Final Rankings 90-81: Just One Win Away

This is the most painful portion of the list as all ten teams were good at times, but just bad enough to not become bowl eligible. It features disappointments, turn arounds, and of course, choking. For some 2020 looks promising, for others not so much, and then there's Nebraska, who announced Scott Frost was getting an extension (with a record of 8-13) and then were manhandled by Wisconsin.

Here are the previous rankings: 130-121, 120-111, 110-101, 100-91

This is the final list before bowl season hits and the waiting continues until the beginning of January:

90.) Nebraska (5-7, 94.8 WP, 37.6 LP)
The Cornhuskers had a chance in their final game to get bowl eligible under Scott Frost, but instead, the Hawkeyes constructed a game winning field goal to sink another Nebraska season. They actually got off to a 4-2 start and looked like they could easily get to a bowl with Maryland, Purdue, Indiana, and Minnesota left on the schedule. However, they'd drop three of those four games with the Hoosiers and Gophers both using those wins for breakout seasons.
The Huskers decision to extend Frost was an interesting choice considering the early returns, but Nebraska must like what it sees in the upcoming future. In 2020 they have a good chance at getting bowl eligible through their first seven games before the gauntlet of Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota wraps up their season.
Best Win: Illinois
Worst Loss: Purdue
2018 Finish: 4-8, No. 101

89.) ULM (5-7, 93.2 WP, 51.9 LP)
Much like Nebraska, the Warhawks needed a win against a superior rival and just like the Cornhuskers watched a late field goal sink their hopes. However, unlike Big Red, ULM missed a key extra point that left the door open for Louisiana to win the game rather than tie it in a heartbreaking 31-30 loss. It wasn't the only time this happened. Earlier in the season, the Warhawks had Florida State on the ropes, but missed the extra point to send the game into a second overtime.
For ULM it's been rough sailing with just one winning season since 2012 when they went to their only bowl game in school history. Last year they were eligible at 6-6, but found themselves in the same situation as they were in 2013, left out.
Best Win: Georgia State
Worst Loss: Arkansas State
2018 Finish: 6-6, No. 77

88.) Duke (5-7, 89.2 WP, 49.6 LP)
The Blue Devils could not make it three straight trips to a bowl game when they fell apart after a 4-2 start. Duke dropped their next five contests including back-to-back ugly losses to Syracuse and Notre Dame where they lost by a combined score of 87-13.
The did however end the season on a positive note when they beat a reeling Miami team in the season finale. It was just the second time in the last seven seasons that Duke has finished with a losing record. David Cutcliffe began his career as the Blue Devils' coach with five straight losing seasons starting in 2008.
Best Win: Virginia Tech
Worst Loss: Syracuse
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Independence Bowl), No. 41

87.) Northern Illinois (5-7, 88.6 WP, 81.9 LP)
The Huskies could have just as easily joined the log-jam MAC West at 6-6, but three key games kept them from becoming bowl eligible under first year head coach Thomas Hammock. The first was a near upset win in Nashville as Vanderbilt escaped with a 24-18 victory. Next Ball State and Miami (OH) each narrowly defeated NIU, but perhaps the biggest shock to fans was the shellacking at the hands of Eastern Michigan, a team they hadn't lost to since 2007.
This season marked only the second time in the past ten years that the Huskies finished below .500. They haven't posted back-to-back losing seasons since 2007-08.
Best Win: Western Michigan
Worst Loss: Vanderbilt
2018 Finish: 8-6 (Boca Raton Bowl), No. 52

86.) Oregon State (5-7, 84.4 WP, 48.1 LP)
The Beavers had their best shot to end a five-year bowl drought, but instead watched it extend to six after they lost three of their final four games. Oregon State had just two wins last year under head coach Jonathan Smith and nine total wins in the last four years.
They also lost by a field goal in games against Hawai'i and Stanford, but were able to stun Arizona State to notch their fifth win of the year. A nail-biting one-point loss to Washington State and the third straight loss to the Ducks finished off a turn around season.
Best Win: Arizona State
Worst Loss: Stanford
2018 Finish: 2-10, No. 120

