It was an incredible weekend of college football, and not just because of what we saw at the top of the sport. Sure, Tennessee beating Alabama grabbed headlines, as did TCU coming back to beat Oklahoma State and Michigan smashing Penn State in other battles of unbeatens. Even Utah knocked USC from the list of undefeated teams, but plenty was going on at the bottom too.
Colorado beat Cal 20-13 in overtime to pick up its first win of the season, meaning there are no winless teams remaining. The night (or morning for many of us) ended with Hawaii taking down Nevada 31-16.
That means not only did we see the last winless team get a taste of victory, but the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in The Bottom 25 won on the same weekend. That has never happened this late into the season. It was another incredible reminder that anything is possible in the race for the 2022 Bottom 25 crown.
The Bottom 25
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 25. UTEP | 3-4 | The Miners took the week off and nearly moved out of the rankings. They must have worked their asses off in practice. They return to action Saturday against FAU. (Last Week: 21) |
 | 24. Temple | 2-4 | The Owls have hovered around the rankings all season, so it's no surprise to see them here after a 70-13 loss to UCF. While they've scored 58 points in wins over Lafayette and UMass, they've only scored 30 points in their four losses. (Not Ranked) |
 | 23. Kent State | 2-5 | Kent State jumped out to a 28-7 lead on Toledo, and it looked like the Flashes were going to pick up a statement in the MAC. Then Toledo outscored them 45-3 over the final 43 minutes. Kent State will try and pick itself off the mat against No. 3 Akron this weekend. (NR) |
 | 22. Central Michigan | 2-5 | The Chips picked up a nice 28-21 win over Akron, but beating the Zips can only do so much for you. Still, moving from No. 16 to No. 22 is a nice jump, and they could make another one after playing No. 18 Bowling Green this week. (16) |
 | 21. Virginia Tech | 2-5 | The Hokies dropped their fourth straight, losing 20-14 at home to Miami. The good news is they weren't blown out. The bad news is offense did next to nothing, and it was more Miami keeping the Hokies in the game than the other way around. Perhaps the Hokies can use this week's bye to get things in order. (23) |
 | 20. Northern Illinois | 2-5 | I'm not surprised the Huskies beat Eastern Michigan, but I'm stunned they were able to do so by a score of 39-10. Both because Eastern Michigan seems like a decent team, and Northern Illinois doesn't beat anybody by two scores, let alone four. Can they keep the momentum going against Ohio? (11) |
 | 19. Arkansas State | 2-5 | Arkansas State seemed in control for nearly the entire game against Southern Miss, carrying a 19-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The game turned when Southern Miss put together a nine-play, 95-yard touchdown drive to cut the lead to 19-14, and they followed it with another touchdown drive after the Red Wolves went three-and-out. What looked to be a win turned into a painful loss. Life won't be any easier on the road against Louisiana this week. (22) |
 | 18. Bowling Green | 3-4 | One of the reasons I love the MAC is that you can never be sure what's going to happen, and Bowling Green being 2-1 and in contention in the East is not something I saw happening. But that's where we are following a 17-13 win over Miami OH. Now the Falcons get another winnable game against No. 22 Central Michigan. Will a fourth win finally get them out of The Bottom 25? (13) |
 | 17. Louisiana Tech | 2-4 | Louisiana Tech dives headfirst back into our rankings following a 47-27 loss to North Texas. The Bulldogs were thoroughly outclassed, letting North Texas rush for 475 yards and 10.1 yards per carry. If there's any good news, Tech gets Rice next, and owls aren't ground-based animals. (NR) |
 | 16. Army | 2-4 | Army beat Colgate 42-17 to pick up its second win of the season, but both of its wins have come against FCS opponents (Villanova was the first). So they've outscored FCS opponents by 64 points and have been outscored by 65 points against FBS teams. And there aren't any more FCS teams left on the schedule, though this week they get No. 11 ULM. (10) |
 | 15. UConn | 3-5 | For a while, it looked like the Huskies were going to pick up their fourth win of the season and climb to .500. They led Ball State 21-10 at halftime and 21-13 after three, but you don't win a lot of games when you're shutout in the second half. The Huskies are off this week. (18) |
