On the Outside Looking In: Final rankings 60-51

 I use the Top 50 teams to measure the strength of a conference and these ten teams finished just out of reach from those coveted spots. For Syracuse, the disappointment of finishing this low must sting as they began the year 6-0. They aren't the only team heading into the off-season on a sour note. Liberty lost their last four games and their head coach. Kentucky failed to score...against Iowa. Not everything was bad for those on this list as four teams won their bowl game.

Here's the final list of ten before the last two rankings are released (both 25-team chunks).

60. Syracuse (7-6, 80.4 WP, 44.5 LP)

Prediction and Preseason Rank: 4-8 (85)

Last Year Rank: 88

Recap: The Orange were riding high and in the Top 25 when they began the season 6-0. Ranked losses to Clemson and Notre Dame were understandable, but then Pitt, Florida State, and Wake Forest piled on five straight losses. They escaped Boston College to snap their losing streak to earn a spot in the Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota. The Gophers proved too much and the Orange faded into the offseason having lost six of their last seven games.

59. Oklahoma State (7-6, 66, 54.5)

PR: 10-2 (4)

LYR: 7

Recap: Speaking of fading late, the Cowboys had their own struggles. Oklahoma State began the season 6-1 with their lone loss a double overtime thriller against TCU. They dropped both games against the state of Kansas, lost Bedlam with Oklahoma, and dropped their finale with West Virginia. That losing streak placed them in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Wisconsin, which appeared to be a favorable match-up. However, the Pokes were dominated at the line of scrimmage and the Badgers held on to a 24-17 win.

58. Kentucky (7-6, 65, 42.5)

PR: 9-3 (22)

LYR: 22

Recap: The Wildcats were looking like they had a shot to make a decent bowl game thanks in part to a big win over Florida early. After a 4-0 start, the offense sputtered their way to a 2-3 stretch in their next five games. Still ranked in the Top 25, the big blow came when they were upset by Vanderbilt and followed by a close loss to Georgia. They won the Governor's Cup over Louisville and earned a New Year's Eve Bowl in the Music City Bowl. Quarterback Will Levis was one of many that elected not to play and it cost the Wildcats dearly as Iowa blanked Kentucky 21-0.

57. Arkansas (7-6, 52.6, 40)

PR: 10-2 (22)

LYR: 30

Recap: It was an up-and-down year for the Razorbacks as they cruised through their first three games, lost their next three, and then won their next two to get to 5-3. Their bowl bid looked secure when Liberty came to town, but Hugh Freeze won his audition to be rehired by an SEC school when the Flames stunned the Razorbacks. They dropped their next game, a close one against LSU, but dismantled Ole Miss to become bowl eligible. That was good news because they blew a lead against Missouri to fall to 6-6. They met Kansas in the Liberty Bowl and allowed the Jayhawks to erase a 25-point deficit, but held on in triple overtime to win 55-53.

56. Purdue (8-6, 72.9, 38.5)

PR: 8-4 (31)

LYR: 34

Recap: The Boilermakers got off to a fast start at 5-2, but then back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Iowa had their Big Ten title dreams in jeopardy. Fortunately, the Badgers, Gophers, and Hawkeyes all fell apart at the end and Purdue won their final three games to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship. The Boilermakers were outmatched as the Wolverines coasted in the second half to a 43-22 victory. Before their appearance in the Citrus Bowl, head coach Jeff Brohm announced he was leaving to coach his alma mater, Louisville. Maybe Brohm saw the writing on the wall as the LSU Tigers took out all their frustrations on Purdue in a 63-7 rout. Former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters takes over the program as one of the youngest coaches in college football (36).

55. San Jose State (7-5, 98.6, 74.8)

PR: 5-7 (90)

LYR: 93

Recap: The success of the Spartans' season was marred by tragedy. Taking a 4-2 record into their home game against New Mexico State, they would end up canceling the contest after Freshman running back Camdan McWright was hit and killed by a bus while riding on a scooter around campus. They responded with back-to-back wins, but then lost back-to-back games. They ended the regular season with a victory over Hawaii and secured a spot in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against notorious bowl losers, Eastern Michigan. They blitzed the Eagles with two quick touchdowns, but a blocked extra point that was returned for a touchdown sparked a 30-point run for EMU. San Jose State was too far down to rally and lost 41-27, losing a bowl game to the Eagles for the second time in school history.

54. Middle Tennessee State (8-5, 93.9, 93.6)

PR: 6-6 (101)

LYR: 68

Recap: The Blue Raiders might have been the first win for James Madison as an FBS school, but they made up for that loss with a beatdown of the Hurricanes in Miami. After starting 4-1, they lost their next three but finished winning four of their final five games to earn a trip to the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. Despite no run game, the Blue Raiders forced five San Diego State turnovers and won 25-23. The eight wins were the most for MTST since the 2018 season.

53. Liberty (8-5, 88.6, 71.2)

PR: 8-4 (61)

LYR: 47

Recap: The Flames were a much different team without star quarterback Malik Willis, but still found success. Liberty picked up four wins over bowl-bound teams including a great road win over Arkansas. They also dropped one-point games to Power 5 schools Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. That's what made their complete dismantlement by New Mexico State come as a shock. That shock lasted into the Boca Raton Bowl when the Flames were stunned by the MAC Champions, Toledo, 21-19. Hugh Freeze left and took the coaching vacancy at Auburn. Liberty continued to lure great talent to Virginia as they got the very successful Jamey Chadwell away from Coastal Carolina. The Flames will transition into Conference USA in 2023.

52. Maryland (8-5, 84.6, 36.2)

PR: 7-5 (71)

LYR: 61

Recap: Despite a talented quarterback, Maryland did what they always do. They took care of business in the non-conference, beat bottom-tier Big Ten schools, and were blown out by top-tier conference foes. The good news is that there were more bottoms faced than tops and they earned another trip to a bowl. Mike Locksley was probably disappointed to learn that they would be facing NCST in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Disappointed because the Terrapins won 16-12 and that meant a mayo bath for the winning coach. Visibly annoyed, Locksley donned an oversight hat to mark for future watches that this game occurred in 2022. His team convinced him to take it off early and his bald head was doused in the tangy disgustingness that is mayonnaise. It was the first 8-win season for Maryland since the final year of Ralph Friedgen's tenure in 2010.

