Pool Poll Final Rankings: Indiana Sits atop the Final Top 25 Poll

Fernando Mendoza is a Heisman Trophy winner and a National Champion.

    The season is finally over, and the Indiana Hoosiers have been crowned the National Champs. As it stands that also means they've earned the top spot in the final Pool Poll. It was a wild ride to get here. Indiana took care of business as the number one team, taking Alabama (38-3) and Oregon (56-22) to the woodshed in its first two games of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were a controversial pick with many believing that Notre Dame belonged instead of them. Perhaps, it was this fire that sparked an early upset of Texas A&M (10-7), then they stunned Ohio State (24-14), before surviving Ole Miss (31-27) in the semifinal. Both came into the game with a defensive playing their best football, while also boasting two top tier QBs (Carson Beck and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza). It was a slight disadvantage for the Hoosiers as the game was played at the Orange Bowl, which just happens to be in Miami's home stadium. Still, with some gutsy calls and big special teams plays, the Hoosiers prevailed to a 27-21 victory.

Lane Kiffin abandoned his team in a time of need at Ole Miss.

    Elsewhere in the Top 25, we saw coaches plundered away from the overachieving Group of 5 schools and stunning Power 4 moves. Tulane, Utah, James Madison, North Texas, and Ole Miss will all be playing for a different coach in 2026. The most shocking moves were Kyle Wittingham leaving Utah after 20 years for Michigan and Lane Kiffin leaving an Ole Miss team that was a defensive stand from playing in the National Championship, to head to LSU.

    One thing is for sure, if you wanted to make the Top 25 this year in the Pool Poll you better have won at least 10 games. The biggest surprises on this list include Conference USA Champs, Kennesaw State, Old Dominion, AAC runner-up, North Texas, Sun Belt Champs, James Madison, and ACC runner-up, Virginia. There was plenty of parity in the college football world this year, but the playoffs didn't allow any Cinderella stories from the Group of 5, another reason Notre Dame fans were left chomping at the bit. Here's a look the final Top 25:

The Rebels earned a Power 4 win over UCLA early on in the season.

25. UNLV (10-4, 104.2 WA, 51.5 LA)

Preseason Rank: 36

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Rebels relished in a pretty soft schedule going 7-0 against teams that had a losing record. Their problem is that they began 3-2 against teams with winning records including a regular season loss to Boise State. Still, Dan Mullen's first year in Vegas picked up where Barry Odom left off. UNLV made it back to the Mountain West Championship, but once again were foiled by the Broncos, who won their last MWC before they head over to the Pac 12. It was then off to the Frisco Bowl to take on Ohio.

Bowl Result: 17-10 loss to Ohio

24. Kennesaw State (10-4, 96.3, 49.8, *CUSA Champs)

Preseason Rank: 132

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The 108-spot improvement from preseason to the end of the season was the biggest jump for any team on this list. After a dismal first season at the FBS level, the Owls did a better job taking advantage of their weaker conference foes. They went undefeated against sub .500 teams and then went 4-1 against bowl bound Group of 5 teams. Their losses were to Wake Forest (10-9), Indiana (56-9), and Jacksonville State (35-26). They earned a chance to avenge that last loss in the CUSA Championship and did so with a late rally to knock off the Gamecocks 19-15. Their reward was to play the MAC Champions in the Myrtle Beach Bowl and maybe they wished they would've opted out.

Bowl Result: 41-6 loss to Western Michigan

23. Western Michigan (10-4, 85, 70.3, *MAC Champs) 

Preseason Rank: 102

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: That's because the MAC Champions were led by Nadame Tucker, who finished tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks. The Broncos got off to an 0-3 start after losses to Michigan State, Illinois, and an overtime thriller against North Texas. They beat Toledo by one, which proved to be pivotal victory in the MAC standings. Their only blemish came against Miami (OH) in MAC play, knocking off Ohio and claiming the Michigan MAC Trophy with wins over EMU and CMU. They earned a rematch with the Redhawks who were without QB Dequan Finn, who left school just a few weeks earlier to focus on the NFL Draft. Without Finn, the Broncos rolled past Miami 23-13. Then as seen above, drubbed the CUSA champs in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Bowl Result: 41-6 win over Kennesaw State

22. Alabama (11-4, 59.3, 27.3)

Preseason Rank: 16

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: A three loss Alabama snuck into the playoffs and if that doesn't explain the issues with the current format than I don't know what does. Just like a two-loss BYU team they were throttled in their conference championship, but got the benefit of the doubt playing in the SEC. The season started with a loss to a Florida State team that didn't even make a bowl game. Granted, they had some of the best wins, Georgia, Vandy, Missouri, Tennessee, and LSU. Their SEC loss was a two-point loss to Oklahoma, but the Crimson Tide did enough to make the SEC Championship. Georgia got its revenge in a 28-7 beatdown, but to their credit, the Tide got their revenge in the playoffs after trailing by 17 points to Oklahoma, only to beat the Sooners 34-24. In the Rose Bowl, Indiana punched them in the mouth from the get-go and the Big Ten flexed its muscle all over the SEC.

Bowl Result: 34-24 win over Oklahoma, 38-3 loss to Indiana

21. Old Dominion (10-3, 99, 49)

Preseason Rank: 101

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: Another huge leap for a Group of 5 that returned the opening kick of the season back for a touchdown to put Indiana down 7-0 (Hoosiers won 27-14). Two weeks later, they kicked the tar out of Va Tech (45-26) for their third win over the Hokies since 2018 (3-4 since 2017). A rough two weeks where they lost to Marshall and James Madison took them out of contention for the Sun Belt, but they still rattled off five straight wins to end the regular season. They drew a depleted USF team in the Cure Bowl and took full advantage of Alex Golesh's exit from the Bulls.

Bowl Result: 24-10 win over USF

The Cougars put on a show in the Texas Bowl.

20. Houston (10-3, 93.7, 64.7)

Preseason Rank: 77

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: Houston was looking pretty good at 7-1 with its lone loss coming against Texas Tech. Then came a mind-boggling loss to West Virginia and a three-point loss to TCU to knock them out of the Big 12 conversation. They knocked off Baylor to finish the regular season with a chance for 10 wins. In a wild Texas Bowl, the Cougars came in clutch late against LSU.

Bowl Result: 38-35 win over LSU

19. Vanderbilt (10-3, 74.1, 36)

Preseason Rank: 60

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: No Vanderbilt team had ever won 10 games. No player for Vanderbilt had been up for the Heisman. It was a dream season for Diego Pavia and the Commodores that ended on a sour note. After a 4-0 start they failed to show their legitimacy against Alabama but then knocked off LSU and Missouri. Their next test fell just short with a three-point loss against Texas, but they finished with three straight wins, including a 21-point victory over Tennessee. Pavia had a meltdown after losing the Heisman Trophy to Fernando Mendoza and his comments about how weak the Big Ten was compared to the SEC came back to haunt him in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Bowl Result: 34-27 loss to Iowa

18. Texas (10-3, 61, 43.3)

Preseason Rank: 2

Prediction: 11-1

Season Recap: The Arch Manning hype train was in full effect, but a loss to Ohio State in Week 1 and a shocking loss to Florida had everyone abandoning ship soon after. To his credit, he followed with a 17-point win over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry but struggled in overtime to beat Kentucky and Mississippi State. Another close win against Vanderbilt was followed with a drubbing by Georgia to eliminate the Longhorns from the SEC conversation. They handed Texas A&M their only loss in the regular season finale to also keep the Aggies out of the SEC Championship. They settled for a battle of bluebloods in the Citrus Bowl where they faced a broken and coachless Michigan team, who had never beaten the Longhorns and still haven't.

Bowl Result: 41-27 win over Michigan

17. Oklahoma (10-3, 54.1, 27)

Preseason Rank: 42

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Sooners finally got something going under Brent Venables and secured wins over Michigan, Alabama, LSU, Missouri, and Tennessee. Still, they lost to Texas and Ole Miss to eliminate them from SEC Championship contention but did enough to make their first playoff appearance. They looked to put away Alabama early with a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. However, the Crimson Tide erased that deficit with 17 points in the second quarter alone and outscored the Sooners 34-7 from that point on.

Bowl Result: 34-24 loss to Alabama

16. Virginia (11-3, 80.2, 57)

Preseason Rank: 83

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Perhaps the biggest surprise of any Power 4 school was the improvement of the Virginia Cavaliers. Did it end the way they were hoping? Not quite, but honestly, nothing made in the ACC made sense this season. They got off to an unassuming 1-1 start that included a loss to NCST but they earned traction with a double overtime win over Florida State. Then another OT win against Louisville, a two-point over Washington State, and then another OT win against UNC. They stumbled against Wake Forest but knocked off Duke and Virginia Tech to earn their first ever trip to the ACC title game. They could not survive another OT and lost the ACC Championship to Duke and their playoff hopes. They earned a trip to the Gator Bowl instead to take on Missouri.

