The possibilities of UCLA ever escaping the Backside 25 this season appeared bleak throughout an 0-4 begin that included a pair of losses to Mountain West groups earlier than the firing of coach DeShaun Foster. In reality, 0-12 appeared like a definite risk because the hapless Bruins ready to host Penn State in Week 6.
However since Tim Skipper took over because the interim coach, the Bruins have been on rocket gas. A win over the Nittany Lions and a 38-13 win at Michigan State in Week 7 boosted UCLA out of the Backside 25 with room to spare. For a staff that was ranked all the best way down at No. 4 within the premier metric of college football futility on Sept. 30, that is fairly an accomplishment.
Beating Penn State after which obliterating the Spartans successfully turned the Bruins from a bottom-feeder right into a significant issue for its Large Ten opponents. Because the Bruins go away the Backside 25, two extra Large Ten groups are getting into this week. Purdue staved off its entry so long as it probably may, however the Boilermakers are right here now. Extra shocking is that Wisconsin has bottomed out so arduous.
The Badgers have dropped 4 straight video games with out a lot of a struggle and have a number of extra vital challenges looming as third-year coach Luke Fickell slips ever nearer to the purpose of no return. Do not be stunned if Wisconsin quickly inhabits the identical bottom-five stage of disgrace that UCLA just lately occupied.
This yr’s Backside 25 method has been tweaked to make sure honest illustration from throughout the game. Every of the Energy 4 leagues will get an automated bid to the Backside 25 every week, and a complete of 10 Energy 4 colleges have to be represented.
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Chip Patterson
Backside 25 Rankings
^ Joined Backside 25 this week
Purdue lastly arrives
Give Purdue some credit score for taking longer to get right here than anticipated. However now that the Boilermakers have arrived within the Backside 25, we’re anticipating them to be repeat guests. With video games in opposition to Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana nonetheless remaining, a 2-10 or 3-9 report is kind of potential. Nonetheless, first-year coach Barry Odom doubled this system’s win complete from final season by profitable his first two video games. So a minimum of there’s that!
25. Arkansas (24)
24. Virginia Tech^
23. West Virginia (23)
22. Stanford^
21. Purdue^
Fickle Fickell
Wisconsin simply concluded the better half of its schedule by averaging 8.5 factors throughout 4 straight losses. How unhealthy may it get in Madison? We’re about to search out out, as Ohio State and Oregon are the subsequent opponents. Indiana, Illinois, Washington and Minnesota are additionally left on this slate. The “worst” of that bunch is 4-2 Minnesota. Paul Chryst has received to be smirking someplace after getting canned by the Badgers in 2022 when he had a .720 profitable share. His alternative, Luke Fickell, is 15-17.
20. Jap Michigan (7)
19. North Carolina (20)
18. Wisconsin^
17. South Alabama (17)
16. Arkansas State (12)
Dilfer’s downfall
Celeb hires are nice for headlines and buzz, however UAB is a cautionary story of the way it can go flawed. The Blazers thought it was a good suggestion to rent former Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer straight from a highschool job in Nashville, they usually’re now paying the value for that mistake. Not less than Deion Sanders was really a sitting school coach at Jackson State when Colorado employed him. Sanders additionally introduced stud gamers like Travis Hunter and Shedeuer Sanders. All Dilfer dropped at UAB was embarrassment up till he was fired Sunday with a 9-21 mark halfway by way of his third season.
15. Penn State (22)
14. Air Drive (19)
13. UAB^
12. Nevada (18)
11. Northern Illinois
Texas-sized issues
Issues have gotten so unhealthy at UTEP that second-year coach Scotty Walden benched former five-star quarterback prospect Malachi Nelson this previous week and began final yr’s QB1, Skyler Locklear, as a substitute. It did not have the specified impact, because the Miners misplaced 19-8 to a rudderless Liberty staff. However there is a silver lining for CFB sickos: the end result arrange a Backside 25 showdown for Wednesday, as UTEP will tackle winless Sam Houston to determine as soon as and for all who the worst staff is in Texas.
10. Akron (9)
9. UTEP^
8. Boston Faculty (16)
7. Charlotte (11)
6. Center Tennessee (8)
UMassively unhealthy
UMass entered the 2025 marketing campaign with simply eight victories over the previous six seasons, however the 2025 Minutemen are setting a brand new program normal for futility. They’ve been outscored 194-32 in 5 video games (all losses) in opposition to FBS groups. Their one recreation in opposition to an FCS foe? That was a 27-26 loss to Bryant, which is a nasty FCS staff whose solely different victory to this point is in opposition to Division II Bentley College. Being this unhealthy is definitely type of spectacular.
5. Georgia State (6)
4. Oklahoma State (4)
3. Oregon State (5)
2. Sam Houston (2)
1. UMass (1)