51. BYU (8-5, 82.3, 55.4)

PR: 9-3 (18)

LYR: 24

Recap: It was a disappointing finish for the men from Provo. They began the year in the Top 25 and were a favorite for a New Year's Six Bowl. After a loss to Oregon, the Cougars took a 4-1 record into a Las Vegas showdown against Notre Dame. The struggling Irish knocked around BYU and sent them on a four-game losing streak. Needing a win, they won a tough game over Boise State, got a layup against Utah Tech (FCS), and beat Stanford in David Shaw's last game. In their New Mexico Bowl appearance, the Cougars survived a two-point conversion with eight seconds left to win 24-23 over SMU.

Finally, some winners around here: Final Rankings 70-61

For the first time in these rankings, there are no teams with losing records. Some made a late push,  while others went out with a thud heading into the 2023 season. No matter how they got here, no one can take away the bowl revenue they generated and the eyeballs they got from their midweek, midday TV time. Here are those that just made it to greener pastures.

70. Memphis (7-6, 102.1 WP, 50 LP)

PR: 8-4 (74)

LYR: 69

Recap: The Tigers jumped out to a 4-1 start with their lone loss coming against Mississippi State to open the season. Then a bumpy road that saw four losses by 10 points or less to bowl-bound squads put Memphis in a must-win situation. They got their two wins against Tulsa and North Alabama (FCS) but lost a shot at three wins when SMU held on 34-31. It was a mismatch in the First Responder Bowl as the Tigers were superior to Utah State and routed them 38-10. The win made sure that Memphis would not have its first losing season since 2013.

69. New Mexico State (7-6, 100.7, 90.3)

PR: 2-10 (131)

LYR: 126

Recap: The Aggies came in ranked as the worst team in the nation and didn't do anything to prove me wrong early in the season. They got off to a dismal 1-5 start before knocking off New Mexico. That started a three-game win streak heading into San Jose State. That game was canceled due to a tragic car accident that claimed the life of a Spartans player. Unable to reschedule, the Aggies' bowl hopes shrank when they were beaten by Missouri with only one game remaining. A shocking win over Liberty put them in a precarious situation and they asked the NCAA for a waiver because of their circumstances. They found an FCS opponent in Valpo, but they needed a waiver because that would have been two wins over FCS schools to reach six wins, a rule that kept Army and App State out of bowls. The NCAA granted their request and New Mexico State was going bowling in Detroit. The Aggies kept their bowl record perfect as they won 24-19 over Bowling Green. Jerry Kill's first year in Las Cruces could not have gone better and now NMST joins its first conference since the WAC was dissolved as a football conference. They will be participating in Conference USA, joining newcomers Liberty, Jacksonville State, and Sam Houston State.

68. Wyoming (7-6, 100, 53.3)

PR: 3-9 (82)

LYR: 55

Recap: The Cowboys lost all their quarterbacks to the transfer portal at the end of last season, but somehow, they were able to get off to a 7-3 start. Then towards the end of the season things began to fall apart. It started with a loss to Boise State and then a shut out by Fresno State ended the regular season. In arguably the worst announced bowl game of 2022, Wyoming met Ohio in the Barstool Arizona Bowl. Wyoming rallied late to take a lead, but the Bobcats hit a field goal near the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. The Cowboys got a field goal in their half, but OU tossed a game-winning touchdown to win 30-27.

67. San Diego State (7-6, 97.4, 78.3)

PR: 9-3 (37)

LYR: 8

Recap: The Aztecs were bound to fall from last season's performance, but this was a littler farther than expected. San Diego State started 4-4, but got three straight wins over a couple MWC bottom feeders and San Jose State. They were stiffled in the final game by Air Force, but got a nice consollation prize for their season with a trip to the Hawaii Bowl. The Aztecs held Middle Tennessee State to -66 yards rushing thanks to a flurry of sacks, but they also committed 5 turnovers. Those proved costly as they suffered death by field goal and the Blue Raiders won 25-23.

66. SMU (7-6, 93.3, 40)

PR: 9-3 (40)

LYR: 40

Recap: The Mustangs struggled right out of the gate going 3-4. Then offense began clicking with three straight wins where they averaged 54.3 points per game. The big moment came in the highest scoring regulation FBS game when they beat Houston 77-63 with Tanner Mordecai (who announced they were transfering to Wisconsin) throwing 9 touchdowns in the win. They split their final two games and earned a trip to the New Mexico Bowl against BYU. Trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs went and scored twice, and with 8 seconds left, they elected to go for two. Unfortunately, they were just short and lost 24-23 to the Cougars.

65. Washington State (7-6, 93.3, 27.7)

PR: 6-6 (68)

LYR: 58

Recap: The Cougars jumped out to a 4-1 start and looked like the surprise team in the PAC-12, but then they ran into a tough stretch that dropped them back to .500. A softer patch allowed a three-game win streak to manifest before they were dismantled in the Apple Cup by their instate rival. They still earned a trip to the L.A. Bowl in Jake Dickert's first full season. There they met Fresno State who took the challenge a little more seriously, popping the Cougars in the mouth early and often to upend Wazzu 29-6.

64. UAB (7-6, 86.4, 52.2)

PR: 9-3 (64)

LYR: 35

Recap: When I made the prediction I was expecting Bill Clark to be the head coach, but then right before the season started, he announced that he was retiring. Bryant Vincent took over for the season. He was up and down, leading the team to a 4-5 start and desperately in need of two wins in their final three games. They did so with ease knocking over North Texas and Louisiana Tech to earn their way to the Bahamas Bowl. Before the bowl game, it was announced that former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer would be the new head coach. Players had petititoned for Vincent to remain the head coach, but their requests fell on deaf ears. Still, Vincent got a strong performance from his team in his final game as the defense kept Miami (OH) out of the end zone on the final play to win 24-20.

63. Southern Miss (7-6, 86.1, 51.5)

PR: 5-7 (119)

LYR: 117

Recap: Despite a very sweaty start for Will Hall and Southern Miss, they were able to get off to a 5-3 record that included a win over Tulane. Then came three-straight losses and the Golden Eagles were in desperation mode if they wanted to go bowling. Luckily, they had Louisiana Monroe in their final game and clinched a spot in the LendingTree Bowl against a 5-7 Rice team. Frank Gore Jr. looked more and more like his father as they game went on, but did something not even his pops did in a bowl game. Gore set the all-time rushing record at the FBS level with 329 yards on just 21 carries and added three touchdowns as Southern Miss rolled 38-24.