Bowl Result: 13-7 win over Missouri

Tulane rode a wave to the playoffs in 2025.

15. Tulane (11-3, 75.5, 35, *AAC Champs)

Preseason Rank: 37

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Jon Sumrall gave it one final ride at Tulane before heading to Florida and what an opportunity it was. The Green Wave earned Power 4 wins over Northwestern and Duke, but were dismantled by Ole Miss. They mostly navigated the AAC, losing just once to UTSA. With a chance to make the playoffs, they gave their best performance against North Texas to claim the AAC Championship. Unfortunately, their draw in the playoffs linked them with the team that handed them their biggest loss of the season. It did not go the way they wanted. Will Hall was hired in to replace Sumrall, but his time at Southern Miss was only remembered for how sweaty his shirts were.

Bowl Result: 41-10 loss to Ole Miss

14. Notre Dame (10-2, 66.8, 12)

Preseason Rank: 4

Prediction: 11-1

Season Recap: Notre Dame didn't beat Miami or Texas A&M. Both of those teams made the playoffs. The only bowl teams they beat were Boise State, USC, NCST, and Navy. So yeah, maybe with a garbage resume like that they weren't playoff material. Join a conference you bums.

Bowl Result: Quitters

13. Texas A&M (11-2, 77.1, 23)

Preseason Rank: 34

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Aggies looked like it might be their year in the SEC. It helped that they didn't face Georgia, Alabama, or Oklahoma. Still, they couldn't quite finish the gamut and lost the most important game of the season to rival Texas. Then they were stuffed at home by Miami in the playoffs to limp off to an embarrassing that was likely foretold by their 1-point win over South Carolina. 

Bowl Result: 10-7 loss to Miami

12. Navy (11-2, 89, 22)

Preseason Rank: 30

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Two rough weeks against North Texas and Notre Dame ruined the brief hope of a playoff bid for Navy. However, the Midshipmen accomplished two of their goals which was beat Air Force and beat Army. The latter was in a thrilling one-point win on a late fourth down score. Then they ran it down former AAC foe Cincinnati's throat in the rain-soaked fields of the Liberty Bowl.

Bowl Result: 35-13 win over Cincinnati

11. Utah (11-2, 77.1, 23)

Preseason Rank: 64

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap:  The Kyle Whittingham era ended beautifully with a five-game winning streak capped by a win over Kansas. He handed the reins to defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley and rode off into the sunset a Utes legend. Then came a phone call and he was headed to Ann Arbor. Still, the Utes did not let that distract them in the Las Vegas Bowl where they took out all their frustrations on Nebraska.

Bowl Result: 44-22 win over Nebraska

James Madison actually scored more than Texas Tech against Oregon in the playoffs.

10. James Madison (12-2, 98.9, 14, *Sun Belt Champs)

Preseason Rank: 43

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: It was truly a great season for the Dukes, who still hadn't missed a beat since Curt Cignetti left two years ago. The upped the ante and won the Sun Belt Championship over Troy. Then because the ACC stunk it up so much, they earned an incredible chance to play in the CFP. There were plenty of alarms, like their loss to Louisville, and their best win coming against Old Dominion. Still, they got to play Oregon and after getting blown out in the first half, they made it respectable by scoring 34 points late in the game. Next year, Bob Chesney will be coaching on the opposite coast at UCLA and former Florida head coach, Billy Napier, will take over the Dukes.

Bowl Result: 51-34 loss to Oregon

9. North Texas (12-2, 86.9, 22.5)

Preseason Rank: 96

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: What a season for the Mean Green as their lone loss in the regular season came against USF and they were able to make it to the AAC Championship on the strength of their incredible offense. Drew Mestemaker went from never starting in High School to leading the NCAA in passing yards with 4,379 (the only 4,000 yard passer this season). He was aided by Caleb Hawkins, whose 1,434 yards rushing were fifth best, while Wyatt Young finished third in receiving with 1,264 yards. Had they beat Tulane, they would've locked up their first playoff appearance but instead headed out to play San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl. Head coach Eric Morris and Mestemaker announced that they will be heading to Oklahoma State and that leaves two big holes in Denton. They turn to former Troy and West Virginia coach Neal Brown to lead the reloading process.

Bowl Result: 49-47 win over San Diego State

8. Texas Tech (12-2, 84, 21, *Big 12 Champs)

Preseason Rank: 29

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: I don't think anyone would believe you if you said that North Texas and Texas Tech would finish with the best records in the Lonestar State. Still, the Red Raiders did just that, losing only to Arizona State, while knocking BYU off twice to win the Big 12 Championship, the first in school history. Texas Tech seemed to be the most effected by its first-round bye, coming out flat against Oregon and failing to find the scoreboard. The defense did its best to keep them in it thanks to David Bailey, and his NCAA leading 14.5 sacks.

Bowl Result: 23-0 loss to Oregon

7. BYU (12-2, 75.1, 8.5)

Preseason Rank: 9

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Cougars may not have won the Big 12, but they did beat the Utes, and they did get to eat a sacrificed Pop Tart mascot, so that's a pretty good consolation prize. With the departure of Whittingham, Kalani Sitake becomes the longest tenured coach in the Beehive State.

Bowl Result: 25-21 win over Georgia Tech

6. Ohio State (12-2, 72.3, 5)

Preseason Rank: 1

Prediction: 11-1

Season Recap: They beat Texas. They beat Penn State. They finally beat Michigan. Jeremiah Smith went off again with 1,200 yards receiving. The defense didn't allow more than 16 points in any game heading into the Big Ten Championship. What they didn't do was beat Indiana, meaning it's been since 2020 that the Buckeyes have held that crown. Then after a bye, they got punched in the mouth by Miami on their way to the National Championship game. You just hate to see it.

Bowl Result: 24-14 loss to Miami

Georgia couldn't shake off the rust against Ole Miss.

5. Georgia (12-2, 66, 12.5, *SEC Champs)

Preseason Rank: 6

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Speaking of teams I don't mind watching lose, Georgia was not as foreboding as years past. They survived Tennessee in overtime, lost to Alabama, then got past Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida, but it was a struggle. They even struggled in the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. They looked to turn it on late with a punishing win against the Crimson Tide to win the SEC Championship. However, the rusty curse of the first-round bye struck the Bulldogs and it was Ole Miss that exacted its revenge in the quarterfinals.

Bowl Result: 39-34 loss to Ole Miss

4. Ole Miss (13-2, 66, 12.5)

Preseason Rank: 18

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Trinidad Chambliss never wants to leave school and who could blame him? With all the NIL money and the ease at which he threw for 3,937 yards and 22 TDs to just 3 INT (3rd best in the NCAA). It also helped that he had Kewan Lacy in the backfield rushing for 1,567 yards (also 3rd best). Chambliss brought a winning pedigree from Division II where he won the National Championship at Ferris State. The only regular season slip up came against Georgia, but that was enough to keep them out of the SEC Championship. Still, they were a lock for the playoffs, a fact that didn't seem to concern Lane Kiffin as he snuck out in the night to take the LSU job. It was baffling, but the university immediately said that defensive coordinator Pete Golding would be the new permanent coach of the Rebels. Their first playoff test was a rematch against Tulane and the combined to beat the Green Wave 86-20 in their two meetings. Then Chambliss led a late rally past Georgia to get to the semifinals against Miami. It was another back-and-forth affair but this time it was Carson Beck who delivered late to eliminate the Rebels.

Bowl Result: 41-10 win over Tulane, 39-34 win over Georgia, 31-27 loss to Miami

3. Oregon (13-2, 64.1, 5)

Preseason Rank: 5

Prediction: 11-1

Season Recap: That road win at Penn State in overtime looked to be a marquee win but the Nittany Lions fell apart and the moment was short lived after a loss to Indiana. A scare against Iowa was the only other issue the Ducks faced en route to a playoff appearance. They easily dispatched of James Madison and Texas Tech outscoring them 74-34. Then came the rematch with Indiana and Dante Moore probably wished he was sick because the Hoosiers lived in the backfield all day long. The game began with a pick-six and only unraveled from there.

Bowl Result: 51-34 win over James Madison, 23-0 win over Texas Tech, 56-22 loss to Indiana

2. Miami (13-3, 64.9, 29)

Preseason Rank: 10

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Hurricanes opened the season with a win over Notre Dame, then knocked off giant killer USF, and beat rivals Florida and Florida State. Then came the Louisville Cardinals, who were used to handing teams their first loss (JMU). Two weeks later SMU survived an overtime win. The Canes won out but it was not enough to make the ACC Championship. In all previous polls they sat behind Notre Dame, but perhaps because of the lack of an ACC team in the playoffs, they decided upon the Hurricanes and not the Irish. Many teams probably hoped it was the other way around. The Miami defense came alive in the playoffs with a 10-7 opening round win over Texas A&M. Then an impressive defensive showing against Ohio State and finally they did enough to hold off Ole Miss in the semifinals. The Hurricanes got to return home to the Orange Bowl and play for their sixth National Championship and their first since 2001. Like in 2002, they drew a Big Ten foe in the championship and like that game, it came up short.

