Final Rankings 50-26: From the Outside Looking In

For these rankings, I consider a team within the Top 50 to be a strong team with the potential to do great things. These are the top teams of a Group of 5 conference and in this particular section, the thorns of Power 5 schools. For some on this list, its where they wanted to be as four schools made it to their conference championships. One of those was Wisconsin, who probably isn't stoked about their finish and the same could probably said for Texas, Washington, Michigan, and Auburn. Here's a full list of those who were close, but not able to crack the Top 25.

50.) Arkansas State (8-5, 87 WP, 78.2 LP)
The Red Wolves went back and forth all season, but got a thrilling 28-27 win over Coastal Carolina after they stopped the Chanticleers on a two-point try. That got them to six wins and the following week they beat a tough Georgia Southern team to ensure a bowl appearance. So for good measure they lost to an awful South Alabama squad and settled for a spot in the Camellia Bowl against FIU. Arkansas State came away with a 34-26 victory and their second straight season with eight wins. The last time they finished with a losing season was 2010 and this is the second season in a row that they claimed this spot in the rankings.
Best Win: Georgia Southern
Worst Loss: South Alabama
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Arizona Bowl), No. 50

49.) Marshall (8-5, 83.4 WP, 57.2 LP)
The Thundering Herd got to a familiar place when they became bowl eligible again under Doc Holliday. Marshall was in prime position to win their half of Conference USA after a head-to-head win over FAU. They navigated the tougher games and had very winnable games against Charlotte and FIU left on the schedule. However, the Herd weren't ready for the 49ers who became bowl eligible for the first time thanks to their 24-13 win over Marshall. FAU won out and took the title while the Herd settled for the Gasparilla Bowl taking Holliday's undefeated bowl record against a very tough opponent in UCF. Many wondered if the Knights would get up for this bowl after appearing in a New Year's Six game the past two years, but the answer came quickly. UCF cruised to a 48-25 victory to snap Holliday and Marshall's bowl win streak at six.
Best Win: FAU
Worst Loss: Middle Tennessee St
2018 Finish: 9-4 (Gasparilla Bowl), No. 33

48.) Virginia Tech (8-5, 81.4 WP, 46.8 LP)
The Hokies were a tough team to figure out in 2019. They got off to a 2-2 start, but struggled against Old Dominion and Furman (FCS) in their two wins. Then they rattled off three straight wins including a great 43-41 thriller in six overtimes against UNC. A one-point loss to Notre Dame prevented a seven game win streak as they followed that defeat with wins over Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Pitt. That set up their rivalry game against Virginia in which the winner got the chance to be dismantled by Clemson in the ACC title game. The Hokies took a 15-game win streak into the game, but lost 39-30 to hand the Cavaliers the spot in the championship game. In the Belk Bowl they had a chance to send their longtime defensive coordinator, Bud Foster, home a winner, but they weren't able to stop a comeback victory by the electric Lynn Bowden Jr. (who punched a Hokie during warmups before refs were on the field) and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Best Win: Wake Forest
Worst Loss: Duke
2018 Finish: 6-7 (Military Bowl), No. 82

47.) Cal (8-5, 79.9 WP, 50.6 LP)
The Bears made a statement in the PAC-12 early when they pulled off a one-point win over conference front-runner Washington. That sparked a 4-0 start and an appearance in the Top 15, but that was short lived after Top 25 killer Arizona State knocked the off. Two more close losses to the state of Oregon were followed by a thumping at the hands of Utah to bring them suddenly to 4-4. They went on to win three of their last four to earn a trip to the Redbox Bowl against the surprising Illinois Fighting Illini. Chase Garbers gave a strong performance just an hour south of Berkeley to knock off the Illini.
Best Win: Washington
Worst Loss: Oregon State
2018 Finish: 7-6 (Cheez-It Bowl), No. 62