62. Buffalo (7-6, 86, 85)

PR: 4-8 (106)

LYR: 105

Recap: The Bulls went full MACtion early on in the season. They got blown out by a Big Ten team, lost to an FCS team, and then nearly beat a Group of 5 powerhouse. So of course when conference play came about and Eastern Michigan, who beat a Pac-12 school, was on the dockett, they would blow out their fellow MAC opponent. That led to five straight victories and all of the sudden, the Bulls were primed for a MAC Championship run. Except Ohio wasn't impressed by their new success and dehorned the Bulls, which they followed with a loss to Central Michigan and an overtime loss to Kent State. Suddenly, Buffalo needed a win in a make-up game (unsafe blizzard conditions) with Akron to just make a bowl game. Down late, Buffalo got very lucky to hold off a Zips win and earned a trip to the Camellia Bowl. A late surge once again came the Bulls way and they knocked off former quarterback Kyle Vantrease and Georgia Southern, 23-21.

61. Wisconsin (7-6, 84.6, 52.5)

PR: 10-2 (19)

LYR: 31

Recap: There was nothing that indicated that Wisconsin would completly fall off the map in the Big Ten West, but that's exactly what happened. The Badgers opened to a 2-3 start with losses to Washington State, Ohio State, and Illinois. Apparently, administration couldn't see how good Illinois was going to be and assumed that this loss was unacceptable and fired Paul Chryst in a shocking move. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard took over and righted the ship with a blowout win against Northwestern, but followed that with a loss to struggling Michigan State team in overtime. To prove no one actually wanted to win the Big Ten West, the Badgers beat Purdue, Maryland, and Nebraska to get back into the race. However, they dropped two of their final three games to Iowa and Minnesota. That last game especially hurt since the Gophers retained Paul Bunyan's Axe, something they hadn't done since the mid-90s. Wisconsin made a splash in the hiring process, luring Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell back to the Big Ten. Leonhard coached the Badgers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and got the Badgers to play to their strengths. Wisconsin ran for over 250 yards, forced two key turnovers, and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes in their 24-17 win over a slumping Oklahoma State. Fickell will get a pass happy quarterback when SMU's Tanner Mordecai comes to Madison this spring.

The Bowl Losers and the Remaining Uninvited Teams: Final Rankings 80-71

 No matter how many bowl games they make, there are still no bowl games for those who choose a soft schedule. Both Army and Appalachian State were denied a bowl bid because they had two of their six wins coming against FCS competition, a rule I'm all too familiar with when EMU went 6-6 in 2011. A team needs seven wins in that scenario and only one team on this list reached the seven-win milestone. 

Victory was out of reach in postseason play and let's see how that affected each team.

80. Missouri (6-7, 86.7 WP, 39.3 LP)

Preseason Rank and Prediction: 6-6 (65)

Last Year Rank: 83

Recap: Eli Drinkwitz's bunch was so close in so many SEC contests this season as they lost four games by seven points or less, including a four-point loss to Georgia. They did manage to win one close game in SEC play when they beat Arkansas in the final game of the season to become bowl eligible. They had no answer for Sam Hartman in the Gasparilla Bowl as Wake Forest served up a 27-17 victory to ensure a losing season for the Tigers.

79. Bowling Green (6-7, 83.7, 72.9)

PR: 4-8 (118)

LYR: 100

Recap: The Falcons were much improved in 2022 and nearly had a chance to win the MAC East thanks to big wins over Miami, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Toledo. They even beat Marshall a week after the Thundering Herd upset Notre Dame. They probably could've had a winning record had they not dropped a seven-overtime thriller to Eastern Kentucky (FCS) in Week 2. They got a good chance at a bowl win when New Mexico State and their waiver were selected to play in the Quick Lane Bowl. Even the short trip to Detroit couldn't help BG when quarterback Matt McDonald suffered a concussion that took him out of the game early on. Unable to beat the former Northern Illinois coach, Jerry Kill, the Falcons fell 24-19 to the Aggies.

78. Georgia Southern (6-7, 82.2, 69.6)

PR: 3-9 (125)

LYR: 116

Recap: I liked the hire of Clay Helton for Georgia Southern, but I thought he might need a year in the tough Sun Belt to get the ball rolling. Instead, he took the Eagles into Lincoln and stunned Nebraska in Week 2. Another big win over newcomer James Madison had them primed for a bowl game at 5-3. Then they dropped three straight and had a desperate App State team in their final game. They survived a double-overtime bout with the Mountaineers and kept them from going bowling. The Eagles earned a favorable trip to the Camelia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, against Buffalo. The Bulls needed a win in their final game to make this game and the two traded blows throughout. The awkward part was that GSO QB Kyle Vantrease had spent the past few seasons playing for Buffalo. In the end, it was Vantrease's replacement that led the Bulls to a 23-21 win.

77. Florida (6-7, 79.3, 28.9)

PR: 8-4 (54)

LYR: 81

Recap: The Billy Napier era could not have started better. A top-ten Utah team entered the Swamp and was unable to hold off a Gators' rally as Florida won 29-26. Then they dropped a game against Kentucky, then lost a close one to Tennessee, were blown out by Georgia, and suddenly, they were 4-4. Back-to-back wins over Texas A&M and South Carolina had to feel good, but they overlooked a hot Vanderbilt team and were edged by Florida State to drop their final two. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl and set the trend for the SEC early in the bowl season by being blown out by Oregon State, 30-3. 

76. Oklahoma (6-7, 74.3, 49)

PR: 9-3 (9)

LYR: 11

Recap: The Brent Venables was off to a 3-0 start against subpar competition, but then when Big 12 play started it was a 3-3 record after six games. They earned wins over Kansas, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State to become bowl eligible, but lost a wild overtime game to Texas Tech to fall to an even 6-6. They got a marquee match-up in a mid-range bowl game as they faced Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. It turned out to be a great matchup with plenty of scoring, but Florida State made too big plays to win 35-32.

