2026 College Football Preview Part II
Welcome Back!
Today I continue my 5 weeks of my college football previews. I begin with 3 weeks of individual team previews, and then conclude with 2 weeks of conference previews.
In case you are interested, I get all of my information from various sources. I use the 4 main preview magazines (Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon, and The Sporting News (which returns for the 1st time since 2012!), but I also use many different websites, including (but not limited to): Google, Winsipedia.com, sports-reference.com, ESPN.com, TeamRankings.com, Wikipedia, NCAA.com, and, of course, individual school websites.
In case you are interested, I get all of my information from various sources. I use the 4 main preview magazines (Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon, and The Sporting News, which returns for the 1st time since 2012!), but I also use many different websites, including (but not limited to): Google, Winsipedia.com, sports-reference.com, ESPN.com, TeamRankings.com, Wikipedia, NCAA.com, and, of course, individual school websites.
Finally, feel free to leave a comment. Interacting is much of the fun! Of course, if you know me personally, just text me. I'll get that a lot quicker.
So, on with the previews!
124- UAB Blazers 4-8/2-6 (11th)
Coach: Alex Mortensen (2nd year, 2nd overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 2-4/.333/109th
3-year record/rank: 11-25/.306/120th
6-year record/rank: 33-38/.465/86th
10-year record/rank: 61-51/.545/58th
Last League Title: 2020 CUSA
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 3 years bowl-less/2022/2022
Bowl Record/Rank: 3-3/.500/T59th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: Never (since 1991); best season was 11-3 in 2018 under HC Bill Clark
Last Winless Season: Never; worst season was 2-10 in 2007 under HC Neil Calloway
All-time Record/Rank: 179-204-2/.468/114th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 26.4/76th/10th AAC
Rushing: 138.7/87th/12th
Passing: 265.6/26th/5th
Total: 404.3/48th/8th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 38.3/133rd/14th
Rushing: 191.1/118th/10th
Passing: 232.3/93rd/9th
Total: 423.3/117th/12th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 3/1
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Illinois
Sep 12 ULM
Sep 19 @ Louisiana
Sep 25 Navy
Oct 3 Samford
Oct 10 @ Memphis
Oct 15 East Carolina
Oct 31 @ USF
Nov 7 Charlotte
Nov 14 @ Temple
Nov 21 UTSA
Nov 28 @ North Texas
Notes: The 2023 season (4-8) ended a string of 6 straight winning seasons for the Blazers; UAB has lost 23 of their last 25, road games (since last road game of 2021), and only 1 of their last 5 games overall; the Blazers had a -12 TO margin to finish tied for 127th; 179 wins places UAB 127th, just 1 ahead of CCU and 5 behind USF; former UGA RB Roderick Robinson II has landed here and should be a starter, if he can stay healthy; QB will be Ryder Burton (708 yds, 63%, 7 TDs, 5 INTs in 2 starts); K Jonah Delange (10-14 FGs, long of 46) returns, but P Badger Hargett is new; new DC is UGA “favorite” Todd Grantham; team has lost 4 of their last 5 games; offense was held to 24 or less in 7 games, while the defense at least 24 points in every game last season, and 31+ in 8 of those.
Outlook: UAB had a great thing going with Bill Clark as HC when they revived their program in 2017, but he had to step away for health reasons before the 2022 season. After going 7-6 under interim HC Bryant Vincent, the Blazers hired former NFL QB Trent Dilfer, whose only HC experience was as a HS coach in Tennessee for 4 years, winning state championships his last 2 years. Now they’ve moved on to Alex Mortensen, who began his tenure with an upset of Memphis but then lost 4 in a row before winning at Tulsa to end a 17 game road losing streak. This will be his first full season at the helm, and he has a lot of rebuilding to do. The OOC is mostly manageable, with games at Illinois and Louisiana, and home contests versus ULM and FCS Samford, so there is at least a possibility they could be 3-1 from those. In the American Conference, they play 4 of the expected top 9, and 4 of the expected bottom 5 (excluding themselves, of course), so if they can get some momentum, they would have an opportunity to make a run to their first bowl since 2022. However, I don’t think they have the depth, especially on defense, to sustain a bowl run, and they’ll finish around 4 wins again, give or take a win.