Bowl Result:  10-7 win over Texas A&M, 24-14 win over Ohio State, 31-27 win over Ole Miss, 27-21 loss to Indiana

1. Indiana (16-0, 70.6, 0)

Preseason Rank: 17

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: Tom Allen won 33 games in 8 seasons at Indiana. Lee Corso won 41 in 10 years. Curt Cignetti has the only two double-digit winning seasons in school history, and his 27 wins are already good for 8th all-time. Oh, and he has their first National Championship. Fernando Mendoza added the first Heisman Trophy win (Antwan Randle El was robbed). It wasn't always pretty, but when they needed a big moment there was Mendoza. A late throw and phenomenal catch to stun Penn State at home. A scare with Iowa and a hard-fought battle with Oregon. It didn't seem impressive on paper, but their first two opponents ended up winning 10 games each (Old Dominion and Kennesaw State). They finally made an appearance in the Big Ten Championship and the grind it out defense and Ohio State's inability to make clutch close field goals allowed Indiana to secure the win. They showed no rust in the Rose Bowl they crushed Oregon's hope but then came Miami. The Hurricanes gave everything they had but a blocked punt touchdown, a fourth down sprint TD for Mendoza, and a late interception made it possible to say for the first time in football, Indiana is the new National Champion!

Bowl Result: 38-3 win over Alabama, 56-22 win over Oregon, 27-21 win over Miami

Pool Poll Final Rankings 50-26: Nine Wins, Two Coaches That Were Too Close with Staff, and Two Conference Champs Represent Those Who Just Missed the Top 25

 

Michigan cheating scandal took on a new definition in 2025.

    In the penultimate rankings for the 2025, it's safe to say that all the teams here could label their seasons as a success. Hawaii, New Mexico, and San Diego State were all in the Mountain West race after tough 2024 campaigns, ultimately losing to the usual suspect, Boise State. Jacksonville State, UConn, ECU, and USF all finished with some of the best seasons in school history, while Kirk Ferentz still worked his magic to win nine games as the longest tenured coach in college football.

    For all the highs, there were some lows. Matt Campbell was swept away from Iowa State causing the Cyclones to skip a bowl game as they had no coaching staff. Mora left UConn for Colorado State and Alex Golesh moved from USF to Auburn. Jake Dickert might have regretted his decision to go to Wake Forest as his season ended with a tub full of mayonnaise dumped on his family. Two other schools fired their coaches for damaging the reputation of the university. 

    First, Sherrone Moore was fresh off a loss to Ohio State when news came out about an affair with a staff member that led to an altercation in early December that landed him in jail. Around the same time, Ohio's Brian Smith had been placed on leave. It was then revealed that Smith was involved with a relationship with a student although, unlike Moore, Smith was in the process of separation from his wife. Still the admin in Athens found his behavior unbecoming to the university and fired him before the Bobcats bowl game.

    Here's a look at the full list of those who were good, but not good enough to make the final cut.

Arizona State beat Texas Tech before it was cool.

50. Arizona State (8-5, 63.6, 51.6)

Preseason Rank: 7

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Sun Devils jumped out to a 4-1 record and experienced the low of getting blown out by Utah, then coming back and stunning Texas Tech. They were still alive in the Big 12 race despite a loss to Houston, but their instate rival stood in the way. Those hopes were dashed by the Wildcats and then they spent their time between the final game and the Sun Bowl worrying if coach Kenny Dillingham would be hired away. He wasn't and instead was on the sidelines for one of the between bowl games of the year against ACC Champs, Duke.

Bowl Result: 42-39 loss to Duke

49. Boise State (9-5, 88.2, 52, *MWC Champs)

Preseason Rank: 12

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Broncos felt pretty good that their only losses were to USF and Notre Dame and that they throttled UNLV to take charge of the Mountain West. Then back-to-back losses to Fresno State and San Diego State meant they were all but out of it, especially when they trailed late in the final game to Utah State. Instead, the Broncos broke the hearts of all those trying to make a Mountain West title game. There they once again dismantled UNLV in their building to win their final Mountain West title. The future Pac 12 team met up with a former Pac 12 team, Washington, for the L.A. Bowl.

Bowl Result: 38-10 loss to Washington

48. Jacksonville State (9-5, 86.9, 80.4) 

Preseason Rank: 82

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Gamecocks were feeling pretty good at 7-3 until a midweek slipup against FIU put them in a must win situation heading into the final week. They rallied back in that game to knock off WKU to prevent the Hilltoppers from going to the CUSA Championship. They instead met up with Kennesaw State, who the Gamecocks had defeated just weeks before. This time it was the Owls with the late magic to steal the CUSA title. They settled for a matchup of runner ups in the 68 Ventures Bowl with Sun Belt runner up, Troy. Cam Cook skipped the bowl game, but still led the NCAA in rushing with 1,659 yards on 295 carries and added 16 TDs.

Bowl Result: 17-13 win over Troy

47. Duke (9-5, 60.2, 18.4, *ACC Champs) 

Preseason Rank: 33

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Blue Devils made a lot of people upset as they potentially cost Miami a spot in the National Championship. That's because Duke found ways to win when they needed it most. Of their five losses, three of them were to non-conference opponents Illinois, Tulane, and UConn. Their losses in ACC play came against Virginia and Georgia Tech, but their six wins put them at the top of the conference standings. Using an overly complicated tiebreaker, the ACC selected Virginia and Duke to play in the ACC title game. Having already lost to the Cavaliers by 17, the Blue Devils sought revenge and did so in overtime to win their first ACC title since 1962. They met up with Arizona State in the Sun Bowl after they were not selected as a playoff team despite winning their conference. QB Darian Mensah said he's coming back next year after finishing second in the NCAA in passing yards with 3,973 yards, 34 TDs, and just 6 INT in 500 attempts.

Bowl Result: 42-39 win over ASU

46. Iowa State (8-4, 68.6, 54.5) 

Preseason Rank: 14

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Iowa State's season started in Ireland and ended in hiring Jimmy Rogers (Washington State) as their new head coach. They jumped out to a 5-0 start that included a win over rival Iowa. Then Cincinnati, Colorado, BYU, and Arizona State dropped four straight losses on the Cyclones to tank their Big 12 bid. Iowa State ended on a three-game win streak, but Matt Campbell was being whisked away to Penn State and without a coach, they opted to skip their bowl game.

Bowl Result: Declined to play

Jason Candle looks to continue the recent success at UConn.

45. UConn (9-4, 104.3, 78.5) 

Preseason Rank: 45

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Huskies put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since they did so from 2007-2010. UConn went 2-1 against ACC teams in 2025 but also had weird overtime losses to Rice and Delaware. Still, it was enough to earn a trip to the Fenway Bowl against Army and have Jim Mora Jr. swept away by Colorado State. The Huskies were not only missing Mora but leading receiver Skyler Bell, who finished third in the NCAA with 1,278 yards and added 13 TDs.

Bowl Result: 41-16 loss to Army.

44. East Carolina (9-4, 101.8, 49) 

Preseason Rank: 81

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Pirates had sort of an unassuming season. They lost all three big games to NCST, BYU, and Tulane, and met UTSA when the offense was full throttle. Still, they earned a win over Memphis and everyone else on their AAC schedule to need a miracle make the title game. Despite a 42-3 win over Florida Atlantic in the final game, they didn't get the help they needed and settled for an appearance in the Go Bowling Military Bowl against Pitt.

Bowl Result: 23-17 win over Pitt

43. New Mexico (9-4, 98.2, 65.8) 

Preseason Rank: 109

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: This seemed like the year for the Lobos to finally make a Mountain West title game. They were respectable against Michigan and even blew out UCLA by 25. Then a couple losses in back-to-back weeks, plagued the Lobos whole rest of the season. They did their best to hang around, knocking off UNLV and then in double overtime they defeated San Diego State. Unfortunately, Boise State rallied to win its game and a computer tiebreaker awarded the Broncos and Rebels a shot at the Mountain West title. New Mexico would settle for a trip to the Rate Bowl and a chance to finish with a winning record against the Big Ten.

Bowl Result: 20-17 (OT) loss to Minnesota

42. Hawaii (9-4, 97.1, 69) 

Preseason Rank: 100

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: Timmy Chang brought the Rainbow Warriors back to his glory days. It started with a win over Stanford in Week 1, but they stumbled, going 2-2 in their next four. They were in the Mountain West race util the second to last week when they were pummeled by UNLV. Still, they earned a chance at a bowl bid and stayed home for a showdown in the Hawaii Bowl against Cal.