 | 14. Nevada | 2-5 | Listen, Nevada might have two wins, but do not write this team off. Its Bottom 25 ceiling is remarkably low. It has now lost to Colorado State when it was ranked No. 1 and Hawaii when it was ranked No. 2. The Wolf Pack have had only nine drives reach the red zone this season, which ranks last in the country. Will they get there against San Diego State this week? More importantly, will they score if they do? (20) |
 | 13. Northwestern | 1-5 | Northwestern had the weekend off and returns to action this weekend against a Maryland team that might not have Taulia Tagovailoa. (14) |
 | 12. New Mexico | 2-5 | The Lobos have lost four straight after losing The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of Last Week to New Mexico State 21-9. With their next opponent Fresno State fresh off a win over San Jose State, there might not be another win on the schedule before the season finale against No. 2 Colorado State. (19) |
 | 11. ULM | 2-5 | The Warhawks continue to lose, but Terry Bowden's boys are playing well in defeat. They hung tough in a seven-point loss to Coastal Carolina two weeks ago and lost on the road to South Alabama 41-34 this week. Those teams are a combined 11-2 this year. Don't be surprised if this team picks up another couple of wins this season. One might come this week against No. 16 Army. (15) |
 | 10. Western Michigan | 2-5 | It's hard to win a game when you throw three interceptions. It's even more difficult when you throw four. When you throw five like Western Michigan did against Ohio, well, it's near impossible. The Broncos fell 33-14 and hope to do a better job holding onto the football against Miami OH this week. (12) |
 | 9. New Mexico State | 2-5 | I can already hear the lamentations of the millions of Aggies fans for having New Mexico State ranked below New Mexico after beating the Lobos this week. I remind you, I have nothing to do with the rankings! I also remind you that your other win is against Hawaii, and all those losses still count! I'm sorry! I promise you that you won't be ranked below New Mexico if you beat San Jose State. (6) |
 | 8. South Florida | 1-6 | The Bulls are yet to beat an FBS program in 2022 after losing to Tulane 45-31. They'll try to figure things out on this week's bye before returning to action at Houston in two weeks. (9) |
 | 7. FIU | 2-4 | The Panthers looked sweet with their Miami Vice-themed uniforms and turf, but looking good doesn't always equate to playing good. They lost to UTSA 30-10 and hit the road to face No. 6 Charlotte this weekend. (8) |
 | 6. Charlotte | 1-6 | While most will forget it, I'll remember Charlotte's 42-41 win over Georgia State last month as one of the oddest results of the season. The Niners have lost four since, including a 34-20 loss to UAB Saturday. They get No. 7 FIU this weekend in a game that should be a banger but will not be The Bottom 25 Game of the Century of the Week. (7) |
 | 5. Colorado | 1-5 | Let's go, Buffs! You have to feel great for this team and interim coach Mike Sanford. They're in a difficult situation but still fighting. Also, full credit to Colorado fans for packing Folsom despite the struggles. Let's see if the Buffs can carry the momentum on the road against Oregon State. (1) |
 | 4. Hawaii | 2-5 | I loved late nights with Timmy Chang when he played for Hawaii, and I desperately want him to succeed now that he's in charge. The improvements have been evident in the last few weeks, so the win against Nevada wasn't a big surprise. Could there be more coming? (2) |
 | 3. Akron | 1-6 | The Zips dropped their sixth straight, falling to Central Michigan 28-21. They've been much better at home, where they beat St. Francis to start the season and lost to Bowling Green and Central by 10 points combined. They've been horrific on the road, being outscored by 139 in four games. This week's game against No. 23 Kent State is on the road. (5) |
 | 2. Colorado State | 1-5 | I wrote last week that Utah State was a much different team with Cooper Legas at QB, and the Rams found out firsthand in a 17-13 loss to the Aggies. They'll need to rebound quickly because No. 4 Hawaii is coming to town in The Bottom 25 Game of the Week of the Century. It's going to be epic. (4) |
 | 1. UMass | 1-6 | With Colorado and Hawaii winning, the Minutemen jump from No. 3 to No. 1 following a 34-7 loss to Buffalo. They're on a bye this week before beginning a crucial three-game stretch against No. 9 New Mexico State, No. 15 UConn and No. 19 Arkansas State. (3) |
No Longer Ranked: No. 25 Boston College, No. 24 Fresno State, No. 17 Utah State