75. Kansas (6-7, 60.3, 58.7)

PR: 2-10 (105)

LYR: 120

Recap: Last year the Jayhawks snapped their losing streak in the Big 12 with a win over Texas. That win was enough to propel Kansas in 2023 as they went 5-0 to start the season. That included a bizarre situation that saw two undefeated teams meet when Kansas faced Duke in what would've been a legendary basketball game. The celebration was on, they were ranked, and college football was taking note. Then they ran into seven straight bowl-bound teams and with 1-6 with their lone win coming against Oklahoma State. In their bowl game, things looked dire as they trailed by 15 points with under two minutes left against Arkansas. Then came a fumble, which turned into a quick score. An onside kick was recovered and another touchdown was scored. They converted the two-point conversion to outscore the Razorbacks 18-0 in the final quarter. With three overtimes and a helpful targeting call, the Jayhawks were set to send it to a fourth OT with their version of Philly Special, but it went horribly wrong and Arkansas won the Liberty Bowl 55-53.

74. Baylor (6-7, 58.8, 27.3)

PR: 10-2 (7)

LYR: 5

Recap: The magic of the 2021 season could not be replicated, but not for a lack of trying. They had three losses by six points or less, but none stung more than when TCU ran their kicking team on the field with a running clock and kicked a game-winning field goal to remain undefeated. The Bears finished with three straight losses heading into the Armed Forces Bowl. No one expected Ft. Worth, Texas, to be freezing cold, but those frigid conditions only complimented the Mountain West's toughest defense in Air Force. The Falcons stymied Baylor and ran their way to a 30-15 win.

73. Army (6-6, 112.8, 58.3)

PR: 8-4 (56)

LYR: 36

Recap: The Black Knights got off to a horrible start at 3-6, but just a few plays that would've gone differently could have meant a 6-3 start. Instead, the Knights were doomed to know that they couldn't make a bowl game. That didn't stop them from knocking off UConn and UMass, before rallying to win the Army-Navy game in overtime. Army will be one of the four remaining independents going into the 2023 season (UConn, UMass, and Notre Dame).

72. Appalachian State (6-6, 101.8, 57.8)

PR: 9-3 (32)

LYR: 29

Recap: The Mountaineers had one of the biggest upsets in college football when they dominated the time of possession against Texas A&M. They nearly had two upsets as they lost by just two to UNC, but they had no answer for James Madison, Coastal Carolina, and Marshall. Even more bizarre was their loss to Texas State and then Georgia Southern ended their bowl hopes with an overtime win. Things are only going to be tougher in the Sun Belt with Marshall and James Madison joining the Mountaineers half of the conference.

71. North Texas (7-7, 88.7, 52.3)

PR: 5-7 (96)

LYR: 80

Recap: What a wild year for the Mean Green as they were up and down, but found themselves in the Conference USA Championship with a rematch against a UTSA team that they played well in the regular season. The second time around was not as close and it cost Seth Littrell his job for some reason? Those random high standards meant that an interim coach would lead them against Boise State in the Frisco Bowl. The Mean Green nearly knocked off the Mountain West powerhouse, but the Broncos pulled away late to win 35-32. They turn now to Eric Morris who was the offensive coordinator at Washington State in 2022 and the offensive guru in charge of the high-scoring Incarnate Word (FCS) squad from 2018-21, where he won two Southland Championships. North Texas also changes conferences in 2023 as they join the AAC.

Those Who Were Close But No Cigar in 2022: Final Rankings 90-81

We've finally reached the point where some teams that were good enough to make a bowl game, just weren't good enough to win. Then there are the powerhouses that were one win short of making a bowl game. Either way, it's the last round of teams that finished with losing records before their bowl games. Several of these teams began the season in the Top 25 but found 2022 to be a miserable experience. Here's the list.

90. Arizona (5-7, 84.8 WP, 33.4 LP)

Preseason Rank and Prediction: 2-10 (107)

LYR: 127

Recap: The Wildcats were much improved from 2022 in year 2 under Jedd Fisch and found success in the Pac-12. The big win came over UCLA to keep their bowl hopes alive and dash the playoff hopes of the Bruins. They were unable to cash in against Washington State which ended their dreams of going bowling, but they did stick it to in-state rival Arizona State in the final game.

89. Auburn (5-7, 83.6, 22.4)

PR: 5-7 (48)

LYR: 75

Recap: I was surprised that they brought back Bryan Harsin after a tumultuous and disappointing 2021. Then after a 3-5 start and a loss to Arkansas, Harsin was fired despite the university having to pay $15 million to their disappointing hire. Former running back Cadillac Williams took over as the interim coach and seemed to give them a spark as they took Ole Miss to overtime in his first game. The Tigers won their next two games and needed to win the Iron Bowl to become bowl eligible. It wasn't meant to be and Auburn announced that Liberty head coach and former Ole Miss leader, Hugh Freeze, would be the new head coach.

88. West Virginia (5-7, 72.6, 51.7)

PR: 5-7 (70)

LYR: 77

Recap: Neal Brown is on the hot seat and continued to struggle to find a quarterback that will stay more than one year. The Mountaineers' downfall came when they dropped four of their final six games. West Virginia will now have to compete with four new schools and could drop farther down in the Big 12 rankings.

87. Michigan State (5-7, 70, 34.3)

PR: 8-4 (16)

LYR: 13

Recap: Sparty was a downright failure this season as Mel Tucker's squad got off to a woeful start in the Big Ten that put them at 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference. That lone win came in double overtime against an equally struggling Wisconsin team. They seemed to maybe rally back to get bowl eligible with back-to-back wins, including an upset against Illinois. Then the unthinkable happened when the Spartans dropped a double overtime contest against Indiana and were completely eliminated when Penn State dismantled them to end their season.

86. Georgia Tech (5-7, 66.4, 52.6)

PR: 4-8 (98)

LYR: 108

Recap: The Geoff Collins era ended earlier than he would've liked, but things weren't going well in his time with the Yellow Jackets. After his dismissal, Georgia Tech won back-to-back games against Pitt and Duke to get back to a chance at bowl eligibility. A win over Virginia Tech and an upset of North Carolina meant that the Jackets needed to win their final game. Unfortunately, it was against the reigning National Champs and the Bulldogs continued the dominance of their in-state rival to end the rally. Brent Key had the interim tag dropped after his impressive job to instantly make the Ramblin' Wrecks competitive.

