Pool Poll Final Rankings 136-101: UMass Finishes the Season as the Lone Winless Team

 

UMass was running for its life all season in 2025.

Thirteen straight losses is what the UMass Minutemen will carry going into 2026, but they can now claim the top...err...bottom spot in this year's Pool Poll. The return to the MAC was not kind for the men from Amherst, who bumbled their way to the bottom. While first year coach Joe Harasymiak wasn't going to get fired, 11 teams on this list will be welcoming a new face on the sidelines when next season rolls around. Thanks to several recent personal issues among coaches in the Great Lakes region, the number of coaching new hires will be at 33 overall. Those two recent vacancies, Ohio and Michigan, are the only two that have not been filled.

Here's a look at how these lovable losers made it to the bottom.

UMass was this close to winning its only game of the season.

136. UMass (0-12, 0 WA, 108 LA)

Preseason Rank: 135

Prediction: 2-10

Season Recap: It was a rough season for the Minutemen to say the least. Seven games were decided by 30 points or more and ten by at least 18 or more. Two brutal games stuck out the most. Bryant (FCS) kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired to win 27-26 in Week 2. Then, pictured above was a game against Buffalo in which the Minutemen picked off the Bulls with a minute left. They received a celebration penalty for assuming they were going to win, but Buffalo had all three time outs and forced a punt, that did not go well. Buffalo ended up getting the ball back and scored with under 30 seconds to play to stun UMass, 28-21. That was the last time anything was close as they finished the season getting kicked around by Pudge and BGSU, 45-14. Only Akron was a worse LA than UMass, but even they beat the Minutemen by 34 points.

135. Georgia State (1-11, 256, 62.4)

Preseason Rank: 122

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Panthers lone win came against hapless Murray State (FCS) who also finished 1-11 on the season.  Georgia State only played in two games decided by one score and surprisingly one of those was a 14-7 loss to James Madison.

134. Charlotte (1-11, 190, 51.6)

Preseason Rank: 114

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: Tim Albin left after winning a MAC Championship at Ohio (or maybe it was because Brian Smith kept asking if he wanted to have a drink in his office) and somehow Charlotte felt like a step down. It certainly was this year as the 49ers defeated Monmouth (FCS) 42-35 for their only victory. All 11 losses were by at least 11 points, and their final three games saw them outscored 90-10 although two of those games were against playoff teams (Tulane and Georgia).

133. Oklahoma State (1-11, 162, 57.6)

Preseason Rank: 104

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Perhaps the biggest shock of the season was just how bad the Cowboys were this season. Mike Gundy was fired after 21 seasons and was the second longest tenured coach only behind Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) and was tied with Utah's Kyle Whittingham (he announced his retirement this season). Fun fact, EMU's Chris Creighton is now the 7th longest tenured coach after Mark Stoops (UK-13) and James Franklin (Penn State-12) were fired. Anyway, the season was so bad that the students decided to start a trend of gathering mobs of shirtless young men and having them wave said shirts above their heads. After their win over Tennessee-Martin (FCS), the Pokes had four chances at wins, but fell in one score games to Iowa State, Kansas State, UCF, and worst of all, Tulsa. Eric Morris was nabbed from North Texas after leading the Mean Green to the AAC Championship this season.

132. Boston College (2-10, 187, 58.1)

Preseason Rank: 52

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Eagles bookended their season with wins as they opened with a beatdown of Fordham (FCS) and then took it to Syracuse, 34-12, to end the season. In between they just had three other losses that were by one score. They came up just short in double overtime against Michigan State, lost by two to Georgia Tech, and then by four to Cal.

131. Purdue (2-10, 178, 44.9)

Preseason Rank: 123

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Boilermakers began the Barry Odom era with wins over Ball State and Southern Illinois (FCS), but then came an onslaught of brutality known as the Big Ten. Their schedule included seven teams that were ranked in the Top 25 throughout the season, including two playoff teams, and one that should've been in the playoffs. That had a brief run of close losses to Minnesota (7), Michigan (5), and Rutgers (3), but ended the season with Ohio State (24), Washington (36), and most embarrassingly, Indiana (53). 

The Trent Bray era did not survive to see the rebirth of the Pac 12.

130. Oregon State (2-10, 169.5, 77.8)

Preseason Rank:  90

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: I sure was high on the Beavers in 2025, but that unraveled quickly after seven straight losses to open the season. Two of those were close as they dropped an overtime contest to Houston and then lost by four to Appalachian State. That was enough to get Bray fired. With an interim coach, the Beavs rattled off back-to-back wins over Lafayette (FCS) and Washington State. Then winless Sam Houston State knocked them off their high horse and the Cougars exacted revenge to split the Pac 2 title. Bray's replacement was found in the assistant coaching tree from Alabama as JaMarcus Shephard goes from Co-Offensive Coordinator to head coach of Oregon State.

129. UTEP (2-10, 148.5, 78.9)

Preseason Rank: 130

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Miners earned their two measly wins over UTM (FCS) and Sam Houston State, but were all over the place the rest of the season. On one hand they played Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, and Louisiana Monroe to close finishes and even made Arch Manning look like a chump for taunting a UTEP player in a 27-10 win for the Longhorns. Texas' slight struggle was not the same experience for Delaware, who dropped 61 on the Miners in the final game of the season.