85.) Ball State (5-7, 81.6 WP, 83.6 LP)
Streaky would be the best way to describe the Cardinals season as they began 1-3 then won three straight. Then came a four-game skid where they lost three of those games by four points or fewer. Finally, they blew out Miami (OH) in the season finale to finish just shy of bowl eligibility.
Ball State has finished the last six seasons without a winning season and last did so in 2013 when they went 10-3. In his four seasons, Mike Neu is just 15-33 and could be coaching for his job in 2020.
Best Win: Miami (OH)
Worst Loss: Ohio
2018 Finish: 4-8, No. 103

84.) Syracuse (5-7, 77 WP, 55 LP)
The Orange had a lot of hype around their 2019 season as they began ranked in the Top 25 and even received two votes as the favorites to win the ACC over Clemson. Those hopes were quickly dashed as they were throttled 63-20 by Maryland in Week 2 before a 41-6 beat down by the defending National Champs, Clemson. They followed two soft wins with four straight ACC losses and were out of bowl chances by the time Wake Forest came to the Carrier Dome. Syracuse would win that in fun fashion as they kicked a field goal and scored on defensive to win 39-30 in overtime over the Demon Deacons.
It's the fifth time in six seasons that Syracuse has finished with a losing record and the third time under Dino Babers.
Best Win: Wake Forest
Worst Loss: Maryland
2018 Finish: 10-3 (Camping World Bowl), No. 21

83.) TCU (5-7, 76.5 WP, 43 LP)
The Horned Frogs were denied again, and again, again, as they finished the year with six losses decided by seven points or fewer. Four of these games happened in the last five weeks that included a bizarre three overtime loss to Baylor that featured a touchdown that was overturned for the Frogs and eventually cost them the game. After a two-point win over Texas Tech, TCU dropped games to Oklahoma (28-24) and West Virginia (20-17) to close the year.
They did all this with three different quarterbacks used throughout the season. One of those, Alex Delton, left the team in November after he lost his job to Max Duggan. Shortly before Delton left, four-star recruit,Redshirt Freshman, Justin Rogers, announced he was entering the transfer portal.
For Gary Patterson it marked the first time since 2016 that his team finished with a losing record and the first time since 2013 that he had not led them to a bowl appearance.
Best Win: Texas
Worst Loss: West Virginia
2018 Finish: 7-6 (Cheez-It Bowl), No. 70

82.) West Virginia (5-7, 61.6 WP, 50.4 LP)
Inconsistency shattered any hopes of the Mountaineers finishing with a bowl appearance. It started when Dana Holgorsen left to start the new year and Neal Brown was brought in to replace him. Also arriving before the season was grad transfer, Austin Kendall from Oklahoma, who left after Jalen Hurts grad transferred from Alabama. Kendall would then be replaced late in the season by another transfer in former Bowling Green QB, Jarrett Doege..
Under Kendall, West Virginia managed a 3-6 record while Doege inserted some MACtion into the offense and finished the year 2-1 with the lone defeat just a seven point loss to Oklahoma State. His wins came against Kansas State and TCU.
With a year under his belt at a Power 5 school, Brown looks to find the same success he had at try when he posted consecutive double digit win seasons. It's the first time the Mountaineers have missed the postseason and finished with a losing record since 2013.
Best Win: Kansas State
Worst Loss: Texas Tech
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Camping World Bowl), No. 82

81.) Colorado (5-7, 57.4 WP, 48.6 LP)
The Buffaloes might have had a different coach in Mel Tucker, but it felt like deja vu in 2019. Mel Tucker inherited a team that had lost seven straight to finish the season. He quickly got them back on track with wins over rivals Colorado State and Nebraska. A tough overtime loss to Air Force was quickly forgotten when they knocked off Arizona State. Fans were thinking not again when the Buffs went on a five game skid to put the season on the brink at 4-6. A win over Washington put them within one win of bowl eligibility, but there bowl hopes were decimated by Utah to close out the season.
Colorado has had just one winning season since 2005 and that came in 2016.
Best Win: Arizona State
Worst Loss: Arizona
2018 Finish: 5-7, No. 94