I'm going to make a bold prediction right here and right now.

By the time you return to The Bottom 25 rankings next week, the race will be completely wide open. Even more so than it is now.

Why is that? Excellent question, astute reader, allow me to explain.

You see, last week I mentioned that there were only two winless teams remaining in the country: Rice and Miami (Ohio). Well, Miami won this weekend. So now there's only one left.

And this week, Rice takes on Prairie View A&M, which means there's a very good chance there won't be any winless teams left, and once that's the case, all bets are off.

Sure, it's fun to chase history and winless perfection, but for the sake of interesting races, a Rice win this week could make for one of the most exciting Bottom 25 races of all time.*

*All time being like three years

1. My opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the rankings. They are based on a mathematical formula of my creation. Keep this in mind before you call me an idiot, which I know you will.

2. There is true equality to start. Math doesn't play favorites. Before the season begins, defending national champion Alabama is just as good as our defending Bottom 25 champion UCF. The only factor that matters in the rankings is how you've performed on the field in 2016.

3. Wins and losses mean more than anything. I have a lot of different statistics involved, and I factor in strength of schedule (remember, everybody begins the season with the same SOS), but at the end of the day whether you won or lost is going to mean more than anything else. Also, my formula doesn't have much respect for FCS teams.

4. I won't share the formula. I just don't want to. I'm not a mathematician. I know my formula isn't perfect. I don't think a perfect formula can exist, so I don't share it because I don't care what anybody thinks about it. So don't ask.

To the rankings!

25. Arizona, 2-5 (Last week: Not Ranked): Arizona makes its Bottom 25 debut after getting beat up at home by USC. The loss drops the Wildcats to 0-4 in Pac-12 play, and since the beginning of the 2015 season, they're now 3-10 in conference.

Last week: 48-14 loss vs. USC | Next week: No game

24. Louisiana-Lafayette, 2-4 (NR): You know, it wasn't all that long ago that there were plenty of LSU fans who believed Ragin' Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth should replace Les Miles in Baton Rouge. I bet most of them would deny it these days, though.

Last week: 24-0 loss vs. Appalachian State | Next week: at Texas State

23. Georgia State, 1-5 (NR): The Panthers return to us after succumbing to Troy. We missed you for that week you were gone.

Last week: 31-21 loss at Troy | Next week: vs. Tennessee-Martin

22. East Carolina, 2-4 (22): East Carolina's game against Navy was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew, but it had no effect on their Bottom 25 rankings.

Last week: No game | Next week: at Cincinnati

21. SMU, 2-4 (21): SMU had last week off, but there was some reason to be cautiously optimistic. Two weeks ago, SMU lost to Tulsa by three points, and this past weekend that same Tulsa team nearly beat Houston. Maybe the Mustangs have a chance this week?

Last week: No game | Next week: vs. Houston

20. Arkansas State, 2-4 (12): Here's life in the Sun Belt in a nutshell. Two weeks ago, Arkansas State was ranked No. 1 in these rankings. It's now 2-4, and sitting just behind 3-0 Troy in the Sun Belt race at 2-0. And it's still ranked in The Bottom 25.

Last week: 17-7 win vs. South Alabama | Next week: No game

19. Kent State, 2-5 (23): Kent State became Miami (Ohio)'s first victim of the 2016 season, yet it only climbs four spots.

Last week: 18-14 loss at Miami (Ohio) | Next week: vs. Ohio

18. New Mexico State, 2-4 (NR): New Mexico State enters The Bottom 25 with authority after getting trounced by an Idaho team that was ranked here all year last week.

Last week: 55-23 loss at Idaho | Next week: vs. Georgia Southern

17. Louisiana-Monroe, 2-4 (14): The Warhawks drop three spots after a big win over fellow Bottom 25 denizen Texas State.

Last week: 40-34 win vs. Texas State | Next week: at New Mexico

16. Northern Illinois, 1-6 (19): The Huskies battled Central Michigan for three overtimes before finally falling short. So I suppose there's some good news in that the Huskies aren't being blown out, but I don't know how much comfort that provides when you're 1-6.

Last week: 34-28 loss vs. Central Michigan | Next week: vs. Buffalo

15. Texas State, 2-4 (16): The Bobcats lost to UL-Monroe, but played well enough in defeat that it didn't hurt their standing in the rankings too badly.

Last week: 40-24 loss at UL-Monroe | Next week: vs. UL-Lafayette

14. Miami (Ohio), 1-6 (8): I told you it was only a matter of time before this team won a game. Our original Bottom 25 champ (these rankings were called The Best Worst 10 back then) is still in contention for another title, but it'll be a bit more difficult to accomplish now.

Last week: 18-14 win vs. Kent State | Next week: at Bowling Green

13. Iowa State, 1-6 (20): Bit off-topic here, but if you're Iowa State, wouldn't you be willing to add anybody to the Big 12? Not just because it could add another team or two you might have a chance at beating, but because if the Big 12 doesn't expand, it's likely doomed (and it could be just as doomed even if it does), and I'm not sure what Iowa State's landing spot is if the conference disbands.

Last week: 27-6 loss at Texas | Next week: No game

12. Marshall, 2-4 (3): I really don't think we're going to be seeing Marshall here for very long. It was beat up pretty good outside the conference, but I think that the deeper it gets into C-USA play, the better it will be.

Last week: 27-21 win vs. FAU | Next week: vs. Charlotte

11. San Jose State, 2-5 (4): I stayed up late and watched you on Saturday night, San Jose State. What an "exciting" win over Nevada that was!

Last week: 14-10 win vs. Nevada | Next week: at San Diego St.

10. Massachusetts, 1-6 (18): We're looking at a contender here. Outside of its game against Wagner, I'm not sure there are any wins left on this schedule -- and that Wagner win won't do much of anything.

Last week: 56-28 loss vs. Louisiana Tech | Next week: at South Carolina

9. Florida Atlantic, 1-6 (9): Florida Atlantic played in three straight Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Weeks, and it lost all three of them. It may get a fourth shot later this season, but not this week.

Last week: 27-21 loss at Marshall | Next week: No game

8. Charlotte, 2-5 (10): You know, Charlotte hosts Rice in mid-November, and I have this unshakeable feeling that it's going to decide The Bottom 25 title.

Last week: 27-26 loss vs. FIU | Next week: at Marshall

7. UTEP, 1-5 (13): UTEP took the week off but jumps all the way to No. 7 thanks to turmoil taking place around it in the standings.

Last week: No game | Next week: at UTSA

6. Rutgers, 2-5 (11): Rutgers has played four Big Ten games this season, and it has now been out-scored 174-14 in those four games. And that includes a game against an Illinois team that was in the Bottom 25!

Last week: 24-7 loss vs. Illinois | Next week: at Minnesota

5. Buffalo, 1-5 (5): This is a darkhorse contender for the title, but there are still a couple of winnable games left on the schedule, including one this weekend.

Last week: 31-21 vs. Ball State | Next week: at Northern Illinois

4. Fresno State, 1-6 (6): Honestly, I was impressed by Fresno this week simply because it did not allow San Diego State to blow it out. The Aztecs were a 17.5-point favorite, and they couldn't even manage to score 18 points, let alone cover such a spread.

Last week: 17-3 loss vs. San Diego St. | Next week: at Utah State

3. Bowling Green, 1-6 (2): Bowling Green lost, but it drops a spot because it only lost by a touchdown, and did so against a Toledo team that boosted its schedule strength. It can correct that against Miami (Ohio) in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week.

Last week: 42-35 loss at Toledo | Next week: vs. Miami (Ohio)

2. Kansas, 1-5 (7): Kansas finished No. 2 in last year's Bottom 25 race, and it finds itself back in familiar territory. Can the Jayhawks finish the job this year? I don't know, but if they keep losing by 42 points every week, they got a shot.

Last week: 49-7 loss at Baylor | Next week: vs. Oklahoma State

1. Rice, 0-6 (1): Rice came within a point of picking up its first win, and now it's the only winless team left. The pressure is on, because the Owls have a very winnable game this week.

Last week: 14-13 loss vs. UTSA | Next week: vs. Prairie View A&M

No longer ranked: Florida International, Idaho, Syracuse, Illinois