123- Missouri State Bears 7-6/5-3 (tied for 4th)
Coach: Casey Woods (1st year, 1st overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 0-0/.000/126th
3-year record/rank: 7-6/.538/61st
6-year record/rank: N/A
10-year record/rank: N/A
Last League Title: 2020 Missouri Valley Co champs under HC Bobby Petrino/1989 Gateway champs under HC Jesse Branch
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2025/never
Bowl Record/Rank: 0-1/.000/T133rd
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: Never (since 1986); best season was 10-3 in 1989 under HC Jesse Branch (was also 9-3 in 1990) when they were known as Southwest Missouri State
Last Winless Season: Never; worst season was 1-10 in 2015 and 2019, both under HC Dave Steckel
All-time Record/Rank: 507-551-39/.480/108th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 25.6/82nd/T6th in CUSA
Rushing: 112.5/117th/8th
Passing: 279.7/16th/1st
Total: 392.2/65th/6th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 28.8/T91st/6th
Rushing: 153.3/75th/3rd
Passing: 229.5/89th/4th
Total: 382.8/78th/4th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 2/3
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Texas A&M
Sep 12 Lindenwood
Sep 19 Marshall
Sep 26 @ SMU
Oct 8 @ WKU
Oct 14 Kennesaw State
Oct 20 @ Delaware
Oct 27 Sam Houston
Nov 7 @ FIU
Nov 14 New Mexico State
Nov 21 @ Jacksonville State
Nov 28 Liberty
Notes: The Bears had a -2 TO margin, tied for 60th; 507 wins ranks 107th, 2 ahead of Wake Forest and just 4 behind Arkansas State and Boise State; QB is likely to be either Duke transfer Henry Belin IV (540 yds, 56%, 5 TDs, 2 INTs in backup duty for 4 years) or UTEP transfer Skyler Locklear (1,418 yds, 56%, 13 TDs, 11 INTs); both K Yousef Obeid (14-22 FGs, long of 49) and P Stewart McDonald (42.7 avg/32.7 net) return.
Outlook: Missouri State had a fantastic start to their FBS tenure, even playing in a bowl game. But the question now becomes, can they do it again? With a new HC in the fold, that makes the job just a little more difficult. But HC Casey Woods has his dad, Sparky Woods (HC at App State, South Carolina, and VMI, plus many assistant positions in college and the NFL), on staff. Last year, the Bears opened on the road at USC and Marshall, then hosted SMU and FCS UT Martin, going 2-2. This year is very similar, as they flip home and away with Marshall and SMU, swap out FCS foes, and open at Texas A&M. If they can pull another 2-2 out of that, they will have a chance to return to a bowl game. In CUSA, they avoid MTSU, meaning they play all the top contenders, with Liberty and KSU at home, and WKU, Delaware and JSU on the road. It will be tough for Mo State to finish with 7 wins again, but I expect them to flirt with bowl eligibility, but ultimately fall short with 4 or 5 wins.