85. Texas A&M (5-7, 64, 50.7)

PR: 11-1 (10)

LYR: 38

Recap: 11-1? What was I thinking? The hype for Texas A&M was dead on arrival as they were controlled by Appalachian State in Week 2 which was a precursor of things to come. A narrow escape from a bad Miami team and a win over Arkansas were about the last good things for Jimbo Fisher's crew. The Aggies dropped six-straight SEC contests and barely won a rain-soaked match UMass to get to snap the streak. Then in the last week, the Aggies gave their best performance to stun the LSU Tigers and end their playoff hopes. Fisher brought in another top-notch recruiting class, but will he be able to get what he should out of the talent he brings in.

84. Miami, OH (6-7, 110.8, 66.6)

PR: 8-4 (76)

LYR: 63

Recap: Despite losing quarterback Brett Gabbert at the beginning of the year, the Redhawks needed a win in their final game of the year to become bowl eligible. They found themselves down early against Ball State but wound up beating the Cardinals and snatched their spot in the Bahamas Bowl against UAB. This was the fourth bowl appearance under Chuck Martin and they were evenly matched with the Blazers. Trailing 24-20 the Redhawks had the ball with a chance to win but in a play reminiscent of Kevin Dyson in the Super Bowl, Reynard Ellis tackled Jalen Walker at the 2-yard line to end the rally.

83. UConn (6-7, 95.8, 47.3)

PR: 2-10 (130)

LYR: 129

Recap: No one expected Jim Mora to turn around the Huskies as fast as he did, but in just 12 games, he had them back to relevancy. It started as expected at 1-4, but a stunning win over Fresno State gave the Huskies hope. Then they couldn't lose as they notched wins over Boston College and Liberty to become bowl eligible. Even a tough loss against Army couldn't end their surprise season. They did start a week early and ended before Thanksgiving, so perhaps that rust lead to a slow start in their bowl game against Marshall. They spotted the Thundering Herd a 28-point lead and couldn't overcome the slow start 28-14. As an independent, the Huskies can build off this momentum and maybe finish with a winning record for the first time since 2010.

82. Utah State (6-7, 95.3, 55.1)

PR: 8-4 (45)

LYR: 18

Recap: It was a backslide for the Aggies in 2022, but they still found some success. It looked bleak early on as they struggled to a 1-4 start. Then they did something no one really did, score points against Air Force to get the ball rolling. The Aggies won five of their next six games to become bowl eligible and even had a chance to sneak into the Mountain West title game, but were routed by Boise State. In their bowl game, they were sloppy and had no answer for Memphis as the Tigers cruised to a 38-10 win in the First Responders Bowl.

81. Louisiana (6-7, 90.2, 61.4)

PR: 10-2 (29)

LYR: 2

Recap: A disappointing year for the Cajuns as they missed out on the Sun Belt Championship for the first time since it was brought to life in 2018. Their wins came in spurts opening 2-0 and then losing two, winning two more, before losing three of four. This set up a must-win against Texas State and they obliterated the Bobcats so badly that they fired their coach. They hooked up with Houston in their bowl game but fell apart in the second half and dropped a close one, 23-16. Michael Desormeaux hopes to find more consistency in 2023.

Teams That Were One Game Away From a Bowl Game and Rice: Final Rankings 100-91

 It's crazy to think that with more and more teams added to college football each year that there would be a shortage of bowl-eligible teams. However, that is the case in 2022 with some weird scenarios that played out. Buffalo needed to win their final game over Akron, New Mexico State got a waiver to make a bowl, but that still left one spot vacant. Had those two situations not happened the way they did, then Auburn and UNLV would be going bowling at 5-7. Appalachian State was not allowed a bowl spot because two of their wins came against FCS schools despite having six wins and James Madison at 8-3 is (and honestly these transition rules are dumb) intelligible as it is their first year in the FBS. 

That leaves Rice, who earned their way to a bowl game thanks to putting the student in student-athletes. The Owls had the highest Academic Progress Report which measures the success of athletes in the classroom. Rice was 6th in the nation, trailing just Northwestern, Alabama, Ole Miss, Clemson, and Columbia (FCS) for Division-I schools.

For those who aren't the Rice Owls, this section of the rankings is the most heartbreaking, as they were just one game away from postseason play. Here is the first group of those who were close, but no cigar.

100. Rice (5-8, 82.2, 75.3)

Prediction and Preseason Rank: 2-10 (120)

LYR: 103

Recap: The Owls made their way to a bowl game on a technicality, but they had several chances to get in the old fashioned way. First they earned two wins over bowl bound teams to get to 5-4, but they faced their toughest stretch against three of Conference USA's top three teams, all resulting in losses. They met a former CUSA opponent in Southern Miss in the Lending Tree Bowl and rallied back from a 17-3 deficit to take a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Frank Gore Jr. proved to be too much and the Owls fell 38-24.

99. Ball State (5-7, 115.4, 62.7)

PR: 3-9 (100)

LYR: 76

Recap: Much like the Owls, the Cardinals were in a position to go bowling with plenty of weeks to spare, but they also ran into a gamut of top-tier MAC schools. First they dropped close games to both MAC Championship participants and then needed to win against a fellow 5-6 Miami (OH) squad. Ball State held the lead for most of the game before blowing it late, 18-17. The season ending might not have been the worst news for Mike Neu and company as their leading rusher Carson Steele has entered the transfer portal. Steele ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 15 total touchdowns in 2022.

98. Miami, FL (5-7, 113, 48.7)

PR: 10-2 (28)

LYR: 50

Recap: Wow! How wrong can I and so many others be. The Mario Cristobal era got off to a disaterous start. The bad began when Middle Tennessee State came into Hard Rock Stadium and rocked the Canes. They needed four overtimes to beat a lowly Virginia team and then suffered three beatdowns in their final four games. We'll see if Cristobal can get things turned around or if he'll join the recent trend in South Beach of short lived big named coaches.

97. UTEP (5-7, 99.8, 71.4)

PR: 6-6 (83)

LYR: 67

Recap: The Miners looked to be in good shape at four wins with four to go, but then they spiraled into a two game skid. They bounced back with a win aginst FIU, but needed to upset the CUSA Champs and nearly did before the Roadrunners edged out UTEP 34-31. Dana Dimel is treading on thin ice and if things don't go well in the new look CUSA then he may not last after 2023.

