia Tech
2017 Finish: 58
40.)
The way Temple began their season, it's a miracle they ended up this high. First they dropped another game to their in-town rival Villanova (FCS) and followed that with a loss to Buffalo. Then they won five of six including an overtime win over ranked Cincinnati. The Owls gave UCF a run for their money before winning their last three easily to go into bowl season.
As stated above the Independence Bowl looked like it was going Temple's way before Duke dropped 42 unanswered. It was the fourth consecutive winning season for the Owls which was good enough for Geoff Collins to be lured away by Georgia Tech. Temple had their new head coach in Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, but Diaz left just as soon as he came to stay on as the new head coach for the Hurricanes.As of this moment, that position has yet to be filled.
Best Win: Cincinnati
Worst Loss: Villanova (FCS)
2017 Finish: 68
39.)
The Cyclones were good at driving good teams mad. It started against Iowa and Oklahoma as they frustrated both teams despite losing and began the season 1-3. The Iowa State figured out their quarterback situation and got back-to-back wins against ranked opponents in Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Their lone loss came to Texas in that time span although FCS Drake gave them a run for their money in the final game.
Defense vs offense was the storyline in the Alamo Bowl as the Cyclones took on Washington State. A failed two-point conversion at the end of the game doomed Iowa State as they fell to the Cougars 28-26. The Cyclones have climbed from the bottom of the Big 12 and have now posted back-to-back winning seasons.
Best Win: West Virginia
Worst Loss: TCU
2017 Finish: 37
38.)
Utah (9-5, 73.2 WP, 52.2 LP)The Utes ran through the PAC-12 with the exception of the entire state of Washington. Of their four regular season lossess, one came against Arizona State, one against Washington State, and the other two against Washington, including the PAC-12 Championship. Utah won seven of their last eight games before heading into the defensive showdown that ended with a Huskies 10-3 victory.
The Utes pounced on Northwestern in the Holiday Bowl to build a 20-3 halftime lead while allowing -6 yards rushing. That was erased with three turnovers as the Wildcats scored 28 in the third quarter to win 31-20. Kyle Whittingham's outstanding bowl record dropped to 11-2 as Utah has only lost two bowl games since 1999.
Best Win: Oregon
Worst Loss: Arizona State
2017 Finish: 60
37.)
It was a special year for Northwestern, but it came in an odd fashion. The Wildcats began the year 1-3 including a loss to Akron and a near defeat of Michigan. Then they shocked a ranked Michigan State that started a streak of eight consecutive Big Ten wins. Their lone loss in that time frame came against Notre Dame.
With their domininance of the Big Ten West, the Wildcats made their first appearance in the Big Ten Championshiop, but couldn't play spoiler to Ohio State. They did overcome a 17 point hole in the Holiday Bowl to stun Utah. Next season they'll have to do things without Clayton Thorson.
Thorson leaves Northwestern as the winningest quarterback in school history (36 victories) while also holding the record for most passing yards (10,731), which is also good for fourth all-time in conference, while making the more starts than any Big Ten quarterback ever (53).
Best Win: Utah
Worst Loss: Akron
2017 Finish: 20
36.)
West Virginia (8-4, 73.8 WP, 45.3 LP)A promising West Virginia season actually finished with a disaster and a need to rebuild. The Mountaineers won five straight and had a game cancelled because of Hurricane Florence to jump out in front of the Big 12. Then came a dreaded showdown with Iowa State, whose defense smothered Will Grier and West Virginia. They shook it off and won three straight including a bold two-point conversion to knock off Texas.
Their luck would run out as the defense gave up 45 to Oklahoma State and 59 to Oklahoma. The Sooners game was particularly difficult because a costly blocking penalty erased a major scoring opportunity. With the Big 12 title out of reach and the Moutaineers not playing in a major bowl game, Grier elected to skip out on the final game. That killed the offense as they limped to 18 points in a loss to Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl.
To make matters worse, the Houston Cougars lured Dana Holgorsen away from the Mountaineers to leave them with a coaching vacancy. They will turn to Troy head coach Neal Brown to keep the program moving ahead.
Best Win: Texas
Worst Loss: Iowa State
2017 Finish: 65
35.)
FIU (9-4, 104.1 WP, 66.5 LP)The FIU Panthers had their greatest season in school history. Two of their losses came against Power 5 schools and another a lopsided defeat at the hands of rival Florida Atlantic, which proved costly. As for the rest of Conference USA, the Panthers plowed through it until the final game of the season. FIU had its first shot at going to the CUSA Championship game, but lost at home Marshall.
Still the Panthers could win nine games for the first time in school history and got a trip to the Bahamas Bowl against Toledo to try and do it. One of the better story lines for the bowl season was the performance of running back Anthony Jones. The brother of NFL star, Dalvin Cook, Jones was shot in the face and back in a drive-by-shooting and missed most of the 2018 season. His three touchdown game propelled FIU to a 35-32 victory.
Best Win: Middle Tennessee State
Worst Loss: Florida Atlantic
2017 Finsih: 42
34.)
North Texas (9-4, 93.4 WP, 50.8 LP)The Mean Green got off to a fantastic start behind the arm of Mason Fine that included an upset of Arkansas. They ran into some bumps in the middle of the season with close losses Louisiana Tech, UAB, and surprisingly Old Dominion to sink their chances at a Conference USA title.
Still the New Mexico Bowl came calling and a chance for the country to see Fine and Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in what should've been a high scoring affair. Unfortunately, Fine injured his hamstring and he watched North Texas get obliterated 52-13 in the first bowl of the year. He should return for his senior season to keep the Mean Green a threat next season. It was their second straight nine win season after winning just ten games from 2014-16.
Best Win: Arkansas
Worst Loss: Old Dominion
2017 Finish: 36
33.)
