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.
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