Anybody can put together a ranking of the 25 best teams in the country, but it takes a true college football fan to compile a list of the 25 worst. Every Tuesday during the regular season, CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli does just that.
It was an amazing weekend for The Bottom 25, as five of our teams won their respective games. That's just not the kind of action we see around here this late in the season. It's more of a September phenomenon.
Of course, the biggest win of the weekend was North Texas' 30-23 victory over UTSA in The Bottom 25 Game of the Week.
The Mean Green's win means we have a new No. 1 team this week, but who is it? Well, before we get to that, here's a quick reminder on how all of this works.
My opinion has absolutely nothing to do with the rankings. They are based on a mathematical formula of my creation. Every week I enter a bunch of different numbers into a spreadsheet, and that spreadsheet then spits out the rankings based on the data I entered. So keep this in mind before you call me an idiot, which I know you will.
There is true equality to start. That means exactly what it says. The math doesn't play favorites. Before the season begins, Ohio State is just as good as our defending Bottom 25 champion SMU Mustangs. It doesn't matter where you're ranked in the AP Top 25, or what you did last season, or any season before it. The only factor that matters in the rankings is how you've performed in 2015.
Wins and losses mean more than anything. I have a lot of different statistics involved, and I factor in strength of schedule (though, remember, everybody begins the season with the same SOS), but at the end of the day whether you won or lost is going to mean more than anything else. Also, just because it's too difficult for me to rank FCS teams as well, my formula doesn't have much respect for FCS teams. If you beat one it won't mean much, and if you lose to one, well, you might show up in The Bottom 25.
I won't tell you what my formula is. I just don't want to. I'm not a mathematician. I know my formula isn't perfect. I don't think a perfect formula can exist. So, I don't share it because I don't care what anybody thinks is wrong with it, or what else it should include. So don't ask.
25. Army West Point: 2-6 (Last week: 25)
Best Win: 58-36 at Eastern Michigan | Worst Loss: 37-35 vs. Fordham
Average Score: 24.1-28.5 | This Week: at Air Force
Army had the week off and it held steady at No. 25.
24. Maryland: 2-6 (24)
Best Win: 35-17 vs. South Florida | Worst Loss: 48-27 vs. Bowling Green
Average Score: 23.9-33.8 | This Week: vs. Wisconsin
Mike Locksley is now 2-27 as a head coach in his career. He'll be in The Bottom 25 Coaching Hall of Fame one day.
23. Ball State: 3-6 (14)
Best Win: 20-10 vs. UMass | Worst Loss: 31-19 vs. Georgia State
Average Score: 25.4-31.1 | This Week: at Western Michigan
Ball State picked up its third win of the season against UMass, but when the best of your three wins is UMass, it's not going to be enough to escape The Bottom 25.
22. Purdue: 2-6 (11)
Best Win: 55-45 vs. Nebraska | Worst Loss: 41-13 vs. Minnesota
Average Score: 27.1-34.4 | This Week: vs. Illinois
Nebraska's having a bad enough time as it is, but let's make it worse. Things have become so bad with the Cornhuskers that scoring 55 points against them isn't enough to get you out of The Bottom 25.
21. Idaho: 3-5 (22)
Best Win: 19-16 at Troy | Worst Loss: 55-48 at New Mexico State
Average Score: 28.4-39.9 | This Week: at South Alabama
Idaho had been pretty hot, but then it went and lost to New Mexico State last weekend. So maybe it's not ready for primetime just yet.
20. UMass: 1-7 (18)
Best Win: 24-14 vs. FIU | Worst Loss: 20-10 at Ball State
Average Score: 22.6-37.1 | This Week: vs. Akron
UMass just lost to a Bottom 25 team and fell two spots. Every week the formula spits out something I don't comprehend, and this week, it's UMass at No. 20. Thinking the school might be paying my formula off, which I'd be totally fine with if I were receiving a cut.
19. Hawaii: 2-7 (19)
Best Win: 28-20 vs. Colorado | Worst Loss: 28-27 at New Mexico
Average Score: 15.9-34.7 | This Week: at UNLV
Hawaii became the 10th FBS school to fire its coach this season, and honestly, I don't know what the school does from here. It's not the greatest situation.
18. Old Dominion: 3-5 (Not ranked)
Best Win: 37-34 vs. Charlotte | Worst Loss: 41-12 at FIU
Average Score: 20.3-36.0 | This Week: at UTSA
Welcome back, Old Dominion. Apparently wins against Eastern Michigan, Norfolk State and Charlotte can only keep you away from us for so long.
17. Oregon State: 2-6 (16)
Best Win: 35-21 vs. San Jose St. | Worst Loss: 17-13 vs. Colorado
Average Score: 19.4-30.6 | This Week: vs. UCLA
There's a lot of parity in the Pac-12 North. And then there's Oregon State.
16. UTEP: 3-5 (20)
Best Win: 27-17 vs. FAU | Worst Loss: 25-6 vs. UTSA
Average Score: 21.0-38.6 | This Week: vs. Rice
UTEP? More like UNotVeryGood. Nailed it.
