It was just last December that Colorado earned the dubious distinction of being the first power conference program to win the Bottom 25 championship since CBS began handing out the award to college football's worst team in 2013. What a difference one offseason can make. After wallowing under the weight of a 1-11 record and a -349 point differential last season, the Buffs are actually ranked in the latest AP Top 25 -- coming in at No. 22 -- after Week 1.
It turns out being featured in our weekly Bottom 25 can actually be a springboard to national relevance. Speaking of which, there are a couple of teams with the potential to be one-and-done in the first Bottom 25 of 2023 if all goes well in Week 2. Boise State came in at No. 4 this week after getting thrashed at Washington, but the Broncos went 8-0 in the Mountain West last season and should make their way out of these rankings soon.
Coastal Carolina shouldn't be here long, either. Coach Jamey Chadwell is gone, but quarterback Grayson McCall is back and the Chanticleers have enough talent to remain a bowl team under first-year coach Tim Beck. As for the power conference teams seen here -- Northwestern, Virginia, Indiana and West Virginia -- each face long roads to respectability. Don't be surprised if a couple of them are continually present here in 2023.
And finally, after years as the QB1 of the Bottom 25, Tom Fornelli has passed the baton to me, David Cobb, this season. We're still using Tom's power rankings to determine the order, but the written jabs are all mine.
The Bottom 25
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 25. Northwestern | 0-1 | Northwestern is in for a tough year under interim coach David Braun following the offseason firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal. A 24-7 Week 1 loss to Rutgers did nothing to suggest that a storybook season awaits. |
 | 24. Old Dominion | 0-1 | Old Dominion could have beaten Virginia Tech ... if not for three turnovers. The Monarchs trailed 23-17 late in the third quarter and held the Hokies to just 368 total yards in a 36-17 loss. ODU closed last season at No. 20 in the Bottom 25 but may have the goods to escape it in 2023. |
 | 23. FIU | 1-1 | FIU lost 22-17 at Louisiana Tech in Week 0 and then beat Maine 14-12 in Week 1. Maine was just 2-9 at the FCS level last season, but nobody at FIU is complaining about anything resembling a legitimate football victory. |
 | 22. Hawaii | 0-2 | Hawaii showed its improvement by playing Vanderbilt and Stanford close but ultimately dropped both games. The Rainbow Warriors are clearly more competitive in coach Timmy Chang's second season than they were during his 3-10 debut campaign. How many wins that improvement will bring is uncertain. |
 | 21. UMass | 1-1 | With three total wins over the last four years, UMass is a familiar face here. But the Minutemen are already showing signs of improvement under second-year coach Don Brown after beating New Mexico State 41-30 in Week 1. A win at Miami (Ohio) this week would mark the program's first multi-win season since 2018. |
 | 20. Virginia | 0-1 | A shoulder injury to starting quarterback Tony Muskett only made the pain of a 49-13 loss to Tennessee worse. Virginia is now a touchdown underdog at home against Sun Belt foe James Madison with Muskett's status as day-to-day ahead of UVa's Week 2 date with the Dukes. |
 | 19. Indiana | 0-1 | Indiana coach Tom Allen took criticism for refusing to reveal his starting kicker before the Hoosiers played Ohio State last week. It makes more sense in retrospect. Why give the opponent information on the player who is going to account for 100% of your points? That is what kicker Chris Freeman did in IU's 23-3 loss against the Buckeyes. |
 | 18. Coastal Carolina | 0-1 | Coastal Carolina showed enough in a 27-13 loss at UCLA to suggest it will remain a Sun Belt contender amid its coaching transition. The Chanticleers may be able to escape the Bottom 25 for good if they take care of FBS newcomer Jacksonville State at home this week. |
 | 17. San Jose State | 0-2 | The Spartans amassed more than 20 first downs in consecutive weeks against Pac-12 title contenders USC and Oregon State. That's the good news. The bad news is that they were outscored 98-45 in those contests. |
 | 16. West Virginia | 0-1 | The Mountaineers refused to take downfield shots in their 38-15 Week 1 loss at Penn State. If some perimeter playmakers don't emerge for WVU, this team could flirt with Bottom 25 status all year, which is the last thing embattled coach Neal Brown needs. |
 | 15. Rice | 0-1 | Rice showed some fight against Texas, taking an early 3-0 lead and keeping the Longhorns at bay until the third quarter in an eventual 37-10 defeat. Former USC, Georgia and West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels may struggle to keep the Owls out of the Bottom 25 in his sixth season of college football. |