46.)Buffalo (8-5, 78.6 WP, 104 LP)
The Bulls had all the expectations to take the MAC East, but lost to Ohio (overtime), Kent State and Miami (OH) to seal their fate in the conference. Still they won four games against bowl eligible teams, including a big win over Temple. They actually finished with the best overall record in the MAC and were rewarded with a trip to the Bahamas Bowl against Charlotte. Buffalo opened the bowl season with an impressive 31-9 romp in the islands.
Best Win: Temple
Worst Loss: Ohio
2018 Finish: 10-4 (Dollar General Bowl), No. 25

45.)Pitt (8-5, 75.3 WP, 52.2 LP)
The Pitt Panthers struggled to find an identity early in the season. On one hand they gave in-state foe Penn State one of their toughest tests, but struggled in victories against Ohio and Delaware (FCS). Still they were able to win close games including a 35-34 thriller over a ranked UCF squad. Pitt jumped out to a 7-3 start to become bowl eligible, but then laid an egg against Virginia Tech and dropped a disappointing game to Boston College. Their reward was a low profile bowl game against a team that many thought would be a cake walk for the Panthers. It was anything but as Eastern Michigan held the lead for 59 minutes of the game before Pitt rallied late and the Eagles melted down in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Best Win: UCF
Worst Loss: Boston College
2018 Finish: 7-7 (Sun Bowl), No. 75

44.)Oklahoma State (8-5, 73.4 WP, 43.4 LP)
The Cowboys might not have finished where they wanted to be, but Chuba Hubbard was certainly something to watch. Hubbard led the nation in rushing with 2,094 yards and was third in touchdowns at 21 as he was voted a unanimous All-American. They had great success in non-conference play and handled the bottom and middle tier of the Big 12 (Texas Tech being the exception), but couldn't beat the big guns. Of their four conference losses, three of them came against Texas, Baylor, and Oklahoma. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead in their Texas Bowl appearance against Texas A&M, but the Aggies roared back to win 24-21.
Best Win: Iowa State
Worst Loss: Texas Tech
2018 Finish: 7-6 (Liberty Bowl), No. 57

43.)Tennessee (8-5, 72.5 WP, 48.8 LP)
It looked like Jeremy Pruitt's days were numbered in Knoxville as the Vols lost their home opener to Georgia State, then an overtime game to BYU, and were waxed by Florida and Georgia to begin 1-4. After a loss to Alabama put them at 2-5 they rattled off five consecutive wins to become bowl eligible. They earned a trip to the Gator Bowl in a matchup that seemed more likely to be in a Final Four setting against Indiana. The Hoosiers held the lead for most of the game, but Tennessee rallied to edge IU 23-22 and finished with six wins to close out the season.
Best Win: Kentucky
Worst Loss: Georgia State
2018 Finish: 5-7, No. 89

42.)Temple (8-5, 72.3 WP, 51 LP)
The Owls jumped out to a 5-1 start after they roughed up former head coach Geoff Collins 24-2 at Georgia Tech and stunned Memphis 30-28. The next two games would not go as smoothly with SMU and UCF routing Temple. They finished with three wins in their final four games to earn a trip to the Military Bowl. Many thought the Owls could hang with the Tar Heels, but UNC unloaded 55 points on Temple to win easily 55-13. Temple still managed to secure their fifth straight winning season with three different coaches (Matt Rhule, Collins, and Rod Carey).
Best Win: Memphis
Worst Loss: Buffalo
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Independence Bowl), No. 40

41.)Kentucky (8-5, 70.3 WP, 58.6 LP)
The Wildcats weren't sure how their season would go after they lost starting quarterback Terry Wilson for the season on a horse-collar tackle by an EMU defender. Kentucky went on to lose their next three games and no offensive firepower. Mark Stoops turned to his prolific wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. and named him the starting quarterback. The moved paid off as he threw for 78 yards and TD while running for 196 yards and two more scores in a win over Arkansas. Bowden guided UK to a winning record and put the exclamation point on their bowl bid with a 284 yard rushing, four touchdown performance over rival Louisville.
Bowden was lucky to even play in the Belk Bowl against Virginia Tech as he punched a Hokie before the game started. However, because the refs were not on the field, no penalty could be called and therefore Bowden was allowed to play. He used his arm on the final drive to lead a comeback that was capped by a botched lateral play returned for a touchdown to make it a 37-30 final.
Best Win: Virginia Tech
Worst Loss: South Carolina
2018 Finish: 10-3 (Citrus Bowl), No. 17

