Most of these teams barely escaped the mediocrity of the 100s and many barely missed a bowl game. Those who did make a bowl were wrecked and embarrassed, especially if your team sucker-punched the opposing team while they singing their school song at the end of the game.
Three of these teams will be ushering in new coaching staffs in 2024 as Syracuse, Mississippi State, and Houston have all decided to move on from their forgettable 2023 season. Here's a look at those who missed the dreaded 100 rankings but didn't do anything to stand out in 2023.
99. Purdue (4-8, 84.3 WA, 35.1 LA)
Preseason Rank: 55
Prediction: 66
Best Player: Dillon Thieneman-DB (6 INT*, 106 tackles, 74 solo, 2 FF) *led Big Ten
Season Recap: There were some bright spots in Ryan Walters' first year as the head coach of the Boilermakers. Not only did Thieneman lead the Big Ten in interceptions, but Nic Scourton was the top sacks leader with 10. Hudson Card was fourth among QBs in passing yards, but that speaks more to the lack of good QBs in the Big Ten. Purdue also finished the season on a strong note with victories in two of their final three games, including a win over rival Indiana that gave the Hoosiers the worst record in the conference.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
98. Colorado (4-8, 81, 47)
PR: 109
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Shedeur Sanders-QB (298-430, 3,230 yards, 27 TD, 3 INT, 4 Rush TD)
Season Recap: The biggest hype train for a 3-0 start, and admittedly, they did find themselves at number 1 briefly in this poll. However, the train derailed faster than recruits de-committing when Oregon lambasted them 42-6. They hung around USC and beat Arizona State to get to 4-2 but dropped their final six games. The first of those six losses was the most demoralizing as Stanford rallied from 28 points down to stun the Buffaloes in double overtime. Deion Sanders had lost any momentum he had going for his team and it was all smoke and mirrors. That doesn't mean they can't be better in 2024 when they join the Big 12, which should be a better fit for them.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2020
97. Houston (4-8, 69.5, 77.6)
PR: 57
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Donovan Smith-QB (256-397, 2,801 yards, 22 TD, 13 INT)
Season Recap: The transition to the Big 12 was a rough one for the Cougars, especially since the conference was going through a down season. The struggles cost Dana Holgorsen his job after going just 31-28 in five seasons. Houston struggled early with a 3-point win over UTSA and then a double-overtime loss to in-town rival Rice. They alternated wins and losses to get to 3-3 and still looked all right for a bowl game. They played well against Texas but then followed that close loss with a 41-0 beatdown by Kansas State. They salvaged their fourth win with a two-point attempt in overtime over Baylor to keep their six-win season hopes alive. Unfortunately, they finished with three straight losses and fell out of contention.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
96. Hawaii (5-8, 87.2, 77.4)
PR: 121
Prediction: 3-10
Best Player: Brayden Schager-QB (332-525, 3,542 yards*, 26 TD, 14 INT) *Led MWC
Season Recap: Timmy Chang is making improvements for Hawaii in his second season, picking up two more wins compared to last season. Schager found success throwing the football especially his favorite target, Seven McBride, who hauled in 63 catches for 1,024 yards and 9 touchdowns. They picked up two wins over bowl teams with victories against New Mexico State and Air Force. Then they played spoiler in the finale to keep Colorado State from becoming bowl-eligible with a 27-24 win to close out the season with three wins in their final four games.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2020
95. Navy (5-7, 111, 58)
PR: 116
Prediction: 2-10
Best Player: Colin Ramos-LB (110 Tackles*, 57 solo, 2 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR) *2nd in AAC
Season Recap: The Midshipmen were better than expected after the firing of longtime coach Ken Niumatalolo. Brian Newberry is just the third Navy coach in the last 20 years, and he was able to put together some wins including a two-game stretch where they outscored ECU and UAB 41-6. The best measure for a good Navy season is whether or not they beat Army. It was a slugfest but a goalline stand by the Black Knights gave Army their second straight win and third win in the last four games. The next time the two teams meet, it will be a conference game as Army joins Navy in the American Athletic Conference.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2019
94. Colorado State (5-7, 110.2, 50.1)
PR: 113
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Tory Horton-WR (96 receptions, 1,136 yards*, 8 TD) *2nd in MWC
Season Recap: The Rams actually had plenty to be excited about in 2023, but they were often on the short end of the stick. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw for over 3,000 yards including 1,100 of those yards going to Horton. Mohamed Kamara led the Mountain West with an outstanding 13 sacks. The Rams, however, were stuck in close game after close game going 3-4 in games decided by single digits. The biggest blow came in their final game as they needed to win to go bowling but instead lost a heartbreaker to Hawaii, 27-24. Norvell is just 8-16 in his first two seasons.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2017
93. Mississippi State (5-7, 109.6, 65.4)
PR: 41
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Nathaniel Weston-LB (137 Tackles*, 10 Sacks*, 2 FF, 2 FR, INT) *Led SEC
Season Recap: Zach Arnett was retained to be the head coach after the tragic loss of Mike Leach before the Bulldogs bowl game last season. He did not make it through a full season before being let go. Surprisingly, this team earned an overtime win against Arizona, one of their three losses, but the Bulldogs were outgunned when SEC play rolled around. They went 1-7 against the SEC and were outscored 240-94 in those contests with their lone win coming against Arkansas. Still, the Bulldogs had a chance to go bowling but lost the Egg Bowl to Ole Miss, 17-7, to end their hope. Also gone, is their all-time leading QB in passing yards as Will Rogers announced that he is transferring to Washington. Jeff Lebby moves from the offensive coordinator role at Oklahoma to become the next head coach at Mississippi State.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
92. North Texas (5-7, 104.4, 70.1)
PR: 87
Prediction: 7-5
Best Player: Chandler Rogers-QB (262-421, 3,382 yards*, 29 TD, 5 INT, 4 Rush TD)*2nd in AAC
Season Recap: The first year of the Eric Morris era at North Texas was filled with highs and lows but the Mean Green did end the year on a two-game winning streak. Transfer QB, Chandler Rogers led the offense with 33 total touchdowns, and 11 of those were thrown to Ja'Mori Maclin, who also crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark. This was also the first year in the AAC after making it to the Conference USA Championship in 2022. It was a back-and-forth beginning to the season as they opened at 3-3 but four straight conference losses buried North Texas' hopes of going back to a bowl. Those four losses were to the conference's top four schools, with three of them coming by eight points or fewer.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
91. Florida (5-7, 97.2, 33)
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Ricky Pearsall-WR (65 receptions, 965 yards, 4 TD)
Season Recap: What could have been for the Gators if they could've gotten just one more win? It started with a road loss to Utah despite the Utes not having star QB Cam Rising. Still, they rolled out to a 5-1 record after that, including wins over Tennessee and South Carolina. At 5-2, they just needed a win and it looked like Arkansas would be that win. Instead, the Razorbacks rallied and won in overtime. That was preceded by a beatdown by Georgia and then followed by a beatdown by LSU. Missouri looked to be an opportunity for a win, but the Tigers kicked a last-second field goal to make it four straight losses. They still had a chance after Florida State lost Jordan Travis at QB. Instead, the Gators floundered their final chance to finish with their third consecutive losing season. Billy Napier is just 11-14 in his first two seasons and he could be sweating in the hot seat if they struggle in year three.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
90. Central Michigan (5-7, 95.8, 70.4)
PR: 112
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Marion Lukes-RB (144 Carries, 737 yards, 5 TD)
Season Recap: The Chippewa's were probably the best directional Michigan team of the three but in true MAC fashion, they found themselves losing to teams they had no business to and were left out. They lost two big showdowns with Michigan State and Notre Dame but took care of a tough South Alabama team on the road and stunned EMU to earn a hard-fought win. They even picked up a win against another bowl-bound MAC team in Northern Illinois but they also lost to Buffalo, Ball State, and Western Michigan. This meant they had to get at least one win in their final two games but they would have to do it against two of the MAC's best. They were not close to upsetting either squad as they were outscored 66-37 by Ohio and Toledo to end their season.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2021
89. BYU (5-7, 94.6, 38.6)
PR: 53
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Eddie Heckard-CB (5 INT*, 47 tackles, 3 FF, Sack, TD)* 2nd in Big 12
Season Recap: The Cougars jumped out to a fast start going 4-1 including a win over Arkansas. After dropping a blowout to TCU, BYU recovered with a win over Texas Tech to get to five wins. That elusive sixth win was far from happening in three blowout losses to Iowa State, West Virginia, and Texas who outscored the Cougars 117-26. They played the Sooners to a 31-24 finish and then had their best shot against Oklahoma State. BYU took the Cowboys to double overtime but couldn't pull off the upset to become bowl-eligible.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
88. Nebraska (5-7, 84, 49)
PR: 79
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Nash Hutchmacher-DL (4.5 sacks, 8.5 TFLs, Blocked FG, 40 tackles)
Season Recap: Matt Rhule in his first year has not been shy about NIL money and how if Nebraska wants to compete, they need more from boosters. A prime example is Kyle McCord initially transferring to Nebraska, only to head to Syracuse after being chased out of Ohio State. They would've loved McCord in 2023 since the Nebraska offense was just as putrid as Iowa. Nebraska scored 20 points or fewer in 9 of their games, going 2-7 in those contests. Still, they had a chance to make a bowl game thanks to some strong defensive efforts that got them five wins with four weeks to play. They began with a three-point loss to bottom-feeder Michigan State, then a three-point loss to Maryland. An overtime loss to Wisconsin stung but they had a chance to knock off an Iowa team that also struggled to score. The Cornhuskers blocked two field goals but missed a game-winner of their own. A bizarre clock issue gave the Hawkeyes enough time to go down and kick a game-winner with their backup kicker to send Nebraska home without a bowl bid. The woes in Lincoln continue as their bowl drought extends.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2016
87. TCU (5-7, 82.4, 59.3)
PR: 7
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Emani Bailey-RB (223 carries, 1,209 yards, 9 total TD)
Season Recap: You can blame the Horned Frogs for the beginning of the Colorado hype machine as TCU was outgunned 45-42 in their season opener against the Buffs. They rebounded with three straight wins, including one over eventual AAC Champ and rival SMU. Then the wheels began to fall off when West Virginia rallied to win 24-21 and the next week was a poor performance against Iowa State. They briefly recovered with a blowout of BYU but were blown out by Kansas State before losing close games to Texas Tech and Texas. Needing a win, the Frogs routed Baylor to get to five wins but the elusive sixth win was out of reach in a shootout loss to Oklahoma, 69-45.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
86. South Carolina (5-7, 80, 39.4)
PR: 30
Prediction: 9-3
Best Player: Spencer Rattler (275-399, 3,186 yards*, 19 TD, 8 INT, 4 Rush TD)*3rd best in SEC
Season Recap: Boy was I way off on South Carolina repeating last season's performance. It wasn't because of Xavier Legette, who hauled in 71 catches for over 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. However, the offense was not a high point for the Gamecocks in 2023 as they scored 20 points or less in seven games going 1-6 in those contests. The SEC schedule was front-loaded this year as they had Georgia and Tennessee, as well as a non-conference game against North Carolina, all come before their bye week (0-3). They missed opportunities to beat down teams like Mississippi State and Florida that would've gotten them bowl-eligible with just one win. Sitting at 2-6, the Gamecocks struggled to defeat the other Gamecocks, Jacksonville State, but that started a three-game winning streak to get them to a must-win against Clemson. Unfortunately, USC got the new and inspired Clemson team at the end of the season and the Tigers held on to win 16-7 to avenge 2022's loss.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
85. Washington State (5-7, 76.6, 72.1)
PR: 51
Prediction: 8-4
Best Player: Cam Ward-QB (323-485, 3,735 yards*, 25 TD, 7 INT, 8 Rush TD)*3rd in Pac 12
Season Recap: What hurt the most for Washington State was finding out that literally no one wanted them. The Big 12 didn't want them. The Big Ten said no and so did the ACC. In fact, Florida State complained that the ACC didn't add Oregon State, but no mention of Washington State. The Cougars like the Beavers, are a team without a conference in 2024 as they will do their best Notre Dame impression. Like the Irish, they will play a conference schedule (the Mountain West) but will not be eligible for the conference championship.
As for the 2023 season, the Cougs jumped out to a 4-0 start that included wins over Wisconsin and a ranked Oregon State team. Then the rest of the Pac 12 reminded them why they weren't invited with five straight losses. Luckily, they had the spiraling Colorado Buffaloes left on their schedule to stop the skid. They needed a win over Pac 12 champ Washington and nearly got it. Instead, the Huskies held on to win 24-21 to salvage their perfect season and add the final insult to the Cougars 2023 season. Unfortunately, the hits weren't done and QB Cam Ward announced that he was entering the transfer portal.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
84. Illinois (5-7, 69.6, 57.6)
Prediction: 7-5
Best Player: Isaiah Williams-WR (82 catches, 1,055 yards*, 5 TD)* 2nd in Big Ten
Season Recap: From the beginning of the season until the end, the Fighting Illini were going to make every game a fight to the finish. They found themselves in a dog fight in Week 1 as they needed to hold off Toledo 30-28. They dropped their next two to Kansas and Penn State but rallied with another close win over Florida Atlantic. Perhaps the biggest surprise of their season was a 25-point loss to Purdue, who finished with the second-worst record in the Big Ten. They followed that game with a lackluster performance against Nebraska and were sitting at 2-4, the wild season really kicked into gear. They picked up a three-point win over Maryland, lost by four to Wisconsin, won by one over Minnesota, knocked off Indiana in overtime, and lost to Iowa by two to put them at 5-6. They needed to knock off the surprise Northwestern Wildcats and the game finished in a shootout with plenty of fourth-quarter scoring. When the dust settled, Illinois was on the wrong side of a thrilling 45-43 contest.
Last Bowl Appearance: 2022
83. Eastern Michigan (6-7, 123.5, 66.9)
PR:62
Prediction: 7-5
Best Player: Joe Sparacio-LB (139 tackles*, 63 solo, 2.5 sacks, 3 FF, INT) *2nd in MAC
Season Recap: The end of the season will haunt the legacy of EMU for the next several years. Surprisingly, this is the second time in their last five bowl games that an EMU player punched someone (QB Mike Glass punched an official when he was trying to punch a Pitt player in the Quick Lane Bowl). They were outgunned in their bowl matchup against South Alabama and were down to their third QB after Austin Smith transferred and the backup was injured. Samson Evans, the all-time rushing touchdown leader in school history, was also out with an injury leaving an already anemic offense without any of its punch. Linebackers Joe Sparacio and Chase Kline tried their best to contain but the Jaguars offense seemingly never left the field.
Sparacio and Kline combined for an outstanding 268 tackles, which is more of an indictment of the terrible offense. They struggled to beat UMass, Kent State, Akron, Buffalo, and Ball State to become bowl-eligible and lost head-scratchers to Central Michigan and Western Michigan. It's honestly a miracle this team made it to a bowl game, but they would've been better suited to stay in Southeast Michigan and watch someone else get their brains beat out by a team that beat Oklahoma State by 26 earlier this season. Recruiting has got to be on point because the Eagles lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2020
82. Utah State (6-7, 110.8, 55.4)
PR: 107
Prediction: 5-7
Best Player: Jalen Royals (71 receptions, 1,080 yards*, 15 TD) *3rd in MWC
Season Recap: The Aggies boasted one of the best receiving duos in the country as Royals hauled in over 1,000 yards while Terrell Vaughn had another 89 catches, 933 yards, and 11 touchdowns. None of that was on display in their blowout loss to Georgia State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The season got off to a rough start with losses to Iowa, Air Force, and James Madison leaving them at 1-3. They eeked out a one-point victory over UConn and followed with a win over Colorado State to get back to .500. That momentum was killed by back-to-back losses heading into their bye week. Desperate for a win, they got one in double overtime over San Diego State and then blew out Nevada to get to five wins. They were dismantled by a revitalized Boise State team and needed a win over New Mexico to become bowl-eligible. It might have been harder than they would've liked but the Aggies got it done in double overtime to knock off the Lobos 44-41.
Their loss in their bowl game meant two straight 6-7 finishes for Utah State.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2020
81. Auburn (6-7, 110, 36.3)
PR: 63
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Jaylin Simpson-CB (4 INT, TD, 38 tackles, FR)
Season Recap: Hugh Freeze's return to the SEC could've been great had he just stopped Alabama on a fourth and goal from the 31-yard line. That one play altered the whole college football world and allowed Alabama to sneak into the College Football Playoff. It was on par for an Auburn team that just the week before was shellacked at home by New Mexico State. The Tigers' season was a roller coaster, winning their first three, losing the next four, winning three straight, and then finishing the season on a three-game skid. Auburn was favored in the Music City Bowl but no one told Maryland, who didn't even have QB Taulia Tagovailoa. In the end, the Terps rolled to a 31-13 victory to send the Tigers out on a sour note.