122- New Mexico State Aggies 4-8/2-6 (tied for 9th)
Coach: Tony Sanchez (3rd year, 8th overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 27-57/.321/115th
3-year record/rank: 17-22/.436/93rd
6-year record/rank: 26-38/.406/107th
10-year record/rank: 41-72/.363/117th
Last League Title: 1978 Missouri Valley Conference
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 2 years bowl-less/2023/2022
Bowl Record/Rank: 4-1-1/.750/T6th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1960/11-0 under HC Warren B. Woodson
Last Winless Season: 2005/0-12 under HC Hal Mumme
All-time Record/Rank: 462-688-30/.404/131st
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 21.6/T109th/9th CUSA
Rushing: 77.3/134th/10th
Passing: 250.7/43rd/4th
Total: 327.9/113th/9th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.6/88th/5th
Rushing: 165.0/90th/6th
Passing: 236.8/102nd/6th
Total: 401.8/96th/6th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 4/6
Schedule:
Aug 29 @ FSU
Sep 5 Mercyhurst
Sep 12 @ Hawaii
Sep 26 New Mexico
Oct 1 WKU
Oct 7 @ FIU
Oct 21 @ Sam Houston
Oct 28 Jacksonville State
Nov 7 Liberty
Nov 14 @ Missouri State
Nov 21 Delaware
Nov 28 @ Middle Tennessee
Notes: The Aggies had a TO margin of 0, tied for 71st; 462 wins places NMSU in 115th, 20 ahead of Air Force and 15 behind ECU; 688 losses is 6th most, 5 fewer than Kansas , and 3 more than Iowa State; QB is likely to be Furman transfer Trey Hedden (2,967 yds, 66%, 17 TDs, 13 INTs), but returnee Adam Damante (711 yds, 67%, 5 TDs, 4 INTS) is also available; OL allowed almost 3 sacks per game; offense averaged just 2.6 ypg rushing; defense forced 24 turnovers (9 fumble recoveries and 15 INTs), tied for 14th in FBS and best in CUSA; defense had just 19 sacks last season; both K and P will be new; NMSU hasn’t been ranked in the AP poll since 1960; the Aggies have lost 6 of their last 7 games, and 11 of their last 13 road games; offense was held to 21 points or less in 9 games, while defense allowed 30+ in 7 contests; 2 of 4 wins were by 7 points or less, and 4 losses were by 7 or less, including 2 in OT; NMSU has had only 1 winning conference record (7-1 in 2023 under HC Jerry Kill) since they were 5-2 in the Sun Belt in 2004 under HC Tony Samuel, though they were an Independent for 6 of those years.
Outlook: New Mexico State was very close to making it to a bowl game last year, so if their offense improves, specifically their running game and cutting down on turnovers, then they have a chance to get there this year. Fortunately, after opening with FSU, they have a “winnable” OOC slate, though none are guaranteed wins- FCS Mercyhurst, at Hawaii, and rival New Mexico. In CUSA, they avoid last year’s champion, Kennesaw State, and get WKU, JSU, Liberty, and Delaware at home. The Aggies have a chance to make a move this year, but I have little confidence. I expect 3-5 wins.
121- Northern Illinois Huskies 3-9/2-6 (tied for 11th)
Coach: Rob Harley (1st year, 1st overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 0-0/.000/126th
3-year record/rank: 18-20/.474/83rd
6-year record/rank: 30-40/.429/99th
10-year record/rank: 56-65/.463/87th
Last League Title: 2021 MAC champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2024
Bowl Record/Rank: 6-10/.375/113th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1963/10-0 under HC Howard Fletcher
Last Winless Season: 2020/0-6 under HC Thomas Hammock
All-time Record/Rank: 622-541-51/.533/75th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 17.1/127th/8th MWC
Rushing: 187.1/29th/3rd
Passing: 98.8/132nd/9th
Total: 285.9/130nd/9th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 24.3/64th/4th
Rushing: 183.3/112th/9th
Passing: 173.9/12th/1st
Total: 357.3/56th/3rd
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 6/0
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Iowa
Sep 12 Illinois State
Sep 19 @ Arizona
Sep 26 S@ Georgia State
Oct 10 Air Force
Oct 17 @ Wyoming
Oct 24 Hawaii
Oct 31 @ UNLV
Nov 7 @ San Jose State
Nov 14 Nevada
Nov 21 @ North Dakota State
Nov 28 UTEP
Notes: The Huskies had a +2 TO margin, good enough for a tie for 55th; 622 wins all-time places NIU 68th, just 1 ahead of Southern Miss and 1 behind Ohio, but is the most of any team in the Mountain West; QB will be one of 2 holdovers: Brady Davidson (384 yds, 46%, 3 TDs, 3 INTs in 2 starts last year) or Jalen Macon (105 yds, 43%, 1 TD, 0 INT, 216 yds rushing, 4.8 ypc in 3 starts last year); K Ryan Short (15-16 FG, long of 45 at FCS Butler) is new, but P Jake Ference (43.7 avg/37.3 net) returns; OL allowed only 19 sacks last season; NIU plays all their games on Saturdays for the 1st time since 1996 (according to Phil Steele); the Huskies have lost 3 of their last 4 games; offense was held to 21 points or less in 10 games, but scored 31 (loss) and 45 (win) in 2 of their last 3; defense allowed 35 points in both of their last 2 games, but held 6 opponents to 20 points or less; 3 losses were by 6 points or less.