40.)Louisville (8-5, 69.6 WP, 44.4 LP)
Now some in the Bluegrass State might raise issues with the fact that a Louisville team that was drubbed by UK is one spot ahead, but by the skin of the teeth here are the Cardinals. In his first season Scott Satterfield quickly rebuilt the program from the defensive doormat they were last season. At 4-3 Louisville needed a jump start and got it with a 28-21 win over Virginia and went on to win three of their next four to become bowl eligible. They made it to the Music City Bowl where they fell behind early, but came back to topple Mississippi State 38-28. Their 83 spot jump from last season was one of the biggest improvement of any team in college football.
Best Win: Virginia
Worst Loss: Florida State
2018 Finish: 2-10, No. 123

39.)Kansas State (8-5, 66.4 WP, 45 LP)
Chris Klieman watched as his former program, North Dakota State, won their eighth FCS title in nine seasons. However, his first season at Kansas State was not a failure. He had the Wildcats back in the Top 25 thanks in part to a huge 48-41 win over Oklahoma. They struggled as a ranked team though with back-to-back losses of four points or fewer to Texas and West Virginia. KSU eked two wins to reach the eight win mark for the third time in four seasons. They had a chance for win number nine, but Navy did just enough to win the Liberty Bowl 20-17.
Best Win: Oklahoma
Worst Loss: West Virginia
2018 Finish: 5-7, No. 92

38.)Arizona State (8-5, 65.3 WP, 61.8 LP)
Despite being 15-11 in his first two seasons, Herm Edwards has coached the Sun Devils to some pretty big moments. They jumped out to a 5-1 start with close wins over Michigan State, Cal, and Washington State. ASU would hit a rough patch though as they dropped from the rankings with a four-game skid, so naturally they needed a big win. They got it in a playoff dashing victory against Oregon and knocked off rival Arizona to ensure a bowl appearance. There they played a wild Sun Bowl as they used six turnovers, including a go-ahead pick six to sink Florida State. In a new tradition, Edwards was given a Frosted Flakes (bowl sponsor) shower at the end of the game.
Best Win: Oregon
Worst Loss: UCLA
2018 Finish: 7-6 (Las Vegas Bowl), No. 61

37.)Wake Forest (8-5, 65.3. 55.4 LP)
The Deacon Demons jumped out to a 7-1 start thanks to an explosive offense lead by quarterback Jamie Newman. However, the hype was derailed first by Virginia Tech and then by the ACC Champs, Clemson, in a 52-3 beatdown. Wake Forest beat Duke, but were knocked off by Syracuse in overtime to close the season. They earned a trip to Yankee Stadium for a Pinstripe Bowl appearance against Michigan State. A usually stagnant Sparty offense showed up and were aided by a defensive score to end the Demons season on a sour note. Not to mention Newman will be leaving Wake as a grad transfer.
Best Win: UNC
Worst Loss: Syracuse
2018 Finish: 7-6 (Birmingham Bowl), No. 65

36.)Texas (8-5, 60.9 WP, 33.2 LP)
After last year's Sugar Bowl win, quarterback Sam Ehlinger shouted, "We're back!" It looked like it at first as they jumped out to a 4-1 start with their lone loss to LSU. Then came a rough stretch where they lost the Red River Shootout to Oklahoma, narrowly escaped Kansas, and lost to TCU. They beat a ranked Kansas State, but then lost back-to-back games to Iowa State and Baylor. A win over Texas Tech finally ensured a bowl berth and they drew a tough opponent in Utah. However, the Alamo Bowl belonged solely to the Longhorns who stifled the Utes 38-10.
Best Win: Utah
Worst Loss: TCU
2018 Finish: 10-4 (Sugar Bowl), No. 23