 | 14. North Texas | 0-1 | Making Cal look like an offensive juggernaut requires remarkably poor defense. North Texas provided it in Week 1, surrendering 669 yards to the Bears in a 58-21 shellacking. The outcome sets up a Bottom 25 battle between North Texas and FIU this week. |
 | 13. Buffalo | 0-1 | Buffalo gave Wisconsin a game in Week 1; the Bulls trailed just 14-10 at halftime before falling 38-17. With a win over Fordham this week, Buffalo will have a shot to escape the Bottom 25. |
 | 12. Central Michigan | 0-1 | Maybe Michigan State's secondary is good now? Or did Central Michigan just make the Spartans look good at defending the pass in a 31-7 season-opening road loss? The Chippewas completed 13 of 25 attempts for 96 yards against a Michigan State team that ranked No. 124 last season in passing efficiency defense. |
 | 11. South Alabama | 0-1 | The Jaguars were a trendy Week 1 upset pick against Tulane, and seemingly for good reason after returning ample amounts of production from a 10-3 team. But they flopped against the Green Wave by committing five turnovers in a 37-17 loss. A chance at redemption comes at Oklahoma State next week after a visit from Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. |
 | 10. East Carolina | 0-1 | Great teams cover, so give the Pirates credit for covering the spread in a 30-3 Week 1 loss at Michigan. ECU did an admirable job of slowing the Wolverines' excellent running game and keeping the final score respectable. Where the Pirates truly thrived however, was making Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy look like a Heisman contender. |
 | 9. New Mexico | 0-1 | New Mexico played the role of guinea pig for Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino in Week 1, and the Lobos surrendered six passing touchdowns in a 52-10 loss. Searching for a bright side, New Mexico's 18 first downs could be a sign that good things are finally in store for Year 4 under coach Danny Gonzales. |
 | 8. Ball State | 0-1 | It's hard to judge MAC teams this time of year because they take their annual paydays in the form of beatings on the road against power conference foes. Just remember that as the Cardinals travel to No. 1 Georgia on Saturday on the heels of a 44-14 Week 1 loss at Kentucky. |
 | 7. Miami (OH) | 0-1 | Miami (Ohio) hung in there admirably against Miami (Florida) for a while in Week 1. But as the game progressed, the Hurricanes wore down their namesakes from the north. The Redhawks mustered just nine first downs against against their Floridian foes and now must face a UMass team that appears more competitive than expected. |
 | 6. Middle Tennessee | 0-1 | Middle Tennessee follows a 56-7 loss at Alabama with a trip to Missouri. Such is life when you're trying to pay the bills for a Group of Five athletic department. Nine penalties for 84 yards had to be particularly frustrating for 18th-year coach Rick Stockstill in the loss. But Missouri better not sleep on the Blue Raiders, who stunned Miami on the road last season. |
 | 5. Arkansas State | 0-1 | This is Year 3 at Arkansas State for Butch Jones. It's time to start showing progress after a 5-19 start. Hopefully those signs of progress will come against Memphis this week, because they were nowhere to be found in a humiliating 73-0 loss at Oklahoma in Week 1. OU quarterbacks combined to complete 30 of 33 passes for 422 yards against the Red Wolves. |
 | 4. Boise State | 0-1 | Boise State led Washington 6-0 after the first quarter. What happened afterward may not be suitable for audiences with young children. Washington won the game 56-19 and used the Broncos' defense as the launching pad for the Heisman campaign of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Boise State has a massive bounce-back opportunity Saturday against UCF. |
 | 3. Kent State | 0-1 | Remember how those new clock rules were going to limit offensive numbers? Kent State said "not so fast" in Week 1 by allowing UCF to rack up 723 yards and 32 first downs in a 56-6 loss. First-year coach Kenni Burns has a long year ahead after the Golden Flashes lost a monumental amount of production amid the departure of Sean Lewis. |
 | 2. Navy | 0-1 | Notre Dame's Week 0 domination of Navy put the Midshipmen in a tough spot. If that performance was indicative of this team, it could be a rough first year for coach Brian Newberry. On the bright side, the AAC got a bit lighter this season, and some of the newbies aren't used to defending the option. |
 | 1. Nevada | 0-1 | Nevada only scored 14 points with just 12 first downs against USC's lowly defense. If you can't move the football on the Trojans, then who are you going to beat? In reality, the Wolf Pack should be improved in Year 2 under Ken Wilson, but they begin the season at No. 1 after surrendering 668 yards and 66 points against USC. |