Bowl Result: 35-31 win over Cal

41. Georgia Tech (9-4, 97, 34.8) 

Preseason Rank: 46

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Yellow Jackets rumbled out to an 8-0 start that included wins over Colorado, Clemson, Duke, and Wake Forest. The ACC looked to be all theirs, but a loss to NCST rattled them so badly that they almost lost to lowly Boston College. Then Pitt officially knocked them out of the race and Georgia made sure that any chance at a playoff berth was null and void. As a consolation, they got to play BYU in the greatest bowl game known to man, the Pop Tarts Bowl. Unfortunately, they didn't get to see what the mascots tasted like.

Bowl Result: 25-21 loss to BYU

Jake Dickert's first season ended in a splash.

40. Wake Forest (9-4, 95.4, 44.8) 

Preseason Rank: 91

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The early season 10-9 victory over Kennesaw State looked like a bad omen, until the Owls won 10 games this season. They were tested throughout the year going 4-1 in one score games. They beat Virginia one week and lost to Florida State by 35 the next. A loss to Duke in the final week gave the Blue Devils a spot in the ACC Championship while the Demon Deacons settled for the Duke's Mayo Bowl. They drew a 5-7 Mississippi State team, but looked to bath in the tangy taste of victory over an SEC team.

Bowl Result: 43-29 win over Mississippi State

39.  Arizona (9-4, 95.2, 23.3)

Preseason Rank: 95

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The Wildcats pounced out to a 4-1 record which matched their previous season's win total. A rough patch saw them lose three out of four games to knock them out of the Big 12 conversation, but that didn't stop them from playing spoiler. Colorado, Kansas, Cincinnati, Baylor, and most importantly, Arizona State all felt the wrath of the Wildcats who ended the regular season on a hot streak. That earned them a trip to the Holiday Bowl where they were cooled down by SMU.

Bowl Result: 24-19 loss to SMU

38. Ohio (9-4, 95, 67.8) 

Preseason Rank: 48

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: It was an interesting season for the Bobcats who lost by three at Rutgers, beat West Virginia in Athens, and at one point had scored the most points against Ohio State (9). The MAC should've been cake, but if you thought that, then you've never watched MAC football before. An inexplicable loss to Ball State was a major blow and they needed to rally past Eastern Michigan and Miami. Western Michigan dealt what would be the death nail as the Bobcats lost out to Miami in a tiebreaker despite beating the Redhawks head-to-head. Brian Smith was fired and that left John Hauser in charge for the Frisco Bowl. The Bobcats played well under Hauser and that lifted the interim tag off of him and he was named as the new head coach.

Bowl Result: 17-10 win over UNLV

37. San Diego State (9-4, 92.9, 40.8)

Preseason Rank: 121

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Aztecs season played out like so many of the other Mountain West teams this season. They had a big win over a power conference (34-0 over Cal) and then struggled against future Mountain West team Northern Illinois (6-3). At 7-1, they looked to be in control of the Mountain West, but then a blowout loss to Hawaii had them staggering and a double overtime loss to New Mexico finished them off. They earned a trip to the New Mexico Bowl to take on North Texas and provided the highest scoring bowl game of the season.

Bowl Result: 49-47 loss to North Texas

36. WKU (9-4, 92.3, 65.8) 

Preseason Rank: 79

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap:  The Hilltoppers jumped out to an 8-2 record and had control of CUSA. They gave LSU all they had in a 13-10 loss but were still in control. That is until they were stunned late by Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State took care Liberty to eliminate WKU from the championship game. They were then sent to the New Orleans Bowl to take on Southern Miss who had suffered a similar fate in the Sun Belt.

Bowl Result: 27-16 win over Southern Miss

Fresno State dismantled Miami in its bowl game.

35.  Fresno State (9-4, 87.9, 73.8)

Preseason Rank: 85

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: Another Mountain West team trapped in the middle of a conference title shot. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 5-1 record, but a rough October doomed them. Losses to Colorado State and San Diego State were slightly offset by a win over Boise State. They were officially knocked out in Week 11 when Utah State romped to a 28-17 victory. A 27-point win over San Jose State closed out the season and sent them to the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl against Miami (OH). 

Bowl Result: 18-3 win over Miami (OH)

34. Iowa (9-4, 87.9, 73.8) 

Preseason Rank: 35

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: It is truly amazing the consistency that Kirk Ferentz has year to year. He lost to Iowa State, battled Indiana to its toughest regular season matchup, and then dropped back-to-back losses by a total of seven points. Good but not good enough to challenge for a Big Ten title. They also had three victories by at least 37 points and then added a 24-point win over Nebraska in the final week. The Hawkeyes drew their fifth straight SEC opponent for a bowl game and snapped their losing streak to give Ferentz his 10th career bowl win (10-11). That was good enough to earn him a tie with former Purdue coach Joe Tiller for most in Big Ten history.

Bowl Result: 34-27 win over Vanderbilt

33. SMU (9-4, 84.3, 41.3) 

Preseason Rank: 8

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Three of the Mustangs four losses were by a combined total of seven points. They were lucky enough to hold on for an overtime win against Miami and knocked off Clemson. All they needed was to beat Cal and they would earn a trip to the ACC Championship for the second time in as many years. Instead, the Bears and their interim coach stunned the Mustangs. SMU then shuffled off to the Holiday Bowl to take on Arizona.

Bowl Result: 24-19 win over Arizona

32. Illinois (9-4, 84, 44.5) 

Preseason Rank: 13

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Illinois scored 52 (WIU/FCS), 45 (Duke), and 38 (WMU) in its first three games and looked to have a repeat of last season. Then came Indiana who welcomed them to Big Ten play with a 53-point beatdown. The Illini licked their wounds and beat USC late and rolled past Purdue. They failed their next test in an 18-point loss to the Buckeyes and then a 17-point loss to Washington. Back on the horse with wins over Rutgers and Maryland, but then they were smacked around by Wisconsin. They did beat rival Northwestern in the season finale to earn a trip to the Music City Bowl. Once again, it was last second heroics to stun the Volunteers.

Bowl Result: 30-28 win over Tennessee

31. Michigan (9-4, 76.6, 22.8) 

Preseason Rank: 26

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap:  Michigan paid a whole bunch of money for a freshman QB to be used inconsistently. Every major test (Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, and Texas) were all failures. Michigan didn't even look competitive in any of those losses. Their wins came against Nebraska and Northwestern who they beat by a combined 5 points, and their best win was against Washington. The Sherrone Moore incident was an embarrassment for the university, and you think he would've learned from Mel Tucker's situation up the road at Michigan State. Injuries were a big issue on offense, and they will likely get wrecked by the transfer portal. However, they might have failed up as Utah's Kyle Whittingham was hired by Michigan after 20 years as the Utes head coach.

Bowl Result: 41-27 loss to Texas

USF finished with more SEC wins than Arkansas after they stunned Florida.

30. USF (9-4, 75.3, 28.5)

Preseason Rank: 68

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Bulls had two of the more impressive wins to start the season. First, a satisfying 27-point win over Boise State and then a last second field goal to knock off Florida at the Swamp. Could they strike three times? Miami made that answer a resounding no, as the Hurricanes blew past the Bulls 49-21. They looked to be in control of the AAC and even had a shot at the playoffs, but a three-point loss put a dent in those dreams and Navy officially sent them off course. They scored 100 points in their final two games of the season to earn a shot at a 10-win season. They'd have to do so without Alex Golesh who left for Auburn. USF then went out and hired Brian Hartline away from Ohio State to take the reins in Tampa. The Bulls were no match in the Cure Bowl after an exodus of players.

Bowl Result: 24-10 loss to Old Dominion

29. Louisville (9-4, 73.7, 55.8) 

Preseason Rank: 21

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: The Cardinals were trend busters in 2025. First, they were the only team to knock off James Madison in the regular season. Then they smashed Pudge the cat's dreams of an upset. They nearly knocked off Virginia but did knock off Miami. However, the wheels came completely off when they were stunned on the road at Cal in overtime, then lost by one to Clemson, and were blown out by SMU. They took all their frustration out on rival Kentucky, 41-0, to earn a trip to the Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo.

Bowl Result: 27-22 win over Toledo

28. Washington (9-4, 72.2, 43.5) 

Preseason Rank: 49

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Huskies weren't able to navigate the tougher parts of their Big Ten schedule but took care of most of the games they should've won. Their losses were to Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, and most surprisingly Wisconsin. They swapped that Wisconsin loss for a win against Illinois. Still, they finished the season strong with an impressive win in the final iteration of the L.A. Bowl.

Bowl Result: 38-10 win over Boise State

27. TCU (9-4, 71.9, 33.8) 

Preseason Rank: 31

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Horned Frogs welcomed Bill Belichick to the NCAA with a 34-point beatdown. They went 6-2 and had a shot at the Big 12 championship spot until a 3-point loss to Iowa State knocked them out of contention and a 31-point loss to BYU made it extra dead. Still, they rattled off back-to-back wins to close out the season and drew a tough USC team in the Texas Bowl, and the Trojans that love playing in Texas.

Bowl Result: 30-27(2OT) win over USC

USC was much improved in year two in the Big Ten.