96. UNLV (5-7, 99.8, 64.3)

PR: 3-9 (124)

LYR: 118

Recap: Speaking of not lasting, Marcus Arroyo was a denied wavier away from taking the Rebels to a bowl game and instead found himself without a job. Not even winning the Fremont Cannon from rival Nevada could save his job. Perhaps the six-game losing streak that was capped with a road loss to Hawai'i which ended their realistic bowl hopes was the final straw. Former Missouri head coach Barry Odom will take the reins in 2023.

95. Kent State (5-7, 98.2, 58.3)

PR: 7-5 (93)

LYR: 72

Recap: What a weird finish for the Golden Flashes. To begin the season, they hung around with Georgia for a respectable amount of time then beat eventual MAC East Champs, Ohio, in overtime. They stumbled a bit from there as they were sitting at 3-6, but blew out a red-hot Bowling Green and needed to win in midweek-MACtion against EMU to stay alive. That didn't happen and the Flashes were one game short of their goal. Then head coach Sean Lewis announced that he was taking the offensive coordinator position at Colorado for Deion Sanders. That led to floodgate opening of players entering the transfer portal, which will make Kenni Burns' job a little harder in his first head coaching job. Burns comes over from Minnesota where he's been the running backs coach.

94.Western Michigan (5-7, 97.6, 72.6)

PR: 5-7 (88)

LYR: 43

Recap: Unlike Kent State, the Broncos knew they were going to be without a head coach when they fired Tim Lester after a disappointing finish in the MAC West. WMU couldn't get consistent play and not even back-to-back wins over CMU and Toledo to end the year could save Lester. MAC schools must love their running backs coaches because the Broncos chose Notre Dame's Lance Taylor to replace Lester.

93. Tulsa (5-7, 95.4, 64.7)

PR: 5-7 (95)

LYR: 60

Recap: 5-7 is a great way to get fired these days and Philip Montgomery was no exception. The Golden Hurricane couldn't withstand six losses in seven games in the middle of the season. They finished with back-to-back wins over USF and Houston to salvage their season. Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson will take over as the new head coach.

92. Florida Atlantic (5-7, 90.4, 91.1)

PR: 8-4 (87)

LYR: 90

Recap: I really thought Willie Taggart could make things happen this year in Boca Raton. N'Kosi Perry had plenty of skill players to throw to and I even got a chance to see their offensive prowess in person this year. Like that game where they scored 38 points against the Ohio Bobcats, they lost. Then they kept losing close games until they beat FIU to get to five wins with two games left. The Owls were blown out by MTST and then had the worst defeat when WKU went for two in overtime to end their bowl dreams and Taggart's tenure. FAU turns to yet another big name coach as they hired former Texas and Houston head coach Tom Herman.

91. Vanderbilt (5-7, 88.2, 36.7)

PR: 2-10 (109)

LYR: 125

Recap: This would have been the story of the year had Vanderbilt rallied their way into bowl contention, but it was not meant to be. The Commodores found themselves in their usual rut. A strong non-conference record followed by endless SEC beatdowns. At 3-6 the season looked over, but then they stunned a ranked Kentucky and followed it up with a win over Florida.Those victories snapped a 26-game SEC losing streak for Vandy. The mighty in-state rival Volunteers were missing their star quarterback and it was looking like a Cinderella story. That dream lasted a quarter as Tennessee dropped 56 points and held the Dores scoreless to end their season. Still, it has to feel good for Clark Lea to pick up some conference wins and gain some confidence heading into 2023.

Being Successful One Third of Time Is How You End Up Here: Final Rankings 110-101

 Four wins, three fired coaches, and plenty of Power 5 bottom feeders fill up the final of the dreaded bottom 100 rankings. Granted there are not 100 teams in the bottom 100, but for conference power index purposes anyone rated 100 or fewer counts against the strength of a conference. The number of teams ranked below 100 is going to grow by two teams next season and potentially 12 teams by 2025 if I get my wish.

Here's a look at the list of those who couldn't escape the abysmal triple-digit rankings:

110. Central Michigan (4-8, 108.3 WP, 67.4 LP)

Prediction and Preseason Rankings: 7-5 (72)

Last Year Rank: 33

Recap: The Chippewas went into the final two weeks with a chance to become bowl eligible, win the Michigan-MAC Trophy, and ruin the seasons of their in-state rivals. Then a blizzard hit Mt. Pleasant and stifled the CMU offense to give WMU a 12-10 victory. Still, they could upend EMU's bid for a share of the MAC West,  but instead were doubled up and sent home losing their final two games. A lack of consistent quarterback play was the biggest issue for Jim McElwain's bunch.

109. Texas State (4-8, 96.8, 66.4)

PR: 2-10 (123)

LYR: 99

Recap: The Jake Spavital era is over in San Marcos after four straight losing seasons. The Bobcats jumped out to a 3-3 start but collapsed with just one win in their final six games. They had several close calls with four losses being decided by one score. They did get a big win over Appalachian State.

108. Rutgers (4-8, 94.3, 47)

PR: 3-9 (80)

LYR: 96

Recap: The Scarlet Knights began the season with three straight wins and even carried four wins into their match-up with the Wolverines, who they smothered in the first half. Like every other team this year, Rutgers watch Michigan run away in the second half, and subsequently, that marked the end of the season for the Knights. New Jersey's only FBS team ended the year on a five-game losing streak and finished dead last in the Big Ten East.

107. Cal (4-8, 93, 52.3)

PR: 5-7 (77)

LYR: 91

Recap: The hot seat for Justin Wilcox might be getting warmed up in 2023 after a third-straight losing season. The Bears got off to a 3-1 start, but things went south when they were the lone victory for the Colorado Buffaloes. That overtime loss was one of five games that saw the Bears fall short by 7 points or less.

106. Louisiana Monroe (4-8, 92.5, 57.1)

PR: 3-9 (122)

LYR: 97

Recap: Things haven't quite been going as they might have hoped in Monroe. The Warhawks knew they would take some lumps early with Texas and Alabama on the schedule, but then came four more losses that put them at 2-6. They rallied with back-to-back wins by a total of four points but then were blown out by two bowl-bound teams to end their season.

