Previous Rankings: 130-121
120.)
Texas State2018 Finish: 117 (3-9, 118.7 WP, 64.2 LP)
Head Coach: Jake Spavital (1st Season)
Last Bowl: None
Breakdown: As it is with most of the teams on this list, a new sheriff is in town. Spavital brings an exciting offense mind as he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for West Virginia the past two years. Aside from coaching Will Grier last season, the Bobcats new coach has also aided the likes of Brandon Weeden, Geno Smith, and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.
Depending on how well Tyler Vitt learns the system, the Bobcats could be a fun watch. The defense should hold its own as they ranked 53rd in total defense last year despite a losing record. Nine starters from that squad return to San Marcos.
Prediction: 4-8
119.)
New Mexico2018 Finish: 112 (3-9, 113 WP, 57.7 LP)
Head Coach: Bob Davie (33-54 overall, 8th season)
Last Bowl: 2016 New Mexico Bowl
Breakdown: The seat in Albuquerque has got to be getting hot for Bob Davie as the Lobos took another step backwards from a successful 2016 campaign. New Mexico finished with seven straight defeats and ranked 119th in total offense and defense.
Sherrion Jones is the quarterback for now and was the teams second leading rusher last season. With another new offensive coordinator, the Lobos will have to figure out a way to avoid last year's struggle of finding the end zone. They had six contests last fall in which they scored 20 points or less. But hey, at least they're not New Mexico State.
Prediction: 4-8
118.)
Bowling Green2018 Finish: 116 (3-9, 117.3 WP, 69.4 LP)
Head Coach: Scott Loeffler (1st Season)
Last Bowl: 2015 Godaddy.com Bowl
Breakdown: Loeffler takes over for a Falcons team that played better towards the end of the year after winning two of the final three games. He brings an offensive mind to a team that finished with the 59th best passing attack under now junior quarterback Jarret Doege.
The defense only returns three starters for a team that ranked sixth in pass defense, but that's slightly misleading. The Falcons allowed running lanes so big that MAC (see what I did there) trucks for 280 yards per game (127th) and 40 points (124th).
Prediction: 3-9
117.)
Central Michigan2018 Finish: 130 (1-11, 131 WP, 80.8 LP)
Head Coach: Jim McElwain (1st Season)
Last Bowl: 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Breakdown: It was with complete satisfaction that I watched the misery that was the Chippewa's 2018 season, but that joy may be short lived as CMU made a big splash in the coaching hire of Jim McElwain. Working with the Michigan staff last season, McElwain has previous stops at Florida and Colorado State going 44-26.
The offense will need Jonathan Ward to return to his 2017 self as he dropped from over 1,000 to just over 200 in eight games last year. Quinten Dormady will take the snaps under center after transferring from Houston and also started five games for Tennessee. He'll be throwing to another transfer from Virginia Tech, Kalil Pimpleton.
The defense was stingy in the pass game with just 150.7 yards per game (4th), but much like the Falcons, its because running was an easier task for opponents.
Prediction: 7-5
116.)
Akron2018 Finish: 104 (4-8, 110 WP, 79.5 LP)
Head Coach: Tom Arth (1st Season)
Last Bowl: 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Breakdown: Terry Bowden is out as the Zips head coach and former Chattanooga and John Carroll coach Tom Arth takes over. Arth is familiar with the area as John Carroll resides just 41 minutes north of Akron.
He'll take over an abysmal offense that ranked in the bottom ten of nearly every category. Kato Nelson returns for his third season under center and presents a dual threat. The defense wasn't half bad last season, but it will only return three starters in 2019.
Prediction: 2-10
115.)
Coastal Carolina2018 Finish: 95 (5-7, 99.8 WP, 61.4 LP)
Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell (3-9, 2nd Season)
Last Bowl: None
Breakdown: Technically Chadwell is a new hire as head coach, but he's been with the Chanticleers the past two seasons and served as the interim coach for the ailing Joe Moglia. Coastal Carolina was oh so close to getting into their first bowl game, but a letdown against lowly South Alabama left them one win short as they lost their final four.
CJ Marable returns to lead a rushing attack that was in the top 50. The pass defense was also in the top 50, but will return no starters to the secondary.
The Chanticleers can make or break me very early on as they host Eastern Michigan to begin the season on August 31.
Prediction: 4-8
114.)
Western Kentucky2018 Finish: 109 (3-9, 93.3 WP, 75.8 LP)
Head Coach: Tyson Helton (1st Season)
Last Bowl: 2017 Cure Bowl
Breakdown: New head coach Tyson Helton is familiar with Bowling Green, Ky. as he served as the Hilltoppers offensive coordinator from 2014-15. He spent last season serving the same role at Tennessee.
Helton hit the lottery in a sense that WKU returns 10 of 11 starters on offense, but it ranked 101st in total offense. The Hilltoppers averaged just 21 points last year, but averaged 44 points in each of Helton's two seasons as OC.
They did end 2018 on a high note as they won the final two games. The defense brings back six starters for a squad that was slightly below average last year.
Prediction: 3-9
113.)
Ball State2018 Finish: 103 (4-8, 109.5 WP, 60 LP)
Head Coach: Mike Neu (10-26 overall, 4th season)
Last Bowl: 2013 Godaddy.com Bowl
Breakdown: It's been a while for the Cardinals as they enter 2019 having missed a bowl in the last five years. Drew Plitt started the last three games under center last year and will return as the Cardinals choice in 2019. Plitt will be excited to throw to top targets Riley Miller and Justin Hall who made up a pass offense that was 42nd in the nation.
The problem was points for Ball State, they couldn't score (24.2, T-100) and they couldn't stop people from scoring (32.4, 96th). The defense returns eight starters, so hopefully a year together will help work out the kinks that saw opponents rack up 450 yards a game.
Prediction: 3-9
112.)
East Carolina2018 Finish: 114 (3-9, 114 WP, 53.9 LP)
Head Coach: Mike Houston (1st Season)
Last Bowl: 2014 Birmingham Bowl
Breakdown: Mike Houston was moments away from taking the head coaching job at Charlotte when he did an about face and headed o Greenville instead. Houston went to back-to-back FCS National Title games winning one of them in 2016.
The Pirates enjoyed few bright moments in 2018, but a win over North Carolina was certainly one of them. Holten Ahlers was another and he returns as the team's dual-threat quarterback. Last year he threw for 12 touchdowns and ran for another six while throwing just three interceptions. The Pirates had the 20th ranked passing attack under his leadership.
The defense returns six, but were torched last year for nearly 440 yards per contest.
Prediction: 5-7
111.)
Old Dominion2018 Finish: 99 (4-8, 71.5 WP, 99.4 LP)
Head Coach: Bobby Wilder (76-45, 11th Season)
Last Bowl: 2016 Bahamas Bowl
Breakdown: What a weird year 2018 was for the Monarchs. They started 1-6, but that lone win was over No. 13 Virginia Tech. Then they won easily the game of the year against Western Kentucky in a bizarre finish.
Much of that team will not return offensively including quarterback Blake LaRussa, who didn't forgo his season for the NFL, but for Seminary School. JuCo transfer Messiah deWeaver is expected to be the new man hoping to duplicate the Monarchs success through the air.
The defense returns seven, but ranked in the 100's in many categories.
Prediction: 5-7
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