26. USC (9-4, 59.8, 33.8) 

Preseason Rank: 41

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: Jayden Maiava was fourth in the NCAA in total yards with 3,711 and 24 TDs but even those weren't enough to get the Trojans close enough to a Big Ten title shot. They jumped out to a 4-0 start before a late loss to Illinois ended their perfect season. They followed that by throttling Michigan but then immediately lost that momentum against Notre Dame. Confidence was once again derailed after three straight wins by Oregon this time to officially eliminate the Trojans from playoff talks. They beat UCLA and then went to the Alamo Bowl to face TCU. Entering the game, USC was 22-4-1 against teams from the state of Texas, but sloppy tackling didn't improve that record.

Bowl Result: 30-27 (2OT) loss to TCU

Pool Poll Final Rankings 75-51: Not Where Penn State, LSU, Clemson, and Tennessee Imagined to Be

 

Penn State and Clemson met for the first time since 1988 in the Pinstripe Bowl.

    This section of the rankings is a mixed bag of emotions for the teams residing in them. Delaware entered the year with low expectations by experts in its first season in the FCS and instead they ended up winning a bowl game. Troy, FIU, Southern Miss, and Louisiana Tech all entered the season ranked in the 100s and all finished with a winning record. Then there are the heavy hitters as seven teams (Penn State, Clemson, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee, Memphis, and Army) began the season in the Top 25 and ended up going 1-5 in bowl games with Penn State claiming the lone win over Clemson.

    These disappointing seasons cost James Franklin his job at Penn State, Brian Kelly was fired by LSU, and Cal dumped Justin Wilcox one game before the season finished. Washington State, Toledo, Southern Miss, and Memphis also joined the job search after their coaches bolted for better opportunities.

    Here's a look at where everyone lined up and how the seven vacancies were filled.

The Eagles bested Appalachian State twice in one season.

75. Georgia Southern (7-6, 109.7 WA, 64.8 LA)

Preseason Rank: 58

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: It was a tale of two halves as the Eagles began the season 2-4 and flipped the switch in the second half to go 4-2 down the stretch. They did so with a win over rival Appalachian State and then defeated Marshall in the final game to become bowl eligible. Their opponent was in limbo and the last to be selected after the turmoil that was bowl selection season. They wound up drawing their hated rivals for a second time and crushed them to a satisfying pulp.

Bowl Result: 29-10 win over App State

74. FIU (7-6, 106.6, 56.8)

Preseason Rank: 127

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Panthers seemed to have their season slipping away at 3-5, but the offense found a second gear. First, they dropped 56 on lowly Middle Tennessee State and then survived an overtime scare with Liberty to get to .500. They pulled off an upset of Jacksonville State to become bowl eligible and then dropped 56 once more, this time on Sam Houston State. They would need all that offense in the First Responders Bowl, but that was not the case.

Bowl Result: 57-20 loss to UTSA

73. Washington State (7-6, 104.6, 35.3)

Preseason Rank: 62

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: It was the final year of the Pac-2 as the Cougars will get new conference foes to play besides Oregon State. Wazzu was a strange team this season. In the opener, they struggled to beat Idaho (FCS), but then hung around only losing by three at Ole Miss. They followed that up with a two-point loss at Virginia, and they nearly knocked off James Madison on the road, falling four points short. They were able to collect wins over bowl bound teams San Diego State, Toledo, and Louisiana Tech to need just one win to become bowl eligible themselves. They needed to avenge their loss to the Beavers just four weeks earlier and that they did with a convincing 32-8 victory. They earned a trip against the Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in a preview of a Pac-12 matchup next season. They will also play that game in 2026 with a new head coach after Jimmy Rogers was swept away by Iowa State. In return, they hired Missouri OC Kirby Moore to run the show in Pullman.

Bowl Result: 34-21 win over Utah State

72. Texas State (7-6, 104.4, 82.8)

Preseason Rank: 70

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Bobcats looked like world beaters as they averaged 43 points in their first three wins of the season. Then came a series of one score losses in four of their next five games to drop to 3-6. The offense pulled it together in the final three games, scoring 41, 31, and 49 to become bowl eligible. They continued that overwhelming attack on Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl. Offensively, they were led by receiver Beau Sparks, who had 1,200 yards receiving (fifth best in the NCAA). Sparks began the season with a 4TD game against Eastern Michigan and finished with a touchdown catch in five of his final seven games, all on just 84 receptions.

Bowl Result: 41-10 win over Rice

71. Northwestern (7-6, 103.6, 33.7)

Preseason Rank: 99

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: After a 1-2 start that looked like another rough year for Northwestern, they managed to rattle off four straight wins over UCLA, ULM, Penn State, and Purdue. That was fortunate because they had their final five games against bowl eligible teams and needed to win just one. They were competitive with Nebraska, Michigan, and Illinois, but it was Minnesota that proved to be the weakest link and allowed them to reach postseason status. The Wildcats then ventured to Detroit to face off with CMU in the Game Above Bowl.

Bowl Result: 34-7 win over CMU

Cade Klubnik bookended his senior season with losses.

70. Clemson (7-6, 101.9, 50.7)

Preseason Rank: 11

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: The first of the majorly disappointed teams on this list. The season opened with a loss to LSU, reasonable enough, but Georgia Tech, and Syracuse had set the Tigers back to a 1-3 start. A couple conference wins got them back in the sloppy ACC race, but back-to-back losses to SMU and heartbreaker with Duke all but knocked them out of the race. Still, they responded with four straight wins to save their bowl status where they earned a showdown with Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl. In other news, Sophomore Ricardo Jones was second in college football with six interceptions.

Bowl Result: 22-10 loss to Penn State

69. Delaware (7-6, 101.1, 75.5)

Preseason Rank: 134

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: Like Missouri State, Delaware made a big splash in the FBS and made it a stellar year for the "The First State" and its football teams. The Blue Hens were joined by DeSean Jackson's Delaware State team that finished with a winning record for the first time since 2012 and won at least eight games for the first time since 2007 when they lost to Delaware in the FCS Playoffs. The Blue Hens were led by QB Nick Minicucci, who was fifth in the FBS in passing yards with 3,683 yards to go with 23 TDs. They beat the Hornets in Week 1 for their first win as an FBS member and shocked UConn in overtime to earn their first win over an FBS opponent. More wins came over FIU, Middle Tennessee, and La Tech before they secured their sixth win over UTEP, a 61-31 slaughter of the Miners in the final week of the season. They earned a waiver from the NCAA to play in the 68 Ventures Bowl against Louisiana and secured their first bowl win ever.

Bowl Result: 20-13 win over Louisiana

68. Southern Miss (7-6, 98.7, 83.5)

Preseason Rank: 129

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Golden Eagles thought they had their man of the future as Charles Huff picked up where he left off at Marshall. Southern Miss jumped out to a 7-2 start but stumbled down the stretch with bad losses to Texas State and South Alabama, before dropping the finale to Troy. Huff then announced that he was leaving after just a year to take the job at Memphis. The Eagles responded by hiring Blake Anderson, who coached in the Sun Belt before as the head coach of Arkansas State. Southern Miss watched its 16-13 lead entering the fourth quarter disappear in the New Orleans to finish on a four-game skid.

Bowl Result: 27-16 loss to WKU

67. Penn State (7-6, 97.3, 47.7)

Preseason Rank: 3

Prediction: 11-1

Season Recap: No one could've expected how bad things would have gotten for the Nittany Lions in James Franklin's 11th season. They plowed through their weak non-conference schedule to start 3-0 and lost a highly competitive game at home to Oregon in overtime. Little did they know that game would be the beginning of the end. A cross-country flight saw fall apart at UCLA and then they were sniped in one-point losses to Northwestern and Iowa. Just like that, it was time for Franklin to go, and he was sent packing just in time for the Buckeyes to romp their way through Penn State. They gave Indiana all they had but came up short, 27-24. The losing finally stopped at six when they cruised past Michigan State to give Terry Smith his first win as interim coach. Then came a blowout of Nebraska, and finally a wild win over Rutgers to get the Nittany Lions from Big Ten doormat to at least bowl eligibility. Smith capped his tenure with a bowl win over Clemson and a four-game win streak. He's handing the reins over to Matt Campbell who comes over from Iowa State.

Bowl Result: 22-10 win over Clemson

66. Cincinnati (7-6, 96.7, 32.5)

Preseason Rank: 69

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Bearcats began the season playing in the home stadium of perhaps the greatest UC football player (maybe Jason, but in all sports it's clearly Oscar Robertson) Travis Kelce. It was an unkind welcome as Nebraska edged out a victory. That loss set up an incredible seven game run in which the Bearcats mowed through the bottom feeders of the Big 12. Then came a brick wall in the form of Utah who rudely smacked around the Bearcats at home, 45-14. Losses to Arizona, BYU, and TCU followed to send the Bearcats spiraling into bowl season. They met up with Navy in an old AAC Showdown in an AAC stadium, the Liberty Bowl. The rain could not wash away the stench that led to the six-game losing streak that ended the UC season.