Outlook: Former HC Thomas Hammock left in mid-February to become a RB coach in the NFL, so his DC, Rob Harley, is now the interim HC. Northern Illinois has left the MAC and joined the new-look Mountain West. They were the MAC program that was the furthest west, and are now the MWC program that is furthest east. However, this isn’t really new, as the Huskies were in the Big West from 1993-95, where they were 3-3 each of the 3 seasons. After 5 consecutive seasons from 2010-14 of 11-win seasons (12-2 in 2013) under 3 different HCs (Jerry Kill 2010, Dave Doeren 2011-12, and Rod Carey 2013-14), NIU has been much more inconsistent, winning anywhere from 0 to 9 games over the last 11 seasons. Here are their win totals each year since 2014: 8,5,8,8,5,0,9,3,7,8,3. The good news is that they had back-to-back losing seasons just once in that span. This year, the schedule is upgraded, as the MWC is tougher than the MAC, in most people’s opinion. As usual, the Huskies play 2 P4 teams this year: at Iowa and at Arizona, but their other FBS OOC game is also on the road, at Ga State, meaning NIU only gets 5 games in Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. In the MWC, the Huskies miss conference favorite New Mexico, so they at least get that advantage. I see no more than 5 wins on this schedule, and that’s a stretch. Expect only 3 or 4 wins this season as the Huskies adjust to both a new coach and a new conference.
120- Stanford Cardinal 4-8/3-5 (12th)
Coach: Tavita Pritchard (1st year, 1st overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 0-0/.000/126th
3-year record/rank: 10-26/.278/128th
6-year record/rank: 20-46/.303/125th
10-year record/rank: 52-66/.441/96th
Last League Title: 2015 Pac 12/2017 Pac 12 North co-champs
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 7 years bowl-less/2018/2018
Bowl Record/Rank: 15-14-1/.517/T55th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1940/10-0 under HC Clark Shaughnessy
Last Winless Season: 1960/0-10 under HC Jack Curtice
All-time Record/Rank: 677-513-49/.566/48th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 18.8/120th/17th ACC
Rushing: 84.5/130th/16th
Passing: 222.0/71st/13th
Total: 306.5/123rd/16th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 29.2/95th/13th
Rushing: 119.3/25th/7th
Passing: 288.9/134th/17th
Total: 408.2/103rd/13th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 7/7
Schedule:
Aug 29 Hawaii
Sep 4 Miami, Fl
Sep 19 @ Duke
Sep 26 Georgia Tech
Oct 3 @ Wake Forest
Oct 10 @ Notre Dame
Oct 17 Elon
Oct 24 NC State
Oct 31 @ Louisville
Nov 14 @ Virginia Tech
Nov 21 @ California
Nov 28 SMU
Notes: The Cardinal hasn’t appeared in a bowl since 2018, the 4th longest bowl drought, and the longest among P4 teams; Stanford had a -4 TO margin, tied for 99th; 677 wins ranks 45th all-time, 3 ahead of App State, and 6 behind Rutgers; the Cardinal has had 7 straight seasons of either 3 or 4 wins; HC Tavita Pritchard is the 3rd HC in the last 3 years, and the 4th in the last 5; QB is likely to be former Michigan starter Davis Warren (1,199 yds, 64%, 7 TDs, 9 INTs in 2024, injured all of 2025); Carter Shaw, son of former Stanford HC David Shaw, is a transfer WR from UCLA; defense had only 3 INTs; K Emmet Kenney (16-21 FGs, long of 46) and P Aidan Flintoff (43.3 avg/38.1 net) both return; both the OC and DC have NFL experience, as does HC Pritchard; the Cardinal were 0-8 on the road last year, and have lost 13 straight away from Stanford Stadium; only 2 losses were by less than 24 points, but 2 of their 4 wins were by 7 points or less; offense scored more than 20 points just 3 times, scoring exactly 20 5 times, and 10 or less 3 times; defense allowed 27+ points in 7 games; Stanford has lost 4 of their last 5.
