College football rankings: UConn's escape from purgatory a rare feat in the Bottom 25

After beating Boston College, the Huskies finally move out of the Bottom 25 rankings

By Tom Fornelli

Nov 1, 2022 at 11:48 am ET • 6 min read

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I rarely begin The Bottom 25 writing about a program that isn't ranked, but I'm making an exception this week for a program The Bottom 25 holds near to its heart. UConn beat Boston College 13-3 Saturday. It was the Huskies' third win in four games, and they're now 4-5 on the season. This team could attain bowl eligibility with UMass, Liberty and Army left on the schedule.

More importantly, the Huskies are no longer ranked in The Bottom 25. It's the first time that's been the case since the third week of the 2019 season. The Huskies opened that season with a 24-21 win over Wagner that kept them out the opening week, and after two losses to Illinois and Indiana, they rejoined us. They've been ranked ever since (they didn't play in 2020) and damn near every week since the 2016 season. The only times the Huskies weren't ranked was when they opened their season with wins over FCS programs. Those wins never kept them out for long.

So congratulations to the Huskies and Jim Mora Jr. who have already won more games in 2022 than in any season since going 6-7 in 2015. We already miss you, and while we hope never to see you again, The Bottom 25 wouldn't mind if you stopped by from time to time to say hi.

The Bottom 25

Rank	Record	Breakdown
25. Navy	3-5	The Midshipmen picked up a 27-20 win over Temple, but beating a fellow Bottom 25 team will only do so much for you. Now, going on the road to beat Cincinnati? That'll get you out of the rankings. (Last Week: 20)
24. Vanderbilt	3-5	The Commodores started the season 3-1 and hit the over on their season-long win total before October, but they never won in October, either. In their defense, the Commodores lost to Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia, but the Mizzou game was winnable. They get another shot this week against South Carolina. (Not Ranked)
23. Georgia Tech	3-5	I hope the Yellow Jackets enjoyed their one-week vacation, but they're back following a 41-16 loss to Florida State. This week they get a massive game against No. 21 Virginia Tech. (NR)
22. FIU	4-4	I hate that the Panthers are still here. They beat Louisiana Tech 42-34, have won two in a row, and are 4-4 on the season, but the losses were so bad. The wins haven't been impressive enough in the box scores to overcome them. Maybe a third straight win at North Texas Saturday will do it, or maybe the Panthers will be the first Bottom 25 team in history with a winning record. (12)
21. Virginia Tech	2-6	Brent Pry's first season in Blacksburg isn't going well, as the Hokies lost to NC State 22-21 despite the Wolfpack being down to their second and third-string QBs. That's five straight losses to the Hokies ahead of this week's showdown against No. 23 Georgia Tech. (24)
20. Utah State	3-5	The Aggies had the weekend off and return this Saturday against No. 4 Colorado State. (21)
19. Northern Illinois	2-6	It's November, and that means #MACtion! What better way to kick off our Tuesday and Wednesday night bonanzas than with a game between No. 19 Northern Illinois and No. 17 Central Michigan on Wednesday night? (19)
18. Western Michigan	3-5	The Broncos were off last week, like nearly the entire MAC, to get some rest before #MACtion. They'll begin Wednesday at Bowling Green. (18)
17. Central Michigan	2-6	The Chippewas are coming off the bye and ready to throw down against No. 19 Northern Illinois Wednesday night in beautiful DeKalb, Illinois. (17)
16. New Mexico State	3-5	Don't look now, but the Aggies have won two straight after knocking off UMass 23-13. They get this weekend off but return on Nov. 12 against Lamar. Could it be three straight? (8)
15. Boston College	2-6	Listen, if you're going to lose to UConn, you might as well lose to the best UConn team we've seen in years. The Eagles are bruised and battered and have four rough games left on the schedule. This Friday's game against Duke might be the most winnable of the bunch. (23)
14. Louisiana Tech	2-6	The Bulldogs fell to FIU 42-34 and have lost three straight. Their lone wins have come against UTEP and Stephen F. Austin. If there's any reason to be optimistic, each of their last two losses has been one-score games. Perhaps that's a good sign ahead of this week's game against Middle Tennessee. (16)
13. Temple	2-6	The Owls hung tough with Navy but couldn't avoid their fourth straight loss. Their lone wins have come against Lafayette and No. 1 UMass. That's not great. However, this week they get No. 6 South Florida at home. (14)
12. Arkansas State	2-7	I know they're ranked higher than them here, but I think Arkansas State is the worst team in the Sun Belt despite their 17-point win over ULM earlier this season. I just haven't seen many signs of hope lately, but maybe this week's bye will help. (15)
11. Nevada	2-7	Nevada nearly pulled off an upset over San Jose State on Saturday night but allowed 14 points in the final seven minutes to lose 35-28. Teams that haven't won a lot don't know how to close games, and it showed. Maybe that's something they can work on during the bye. (11)
10. Charlotte	2-7	If you're Will Healy and were just fired after a 1-7 start, how do you feel when you see your old team go out and whip Rice 56-23? Are you happy for your former players, or are you wondering why the hell they didn't play like that while you were still in charge? If they beat Western Kentucky this week, I'd take it personally if I were him. (4)
9. Northwestern	1-7	Northwestern let Iowa score 33 points. Iowa's offense had scored 73 points all season before that. That means the Wildcats are responsible for 31.1% of the points Iowa's offense has scored all season. That's how you enter The Bottom 10. Something tells me this week's game against Ohio State won't get them out of it. (13)
8. ULM	2-6	The Warhawks had the week off and return to action Saturday against Texas State. (10)
7. New Mexico	2-6	The Lobos had the week off and return to action Saturday against Utah State. (9)
6. South Florida	1-7	Another week, another matchup in which the Bulls seemed outmatched. It's strange that USF's best performances this year were against Florida and Cincinnati, isn't it? They can't hang with Louisville, Tulane or Houston, but they can give those teams a run for their money. I suppose that means No. 13 Temple will blow them out in The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week! (7)
5. Hawaii	2-7	Hawaii lost to Wyoming 27-20, continuing a theme. Its last three losses (against San Diego State, Colorado State and Wyoming) have come by 13 points. There was a win over Nevada mixed in there too. This team is getting better. Probably not quick enough to miss out on The Bottom 25 Playoff but quick enough to ruin their chances of taking home the title. (5)
4. Colorado State	2-6	The Rams were never in it during a 49-10 loss to Boise State. The Broncos took control early and dominated every facet of the game. Now the Rams face another one of the Mountain West's best in San Jose State this week. (6)
3. Colorado	1-7	The Buffs hung around but couldn't pull out a win during a 42-34 loss to Arizona State. It was probably their last chance at getting a victory because November's schedule is rough, starting with Oregon this week. (3)
2. Akron	1-8	Akron lost to Miami (Ohio) 27-9, but the only important thing from the game you need to know is that Akron attempted a two-point conversion from the 48-yard line due to zaniness. They're off this week but will begin their #MACtion schedule against Eastern Michigan next week. (2)
1. UMass	1-7	UMass lost The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of Last Week to New Mexico State 23-13 and turn around this week to face UConn in a game that has typically been a Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week. But it's not because UConn is gone, and damn it, I'm getting emotional again. (1)