Bowl Result: 35-13 loss to Navy

Arkansas State celebrated a win in the first ever Xbox Bowl

65. Arkansas State (7-6, 90.6, 64.3)

Preseason Rank: 72

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Red Wolves had an up and down season and entered the final game of the year needing a win in a close game but were just 2-4 in their previous attempts. They would get that to 3-4 with a 30-29 win over Appalachian State to earn bowl eligibility. By the time the season was over, they improved that record to 4-4 as they rallied late to win the Xbox Bowl.

Bowl Result: 34-28 win over Missouri State

64. Nebraska (7-6, 88.4, 51.3)

Preseason Rank: 39

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: Dylan Raiola might look like Patrick Mahomes and even got a win at Arrowhead to start the year, but that's about where the comparisons stop. It may be hard to find a team that gets it's fanbase's hopes up and then crushes them immediately. They start 3-0, then lose a heartbreaker to Michigan. They win two and then get knocked around by Minnesota. A win over Northwestern followed by a loss to USC. They beat UCLA to secure their seventh win but were outscored 77-26 by Penn State and Iowa in the final two games. It only got worse once the Las Vegas Bowl rolled around. Not a fraud was Emmett Johnson, who was fourth in the nation with 1,451 yards on 251 carries and 12 TDs.

Bowl Result: 44-22 loss to Utah

63. LSU (7-6, 87.7, 13.7)

Preseason Rank: 15

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: Speaking of frauds, Brian Kelly led everyone to believe that he could lead LSU to the promised land, but only led them to wins in the Citrus, ReliaQuest, and Texas Bowl. After starting the season 5-3, Kelly was relieved of his duties after going 34-14 in his time in Baton Rouge. A loss to Alabama followed his firing and they nearly lost to hapless Arkansas and then won 13-10 over WKU. Those close calls were good enough to get them to a bowl game, which maybe they should've skipped like Kelly's old employers. Instead, it was another trip the Texas Bowl. During all this turnover, Lane Kiffin snuck out of Oxford and flew to LSU to become the new head coach while his team was gearing up for a playoff run. Kiffin's obnoxious behavior was awarded with a semi-final appearance by the Rebels who succeeded in spite of their former coach.

Bowl Result: 38-35 loss to Houston

62. UTSA (7-6, 84.1, 54.8)

Preseason Rank: 78

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: Man could the Roadrunners score when things were going right. In five of their seven wins, they scored at least 48 points! The problem was the defense was also too willing to let others score. In their six losses, they gave up at least 42 points in four of those contests. They ended the season with a close loss to Army, but took out any frustrations they had on FIU in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Bowl Result: 57-20 win over FIU

61. Army (7-6, 73.3, 69.3)

Preseason Rank: 25

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: Speaking of Army, the option attack wasn't quite as potent as it had been in recent years. They opened the year with a shocking double overtime loss to Tarleton State (FCS) but then beat Kansas State. Another overtime loss was followed by a loss to ECU, yet the Black Knights were not deterred and won four of their next five, including an all-important win over Air Force. A one-point loss to Tulsa kept them from becoming bowl eligible, but they were able to do so the following week against UTSA. Then came a devastating blow as they lost on a late touchdown to Navy. All that anger must have manifested in the Fenway Bowl where they ran for 368 yards, including a 171 from Godspower Nwawuihe.

Bowl Result: 41-16 win over UConn

Tosh Lupoi looks to get Cal back on track.

60. Cal (7-6, 71, 72.8)

Preseason Rank: 93

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The Bears came out swinging to a 3-0 start that saw a win over a Big Ten foe in Minnesota. They followed that big win by getting crushed 34-0 by San Diego State. From there it was up and down. Wins over Boston College and UNC mixed in with losses to Duke, Virginia Tech, and Virginia. They knocked off Louisville in overtime to reach bowl eligibility but followed that up with a blowout loss to rival Stanford. That was the final straw for Justin Wilcox who got the axe after the 21-point smackdown. Former Hawaii coach, Nick Rolovich, took over and guided the Bears to a big win over SMU that kept the Mustangs from making the ACC Championship. That win setup a reunion for Rolovich as Cal was headed to the Hawaii Bowl for a Christmas Eve showdown with the Rainbow Warriors. Meanwhile, they announced that former Bear and recent Oregon Defensive Coordinator, Tosh Lupoi, would be the next head coach.

Bowl Result: 35-31 loss to Hawaii

59. Troy (8-6, 112.9, 40.3)

Preseason Rank: 110

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Trojans experienced some highs and lows throughout the 2025 season. They hung around with Clemson for a bit and then streaked to a 6-2 record and looked to be in control of their Sun Belt destiny. Then came back-to-back losses that saw them outscored 56-10. Needing wins in the final two, they got the first against Georgia State, then won the de facto Sun Belt semifinals over Southern Miss. Once they made the Sun Belt Championship, they were no match for James Madison who cruised to a 31-14 victory. They earned a showdown with CUSA runner-up Jacksonville State in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.

Bowl Result: 17-13 loss to Jacksonville State

58. Toledo (8-5, 107.6, 90.2)

Preseason Rank: 51

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Rockets looked good in their opening loss to Kentucky and then throttled WKU and Morgan State (FCS) by a combined score of 105-21. A 14-13 stumble to Western Michigan proved to be a huge mistake in grand scheme of the season. The offense continued to fluctuate as they dropped 45 on Akron, then lost the Battle of I-75 to Pudge and BGSU, before dropping another 45 on Kent State. A non-conference loss to Washington State was followed by four MAC wins by at least 18 points. Those losses to WMU and BG forced Toledo into a logjam at the top of the conference. Their win over CMU knocked out the Chippewa's, and then a Miami win eliminated Toledo and Ohio based on a strength of opponents' tiebreaker, even though Toledo beat the Redhawks. They landed in the Boca Raton Bowl against Louisville and rallied back to have a fighting chance before literally fighting the Cardinals on the field. Perhaps their lack of focus was because Jason Candle announced that he was leaving to coach UConn. They turned to Mike Jacobs as the new head man after his impressive campaign at Mercer that saw the Bears earn a home game in the FCS Playoffs.

Bowl Result: 27-22 loss to Louisville

57. Missouri (8-5, 102.3, 14.6)

Preseason Rank: 22

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Tigers used one of the weaker non-conference schedules to jump out to a 5-0 start thanks to victories over the likes of Central Arkansas (FCS), UMass, and Louisiana, Still, they looked pretty competitive in their loss to Alabama (27-24) but struggled to get past Auburn in double overtime. They ended up dropping three of their next four before knocking off rival Arkansas in the SEC finale. In that four game stretch their lone win came against Mississippi State in which Ahmad Hardy ran for 300 yards and 3 TDs. On the season he finished with 1,649 yards (2nd in the NCAA) and 16 TDs. They drew Virginia in the Gator Bowl and looked to use Hardy to run all over the Cavaliers, but he failed to find the end zone on his 15 attempts.

Bowl Result: 13-7 loss to Virginia

56. Louisiana Tech (8-5, 95, 60.6)

Preseason Rank: 120

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Bulldogs were a strange formula for success. Their leading passer had just 1,200 yards with 5 TDs and 3INT. The leading rusher finished with just 634 yards. Yet, they managed to score at least 30 points in six of their wins. Some of that was aided by a solid defense that included Jakari Foster, who led the NCAA with 8 interceptions. Despite their success, a 28-27 overtime loss to Kennesaw State was enough to keep them out of the CUSA Championship. The offense looked like they were going to sputter in the Independence Bowl against Coastal Carolina, but they erased a 14-6 deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

Bowl Result: 23-14 win over Coastal Carolina

Charles Huff will land on his third job in three years.

55. Memphis (8-5, 92.6, 57.6)

Preseason Rank: 24

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Tigers had huge hopes after going 6-0 that included a win at an SEC school, albeit Arkansas. A bye week was perfect time to split the season but instead they were stunned by an interim head coach and UAB after the bye. No worries, they dusted off USF, Rice, and Tulane to gain control of the AAC race. Then they were pillaged by ECU and Navy drove the death nail into their postseason hopes. Ryan Silverfield wouldn't be around to see their Gasparilla Bowl appearance against NCST as he left to take the job at Arkansas, which became open after the Tigers upset of the Razorbacks. Charles Huff was hired in from Southern Miss to fill the void.

Bowl Result: 31-7 loss to NCST

54. Minnesota (8-5, 90.9, 32.8)

Preseason Rank: 40

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Golden Gophers continued their trend of being slightly above average after completing a confusing Big Ten campaign. They beat Rutgers, Michigan State, and Purdue by just one score. They lost another one score game to Northwestern and allowed Iowa to drop 41 on them. Fear not, they claimed the Paul Bunyan Axe over Wisconsin to finish the regular season on a high note. They faced New Mexico in the Rate Bowl and once again found themselves in a one score game. The Gophers were aided by Anthony Smith, whose two sacks gave him 12.5 on the season (3rd most in the NCAA), while John Nestor got his sixth pick of the season (tied for 2nd) to secure an overtime win.