105. Iowa State (4-8, 88.3, 33.5)

PR: 7-5 (47)

LYR: 56

Recap: The Cyclones came out of the gates strong with three-straight wins, including a 10-7 slugfest over Iowa to win the CyHawk Trophy. Then came the losses, five straight to be precise. The first four of those defeats came by a total of 14 points. They snapped that streak with a win over West Virginia but lost two more close contests to drop out of bowl contention. He shouldn't be, but college football is so fickle these days that Matt Campbell could be on the hot seat.

104. Indiana (4-8, 83.8, 47)

PR: 2-10 (97)

LYR: 122

Recap: The Hoosiers season exceeded my expectations when they survived Western Kentucky in overtime to earn three-straight wins to start the season. Their first win came against Illinois and for a while, was the lone defeat for the Illini. Then Luke Fickell got his practice beating down on Big Ten bottom feeders when Cincinnati routed IU to start a seven-game losing streak. They snapped that when they stunned Michigan State in double overtime and nearly followed it up with a win against Purdue, but they had their momentum deflated when quarterback Dexter Williams went down with a non-contact injury.

103. Georgia State (4-8, 75.8, 62.9)

PR: 7-5 (79)

LYR: 45

Recap: I really had higher hopes for the Panthers, but then they rolled out four straight losses to open the season and put my prediction in jeopardy. They got back on track with four wins in five games but were derailed by, of all teams, Louisiana Monroe. For good measure, they closed out with a two-point loss to James Madison and a five-point loss to Marshall. This is the first losing season for the Panthers since 2018.

102. Navy (4-8, 67.8, 74.4)

PR: 2-10 (112)

LYR: 98

Recap: The Midshipmen were doomed from the get-go as they lost 14-7 to Delaware (FCS) to open their season. More losses came, including a three-point loss to Air Force to ensure they wouldn't win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. They did get a nice win over UCF and were up late against Army in their biggest game of the year, but then the Black Knights rallied back and won in double overtime. Shortly after the game, Ken Niumatalolo was fired after 15 seasons as the head coach. Navy will now look to capture the success of their recent hires as Niumatalolo and Paul Johnson were the only two coaches from 2002-2022.

101. Nebraska (4-8, 67.3, 47.6)

PR: 6-6 (81)

LYR: 111

Recap: What an utter disaster 2022 was for Nebraska and that's saying a lot considering what they've been through in the Scott Frost era. It started across the pond with a loss to Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland, the only win the Wildcats would get all year. A win over North Dakota (FCS) briefly staved off Frost's firing, but that came the following week when the Cornhuskers lost to another Sun Belt school during his tenure, this time Georgia Southern. Frost was immediately let go and Mickey Joseph became the first African-American head coach at Nebraska. That tenure began with a shellacking at the hands of Oklahoma, but then back-to-back wins in the Big Ten got them to a 3-3 record. Then the losses piled up and Joseph watched his opportunity to stay on go down the drail (he also ruined that chance when he was arrested for assault at the end of the year). To the Cornhuskers' credit, they didn't go down without a fight and made sure that Iowa wouldn't win the Big Ten West when they dropped the Hawkeyes 24-17. After being fired by the Carolina Panthers, Matt Rhule became available and accepted the head coaching job for a Nebraska team that is itching to get back to relevance.

Two Power 5 Conferences Take Up Half of These Final Rankings: 120-111

 The weirdest section of these rankings is easily this group. Half of this group is made up of schools from the PAC-12 and ACC, but this group also features some great wins over top schools. Tragedy also affected the outcome for the Virginia Cavaliers who canceled their last two games after three teammates were murdered. 

The two PAC-12 schools on this list will have a new face on the sidelines, with Arizona State looking to Oregon's Kenny Dillingham to rebuild a program that is also under NCAA investigation. Here's a full look at the second chunk of the final rankings.

120. Northern Illinois (3-9, 98.3 WP, 87.2 LP)

Prediction and Preseason Rank: 9-3 (55)

Last Year Rank: 41

Recap: Just look at that schedule. There wasn't that much that was different for the Huskies and they laid an egg. Unfortunately, they shellacked EMU in a game that I spent my hard-earned money on. After that game, NIU went 1-4 including a 32-point loss to Akron to end the season.

119. Stanford (3-9, 96.7, 45.3)

Prediction: 5-7 (86)

LYR: 106

Recap: This team beat Notre Dame in South Bend and then followed that game with a win over Arizona State to get to 3-4 and potentially get back on track. Instead, they lost 5 straight to end the season, which caused longtime coach David Shaw to announce his resignation. Shaw was a steady hand after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, which tells you how long he's had been getting it done in Palo Alto.

118. Charlotte (3-9, 95.7, 83.3)

Prediction: 4-8 (108)

LYR: 94

Recap: Will Healy didn't get to finish the season, but to their credit, the 49ers did. Charlotte closed out the year winning two of their final four games to bump them up from the bottom of these rankings. The biggest loss though came against FCS William and Mary, which sealed Healy's fate. Michigan assistant Biff Poggi will take the 49ers into the AAC era.

117. Louisiana Tech (3-9, 94.7, 72.7)

Prediction: 5-7 (115)

LYR: 113

Recap: The Bulldogs' season was derailed by back-to-back overtime losses which set them up for a 1-6 finish including a loss to Charlotte. Sonny Cumbie will hope to get things turned around in year two.

116. Arizona State (3-9, 94.3, 53.6)

Prediction: 4-8 (46)

LYR: 46

Recap: There were reports that coaches were giving other teams their game plans because they wanted Herm Edwards fired. That wish came true when EMU traveled to Tempe and then beat the Sun Devils with a backup quarterback and some smashmouth football. Despite losing their final four games, they did have a big win over a ranked Washington which cost the Huskies a shot at the PAC-12 title.

115. Boston College (3-9, 72, 43.2)

Prediction: 8-4 (50)

LYR: 71

Recap: The Eagles played on razor-thin margins in a handful of games They lost by one to Rutgers to open the season but got one-point victories over NCST and Louisville. They also lost six games by 10 points or more, including a 13-3 loss to UConn. Jeff Hafley is on the hot seat and it will be even harder with his quarterback entering the transfer portal.

114. Old Dominion (3-9, 65.3, 68.8)

Prediction: 4-8 (102)

LYR: 84

Recap: The Monarchs had one strange year as they knocked off Virginia Tech for the second in four years and nearly upset Virginia. They were successful in dismantling Sun Belt Division Champs, Coastal Carolina, but followed that game up with six-straight losses. Who knows what 2023 will bring for this group?