15. New Mexico State: 1-7 (7)
Best Win: 55-48 vs. Idaho | Worst Loss: 50-47 vs. UTEP
Average Score: 26.5-48.9 | This Week: at Texas State
The Aggies are on the board in 2015! The formula has always felt this team was better than its record, and now it has a win to show for it.
14. UNLV: 2-6 (21)
Best Win: 23-17 at Nevada | Worst Loss: 31-28 at Fresno State
Average Score: 28.1-30.9 | This Week: vs. Hawaii
UNLV? More like UNotVer..aw damn it, I already used that joke. It would have made more sense here, too. Oh well. Live and learn.
13. Texas State: 2-5 (17)
Best Win: 36-18 vs. South Alabama | Worst Loss: 49-27 at Louisiana-Lafayette
Average Score: 31.3-43.1 | This Week: vs. New Mexico State
This week begins a stretch of the season that will define Texas State's season. It's next four games are all winnable. Losses could launch the Bobcats into The Bottom 5 as well.
12. UTSA: 1-7 (9)
Best Win: 25-6 at UTEP | Worst Loss: 30-23 at North Texas
Average Score: 21.1-34.5 | This Week: vs. Old Dominion
Losing to North Texas was the best way to let the world know that you are a legit Bottom 25 championship contender.
11. Eastern Michigan: 1-8 (12)
Best Win: 48-29 at Wyoming | Worst Loss: 58-36 vs. Army
Average Score: 27.4-46.0 | This Week: at Miami (Ohio)
There are two winnable games remaining on the schedule, but I look at this Eagles team, and I really don't see another win coming.
10. Charlotte: 2-6 (15)
Best Win: 23-20 at Georgia State | Worst Loss: 37-34 at Old Dominion
Average Score: 16.9-34.0 | This Week: at FIU
Yes, Charlotte. Welcome to The Bottom 10. Make yourself comfortable, because I believe you'll be here a while.
9. SMU: 1-7 (8)
Best Win: 31-13 vs. North Texas | Worst Loss: 48-45 vs. James Madison
Average Score: 28.8-43.6 | This Week: vs. Temple
Remember when SMU looked pretty feisty against both Baylor and TCU, and we thought the Mustangs might have something this year? Feels like a long time ago, doesn't it?
8. Fresno State: 2-6 (6)
Best Win: 31-28 vs. UNLV | Worst Loss: 49-23 at San Jose St.
Average Score: 21.0-40.9 | This Week: vs. Nevada
Fresno State had the week off, but it looks to get back to The Bottom 5 this week.
7. Wyoming: 1-8 (10)
Best Win: 28-21 vs. Nevada | Worst Loss: 24-13 vs. North Dakota
Average Score: 20.3-35.1 | This Week: vs. Colorado State
After picking up a win against Nevada three weeks ago, the Cowboys have gotten back on track, losing their last two by a combined score of 92-41.
6. Tulane: 2-6 (13)
Best Win: 45-31 vs. UCF | Worst Loss: 65-10 at Georgia Tech
Average Score: 18.0-37.9 | This Week: vs. UConn
Tulane had a rough October. It went 0-4, and was outscored 163-44 in the process.
5. Louisiana-Monroe: 1-7 (4)
Best Win: 47-0 vs. Nicholls State | Worst Loss: 27-13 at Idaho
Average Score: 20.9-35.8 | This Week: at Troy
The Warhawks don't have an FBS win this year, but they have three Bottom 25 teams remaining on the schedule, so anything is possible.
4. Miami (Ohio): 1-8 (5)
Best Win: 26-7 vs. Presbyterian | Worst Loss: 29-24 vs. Buffalo
Average Score: 15.4-35.7 | This Week: vs. Eastern Michigan
The spotlight will shine brightly in Oxford this weekend, as the RedHawks take on Eastern Michigan in The Bottom 25 Game of the Week.
3. North Texas: 1-7 (1)
Best Win: 30-23 vs. UTSA | Worst Loss: 66-7 vs. Portland State
Average Score: 18.1-44.3 | This Week: at Louisiana Tech
I'm always happy when these teams finally win a game. I'm even happier when the win doesn't eliminate them from The Bottom 25 title race. Congrats, North Texas.
2. Kansas: 0-8 (2)
Best Win: None | Worst Loss: 41-38 vs. South Dakota State
Average Score: 16.5-47.1 | This Week: at Texas
Kansas is just stuck at No. 2 right now. I can't predict the future, but odds are that the only way the Jayhawks get back to No. 1 is if UCF wins a game and Kansas doesn't. I just don't think it can catch the Knights any other way.
1. UCF: 0-9 (3)
Best Win: None | Worst Loss: 16-15 vs. Furman
Average Score: 14.1-35.4 | This Week: at Tulsa
I have had UCF fans telling me for months that this team deserves to be No. 1, and now it's finally here. Good things come to those who wait I suppose.
No Longer Ranked: Virginia
