Bottom 25 college football rankings: Kansas a legit threat with the finish line in sight

We've reached the time of year in the Bottom 25 when we can make some solid assumptions about how things are going to play out. At this point of the season, there's been enough data entered into my formula about all of these teams that it becomes easier to predict how the rankings will respond to certain scenarios.

There's evidence of this in how consistent the roster of Bottom 25 teams is from week to week. Earlier this year, we'd see seven or eight teams dropping out of the Bottom 25 with new teams replacing them. That number has slow dwindled with each passing week. Last week, we had two new teams enter the Bottom 25. This week, there's only one.

Furthermore, the Bottom 10 is beginning to separate itself from the pack. Enough so that I know which teams still have a chance to win the 2017 Bottom 25 title and which ones do not. Right now, there are 11 teams with a chance to take the trophy home, and of those 11, I would say only nine have a good chance. You can find all nine of them in the Bottom 10. They're the teams with one win or fewer.

Before we get to the rankings, here's a reminder on how all this wonderful madness works. You can read the full explanation here.

My opinion plays no factor in the rankings, it's all a mathematical formula
There is true equality to start the season as math doesn't play favorites
Wins and losses mean more than anything
The formula is in no way predictive; it's a meritocracy
I won't share the formula

The Bottom 25

Rank	Record	Breakdown
25. Hawaii	3-6	Hawaii works its way into the rankings this week following a 31-23 loss to UNLV. (Last week: NR)
24. Idaho	3-6	The Vandals lost a close one to Troy 24-21. They'll get this week off before taking on Coastal Carolina in two weeks. (24)
23. New Mexico	3-6	The Lobos have lost four straight, and outside of their loss to Colorado State, they haven't looked competitive. (25)
22. UMass	2-7	Still the best damn two-win team in the country in my opinion. (23)
21. Old Dominion	3-6	The Monarchs beat Charlotte 6-0 in a game you're kicking yourself for missing. (17)
20. UConn	3-6	I don't think this team is as bad as the numbers suggest. It's more a stretch of schedule that had the Huskies play Mizzou and USF and now has UCF looming. (22)
19. Tulsa	2-8	Tulsa gets a week off after being trounced by Memphis 41-14. (21)
18. Illinois	2-7	Illinois has lost nine straight Big Ten games, and it's six losses this year have come by an average of 17 points. (20)
17. BYU	2-8	Seeing Tanner Mangum go down with an Achilles injury on Saturday night was just a kick to the gut. (18)
16. Bowling Green	2-7	The Falcons crushed Kent State last week, winning 44-16 and destroying their Bottom 25 title hopes. (6)
15. North Carolina	1-8	Basketball starts on Friday. (14)
14. Baylor	1-8	I believe the fact Baylor crushed Kansas only proved my point that this team wasn't nearly as bad as its record suggested. (4)
13. Texas State	2-7	I received an email from a reader telling me not to count out Texas State in its bid to repeat as Bottom 25 champion. I didn't have the heart to respond and let him know it doesn't. (15)
12. East Carolina	2-7	The Pirates have two winnable games at home coming up. (16)
11. Kent State	2-7	Kent State's four MAC losses have come by an average of 27 points. It's impressive. If only it hadn't beaten Miami (OH), we'd have a title contender here. (13)
10. Nevada	1-8	Nevada has a chance to win it all, but it's played a little too well, and it gets San Jose State this weekend. That could be too difficult a game to lose. (11)
9. Ball State	2-7	I appreciate the effort, Cardinals, but those two wins are just too much to overcome. (12)
8. Coastal Carolina	1-8	Coastal Carolina had a choice. It could compete for a Bottom 25 title, or it could ruin everything by beating a bad Arkansas team. I won't say it chose wisely, but I appreciate the Cleers adding to the drama. (10)
7. Charlotte	1-8	For real, how do you lose to Old Dominion 6-0? Like, you couldn't even get a field goal? (8)
6. Oregon State	1-8	Don't look now, but that's three straight games in which the Beavs have been competitive. (9)
5. Rice	1-8	Who knew Rice's 31-14 win over UTEP back in September would have such a lasting impact on the season? (7)
4. Kansas	1-8	What? You thought Kansas was just going to surrender its title as worst Power Five team? (5)
3. San Jose State	1-9	The Spartans hit the road to take on No. 10 Nevada in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century Of The Week (3)
2. Georgia Southern	0-8	Oh, did I forget to mention we have a new No. 1 team this week? Yeah, the Eagles played a little too well against Georgia State on Saturday. The margin for error is that thin. (1)
1. UTEP	0-9	The Miners, meanwhile, left no doubt who the lesser team was during a 30-3 loss to Middle Tennessee, and take over the No. 1 spot for the second time this season. (2)