College football rankings: Colorado, Northwestern lead Power Five teams in The Bottom 25

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Anybody who has paid attention to college football long enough knows the growing divide between the haves and have-nots in the sport. The Power Five conferences, through realignment and television money, have separated themselves further and further from the rest of the sport. Even within the Power Five, certain schools have been able to pull away to a tier all their own. But while we've long been aware of it at the top of the sport, we're also starting to see it at the bottom.

When I created my rating system, it was with meritocracy in mind. I wanted something that didn't care who you were, where you played, or what you'd done before. You would only be judged on what you did now. For the first decade of my ratings, we saw far more Power Five programs at the bottom closer to the cellar-dwellers than you'd ever find in other rankings, be they numbers-based or opinion-based. But that's changing.

Not only do I see fewer Power Five teams creeping into The Bottom 25, but there also seems to be a limit on how far most of them are capable of plummeting. Colorado hung at No. 1 until it finally won a game, but other than the Buffs, there's not much competition from the rest of the Power Five.

This week's Bottom 25 has four Power Five teams, which is a high number for 2022, but Colorado is the only one to crack the Bottom 10. Whether 2022 is an outlier season or the beginning of the end for Power Five teams in The Bottom 25 remains to be seen, but it's something I'll be keeping an eye on.

The Bottom 25

Rank	Record	Breakdown
25. Georgia State	2-5	The Panthers return following a 42-17 loss at Appalachian State last week. The loss ended a two-game winning streak, and now the Panthers will look to start a new one against Old Dominion. (Last Week: Not Ranked)
24. Virginia Tech	2-5	The Hokies had the week off and return Thursday night at NC State. You do not have to watch it. Southern Miss and Louisiana will be playing at the same time. Watch that game instead. (21)
23. Boston College	2-5	With all the injuries they've suffered, you may want to consider walking on at Boston College if you have eligibility. You might get a roster spot. If nothing else, you might get some free gear. We can all use some new sweats as winter approaches. (NR)
22. UConn	3-5	The Huskies had the week off and climbed seven spots as their three wins started to carry more weight as others accumulated losses. This week they'll go for a fourth when they host No. 23 Boston College. (15)
21. Utah State	3-5	I talked about how much better Utah State has been with Cooper Legas at QB, but the Aggies didn't have Legas against Wyoming. They lost 28-14 and are back here now. Will he return after this week's bye? (NR)
20. Navy	2-5	There's an unwritten rule that The Bottom 25 must have at least one service academy each week. Just as Army breaks free, Navy returns. The Mids fell to Houston 38-20 but have a big game this week against No. 14 Temple. (NR)
19. Northern Illinois	2-6	The good vibes from the 39-10 win over Eastern Michigan didn't last long, as the Huskies fell to Ohio 24-17. They're off this weekend but will kick off the beautiful November tradition known as #MACtion on Wednesday, Nov. 2, in another big game against No. 17 Central Michigan. Three of NIU's final four games are against current Bottom 25 teams. (20)
18. Western Michigan	3-5	The Broncos picked up their third win of the season, beating Miami (OH) 16-10. Unfortunately, that isn't nearly enough to erase the damage done to the Broncos in their losses. They get a weekend off before playing Bowling Green. (10)
17. Central Michigan	2-6	The Chippewas lost by 24 to a suddenly surging Bowling Green. They enter the season's final month with only a seven-point win over No. 2 Akron and a 41-0 win over Bucknell to their name. (22)
16. Louisiana Tech	2-5	The Bulldogs lost a 42-41 heartbreaker to Rice after failing to convert a two-point conversion in overtime. They'll have to wipe away the tears and pick themselves up quickly because there's another winnable game this week against No. 12 FIU. (17)
15. Arkansas State	2-6	It's three straight losses for the Red Wolves after falling to Louisiana 38-18. The schedule doesn't get easier this week as they'll face South Alabama Saturday. (19)
14. Temple	2-5	The Owls were certainly much better against Tulsa than during their 70-13 loss to UCF, but it wasn't nearly enough to help them avoid a 27-16 loss. Temple's lone wins this season have come against No. 1 UMass and Lafayette. But their next two games are against Bottom 25 teams, with No. 20 Navy up first. (24)
13. Northwestern	1-6	The Wildcats blew a 17-7 lead against Maryland and lost 31-24 despite Maryland being without starting QB Taulia Tagovailoa. It may have been the best shot at a win remaining on the schedule. The next best is this week on the road against Iowa. First to two points wins, assuming either side ever gets there. (13)
12. FIU	3-4	The Panthers beat Charlotte to improve to 3-4 but are still No. 12. How does that happen? Well, it doesn't mean much when your wins are No. 4 Charlotte, No. 8 New Mexico State, and a one-point win over Bryant. Especially when your four losses are by 151 points. There's a chance the Panthers will still be ranked even if they beat No. 16 Louisiana Tech. (7)
11. Nevada	2-6	It's six losses in a row for the Wolf Pack following a 23-7 defeat against San Diego State. Judging by the rest of the schedule, the streak could easily hit 10. The Pack gets San Jose State this week. (14)
10. ULM	2-6	The Warhawks have lost four straight after falling to Army 48-24, but you'll have to take my word for it when I tell you this team is playing far better this season than it has in recent years. (11)
9. New Mexico	2-6	The Lobos are still searching for their first Mountain West win after getting blown out 41-9 by Fresno State. They get this week off and will need to use the time wisely as they prepare for No. 21 Utah State. (12)
8. New Mexico State	2-5	The Aggies' game against San Jose State was postponed following the death of San Jose State's Camdan McWright. The Aggies return to action this weekend against No. 1 UMass. (9)
7. South Florida	1-6	The Bulls were off this week but return this week to face Houston. Still, the only thing I can wonder when thinking about the Bulls if maybe everybody would be better off if Jeff Scott returned to Clemson to take back control of the Tigers offense. (8)
6. Colorado State	2-5	Colorado State is 2-1 in the Mountain West but No. 6 in The Bottom 25. Does this amuse you as much as it amuses me? The Rams beat Hawaii 17-13 in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of Last Week and will play for first place in the division this weekend against Boise State! (2)
5. Hawaii	2-6	The Rainbow Warriors lost to Colorado State but played well enough to climb a spot in the rankings anyway. They get a tough test this week against Wyoming. (4)
4. Charlotte	1-7	A 34-15 loss to FIU was the final straw for Will Healy, as he was fired Sunday. Healy got the 49ers to a bowl game during his first season in 2019 but was only 8-18 since. The Niners face Rice this week. (6)
3. Colorado	1-6	The Buffs got stuffed 42-9 by Oregon State, which was not the kind of performance they were looking for following that 20-13 win over Cal. This week's game against Arizona State is the team's best chance to get a second win before a murderous November slate begins. (5)
2. Akron	1-7	I know it's little consolation and I've brought it up multiple times, but the Zips are not getting blown out in conference play. Aside from a 21-point loss to Ohio, their other three MAC losses have come by an average of 5.3 points each. They even stayed close to a Liberty team that's 7-1 and annihilated BYU. I think there's another win coming soon. Perhaps this week against Miami (Ohio). (3)
1. UMass	1-6	The Minutemen had the weekend off. Will that give them the edge against No. 8 New Mexico State in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week? (1)