Outlook: Stanford has the “honor” of being my lowest ranked P4 team. New HC Tavita Pritchard was a QB here on The Farm, and started 10 games before becoming a backup to some guy named Andrew Luck, who turned out to be pretty good. I expect the defense to be pretty decent, so if they can get the run game going and rely less on QB play, they could flirt with getting back to a bowl. But with 5 ACC road games, and a game at Notre Dame (they haven’t backed out of the ND series, like USC has… at least not yet…), getting to 6 wins will be tough. In addition, they have a home game against a pretty decent Hawaii, who beat them by 3 on The Island. I hate to say it, but I see another 3 or 4 win season, extending their 7 years of futility to 8 seasons. But watch out for 2027!
119- Bowling Green Falcons 4-8/2-6 (tied for 11th)
Coach: Eddie George (1st year, 1st overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 4-8/.333/109th
3-year record/rank: 18-20/.474/83rd
6-year record/rank: 28-40/.412/105th
10-year record/rank: 40-76/.345/120th
Last League Title: 2015 MAC
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2014
Bowl Record/Rank: 5-10/.333/T117th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1959/9-0 under HC Doyt Perry
Last Winless Season: 2020/0-5 under HC Scot Loeffler (only previous was 0-3 in 1919- 1st season of existence)
All-time Record/Rank: 573-440-52/.562/52nd
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 18.2/126th/10th MAC
Rushing: 155.5/71st/5th
Passing: 151.3/124th/11th
Total: 306.8/T126th/T9th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 24.3/63rd/6th
Rushing: 141.4/55th/3rd
Passing: 201.7/40th/5th
Total: 343.1/42nd/3rd
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 2/4
Schedule:
Sep 5 Tarleton State
Sep 12 @ Nebrasks
Sep 19 @ Iowa State
Sep 26 USF
Oct 3 @ Miami, Oh
Oct 10 Sacramento State
Oct 17 Ball State
Oct 24 @ Buffalo
Oct 31 @ western Michigan
Nov 10 Kent State
Nov 20 @ Toledo
Nov 28 UMass
Notes: The Falcons are tied for the 5th longest bowl win drought, with their last win in 2014; 573 wins is 90th most, just 1 ahead of Wyoming and 4 behind Northwestern; BGSU had a +2 TO margin, good enough for a tie at 55th; QB is likely to be Oregon transfer Austin Novosad (99 yds, 80%, 0 TDs, 1 INT in 7 games over 3 years), finally getting a chance to start and be “the guy”, but it could also be Jay Kastantin, Jr (1974 yds, 62%, 19 TDs, 5 INTs, 530 yds rushing, 5.3 ypc at DII Assumption); K Travis Kenner is new, as is P Ryan Kingston (41.0 avg/38.2 net at FCS SE Mo St); the Falcons have lost 5 of their last 6 games, but finished with a win over UMass; BGSU was 3-3 at home, but only 1-5 on the road; offense was held to 21 points or less in 8 of 12 games, and only once scored more than 28 (45-14 win over UMass in their final game); defense allowed only 3 teams to score more than 28 points, and held 4 to 19 or less; only 1 of 4 wins was by less than 10 points, while 3 losses were by 6 points or less.
Outlook: Bowling Green has a history of modest success, as they’ve been to a bowl 15 times, including 3 of the last 4 years, but they haven’t won more than 7 games in any season since they were 10-4 in 2015 under HC Dino Babers. This year, the Falcons have a brutal OOC schedule, with 2 games on the road at P4 teams- Nebraska and Iowa State- and another at home against a top G6 team- USF. That means they are likely to start the season 1-3, assuming they can get by their FCS opener. In the MAC, they play WMU, Miami, and Toledo, all on the road (as well as Buffalo), but their home slate is as easy as it could possibly be: Sac State, Ball State. Kent State, and UMass. Assuming no upsets, the key game for bowl eligibility could be their game at Buffalo on Oct 24, which could make them 5-3 in the MAC, and 6-6 overall. I think that’s a strong possibility.