There's one team you do not want to see in a bowl game, or perhaps one coach. The Thundering Herd won their final three Confernce USA games including a key win over FIU to keep the Panthers from winning the conference. That was good enough to get Marshall into the bowl season where coach Doc Holliday entered a perfect 5-0.
The drew the tailspin known as USF in Gasparilla Bad Boy Mowers Bowl, a virtual home game for the Bulls, who entered the game with five straight losses. The Herd easily made it six straight defeats as well as six straight wins under Holliday. The nine wins are surprisingly the third lowest in the last six seasons for Marshall.
Best Win: FIU
Worst Loss: Southern Miss
2017 Finish: 47
32.)
The Bobcats certainly didn't appear to finish this high as they nearly lost to Howard (FCS) and lost their next two to quality non-conference opponents. Then the offense began to click, starting against UMass whent they scored 58. That would be one of six games in which Ohio scored at least 49 points including a shocking beatdown of MAC East champs Buffalo, 52-17. Unfortunately two close losses to Northern Illinois and rival Miami, who beat the Bobcats in the Battle of the Bricks for the first time since 2012, would keep them out of the MAC Championship game.
They settled for a Frisco Bowl appearance against San Diego State and while A.J. Ouellette ran for over 160 yards for the fourth straight game, the story was defense. The Bobcats shutout the Aztecs 27-0 to win their second straight bowl game in their fourth straight appearance. Ouellette would finish his senior season with over 1,300 yards rushing.
Best Win: Buffalo
Worst Loss: Miami
2017 Finish: 31
31.)
Oregon (9-4, 80.9 WP, 43 LP)The Ducks had big plans in 2018 behind the arm of potential first round pick Justin Herbert. They jumped out to a 3-0 start thanks to a less than stellar non-conference schedule before losing a collapse that led to an overtime loss against Stanford. Oregon rallied and later won an overtime game over Washington, but lost the following game to Washington State. That began a streak of three losses in four games including an embarassing 44-15 loss to Arizona.
The Ducks would draw fellow disapppointment Michigan State in what looked like a laugher on paper as the Spartans offense was nonexistent heading into the Redbox Bowl. However, it was the Spartans defense that played the biggest factor, limiting the Ducks to just seven points, but it was still good enough for a 7-6 win. Herbert announced before the bowl that he would skip the draft and return for his senior season in Eugene.
Best Win: Washington
Worst Loss: Arizona
2017 Finish: 57
30.)
NCST (9-4, 78.9 WP, 44.5 LP)Just like Boston College, the Wolfpack had a big opportunity to make a statement against Clemson. NCST entered the game 5-0 with wins over the Eagles and Virginia, but were made quick work of by the Tigers, 41-7. That started a spell of three losses in four games before winning their final three contests.
They earned a Gator Bowl appearance against Texas A&M, but were clearly outmatched by the Aggies who won easily 52-13. One-time Boise State transfer Ryan Finley will graduate this year, leaving a big hole at the quarterback position for Dave Doeren to fill.
Best Win: Virginia
Worst Loss: Wake Forest
2017 Finish: 33
29.)
With K.J. Costello, Bryce Love, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside the Cardinal were poised to make noise in the PAC-12. However, the absence of Love due to injury didn't allow Stanford to stretch the field the way they wanted to. The season started well enough, going 4-0 with wins over Oregon and USC. Then they hit a patch where the Cardinal dropped four of five before winning their final three.
Stanford drew the ACC Coastal Champs, the Pitt Panthers, in the Sun Bowl in their first meeting since 1932. Defense ruled the day and it took a late touchdown for the Cardinal to edge the Panthers 14-13. It was the tenth straight bowl appearance for Stanford.
Best Win: Oregon
Worst Loss: Utah
2017 Finish: 35
28.)
Penn State (9-4, 74.9 WP, 24.8 LP)Another team primed to make a run in 2018 found trouble right out of the gate when Appalachian State nearly added them to their list of Big Ten victories. After three easy wins, the Nittany Lions watched two fourth quarter leads disappear against Ohio State and Michigan State to drop them to 4-2. They nearly did it again when they escaped Indiana and Iowa before being crushed by Michigan 42-7. Penn State would win out to set up a Citrus Bowl match-up with the surprise Kentucky Wildcats.
The Nittany Lions put up 17 points in the fourth quarter, but their rally would fall short 27-24. Now they will have to replace senior quarterback Trace McSorley to run the offense and get back into the Big Ten race.
Best Win: Iowa
Worst Loss: Michigan State
2017 Finish: 8
27.)
Iowa (9-4, 70.6 WP, 53.3 LP)The Iowa Hawkeyes jumped their way out to a 6-1 start thanks in part to the dynamic duo at tight end of Mackey Award winner T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant. Then came a tough three game skid to knock them out of the hunt for the Big Ten Championship.They rounded out the season with two wins going into the Outback Bowl with Mississippi State.
The Hawkeyes overcame mistakes and grinded their way to a 27-22. It was their sixth straight bowl appearance and the 16th under coach Kirk Ferentz who will enter his 21st season next year.
Best Win: Mississippi State
Worst Loss: Purdue
2017 Finish: 39
26.)
If the Aggies continue their ways from 2018 into 2019, they will be a force to be reckoned with. They nearly beat Clemson, did knock off Kentucky and won the greatest game of the year when they outlasted LSU 74-72 in a seven overtime thriller.
Texas A&M squared off against NCST in the Gator Bowl and demolished them 52-13. Quarterback Kellen Mond returns, but they will have to replace running back Trayveon Williams. Luckily for Jimbo Fisher, he's bringing in one of the top recruiting classes in the country.
Best Win: LSU
Worst Loss: Auburn
2017 Finish: 59
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