113. Virginia Tech (3-8, 92, 79.3)

Prediction: 6-6 (7-3)

LYR: 78

Recap: The loss to Old Dominion looked like a road bump, but the Hokies won their next two games easily. Then came six straight losses, two of which were by one point in consecutive weeks. It looked like it would be seven straight, but this time they were on the winning end of a one-point game against Liberty. Their final game was canceled as they were scheduled to play Virginia in their annual rivalry.

112. Virginia (3-7, 89.3, 45.9)

Prediction: 9-3 (42)

LYR: 70

Recap: New head coach Tony Elliott was given a tough hand in 2022. On the field, the Cavaliers got off to a 3-4 start with wins against ODU, Georgia Tech, and Richmond (FCS), but then they lost their last three games before canceling their final two. It was the right thing to do and hopefully, they can find strength from this moment and heal in 2023.

111. FIU (4-8, 125.3, 82.9)

Prediction: 2-10 (128)

LYR: 130

Recap: Anything was guaranteed to be an improvement from last year's last-place finish. The Panthers were actually in range for a bowl game at 4-4 after wins against Bryant, New Mexico State, Charlotte, and La Tech. However, they were throttled 177-55 in their final four games to finish down here instead. That shouldn't be a surprise as they suffered the worst defeat by any team at the FBS level when they lost 73-0 to Western Kentucky.

The Losers Club is Officially Open: Final Rankings 131-121

 Thanks to some mid-afternoon MACtion that, of course, was decided by one possession, we can finally cement the placements of most of the bottom-tier teams in the country. Navy is holding up a few more spots on this list, but I'll take what I can get.

Predicting can be difficult at the beginning of the year, but for these schools, it was pretty obvious things weren't going to go well. The biggest miss was that Arkansas State would barely make a bowl game, but Butch Jones' squad was unable to make me look good. Really, I only got 20 predictions dead on the nose and was in the ballpark for about half. Here's a look at those who turned into guaranteed wins this season.

131. UMass (1-11, 133 WP, 91.2 LP)

Preseason Rank and Prediction: 129 (2-10)

Last Year Rank: 128

Recap: The only win in Don Brown's return to UMass was against Stony Brook (FCS) in Week 3. That second win nearly came against Arkansas State, but they only had only one other loss by one possession (EMU).

130. USF (1-11, 133, 59.6)

PR: 114 (3-9)

LYR: 119

Recap: The Bulls' lone win came against Howard (FCS) in Week 2, but they had four losses that came by one possession. Oddly enough, those close calls came against Florida, Cincinnati, and UCF. The axe came swinging for Jeff Scott and he was one of the first to hop on the coaching carousel.

129. Northwestern (1-11, 81, 59.2)

PR: 91 (4-8)

LYR: 114

Recap: The Wildcats had a wild victory in Dublin that got the ball rolling on Scott Frost being fired. That was literally the only high point as Northwestern will call the nation's longest losing streak into next season. The ugliest losses came at the hands of Southern Illinois (FCS) and Miami (OH), both at home.

128. Colorado (1-11, 58, 43.6)

PR: 94 (3-9)

LYR: 102

Recap: Whoever made this schedule was on the get Karl Dorrell fired so we can lure Deion Sanders here plan and boy did it work. Primetime will have a lot to fix after the Buffs were carved up with the lone exception coming against Cal in overtime. The schedule ended up including 9 bowl-bound teams with half of those in playoff contention at one point and time.

127. Nevada (2-10, 127, 87.6)

PR: 84 (4-8)

LYR: 48

Recap: The Ken Wilson era began on a high note with back-to-back wins over New Mexico State and Texas State. Then a collapse of Moutain West proportion watched the Wolfpack drop 10 straight, including a loss to UNLV to give up the Fremont Cannon.

126. Akron (2-10, 126, 81.6)

PR: 127 (2-10)

LYR: 123

Recap: The Zips were not the team to face at the end of the year after winning just one of their previous nine games (an overtime win over FCS St Francis, PA). Then a six-point loss to Co-MAC West Champs, EMU, a pummelling of NIU, and then they nearly kept Buffalo from becoming bowl eligible. That game was the epitome of MACtion and the Zips immediately fumbled after getting what seemed to be the game-sealing interception.

125. New Mexico (2-10, 121.5, 83.3)

PR: 126 (2-10)

LYR: 112

Recap: The Lobos won big against Maine (FCS) and UTEP to begin the year 2-1, but they soon learned that they would be the worst team in the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico scored 10 points or less in seven of its final nine games, including a 21-9 loss to the much-improved Aggies of New Mexico State. Danny Gonzales might be on the hot seat if nothing improves.

124. Hawaii (3-10, 114.3, 82.1)

PR: 110 (4-9)

LYR: 82

Recap: The first year for Timmy Chang in his return to the islands was going to be tough, especially with a trip to Ann Arbor in the non-conference. The Rainbow Warriors showed signs of hope with wins over Duquesne (FCS), Nevada, and UNLV. Four of their losses were by one score, so that means at least half the time they were competitive. Also, if you wanted to know, you can listen to Hawaii's radio broadcast for free if you're ever up at 2:30 in the morning.

123. Temple (3-9, 127, 62.9)

PR: 117 (3-9)

LYR: 109

Recap: The Owls' victories came against two teams already listed above (USF/UMass) and FCS squad Lafayette. EJ Warner (son of Kurt Warner) took over at quarterback midway through the season and Temple had some close games with ECU, Houston, and Navy, but ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

122. Colorado State (3-9, 118.3, 60.8)

PR: 99 (5-7)

LYR: 110

Recap: It was an odd move when Jay Norvell took another job in the conference in the same division, but maybe he saw how bad Nevada was going to be this season. The Rams did not score a lot this season, which is never a recipe for success, but strangely were 3-0 when they finished with exactly 17 points. Granted those wins were over fellow list mates New Mexico, Hawaii, and Nevada.

121. Arkansas State (3-9, 112.7, 57.1)

PR: 116 (6-6)

LYR: 121

Recap: I was so close to getting this right, but football is a game of inches and weird bounces and the Red Wolves were no stranger to this concept. Arkansas State lost three games by three points or less and wins in all of those games puts them into a bowl, but the Sun Belt schedule proved to be a nightmare as the Wolves went 1-7.