118- Purdue Boilermakers 2-10/0-9 (18th)
Coach: Barry Odom (2nd year, 8th year overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 46-43/.517/78th
3-year record/rank: 7-29/.194/134th
6-year record/rank: 26-43/.377/114th
10-year record/rank: 46-73/.387/111th
Last League Title: 2000 Big Ten co-champs/2022 Big Ten West champions/1929 Big Ten champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win:3 years bowl-less/2022/2021
Bowl Record/Rank: 11-10/.524/48th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1943/9-0 under HC Elmer Burnham
Last Winless Season: 1907/0-5 under HC Leigh Turner
All-time Record/Rank: 644-618-48/.510/88th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 18.8/121st/16th Big Ten
Rushing: 126.4/103rd/14th
Passing: 217.2/79th/11th
Total: 343.6/100th/14th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 31.8/115th/T16th
Rushing: 181.8/110th/16th
Passing: 241.7/109th/18th
Total: 423.5/118th/17th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/6
Schedule:
Sep 5 Indiana State
Sep 12 Wake Forest
Sep 19 @ UCLA
Sep 26 Notre Dame
Oct 3 @ Illinois
Oct 10 Minnesota
Oct 16 Washington
Oct 31 @ Penn State
Nov 7 Maryland
Nov 14 @ Iowa
Nov 21 Wisconsin
Nov 28 @ Indiana
Notes: Purdue has lost 10 consecutive, tied for the 3rd longest current streak; the Boilermakers haven’t finished a season ranked in the AP Poll since 2003, the longest drought among P4 schools; PU had a -12 TO margin, tied for 127th, and worst in the Big Ten; the Boilermakers improved in every statistical category from the ‘24 season- the numbers were still poor, but they were all better than before; Purdue has the lowest winning percentage of any P4 team over the last 3 years (7-29/.194), with Stanford the next closest (10-26/.278); 644 wins ranks 59th all-time, just 1 behind UCLA (and only 10 behind teams tied at #51), and just 1 ahead of Marshall (and only 9 ahead of 64th place); QB Ryan Browne (2,153 yds, 58.9%, 9 TDs, 10 INTs, 206 yds rushing, 3.1 ypc, 4 TDs) returns; former UGA (and Army) DE Elo Modozie has transferred here, which is probably a better fit than UGA was; defense has allowed at least 30 ppg each of the last 3 seasons, with 22 of their last 36 opponents scoring at least that many points; offense has been shut out 4 times in the last 2 seasons, and has been held under 20 points 14 times in their last 23 games, including 10 points or less 10 times; both K and P will be new; 3 wins in the last 2 years are the fewest since they were 1-5-1 in 1922 and 2-5-1 in 1923, both under HC James Phelan- Purdue was 5-2 in 1925, also under Phelan, and 1923 was the last of 5 straight years of 2 wins or less: 2-4-1 in 1919, 2-5 in 1920 (both under HC Butch Scanlon), and 1-6 in 1921 under HC William Dietz; PU has an 18-game Big Ten losing streak, a 15-game road losing streak, a 21-game losing streak to P4 teams (last P4 win was over Indiana in the final game of 2023, pre-Cignetti); a 13-game Big Ten road losing streak (again, last win was at Indiana at end of 2022 season), and a 9-game Big Ten home losing streak (Indiana in 2023 again); 3 losses were by 7 points or less; offense was held to 17 points or less in 6 games, including their last 4 games of the season.