Bowl Result: 20-17 (OT) win over New Mexico

53. Pitt (8-5, 90.4, 37.6)

Preseason Rank: 50

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: When you watch your rival lose to a MAC school, you begin to start licking your chops. Then they got punched in the mouth by West Virginia who won in overtime. A loss to Louisville had the Panthers sitting at 2-2 before they rattled off five straight ACC wins. They were looking for a spot in ACC Championship when Notre Dame came calling and Pat Narduzzi bizarrely said, "I'd gladly get beat by 103..." They only lost by 22, but the message was simply that only the final two ACC games mattered in the long run. They won the first test over Georgia Tech and then laid an egg against potential National Champs Miami to eliminate themselves for conference hopes. It was time to go bowling in the Military Bowl instead against ECU.

Bowl Result: 23-17 loss to ECU

52. Tennessee (8-5, 87.8, 73.4)

Preseason Rank: 23

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: The Volunteers could score in 2025. Their lowest output was 20 points against Alabama and their highest was 72 against ETSU (FCS). They dropped 41 on Georgia (and lost) and 41 on Ole Miss (and won). The problem was that the defense was also generous. They allowed at least 30 points in eight contests going 3-5. The big blow came when Vanderbilt dropped 45 in the final game of the season to send them to the Music City Bowl against Illinois. The defense let them down again as they allowed the Fighting Illini to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Bowl Result: 30-28 loss to Illinois

NCST ran away from Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl.

51. NCST (8-5, 84.6, 73.4)

Preseason Rank: 57

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Wolfpack strung together three impressive wins over future bowl teams to start the season, with two of them coming against ACC opponents. Then came back-to-back losses to Duke and Va Tech and those ACC dreams were crumbling fast. Losses to Pitt and Miami did the job, but they did snag wins over Georgia Tech, Florida State, and rival UNC to close out the season. They beat up on a depleted Memphis team in the Gasparilla Bowl to win four of their last five games. Linebacker Caden Fordham was second in the NCAA in tackles with 143, including 3.5 sacks. He also added a forced fumble and two interceptions including a 55-yard return on one of them.

Bowl Result: 31-7 win over Memphis

Pool Poll Final Rankings 100-76: Bowl Losers, Second Chances Blown, and Four SEC Teams

 

Kamario Taylor had a wild Duke's Mayo Bowl.

    I can finally unveil the rankings thanks to end of bowl season. Two of Friday's games featured 5-7 teams that had to fill in the spots left vacant by Notre Dame, Iowa State, and Kansas State. This list is full of underachievers and those were so close to achieving at least a .500 season. Surprisingly, this portion of the rankings does find one team that played in its conference championship. Here's a look at part two of the end of year rankings.

West Virginia wasn't ready for MACtion in Athens.

100. West Virginia (4-8, 85.5 WA, 43.9 LA)

Preseason Rank: 74

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Mountaineers racked up wins over Robert Morris (FCS), won the backyard brawl against Pitt, and knocked off Houston and Colorado in conference play. Those were the highlights for Rich Rodriguez in his return to Morgantown. The lowlights started with a stunning loss in Athens to Ohio in Week 2 and then they dropped their first five Big 12 contests. The season ended with an absolute dismantling by Texas Tech, 49-0.

99. South Carolina (4-8, 84.5, 24.8)

Preseason Rank: 19

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Gamecocks went from a stellar 2024 season and brought back their starting QB for another strong run in 2025. They opened up at 3-2 with wins over Virginia Tech, SCST (FCS), and Kentucky, but were already 1-2 in the SEC at that point. They had five straight losses to end SEC play, but nearly upended Alabama and Texas A&M. Finally, a visit from Coastal Carolina snapped the losing streak, but they ended with a thud against Clemson to lose to their rivals.

98. Wisconsin (4-8, 63.8, 35.5) 

Preseason Rank: 76

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: I thought for sure that Luke Fickell was going to be on the chopping block after this disastrous campaign, but the Badgers didn't feel like paying for that buyout. The good came with two wins to open the season against Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State. They also picked up quality wins over Washington and Illinois in Big Ten play. The offense was nowhere to be seen against marquee opponents. They were outscored 202-45 by Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Oregon, Indiana, and worst of all, hated rival Minnesota.

97. Appalachian State (5-8, 133.6, 71.5)

Preseason Rank: 97

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Mountaineers had quite the journey in 2025. They opened the season at 4-2 with their only losses coming against Boise State and Southern Miss. Six of their next seven games were all decided by one score, with the Mountaineers only earning a win over Marshall in those six contests. Their lone blowout came at the hands of James Madison. The biggest blow came against Arkansas State in the final week which made the Red Wolves bowl eligible on a last second field goal. Despite going 5-7, the Mountaineers were allowed a chance to play in a bowl game after the need to fill three vacant spots. They even got a chance to avenge their earlier loss to rival Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl.

Bowl Result: 29-10 loss to Georgia Southern

96. Mississippi State (5-8, 109.2, 38) 

Preseason Rank: 106

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Bulldogs were in great position to start the season when they opened 4-0 including a win over Arizona State. That meant that they only needed two wins in the SEC to become bowl eligible. Unfortunately, they entered the season on a 16-game losing streak in conference play. They battled but fell short in overtime to Tennessee and Texas, while coming up just short to Florida. Finally, they broke through against fellow SEC failure Arkansas. With the streak over, it was time to start a new one and they did just that with three-straight losses. Like App State, they were gifted a chance at a bowl game and Jeff Lebby could even earn a chance to be doused in Duke's mayonnaise.

Bowl Result: 43-29 loss to Wake Forest 

Rice earned a bonus trip to the Armed Forces Bowl despite only winning five games.

95. Rice (5-8, 104.4, 55.4)

Preseason Rank: 107

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: Like so many already on this list, the early season was promising for the Owls who jumped out to a 3-1 start. They snapped a three-game skid with a double overtime win over UConn and two weeks later they knocked off UAB to get to five wins. Unfortunately, they had to win one of two games against AAC top tier teams. Instead, North Texas and USF outscored the Owls 108-27 in those two games. They were the last of the teams to fill in the bowl vacancies and stayed close to home in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Bowl Result: 41-10 loss to Texas State

94. Buffalo (5-7, 139, 83.4) 

Preseason Rank: 55

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: Buffalo jumped out to a 4-3 start on the season including a 3-0 start in the MAC. All of those MAC wins were by a combined 11 points over Eastern Michigan, UMass, and Kent State, which should have raised alarms for how fragile this season would be. They could only muster one other win against Bowling Green, although they were close to overtaking Ohio, but lost 31-26 to avoid a bowl bid.

93. Temple (5-7, 136.6, 31) 

Preseason Rank: 124

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: Honestly, it was an improvement for the Owls, who were near the bottom of the rankings in 2024. New head coach KC Keeler had the offense humming against pushover foes UMass and Howard (FCS) racking up 99 points in his first two games. In one of my favorite stories of the year, Temple hosted Oklahoma and the Sooners didn't fly their band so the Owls rival, Villanova, brought its band to celebrate in Temple's misery. They would pick up wins over UTSA, Tulsa, and Charlotte to get within one of bowl eligibility. They came up a point short in both games against the service academies (Navy and Army). They desperately needed a win, but drew the AAC Championship game contestants (Tulane and North Texas) in their final two games to end their season.

92. Kent State (5-7, 132.4, 58.9) 

Preseason Rank: 136

Prediction: 2-10

Season Recap: The worst team in 2024, they ended up firing Kenni Burns in the Spring, but not because of his performance. It turns out Burns was using the school credit card to rack up bills he wasn't intending to pay off. Mark Carney took over the program and faced a brutal schedule to start. A win over Mercer (who actually made the FCS playoffs) was the lone chance at victory as they faced Florida State, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech over their next four games. Wins eventually did come as they knocked off UMass, Bowling Green, and most importantly Akron to win the Wagon Wheel back from their rival. As a going away present, Kent State knocked off Northern Illinois in its final MAC game. Carney was rewarded for his progress and had the interim tag removed to become the official head coach of the Golden Flashes.

91. UCF (5-7, 127, 48.4) 

Preseason Rank: 92

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Golden Knights opened to a 3-0 start that included a win over North Carolina, but it would be three straight losses before they found the win column against West Virginia. Another three game losing streak was ended by a near loss to Oklahoma State and their wave of shirtless fans. They needed to win the finale to become bowl-eligible and instead were laughed off the field 41-21 by BYU.

The Zips needed to hit the books in 2024, and it cost them in 2025.