35.)Washington (8-5, 48.6 WP, 53 LP)
The Huskies were poised for a big season in the PAC-12, but instead were done early in the bowl season. Despite a one-point loss to Cal, Washington still got out to a 4-1 start before bookending a Arizona win with losses to Stanford and Oregon. With the Ducks in the driver's seat, the Huskies dropped two of their next three, but beat Washington State to ensure a bowl bid. Coach Chris Petersen announced that the Las Vegas Bowl would be his last game and it came appropriately against his former team, Boise State. The Broncos looked to add another Power 5 bowl win, but the Huskies had other plans as they sent Petersen out a winner with a convincing 38-7 victory. Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Lake was picked as the new head man in Seattle to lead Washington in 2020.
Best Win: Boise State
Worst Loss: Stanford
2018 Finish: 10-4 (Rose Bowl), No. 24

34.)USC (8-5, 43 WP, 32.2 LP)
Injuries at the quarterback position plagued the Trojans all year, but they still made some statements. They started the year 3-3 with a win over Utah, but losses to Washington, BYU, and Notre Dame. A loss to Oregon put them out of the PAC-12 race, but they won three straight to finish the season and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl. Many expected a strong game for USC, but Kedon Slovis, who had taken over the starting QB role, was injured early in the game. Iowa used this to build up an insurmountable lead en route to a 49-24 win. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Clay Helton kept his job despite all the rumors of his impending firing. Helton was 21-6 in his first two seasons, but is 13-12 in the past two.
Best Win: Utah
Worst Loss: BYU
2018 Finish: 5-7, No. 84

33.)UAB (9-5, 108.9 WP, 57.2 LP)
It's truly amazing that the Blazers weren't even playing football three years ago, but since the rebirth of UAB football, they've posted a winning season all three years. For the second year in a row they added a division title and another Conference USA Championship appearance. They had no big wins, but did enough to make their third bowl game. The Blazers finish was not what they hoped though. First, FAU dismantled them in the CUSA Championship 49-6 and then Appalachian State took them to task in the New Orleans Bowl, 31-17. Still nobody in Birmingham is complaining.
Best Win: Louisiana Tech
Worst Loss: Southern Miss
2018 Finish: 11-3 (Boca Raton Bowl), No. 14

32.)Virginia (9-5, 74.8 WP, 42.4 LP)
They finally did it in Charlottesville. First they beat the Hokies for the first time since 2003, but that win also put them in the ACC Championship Game for the first time ever. They had a chance to win the ACC for the first time since 1995, but ran into Clemson, who crushed their dreams 62-17. They still came through with a New Year's Six Bowl and a shot to take down the Florida Gators. While many gave them little chance, they hung around to make things interesting and fell after being unable to recover an onside kick, 36-28.
Best Win: Virginia Tech
Worst Loss: Miami (FL)
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Belk Bowl), No. 43

31.)Hawai'i (10-5, 87.8 WP, 48.2 LP)
Like Virginia, Hawai'i was able to make a surprise appearance in their championship game. They started the year with two big wins over PAC-12 schools and a 4-1 record. Then the teeth of the Mountain West chomped down in the form of Boise State and Air Force. The Rainbow Warriors shook off those losses and won five of their next six, including a 14-11 win against San Diego State to clinch their spot in the MWC Championship. They once again ran into the Broncos on the blue turf and were kept from winning their first MWC title.
The Warriors stayed home for their bowl game and welcomed a rival in BYU. The Cougars had dominated the meetings and looked to do the same in the Hawai'i Bowl. Tied at 31, the Warriors got an early Christmas gift when they forced a fumble at the goaline. They would hold BYU to a field goal on their next trip to set up a game-winning touchdown drive to stun the Cougars 38-34. The win gave them their first ten win season since 2010.
Best Win: BYU
Worst Loss: Fresno State
2018 Finish: 8-6 (Hawai'i Bowl), No. 54