128. Arkansas (2-10, 136, 49.1)

Preseason Rank: 63

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Arkansas was the Purdue of the SEC facing a brutal schedule that had 8 teams who spent time in the Top 25, also including Notre Dame (these two teams likely didn't help the Irish in their toughness of schedule). Thank goodness Alabama A&M (FCS) and Arkansas State were on the schedule to open the season for the Razorbacks as those would be the last two wins in the Sam Pittman era. He would get fired after the blowout loss by Notre Dame and a one-point loss to Memphis. Former head coach Bobby Petrino, thrust back in the saddle, saw Mississippi State get its first SEC win since 2023, but that was during a run of four SEC games decided by three points or less. Ryan Silverfield was so impressive in his upset of Arkansas that they offered him the job to leave Memphis and come to Fayetteville.

127. Colorado State (2-10, 135, 68.8)

Preseason Rank: 67

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: I honestly thought Jay Norvell leaving Nevada for Colorado State was a lateral move, but now it's a move that cost him his job. The Rams fired him midway through the season after the Rams lost to Hawaii in Week 8. Prior to that, his wins were against Northern Colorado (FCS) and Fresno State, but they also lost by one to UTSA and were blown out by Washington, Washington State, and San Diego State. In his absence, the Rams were outscored 191-59 in their final five games, although they nearly stunned New Mexico. Jim Mora Jr. leaves UConn to become the new head coach in Fort Collins.

126. Sam Houston State (2-10, 96.5, 84.5)

Preseason Rank: 47

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Bearkats can claim to be the only two-win team with wins over two FBS opponents. That's because they chose not to punch down but take shots at teams like Texas and take a trip to Hawaii. That was not a recipe for success as they were only close in one game (Jacksonville State) of their first eight losses. Then came a much needed reset with a win over Oregon State and then they followed that up with a win over upstart Delaware. Then they were outscored 87-33 in their final two games to close out the season.

ULM once beat Alabama in 2007, but 2025 was 73-0 beatdown.

125. Louisiana Monroe (3-9, 152.3, 75.6)

Preseason Rank: 119

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Warhawks opened the season with three wins in four games. First it was St. Francis (PA), the only winless team in the FCS, then wins over Arkansas State and UTEP followed their slaughter at the hands of Alabama. Then the Northwestern game sparked seven-straight games of double-digit losses for ULM. They snapped that streak by forcing overtime with their rivals from Lafayette, but the Ragin' Cajuns snuck away with a victory.

124. Northern Illinois (3-9, 142, 82.6)

Preseason Rank: 89

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: Well, the Huskies final year in the MAC was a rough one. They could only secure two wins in conference (Ball State and UMass), while also picking up a win over Holy Cross (FCS). They will now transition to the all-new Mountain West, that will see 5 Mountain West teams head to the Pac 12, while NIU joins UTEP as the newest members of the conference.

123. Syracuse (3-9, 130, 58.8)

Preseason Rank: 28

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Orange had the biggest drop from the preseason to the end of the season. They started off great with a 3-1 start that included wins over UConn and Clemson, as well as Colgate (FCS). Then the wheels fell completely off. Syracuse was outscored 309-89 in its final eight games, including a 70-7 dismantling by Notre Dame.

122. Nevada (3-9, 121.3, 54.7)

Preseason Rank: 117

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Wolfpack were dangerously close to a bowl season but were 2-3 in one score games. They narrowly escaped an upset by Sacramento State (FCS) and snuck past Wyoming, but were unable to get past Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico, and Fresno State. Everything else was pretty lopsided, but they did randomly throttle San Jose State 55-10. Outside of that game the Wolfpack only scored 22 or fewer in their other 11 contests.

121. Virginia Tech (3-9, 107, 44.3)

Preseason Rank: 56

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Hokies losing to South Carolina and Vanderbilt in the opening weeks is acceptable. Getting lambasted by Old Dominion at home was certainly not and Brent Pry was fired right after the game. Va Tech managed wins over Wofford (FCS) and NCST after his firing and even a double-overtime thriller against Cal, but they finished the season on a four-game losing skid, culminating in a 27-7 loss to Virginia. James Franklin moves on from his firing by Penn State to try to bring some sustainability back to a once proud program.

The Blue Raiders are actually on a two-game winning streak to end the season.

120. Middle Tennessee State (3-9, 105.7, 96.7)

Preseason Rank: 125

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The Blue Raiders were absolutely smashed by Austin Peay (FCS) to open the season, and it looked dire from there. They did eke out a one-point win over Nevada but lost their next four one score games to fall to a 1-9 record. Luckily, they found their stride in the last two weeks to earn wins over Sam Houston State and New Mexico State. The last one came in a double-overtime thriller. Maybe it was enough to save his job this season, but Derek Mason might be sweating in his hot seat.

119. San Jose State (3-9, 81.7, 82.3)

Preseason Rank: 66

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Spartans were a few bounces away from a bowl season but were 3-4 in one score games. It started with a 2-point loss to Central Michigan, then a 3-point win over Idaho (FCS), a 1-point loss to Stanford, a 7-point win over New Mexico, 7-point loss to Wyoming, 5-point loss to Utah State, and finally a 7-point win over Hawaii. That win was the last highlight and the offense completely disappeared from then on scoring just 43 points in the final four games. 

118. Colorado (3-9, 80.3, 52.4)

Preseason Rank: 38

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Deion Sanders celebrated the post-Shedeur era with wins over Delaware, Wyoming, and Iowa State, but that's it. They played Georgia Tech and BYU close early on, but then they allowed 50 points in back-to-back losses to finish the season with 5-straight losses. Needless to say, the Deion era in Colorado is a very underwhelming.

117. UCLA (3-9, 52, 46)

Preseason Rank: 73

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: It was clear Deshaun Foster may have been over his head during the Big Ten media day last season. His tenure didn't make it a full two years as the Bruins lost four games to open the season, including two losses to two (albeit good) Mountain West teams. Without Foster the Bruins seemed like easy pickings for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions must've missed their flight out west because UCLA pulled off a stunning 42-37 win. They followed that with a win over Michigan State, a game that likely cost Jonathan Smith his job like Foster and Franklin. Maryland was the next victim, and it looked like UCLA had turned things around. Unfortunately, the football gods unveiled a nightmare finish of Indiana, Ohio State, Washington, USC, and Nebraska to make it five straight losses to end the season. James Madison's Bob Chesney hopes to find the same success in the Big Ten as his predecessor, Curt Cignetti, as the new coach of UCLA.

116. New Mexico State (4-8, 160.5, 73.5)

Preseason Rank: 126

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Aggies were just 2-4 in one score games and lost some brutal contests after a quick 2-0 start. Those wins came against Bryant (FCS) and Tulsa (they beat UMass and OKST respectively) and earned another win over Sam Houston State to move to 3-2 on the season. Then came four straight losses, including a three-point loss to Liberty and an overtime loss to Missouri State. The finally snapped the losing streak with a win over UTEP, but lost in overtime to Middle Tennessee State to end their season.

It was hard to watch the Cowboys this season.

115. Wyoming (4-8, 141.5, 68.3)

Preseason Rank: 116

Prediction: 2-10

Season Recap: Wyoming played in just three contests that were one score games, winning just one. They began the year with double-digit wins over Akron and Northern Iowa (FCS). Then came three-straight losses before they surprised San Jose State and nearly earned a fourth win in a 3-point loss to Air Force. A blowout of Colorado State was their final bright spot before mustering just 24 points in their final four games.

 

114. Air Force (4-8, 127, 55)

Preseason Rank: 88

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The season began as it should with a 49-13 win over Bucknell, but the defense from that point allowed 227 points over its next five games (45.4 ppg). They corrected that in their win over Wyoming and picked up wins over San Jose State and Colorado State along the way to finish with four wins. They lost to their service academy rivals by a total of six points. After all the recent hirings and firings, Troy Calhoun now finds himself alone as the second longest tenured coach in college football.

113. North Carolina (4-8, 121, 58)

Preseason Rank: 61

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Tar Heels thought their big hire of Bill Belichick was going to get them back on track, but year one was not ideal. It started with a blowout at the hands of TCU, then two easy landing wins against Charlotte and Richmond (FCS). Next came four-straight losses, two blowouts and two brutal one-score losses to Cal and Virginia. Things were briefly back on track with wins over Syracuse and Stanford but then came a Carolina gut punch of losses to rivals Wake Forest, Duke, and worst of all, a 23-point loss to NCST to end the season.

112. South Alabama (4-8, 119.5, 72)

Preseason Rank: 84

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Jaguars had an interesting season. They only had four blowout losses, they nearly beat Tulane, hung around with Auburn, and nearly knocked off Troy. They were able to earn wins over Morgan State (FCS), Georgia State, Louisiana Monroe, and most impressively, Southern Miss.

111. Michigan State (4-8, 117, 53.9)

Preseason Rank: 80

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Jonathan Smith era was a disaster for MSU, but the season started with three-straight wins. Granted they were against Western Michigan, Boston College (2OT), and Youngstown State (FCS). Big Ten play rolled around, and they were crushed week after week until they lost in overtime against Minnesota, lost to Penn State post James Franklin, and nearly upset Iowa. They finally snapped their losing streak with a 38-28 win over Maryland, but by then it was too late for Smith. He was let go and replaced by Pat Fitzgerald, who showed an ability to have success with fewer resources while at Northwestern.

At least the Owls won their homecoming game.

110. Florida Atlantic (4-8, 117, 43.8)

Preseason Rank: 115

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Owls found themselves at even strength at the midway point after wins over FAMU (FCS), Rice, and UAB. The second half of the season was much more difficult to find wins as they could only defeat Tulsa and allowed a staggering 236 points (39.3 ppg) in the second half.

109. Liberty (4-8, 116, 74.5)

Preseason Rank: 44

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Flames drop off was significant in 2025. That didn't mean they weren't competitive, but a slow start after their win against Maine (FCS) in the opener put them in a 1-4 hole. They brought it back to 4-4 with wins over UTEP, New Mexico State, and Delaware, but then went on a series of heartbreaking losses. First was a four-point loss to Missouri State and then three-straight overtime losses to FIU, La Tech, and Kennesaw State.

108. Ball State (4-8, 112.3, 94)

Preseason Rank: 128

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Cardinals had the unfortunate ask of trying to win six games after two blowout Power 4 losses and the hardest MAC schedule this season. They managed to beat Ohio, Kent State, and Akron, but failed to knock off lesser foes Eastern Michigan, NIU to pick up the sixth win. That put them in a difficult position to win their final two games against Toledo and Miami (OH), which they lost by a combined score of 83-33.

107. Maryland (4-8, 110, 56.6)

Preseason Rank: 94

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Terrapins started off 4-0 and won their Big Ten opener over Wisconsin. Then they proceeded to lose their next eight games. First it was single score losses to Washington, Nebraska, and UCLA, but then it was blowouts by Indiana, Rutgers, Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State.

106. Eastern Michigan (4-8, 109.5, 95.3)

Preseason Rank: 112

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: This was one of the worst defenses that EMU has rolled out since I had to suffer through the 2009 season. This porous defense blew leads or missed key stops at any given moment. The offense boasted the MAC's leading passer in Noah Kim, who imploded against Western in the finale, and the third leading rusher (1,000 rusher Dontae McMillan). They lost to an FCS team (LIU) somehow beat Louisiana, went for two and missed in overtime against Buffalo, blew a lead against Ohio, and gave it to NIU one last time before they left for the Mountain West. They put together back-to-back wins over Ball State and Bowling Green but couldn't make it three in a row to end the season. The Eagles obviously changed defensive coordinators, and Chris Creighton will head into his 12th season in Ypsilanti the same way he has, trying to find transfers willing to play for the chance to win the first MAC Championship since 1987.

Tulsa beat OKST for the first time since 1998.

105. Tulsa (4-8, 107.3, 77.3)

Preseason Rank: 131

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: Were the Golden Hurricane good or bad? It depended on what week you saw them play. They beat an FCS playoff team (Abilene Christian), knocked off a Power 4 school (OKST), and earned back-to-back wins over Oregon State and Army. However, they also lost to four teams with losing records and allowed at least 30 points in seven of their eight losses.

104. UAB (4-8, 105.5, 85.5)

Preseason Rank: 113

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Trent Dilfer era was another failed experiment that didn't even last two full seasons. The Blazers fell to 2-4 early with wins over Alabama State (FCS) and Akron, but an 18-point loss to Army and a 30-point loss to Florida Atlantic cost Dilfer his job. To make matters worse, they won the next game over a ranked Memphis in his absence. It went back to rough sailing, but the reason they are at 104 and Tulsa is at 105 is because UAB knocked off the Hurricane 31-24 to end the year. Alex Mortensen shed the interim tag and will become the full-time head coach for UAB in 2026.

103. Bowling Green (4-8, 103.3, 86)

Preseason Rank: 103

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: Eddie George and Pudge the cat had Bowling Green riding high early in the season. Wins over Liberty and Lafayette (FCS) paired with a win over rival Toledo put them at 3-3 and with an easy schedule in the MAC, a bowl bid looked like a lock. The MAC always has other plans. CMU, Kent State, Buffalo, Akron, and EMU were all losses eliminating the Falcons from bowl contention. They took their frustrations out on UMass and dropped 45 on the Minutemen to end the season on a high note.

102. Florida (4-8, 100, 29.3)

Preseason Rank: 27

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: Billy Napier needed a good season to save his job and a win over LIU (FCS) was not going to be the victory that held it. Losses to USF, LSU, and Miami (FL) turned the heat all the way up and even though the Gators shocked Texas, they followed that with another blowout loss to Texas A&M. He won his final game, a close call against Mississippi State, but that was enough to get the axe. They dropped their first four after his firing but cleansed the palette with a dominating win over Florida State to end the season. Jon Sumrall heads over from Tulane to try and revive the Gators program.

101. Stanford (4-8, 87.5, 51.5)

Preseason Rank: 105

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Cardinal had a rough beginning of the season when they fired Troy Taylor, who was let go for bullying and inappropriate behavior towards female staff members. Frank Reich did his buddy Andrew Luck a favor and took the reins for the 2025 season. The wins were few and far between, but he did secure victories over Boston College and San Jose State. They kicked Florida State while they were down with a 20-13 win and most importantly, they beat Cal. Former Stanford QB and Washington Commanders QB coach, Tavita Pritchard, takes over as the new head coach. 

Indiana is No. 1, the Irish Refuse to Play a Bowl Game, and All the Other Bowl Game/Playoff Chaos to Prep for Postseason Football

 

Indiana clung to a 13-10 victory in Indianapolis.

    There was no doubt that the winner of the Big Ten Championship would have the right to be the number one team in the College Football Playoffs, the question was, how far would the loser drop? The answer was not far at all as the Hoosiers and Buckeyes flipped flopped positions to earn the top two spots in the CFP. SEC Champ Georgia and Big 12 Champ Texas Tech both earned the other first round byes. To no one's surprise, they were followed by Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. So far so good. It was also a given that Tulane had secured a spot with their AAC Championship and after Virginia choked against Duke in the ACC Championship, James Madison would claim the last conference winner bid, after winning the Sun Belt. That meant there was two spots left for three teams.

    

    One could've assumed that Notre Dame (10-2) was all but a lock after Alabama (10-3) was clubbed by Georgia and the fact that the committee had ranked them higher than Miami (10-2) in the second to last poll. However, call it SEC bias, or the fact that the committee must have felt the need to put an ACC team in the Top 10, but the Fighting Irish found themselves as the odd ones out. 

Marcus Freeman is being courted by some NFL teams.

    That sent a ripple through college football that caused a series of debates. First, the Irish declined to play in a bowl game, feeling they had been cheated by the system. Of course, playing in a conference likely would've solved many of their problems, and also having a relatively weak schedule, thanks to a poor showing by the ACC this season. The gluttonous ESPN execs had already greenlit a new bowl game allowing Delaware (6-6) and Missouri State (7-5) to be eligible in their first season in the FBS. That meant that a 5-7 team would now have to take the spot of the Irish. Then Kansas State and Iowa State both announced that because of coaching vacancies they would be declining a bowl bid as well, costing them $500,000 each, after being fined by the Big 12.

    So, two more 5-7 teams that met the right academic criteria needed to be added, but Baylor, UCF, Auburn, and Rutgers all declined to participate. Akron was never a choice since they were in academic violation and were banned from participating this season. That left Mississippi State, Rice, and lastly, Appalachian State. Bowl games have been gutted in the past 10 years by high profile players sitting out, other players leaving for the transfer portal, and the coaching carousel starting earlier and earlier (currently 30/136 teams will have a new coach in 2026).

     Also, with the addition of the playoff expansion, not making the championship is no longer softened by a trip to the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. Instead, the Irish would've had to select what Pop Tart mascot to sacrifice after beating BYU, so in some ways I understand their frustration and resentment. That sort of activity should go to an 8-4 team that overcame injuries to beat SMU. Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State) would love to be on the receiving end of a mayonnaise and that's what a coach that thought his season was over should be doing, not Vanderbilt. I dread the day when the Power 4 take complete control and cast out the Group of 5 for good and end the last bit of fun that can be had in college football.

    All this to say, it's still my favorite time of year. So, let's take a look at the matchups for this bowl season. All rankings are Pool Poll rankings because the committee can kick rocks. Also, this is part 1 and will cover every bowl game and playoff matchup until Christmas Eve.

Playoffs Round 1

James Madison (12-1, No. 5) at Oregon (11-1, No. 7) 12/20

Players to watch: JMU- RB Wayne Knight (1,263 yards rushing*, 9TD) *10th in NCAA

Oregon- QB Dante Moore (227-313, 2,733 yards, 24 TD, 6 INT)

Winner faces: Texas Tech (12-1, No. 4)

Playoffs Round 1

Alabama (11-3, No. 18) at Oklahoma (10-2, No. 12) 12/19

Players to watch: Alabama- QB Ty Simpson (275-428, 3,268 yards, 26 TD, 5 INT)

Oklahoma- WR Isaiah Sategna (65 receptions, 948 yards, 7 TD)

Winner faces: Indiana (13-0, No. 1)

Playoffs Round 1

Tulane (11-2, No. 9) at Ole Miss (11-1, No. 6) 12/20

Players to watch: Tulane- QB Jake Retzlaff (222-356, 2,862 yards, 14 TD, 6 INT)

Ole Miss- RB Kewan Lacy (258 carries, 1,279 yards, 20 TD*) *2nd in NCAA

Winner faces: Georgia (12-1, No. 3)

Playoffs Round 1

Miami (10-2, No. 16) at Texas A&M (11-1, No. 4) 12/20

Players to Watch: Miami- QB Carson Beck (263-352, 3,072 yards, 25 TD, 10 INT)

Texas A&M- QB Marcel Reed (209-338, 2,932 yards, 25 TD, 10 INT)

Winner faces: Ohio State (12-1, No. 2)

Celebration Bowl

The Celebration Bowl is the annual meeting between the winners of the two HBCU conferences in the FCS, the MEAC and the SWAC. SCST (9-3, No. 21) defeated first year coach and former Philadelphia receiver DeSean Jackson and Delaware State to win the MEAC. Prairie View A&M (10-3, No. 14) clung to a two-point victory over Deion Sanders old stomping ground, Jackson State, to win the SWAC. The game will be played on Dec. 13 to officially kick off the bowl season.

LA Bowl

   Also on Dec. 13, the LA Bowl will launch the FBS bowl season when Washington (8-4, No. 38) takes on the Mountain West Champs, Boise State (9-4, No. 33).

Salute to Veterans Bowl

    

Midweek football is back Dec. 16, with an old FCS rivalry renewed as Sun Belt runner-up Troy (8-5, No.56) takes on CUSA runner-up Jacksonville State (8-5, No. 55). The two play for the Ol' School Bell and it's been very competitive with the Gamecocks holding a 31-29-2 lead over the Trojans all time. Even better is that it will take place in the "Heart of Dixie" in Montgomery. Cam Cook leads the nation in rushing and if the JVST RB could pull off an impossible 341 yards rushing, he could reach the 2,000 yard mark.

Cure Bowl

Dec. 17 features two nine-win teams in the Cure Bowl. Old Dominion (9-3, No. 32) faces USF (9-3, No. 24). The Bulls will be without head coach Alex Golesh, who left to be the new coach at Auburn.

68 Ventures Bowl

Dec. 18 features two teams that both won their last game in very different fashions to become bowl eligible. The Ragin' Cajuns (6-6, No. 82) survived an overtime win against rival Louisiana Monroe, while the Blue Hens throttled UTEP by 30. Delaware (6-6, No. 75) also needed to get a waiver from the NCAA since they are in their first season of FBS play.

XBOX Bowl

Dec. 18 the Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-6, No. 73) take on Missouri State (7-5, No. 68) in the first ever XBOX Bowl. The Bears, like Delaware, needed a waiver to compete in bowl season and this game was added to accommodate both teams joining the bowl fray. With three teams declining to play, the creation of this bowl is kind of pointless, but nonetheless, here it is to enjoy.

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Dec. 19 will feature a matinee of two conference champs by the beach. CUSA Champs Kennesaw State (10-3, No. 20) will take on the MAC Champs, Western Michigan (9-4, No. 34).

Gasparilla Bowl

Next on the docket that Friday will be the Gasparilla Bowl featuring NCST (7-5, No. 60) and Memphis (8-4, No. 45). It will be the Tigers first game without head coach Ryan Silverfield who will take the helm at Arkansas.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Skip ahead to Monday, Dec. 22, to Boise, Idaho, and the blue turf for the Potato Bowl. It features a matchup that will be between two teams that will be conference foes in the Pac 12 in 2026. Utah State (6-6, No. 80) had a chance to upend Boise State and knock them out of the Mountain West Championship but fell a point short. Meanwhile, Washington State (6-6, No. 77) will be without coach Jimmy Rogers, who took the job at Iowa State. The Cougars were also four points away from ruining James Madison's Cinderella season.

Boca Raton Bowl

Dec. 23 features three bowl games starting with the Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans, who could go down as one of the worst bowl names of all-time. Toledo (8-4, No. 52), who was robbed of a chance to play in the MAC Championship because of an inane tiebreaker system, will be without its coach as Jason Candle left for UConn. Louisville (8-4, No. 39) can currently say that it is the only team to beat James Madison in 2025.

New Orleans Bowl

Part 2 features a match-up of former Conference USA foes. Both teams also missed out on their respective championships by losing their last game of the season. Southern Miss (7-5, No. 63) also lost its head coach as Charles Huff left after just one season and will now lead Memphis. WKU (8-4, No. 47) was sitting at 8-2 and then lost its last two games by a total of six points.

Frisco Bowl

UNLV (10-3, No. 21) was a win away from possibly making the CFP but lost both games against Boise State this season. Ohio (8-4, No. 51), like Toledo was robbed of a chance to play in the MAC Championship because of that stupid tiebreaker, even though the Rockets and Bobcats both beat the Redhawks. Mysteriously, Ohio will be without head coach Brian Smith, who was placed on leave at the beginning of the month with no explanation from the university.

Hawai'i Bowl

The Rainbow Warriors (8-4, No. 49) stay at home for a Christmas Eve showdown with the Cal Bears (7-5, No. 57). The game will also be a homecoming for Cal interim coach Nick Rolovich, who used to be the head coach at Hawaii. The Bears have hired Oregon defensive coordinator and Cal alum, Tosh Lupoi to replace Justin Wilcox.

    

Pool Poll Rivalry Week: Hoosiers and Buckeyes Crush Rivals Hopes to Create Epic Undefeated Showdown in the Big Ten Championship

Brutus had some fun in the snow on Saturday.

    Rivalry Week delivered on the thrills, group shoving matches, and conference clinching games we all come to love this time of year. So, let's break down who survived and see who's playing this weekend. Also, thank God the Big Ten and SEC were clear cut, because these computer tiebreaker scenarios are so BCS (all rankings are Pool Poll Rankings).

Indiana took all hope from Purdue on Friday.

Big Ten Championship: Indiana (12-0, #2) vs Ohio State (12-0, #1) Saturday (8:00 PM FOX)

How'd we get there: The Buckeyes allowed a squeak of hope after two quick field goals by the Wolverines, but unlike the last four years, Ryan Day didn't forget that he has two elite receivers compared to a not as elite secondary. As they had all year, OSU made all the right adjustments at halftime to crush their opponents dreams of pulling off an upset, although 6-0 was the largest deficit the Buckeyes have faced all year. A depleted Michigan was playing with house money like last year, but this time, the house took them for everything Bryce Underwood was getting paid in NIL money.

Indiana didn't toy with its opponent, instead, the Hoosiers jammed it down the Boilermakers throats and held their eyes open like in Bird Box or A Clockwork Orange if you prefer a more cultured reference. It was the third victory by 50 points for Indiana, who will surely provide the toughest test for Ohio State this year. 

Bowl Bound (12): It wasn't just about the Big Ten Championship for some, others were playing for their bowl hopes. Rutgers and Penn State played in an exciting loser goes home matchup that saw the Nittany Lions (6-6) edge the Scarlet Knights (5-7) 40-36. Plenty of other teams were going bowling no matter what, but that didn't mean that trophies weren't on the line. Illinois (8-4) forced 4 turnovers to turn away Northwestern (6-6); Iowa (8-4) dropped 40 on Nebraska (7-5); Oregon (11-1) kept its playoff hopes alive with a win over Washington (8-4); USC (9-3) rubbed it in UCLA's (3-9) face by going for two late; and finally, Minnesota (7-5) won the Paul Bunyan Axe in a snowy battle with Wisconsin (4-8). Michigan (9-3) can get excited to take on Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl or whatever.

Alabama forced a fumble late to survive the Iron Bowl.

SEC Championship: Alabama (10-2, #12) vs Georgia (11-1, #3) Saturday (4:00 PM ABC)

How'd We Get Here: First, it started with Georgia already clinching a spot and then surviving its rivalry with Georgia Tech (16-9). That meant three teams had their shot at playing the Bulldogs. First up was Texas A&M (11-1) who watched stunned as Arch Manning and Bevo ran all over the field to pull off the Texas sized upset (27-17). That opened the door for Ole Miss (11-1) who took care of Mississippi State (5-7) in the Egg Bowl. Then after the game, Lane Kiffin got in a yelling match with a reporter and told his players he's headed to LSU. Perhaps it was karma then that caused Auburn (5-7) to fumble and then later muff a punt that cost them a chance to stun Alabama and make a bowl game. In fact, with that loss Auburn ensured that all 80 bowl game spots were filled and that no team (that didn't need a first-year waiver) would be left out of bowl season. Thanks Auburn, from all the 6-6 group of 5 teams.

Bowl Bound (10): Sure Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma (10-2), Vanderbilt (10-2), and Texas (9-3) are all bowl eligible, but all seven have a case for the College Football playoffs. Obviously, they all can't make it, but now you know who Paul Finebaum will be lamenting about come selection Sunday. Tennessee (8-4), Missouri (8-4) and LSU (7-5) will all be going bowling as well, giving the SEC 10 teams overall.

BYU looks to seek revenge in the Big 12 Championship.

Big 12 Championship: BYU (11-1, #6) vs Texas Tech (11-1, #7) Saturday (12:00 PM ABC)

How'd We Get Here: Like the Big Ten, this was a pretty simple scenario. If the top two teams won, they were in. It wasn't even close. Texas Tech dismantled West Virginia, 49-0, while BYU eliminated UCF from bowl contention with a 41-21 drubbing. The Red Raiders bested the Cougars earlier this year and because of the SEC bias that is pervasive amongst voters, the loser will likely not make the playoffs despite only having two losses.

Bowl Bound (10): Utah (10-2) eliminated Kansas (5-7) from contention, while Houston (9-3) did the same to Baylor (5-7). TCU (8-4) survived the lightning delay to knock off Cincinnati (7-5). Arizona (9-3) won the Territorial Cup and ended the Big 12 hopes of Arizona State (8-4). Iowa State (8-4) was nearly knocked off by Oklahoma State (1-11), while Kansas State (6-6) secured a bowl berth with a win over Deion and Colorado (3-9).

Virginia is looking for its first outright ACC Championship.

ACC Championship: Duke (7-5, #56) vs Virginia (10-2, #18) Saturday (8:00 PM ABC)

How'd We Get Here: The worst possible scenario rolled out in the ACC. A five-loss team could win the whole thing and not be ranked, allowing another Group of 5 team to sneak into the postseason depending on where they are ranked. James Madison, North Texas, Tulane, and UNLV are chomping at the bit. Virginia did its part; they beat Virginia Tech and are playing for the ACC Championship for the first time since 1995 when they shared it with Florida State. They also shared the title in 1989 with Duke, which is the last time the Blue Devils were involved. They also won three-straight outright titles from 1960-62.

Still, Miami (10-2) throttled Pitt (8-4) to give themselves a chance at maybe even persuading the committee to consider them as a two-loss team. Then, SMU (8-4) just needed to not blow the game against Cal (7-5) and they would play Virginia. Instead, the Bears scored late, and the Mustangs missed a field goal to tie the game, sending Duke to the ACC Championship.

Bowl Bound (11): Miami and Virginia have the playoffs on its mind, but likely only one of them would go. Duke would really push the boundaries if they won, while SMU, Pitt, and Cal will all go to their bowl destinations without controversy. Of course, Duke wouldn't be in this scenario if Wake Forest (8-4) could've won. Georgia Tech (9-3) could've prevented Duke if they would've defeated Pitt last week. Louisville (8-4), NCST (7-5), and Clemson (7-5) all knocked around its rivals to try and secure a better bowl landing spot.

Tulane looks to rumble into the CFP.

AAC Championship: Tulane (10-2, #16) vs North Texas (11-1, #8) Friday (8:00 P.M. ABC)

How'd We Get Here: It was a win and in scenario for the AAC, although Navy (9-2) had an outside shot after its Thanksgiving win over Memphis (8-4). First up was North Texas, who tossed around the ball and scored at will with one of the best offenses in College Football to drop Temple (5-7) from bowl contention. Tulane had an even easier time with Charlotte (1-11) cruising to a 27-0 win.

Bowl Bound (8): The loser of Tulane and North Texas won't make the playoffs, and Navy is at a slight disadvantage because they don't play the final game until after the selection committee when they take on Army (6-5). USF (9-3) kept Rice (5-7) from making a bowl game; UTSA (6-6) couldn't keep the Black Knights out; Memphis sulks in after losing three-straight; and ECU (8-4) left no doubt by throttling FAU.

UNLV looks to avenge a loss to Boise State earlier this season.

Mountain West Championship: Boise State (8-4, #49) vs UNLV (10-2, #19) Friday (8:00 PM FOX)

How'd We Get Here: Computers. Stupid computers. It would've been an incredible story for New Mexico (9-3), who hadn't been in a MWC Game since 2016 and haven't won a conference title since they won the WAC in 1964. They battled San Diego State (9-3), who with a win clinched an automatic bid. It took overtime and the Lobos forced a turnover, but rather than kick a field goal to win, they ran the ball and fumbled. They still managed to hang on to a 23-17 win in double-overtime. Now all they needed was Utah State (6-6) to hold its lead against Boise State. Instead, the Broncos rallied to win 25-24 to create a three-way tie. Then UNLV crushed Nevada (3-9) to not only claim the Fremont Cannon but force a four-way tie. The Lobos were aware that a four-way tie was not in their favor and that left the Aztecs, Broncos, and Rebels hoping that a computer would pick them. Once it gargled out the data, it produced a rematch between Boise State and UNLV.

Bowl Bound (7): I mentioned New Mexico, Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, and San Diego State, but perhaps my favorite is the return of Hawaii (8-4) to winning football. Fresno State (8-4) also punched their ticket.

James Madison is hoping for some playoff magic.

Sun Belt Championship: Troy (8-4, #55) vs James Madison (11-1, #10) Friday (7:00 PM ESPN)

How'd We Get Here: This was as clean cut as it gets. James Madison had already clinched going into Saturday and then still won by 46 at Coastal Carolina (6-6). Then it was a winner faces JMU game that Troy took advantage of by knocking out Southern Miss (7-5), 28-18.

Bowl Bound (9): While James Madison is thinking playoffs, Troy, Southern Miss, Coastal Carolina, and Old Dominion (9-3) had all punched its bowling tickets heading into Saturday. However, the Sun Belt had the most elimination games and benefitted the most from an exact number of teams making it. First, Georgia Southern (6-6) eliminated Marshall (5-7), then Arkansas State (6-6) survived a wild finish at Appalachian State (5-7). Texas State (6-6) throttled South Alabama and Louisiana (6-6) survived an overtime thriller with rival Louisiana Monroe.

Western Michigan's lone MAC loss came at the hands of Miami.

MAC Championship: Miami (7-5, #67) vs Western Michigan (8-4, #46) Saturday (12:00 PM ESPN)

How'd We Get Here: Of course, MACtion would be complicated. Thanks to an incomplete head-to-head matchups, things got into a complicated conference opponent record tiebreakers. What we knew heading into Saturday was Western Michigan was in after beating Eastern on Tuesday. Central (7-5) was eliminated by Toledo (8-4), Ohio (8-4) kept its hopes alive and eliminated Buffalo (5-7) from bowl season. That meant it all came down to Miami and Ball State, and the Cardinals didn't even try for drama, their rolled right over and allowed the Redhawks to take their spot in the MAC title game despite losing to both Toledo and Ohio.

Bowl Bound (5): Western, Central, Toledo, Miami, and Ohio all survived a conference that cannibalized itself. Except UMass, who didn't win a single game. Also, bon voyage to Northern Illinois who went 3-9 in their final season of MACtion as they now head to the Mountain West.

The Gamecocks eliminated WKU from CUSA title hopes.

Conference USA Championship: Jacksonville State (8-4, #42) vs Kennesaw State (9-3, #30) Friday (7:00 PM CBS Sports Network)

How'd We Get Here: Jacksonville State kicked a walk-off field goal to keep Western Kentucky (8-4) from securing its spot in the CUSA Championship. That meant that Kennesaw State just needed to take care of business against Liberty, but that was easier said than done. It took two overtimes, but the Owls, in just their second season at the FBS level, upended the Flames 48-42.

Bowl Bound (5): None the teams have a real shot at a playoff bid, and its game is featured on the least accessible channel of all the championship games. Seriously, it will be easier to find the SWAC Championship (Jackson State vs Prairie View A&M on ESPN 2, winner plays SCST in the Celebration Bowl) than CUSA's game. Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, and WKU, will be joined by Louisiana Tech (7-5) and FIU (7-5) as the conferences only bowl teams. That is unless the NCAA makes an extra bowl game to allow first year teams Missouri State (7-5) and Delaware (6-6) a chance to earn a postseason berth which would give CUSA an alarming 7 bowl teams.

Final Regular Season Top 25 looks like this:

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

3. Georgia

4. Ole Miss

5. Oregon

6. BYU

7. Texas Tech

8. North Texas

9. Texas A&M

10. James Madison

11. Oklahoma

12. Alabama

13. Notre Dame

14. Vanderbilt

15. Utah

16. Tulane

17. Miami

18. Virginia

19. UNLV

20. Navy

21. USC

22. Tulane

23. USF

24. Michigan

25. San Diego State

Dropped Out: Georgia Tech and UConn

Watchlist: Arizona, Georgia Tech, Houston, New Mexico, Kennesaw State, UConn, Old Dominion, Arizona State, Iowa State, Washington, TCU, Louisville, Tennessee, Illinois, and Fresno State.

Final Rankings: Teams 83-136 have all been finalized. Congrats, I guess, to UMass (0-12) for finishing dead last. St. Francis (PA) was the only FCS team to finish winless earning them spot 129 in this year's FCS poll. Congrats to Southern and Mississippi Valley State for securing their second wins of the season in their final games with dramatic wins over Grambling and Florida A&M respectively.

FCS Playoffs

South Dakota State won in a winter wonderland against New Hampshire.

First Round:

Yale 43 Youngstown State 42 (Trailed 42-14 in 3rd Q)

Villanova 52 Harvard 7

Rhode Island 27 Central Connecticut State 19

Abilene Christian 38 Lamar 20

Illinois State 21 SELA 3

North Dakota 31 Tennessee Tech 6

South Dakota State 41 New Hampshire 3

South Dakota 38 Drake 17

Second Round (12/6)

Villanova vs Lehigh

South Dakota vs Mercer

Illinois State vs North Dakota State

Abilene Christian vs Stephen F. Austin

North Dakota vs Tarleton State

Yale vs Montana State

South Dakota State vs Montana

Rhode Island vs UC Davis