90. Akron (5-7, 125.8, 126) 

Preseason Rank: 118

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: Very rarely does the NCAA mention the academic performance of any team. They standards are honestly pretty low, so when somebody doesn't meet them it's an ugly stain on a program. The Zips just happened to be a team that failed to meet those standards and they were bowl-ineligible because of it. They started the season allowing 78 unanswered points to Wyoming and Nebraska. They spoiled the chances of just one team, Buffalo, from becoming bowl eligible. They season was such a letdown that they were the first team to finish a week early.

89. Baylor (5-7, 117, 38.4) 

Preseason Rank: 32

Prediction: 8-4

Season Recap: The Baylor Bears were so close to not only being bowl eligible but also continuing to be one of the top Big 12 teams. Instead, they balanced a tightrope that saw them win one score games against SMU and Kansas State, but lose close contests to Arizona State, TCU, and finally a loss to Houston which officially ended their season. The Bears were offered a chance to play in a bowl as a 5-7 team but declined the offer.

88. Kansas (5-7, 110, 45.3) 

Preseason Rank: 54

Prediction: 6-6

Season Recap: The Jayhawks seemed to be on their way to a bowl appearance after opening the season 4-2. Then they managed to lose back-to-back games 42-17 before knocking off Oklahoma State to get to five wins. The schedule began to stack up the odds for that bowl game and Arizona, Iowa State, and Utah all made sure the Jayhawks season was over.

87. Rutgers (5-7, 108.2, 47.1) 

Preseason Rank: 71

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The Scarlet Knights rolled out a rather pedestrian performance in 2025. They nearly lost their opener to Ohio, knocked off their next two non-conference opponents to start 3-0. Then came the Big Ten schedule and they lost everything up until their unimpressive 27-24 win over Purdue. They were able to destroy Maryland and needed to win one of their final two games. Ohio State rolled 42-9, but Rutgers was oh so close to upending Penn State, but the Nittany Lions rallied to win 40-36. Rutgers was another team that declined a chance to play in a bowl despite the five-win season.

86.  Florida State (5-7, 104.6, 73.9)

Preseason Rank: 86

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Seminoles began the season with a huge win over Alabama and knocked around two cupcake teams to jump out to 3-0. Then came a wild double-overtime loss to Virginia that exposed FSU. Miami, Pitt, and yet another wild loss at Stanford brought them suddenly to 3-4. They responded with a 35-point beatdown of Wake Forest and two weeks later knocked off Virginia Tech to get back to .500. They fell short against NCST but could still be bowl-eligible with a win over rival Florida in the final week. Instead, they were Gator bait and were throttled 40-21 to end their season.

Alex Golesh will be taking over in 2026.

85. Auburn (5-7, 102.8, 32) 

Preseason Rank: 53

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: The Tigers had a rough schedule but were nearly able to reach bowl eligibility. The Tigers worst loss was by just 10 points to Georgia. They had one score losses to Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Still after a win over Mercer (FCS) they had a chance to get there. Their last chance was in the Iron Bowl, but the Tigers were once again on the wrong end of a one score game, a 27-20 loss to the Crimson Tide. Hugh Freeze was given the axe and USF head coach Alex Golesh was hired to take over the program.

84. Marshall (5-7, 101.6, 77.4)

Preseason Rank: 75

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Honestly, for losing so many players to the transfer portal it was a miracle the Thundering Herd could even compete in 2025. They earned tough wins over Old Dominion and Texas State to get to 5-5. Needing a win, they had their first chance against Appalachian State, but they dropped a heartbreaker 26-24. The last chance came against Georgia Southern, but the Eagles outlasted Marshall 24-19.

83. Kentucky (5-7, 98.8, 37.7) 

Preseason Rank: 87

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Mark Stoops may have been in trouble when the Wildcats narrowly escaped Toledo to begin the season. In fact, the only two wins they had in their first seven games were against MAC opponents. The nearly knocked off Texas in overtime and finally got an SEC win over Auburn. That led to another win over Florida and an easy win over Tennessee Tech (FCS) to get to the five-win mark. There was no drama in whether or not they would get to six wins as Vanderbilt and Louisville dropped 86 points on UK to its lowly 10. Stoops was fired after those beatdowns and Oregon Offensive Coordinator, Will Stein, will take over as the new head coach.

82. Louisiana (6-7, 118, 73)

Preseason Rank: 59

Prediction: 10-2

Season Recap: It was a struggle early on for the Ragin' Cajuns as they fell into a 2-6 hole. The comeback started with a win over South Alabama, next they held on to knock off Texas State, then came a win over Arkansas State. They needed one more win against rival Louisiana Monroe and the Warhawks nearly ruined the rally, but a missed field goal allowed ULL to earn a bowl bid in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

Bowl Result: 20-13 loss to Delaware

81. Coastal Carolina (6-7, 117, 74.4) 

Preseason Rank: 98

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: It was an up and down season for the Chanticleers who were actually sitting at 6-3 to start the season. A close loss to Georgia Southern would actually lead to a series of beatdowns. First, South Carolina won 51-7, and then James Madison clinched their Sun Belt Championship spot with a 59-10 smackdown. That led to Tim Beck being fired and Missouri State's Ryan Beard hired in as the new head coach. Without Beck the Chanticleers were headed to the Independence Bowl and wound up with a four-game losing streak to end the season.

Bowl Result: 23-14 loss to Louisiana Tech

The Aggies fell in their season finale.

80. Utah State (6-7, 115, 48.4) 

Preseason Rank: 111

Prediction: 3-9

Season Recap: The Aggies were fairly consistent in their strategy to win a game and lose a game. This pattern was nearly upended at the end of the season when they lost in double overtime to UNLV. They knocked off Fresno State to get to six wins and then had a chance to knock off Boise State to get New Mexico to their first ever Mountain West Championship. Instead, Utah State blew a late lead and lost its final Mountain West game, 25-24. They got a preview of their new life in the Pac 12 when they faced Washington State in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.

Bowl Result: 34-21 loss to Washington State

79. Miami (7-7, 115.1, 54.4) 

Preseason Rank: 65

Prediction: 7-5

Season Recap: The Redhawks were one of the many beneficiaries of weird tiebreakers that caused many commotions throughout college football this season. After an 0-3 start, Miami rattled off five straight wins before losing the Battle of the Bricks with Ohio. That was followed by a loss to Toledo, which meant that Miami had lost to two of the teams ahead of them in the MAC standings. However, they didn't play Western Michigan, who also finished tied atop the conference, so a strength of opponents tiebreaker was used and that was bad news for anyone who had UMass on their schedule. Miami did not and that was good enough to win the tiebreaker and earn a trip to the MAC Championship. Dequan Finn announced he was leaving the program to prep for the NFL, so that left Miami without a QB for the final weeks. That was a bad matchup for their contest with Western Michigan, who cruised to a 23-13 victory. Their woes would continue when they headed out west for the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.

Bowl Result: 18-3 loss to Fresno State.

78. Kansas State (6-6, 86.2, 31.8) 

Preseason Rank: 20

Prediction: 9-3

Season Recap: The Wildcats began the season ranked and headed off to Ireland for a showdown with Iowa State. They not only lost the game in a rain-soaked contest, QB Avery Johnson had to deal with headlines that his brother and father got into a physical altercation after the game. After surviving a scare with North Dakota (FCS) the following week, the Wildcats dropped two of their next three to drop from the rankings altogether. They ended up winning four of their final six contests including wins over rival Kansas and a win over Colorado to become bowl eligible. However, they announced that coach Chris Klieman was retiring and they would be without a coaching staff and declined to play in a bowl game.

77. Missouri State (7-6, 118.9, 60.8) 

Preseason Rank: 133

Prediction: 4-8

Season Recap: The Bears entered their first season in the FBS and it started with a 73-13 loss at USC. The found a couple wins over Marshall and Tennessee Martin (FCS) to get some early success. Things started rolling with a win over Middle Tennessee State that turned into a five-game winning streak before losing a heartbreaker to Kennesaw State. At seven wins they were bowl eligible, but because they are a first-year program they would need a waiver to play. They, alongside Delaware, were given a waiver and had the XBox Bowl created so they could play in the postseason against Arkansas State. They would have to do so without coach Ryan Beard who parlayed his success at Missouri State into becoming the new head coach at Coastal Carolina. They hired SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods to become the new head man in Springfield.

Bowl Result: 34-28 loss to Arkansas State

CMU still made it to Detroit despite not going to MAC Championship.

76. Central Michigan (7-6, 118.3, 78.2) 

Preseason Rank: 108

Prediction: 5-7

Season Recap: Matt Drinkall had the Chips fired up in his first season with a chance to play for a MAC Championship. They did so with wins EMU, UMass, Bowling Green, Buffalo, and Kent State. In the last week they were in a must win with Toledo to stay in the closely contested MAC Championship race. Midweek MACtion proved unkind to CMU as it's dropped the finale to Toledo, 21-3. The earned a trip to Ford Field in the Game Above Bowl against Northwestern and hoped that this experience against a Power 4 school would go better than their games against Michigan and Pitt earlier in the season. Unfortunately, it did not.

Bowl Result: 34-7 loss to Northwestern