30.)WKU (9-4, 85 WP, 82.5 LP)
The Hilltoppers had an incredible turn around in 2019 thanks in part to Arkansas transfer Ty Storey, but it had a dubious start. WKU lost their season opener to Central Arkansas (FCS), 35-28, but then went 5-1 after that game. Two more losses preceded a stunning upset of Storey's former team, the Razorbacks. They didn't just beat Arkansas, they obliterated the SEC school 45-19. That began a three-game win streak and a bowl appearance. They met up with fellow directional school, Western Michigan, in the First Responder Bowl and it ended in wild fashion.
First they tied the game with under two minutes to play and then were headed for overtime after a final heave by Storey was knocked away. However, replay showed there were 12 Broncos on the field and it gave WKU an untimed down and a shot at one more play to win it in regulation. They did so on a 52-yard field goal that made the Hilltoppers a 23-20 winner. In Ty Helton's first season, WKU improved 79 spots from last season and they posted their first winning season since 2016.
Best Win: Arkansas
Worst Loss: Central Arkansas (FCS)
2018 Finish: 3-9, No. 109

29.) Auburn (9-4, 64.4 WP, 11.8 LP)
The Tigers made the first statement of the college football season when they came back to beat Oregon. They began the season 5-0 before running into Florida, LSU, and Georgia which dropped them to 8-3. The SEC might have been out of reach for Auburn, but they could make sure Alabama wouldn't get a shot at the playoffs. In a wild Iron Bowl, the Tigers went shot for shot with the Crimson Tide and prevailed 48-45. They earned a trip to the Outback Bowl against the surprise Minnesota Golden Gophers. The two schools provided a phenomenal competition, but it would be the Gophers who came out on top 31-24.
Best Win: Alabama
Worst Loss: Minnesota
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Music City Bowl), No. 44

28.)Michigan (9-4, 62.3 WP, 10.3 LP)
Well, they almost lost Army, they did lose to Wisconsin and Penn State, but they beat Notre Dame and Michigan State. Of course none of it matters because the Wolverines were once again embarrassed by Ohio State, but this time it was Ryan Day who got to bask in the Buckeyes glory. As noted everywhere, Jim Harbaugh is a big fat 0-5 against OSU. In what can only be punishment, Michigan was matched up against Alabama in the Citrus Bowl for a public flogging. Surprisingly the Wolverines took a 16-14 lead into halftime, but failed to return in the second half. Nick Saban even made sure to add an unnecessary score late in the game to make it look even worse on paper, 35-16. While the program is doing well relatively, they, like much of the Big Ten, are well behind the Buckeyes and Harbaugh may be on thin ice in 2020.
Best Win: Notre Dame
Worst Loss: Wisconsin
2018 Finish: 10-3 (Peach Bowl), No. 19

27.)Wisconsin (10-4, 60.8 WP, 28.8 LP)
Jonathan Taylor had another monster season with 2,003 yards to show in 2019. Taylor will leave a big whole in the backfield after he announced that he was won't be returning for his senior season. He and the defense helped guide the Badgers to a 6-0 start before they were inexplicably derailed by Illinois on a last second field goal. After getting crushed by Ohio State, they won their next four including big wins over Iowa and Minnesota to make their sixth appearance in the Big Ten Championship, the most of any team. There they met the Buckeyes again and had them on the ropes before collapsing in the second half. They earned a trip to the Rose Bowl against Oregon, but too many costly turnovers let the Ducks slip past 28-27.
Best Win: Minnesota
Worst Loss: Illinois
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Pinstripe Bowl), No. 46

26.)Louisiana Tech (10-3, 104.2 WP, 32 LP)
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. In this case the Bulldogs were lucky to play in a bad conference in Conference USA. They were 8-1 at one point before losing back-to-back games against Marshall and UAB and costing them a chance at the championship game. They entered their bowl game at 9-3 with a showdown against a depleted Miami Hurricanes team that had several players leave before the Independence Bowl. That proved to be of great fortune for La Tech as they controlled every aspect of the game in a grinding 14-0 win.
Best Win: Miami (FL)
Worst Loss: Marshall
2018 Finish: 8-5 (Hawai'i Bowl), No. 48
Best Win: