The Bottom 25 is just about settled. There are still a few of our Bottom 25 teams playing this weekend, as well as some others on the periphery that can sneak in, but when it comes to possible champions, the candidates are clear.
Now, you're probably wondering how anybody can catch UTEP seeing as how its currently No. 1, is the only team in the country without a win and has no games left to play. There's an error in your thinking.
You see, in years' past the Bottom 25 ended when the regular season did, and UTEP would be our champion now if that were the case, but it isn't. Things change, and the Bottom 25 is no different.
So it's time I told you the secret I've been keeping from you all year: The Bottom 25 Playoff is coming.
Oh, that's right, if the good teams can have a playoff, it's only fair that the bad teams can as well. All you need to know right now is that the Bottom Four will compete in a playoff of their own to determine the 2017 Bottom 25 Champion. All the details pertaining to how this playoff will go will be shared with you next week.
So be patient, and kill some time waiting by checking out this week's rankings.
| Team | Name | Status | News |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 25. South Alabama | 4-7 | The Jaguars have one more chance to get out of the Bottom 25 against New Mexico State this week. I'm rooting for them to win because I know who the No. 26 team is, and a lot of people would enjoy seeing that team sneak into the Bottom 25 to finish the season. (25) |
 | 24. Cincinnati | 4-8 | The Bearcats went out on a winning note, beating UConn 22-21, but it wasn't enough to escape. (22) |
 | 23. North Carolina | 3-9 | The Tar Heels couldn't keep their win streak alive against NC State. (24) |
 | 22. BYU | 4-9 | I mean, there are worse ways to finish a bad season than with a win in Hawaii. (20) |
 | 21. Nevada | 3-9 | Nevada goes out on a high note, beating UNLV 23-16. (15) |
 | 20. Idaho | 3-8 | Idaho's FBS swan song comes this weekend against Georgia State. (23) |
 | 19. Hawaii | 3-9 | This team opened the season 2-0 and then lost nine of its last 10. It was also a popular team with bettors because fading Hawaii all season paid well.(19) |
 | 18. East Carolina | 3-9 | Memphis could have scored 100 on the Pirates had it wanted to. (21) |
 | 17. New Mexico | 3-9 | The Lobos finished the season on a seven-game losing streak. (18) |
 | 16. UConn | 3-9 | Losing a game on a missed extra point to end the season stings a bit. (16) |
 | 15. Tulsa | 2-10 | Tulsa finishes the season as a team I was very wrong about. I picked it to finish fourth in its division, but let's just keep that between us, all right? (17) |
 | 14. Illinois | 2-10 | As an Illinois fan, I'm disappointed in the performance this season because it was bad, but not bad enough to be ranked higher than this in The Bottom 25. (14) |
 | 13. Georgia Southern | 2-9 | The Eagles have a chance to finish the season on a three-game win streak. (8) |
 | 12. Coastal Carolina | 2-9 | Coastal finishes the season against Georgia Southern in our Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week. (13) |
 | 11. Bowling Green | 2-10 | There were a couple of close calls late in the season, but never close enough to get that third win. (12) |
 | 10. Baylor | 1-11 | Year 1 is over for Matt Rhule, and I'm not sure Year 2 will be much better. Still, this team is slightly better than that record indicates. (11) |
 | 9. Texas State | 2-10 | The reign of the Bobcats will officially come to an end next week. (10) |
 | 8. Kent State | 2-10 | Kent State will look to start anew next season after firing Paul Haynes. (9) |
 | 7. Ball State | 2-10 | In retrospect, that 20-point win over UAB looks like one of the strangest results of the season. Of course, that close loss to Illinois to open the season doesn't look as good, so it balances out I suppose. (7) |
 | 6. San Jose State | 2-11 | The Spartans picked up a win over Wyoming and are now going to miss the first ever Bottom 25 Playoff. (2) |
 | 5. Rice | 1-11 | There is a minuscule chance that Rice could pass Charlotte for No. 4 despite not playing depending on what happens in other games this week. The margin between the two is that slim, but I'd still put it at about one percent at best. (5) |
 | 4. Charlotte | 1-11 | Charlotte's likely to enter the playoff as an underdog, but I'm telling you, there isn't another team out there that this team can't lose to. (4) |
 | 3. Oregon State | 1-11 | The Beavers jump three spots after getting destroyed by Oregon 69-10. That's not nice. (6) |
 | 2. Kansas | 1-11 | Kansas has won five Big 12 games since the start of the 2009 season. It's 2017. (3) |
 | 1. UTEP | 0-12 | The Miners finish the regular season as the only FBS team without a win. (1) |
No Longer Ranked: None