80. Louisiana (6-7, 101.5, 69.7)
PR: 97
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: Jacob Kibodi-RB (129 carries, 729 yards, 8 total TD)
Season Recap: For the second straight bowl season, Michael Desormeaux led the Ragin' Cajuns to a mediocre season after another bowl letdown. Lousiana jumped out quickly to a 4-2 and picked up wins over bowl teams Texas State and South Alabama. Then came three straight losses to bowl-bound Troy and Arkansas State, and a shocking overtime loss to Southern Miss. They needed a win to become bowl-eligible in their final game against rival Louisiana Monroe and did so in convincing fashion.
They earned a trip to the R+L Carriers, a de facto home game in New Orleans, against first-time bowl-bound Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks tried to gift the Cajuns a win with three defensive touchdowns, including two by Jalen Clark. In overtime, Louisiana missed a field goal, but Jacksonville State did not, to give them the bowl victory.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2017
79. Rice (6-7, 100.2, 60.4)
PR: 110
Prediction: 3-9
Best Player: J.T. Daniels (181-287, 2,443 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT, 1 rush TD)
Season Recap: The Owls were one of the surprise teams of the 2023 season and were able to do so despite their starting QB, J.T. Daniels, suffering a concussion that caused him to medically retire before the end of the season. With him, the Owls picked up four wins, including an overtime win over rival Houston. In their first season in AAC play, the Owls navigated the back end of conference play to get their final two wins over FAU and Charlotte. Unfortunately, they weren't the only surprise in Texas and met up with Texas State in the First Responders Bowl. The Bobcats scored early and often in a 45-21 route, but Rice's season was a success compared to their disaster in 2022.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2021
78. Arkansas State (6-7, 98.8, 70.4)
PR: 125
Prediction: 3-9
Best Player: Jaylen Raynor-QB (166-285, 2,550 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT)
Season Recap: The Red Wolves were outscored 110-3 in their first two games against Oklahoma and Memphis but that didn't deter them from getting back out there. They rattled off three consecutive wins against mediocre teams before being hammered 37-3 by Troy. After a loss to Coastal Carolina, they defeated both Louisiana Sun Belt schools and dropped 77 on Texas State to become bowl-eligible. They weren't able to keep Marshall from bowling but they still earned a date in the Camellia Bowl against Northern Illinois. The Huskies were also inconsistent in 2022, which meant that a 21-7 lead was not safe. Trailing by eight with 1:14 to play, the Red Wolves scored a touchdown but missed the two-point try to fall 21-19 to NIU. After a disappointing finish in 2022, Arkansas State was happy to be relevant in the Sun Belt once again.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2022
77. Syracuse (6-7, 96.7, 54)
PR: 54
Prediction: 6-6
Best Player: LeQuint Allen-RB (245 carries, 1,064 yards, 9 TD)
Season Recap: Syracuse kept doing what Syracuse had done under Dino Babers, which was to clean up the non-conference and then stumble when any team with talent in the ACC squared off against them. This formula cost Babers his job after they went 4-0 against Army, Purdue, Western Michigan, and Colgate (FCS). Then through their first five ACC contests, they were outscored, 177-54. They finally got wins against Pitt and then Wake Forest in their final game to become bowl-eligible, but their performance had Kyle McCord regretting his decision to transfer from Ohio State. McCord watched as South Florida dropped 45 straight points while blanking the Orange to coast in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Fran Brown comes over from Georgia, where he served as the defensive backs coach, to lead Syracuse in 2024. Hopefully, Florida State will have sued their way out of the conference and they can lose to teams like SMU, Cal, and Stanford instead.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2021
76. Cal (6-7, 91.8, 32)
PR: 91
Prediction: 4-8
Best Player: Jaydn Ott-RB (245 carries, 1,305 yards*, 14 total TD) *Led Pac-12
Season Recap: The Bears were able to fight through a competitive Pac-12 in the final year of what we know the conference to be. Jaydn Ott led the conference in rushing and helped propel Cal to wins over Washington State, Stanford, and UCLA to become bowl-eligible in the last three weeks. They were also competitive against fellow bowl-bound opponents Auburn and USC. They drew Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl in a matchup that looked to feature two of the nation's best running backs. Instead, Ott was bottled up and despite Tahj Brooks' 98-yard performance, he was second fiddle to the Red Raiders air assault that brought a 34-14 win for Texas Tech. Cal will move from playing teams on the West Coast to the East Coast in 2024 when they become full members of the ACC.
Last Time They Didn't Make a Bowl: 2022
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