Outlook: The Boilermakers have been horrendous the last few years, so they really have nowhere to go but up. Their only wins the last 2 years have been over 2 FCS teams (by a combined 83-17) and 31-0 in last year’s opener over a Ball State team that finished 4-8, and 3-5 in the MAC. HC Barry Odom gets a pass for a terrible first year, but he needs to double last year’s win total to keep himself off the hot seats, and he needs to break Purdue’s long Big Ten losing streaks. Unfortunately, they are the only Big Ten team that plays 11 P4 opponents, and one of only 5 P4 teams that do: Louisville, Ga Tech, Boston College, and Colorado (kudos to GT and BC as they have only 8 conference games, as BC plays at ND and Cincinnati and Rutgers at home, and GT takes on Colorado and Tennessee at home and of course UGA on the road in the finale). PU’s OOC games are FCS Indiana State, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame, all at home. The game against the Demon Deacons could be a big one for the direction of the season. In the Big Ten, they get only 4 home games, giving them 7 at home overall. The home slate isn’t overwhelming- Minnesota, Washington, Maryland, and Wisconsin- unless you’re a bad team, in which case just about any team is overwhelming. The road slate is much tougher: at UCLA, Illinois, Penn State, Iowa, and rival Indiana. Ll-in-all, I think 4 wins are possible, but that may require an upset or 2.
117- Colorado State Rams 2-10/1-7 (12th)
Coach: Jim Mora (1st year, 11th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 73-53/.579/59th
3-year record/rank: 15-22/.405/108th
6-year record/rank: 22-43/.338/121st
10-year record/rank: 43-72/.374/116th
Last League Title: 2002 MWC
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2013
Bowl Record/Rank: 6-12/.333/T117th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1916/6-0-1 under HC Harry Hughes (also 7-0 in 1915)
Last Winless Season: 1981/0-12 under HC’s Sark Aslanian (0-6) and Chester Caddas (0-6)
All-time Record/Rank: 549-631-33/.470/116th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 18.5/122nd/7th Pac 12
Rushing: 108.3/118th/8th
Passing: 215.9/84th/5th
Total: 324.2/115th/8th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 30.8/112th/8th
Rushing: 204.9/125th/8th
Passing: 221.1/70th/6th
Total: 426.0/122nd/7th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 1/6
Schedule:
Sep 5 Wyoming
Sep 12 Southern Utah
Sep 19 BYU
Sep 26 @ UTSA
Oct 3 Oregon State
Oct 17 @ Texas State
Oct 24 San Diego State
Oct 31 @ Utah State
Nov 7 Boise State
Nov 14 @ Washington State
Nov 21 @ Fresno State
Nov 28 Texas State (FLEX)
Notes: The Rams haven’t won a bowl since 2013, the 4th longest current bowl win drought, losing 5 in a row; CSU has lost 6 straight games, the 10th longest current losing streak; TO margins was -4, 99th in FBS; 549 wins is 98th all-time, just 1 ahead of new conference-mate Texas State (and only 10 ahead of HC Mora’s most recent employer- UConn) and 4 behind SMU and Memphis, and their winning percentage is the lowest in the new P12; 2-10 record last year was its worst winning percentage since they were 1-10 in 1988 under HC Leon Fuller (1-11 the year before under same HC); 1-7 conference record was its worst since they were 0-8 in 2009 under HC Steve Fairchild; QB is still undecided between UConn transfer K’saan Farrar and Oklahoma St transfer Hauss Hejny- both have limited experience; K will likely be North Texas transfer Kali Nguma (12-23 FGs, long of 46) and P will be Wofford transfer Cavan Graig (41.8 avg); defense allowed 42+ points in 4 games last season, including 3 times in the last 4 games, but also held 4 foes to 20 points or less; offense was held to 21 points or less in 10 contests; 2 losses were by a combined 4 points, but those were the only 2 by less than 12 points; CSU has lost 6 road games in a row.
Outlook: Colorado State has long been viewed as a sleeping giant (well, maybe a sleeping ogre…), but they haven’t been able to sustain success, though they had 5 consecutive bowl seasons from 2013-17 under HC’s Jim McElwain and Mike Bobo. And from 1994-2003 they had 10 straight seasons of at least 7 wins under HC Sonny Lubick, including 4 double-digit win seasons. Now they get a fresh start with a new coach and a new conference. The Rams only play 1 P4 opponent- BYU- in their 4 OOC games, with the others being an FCS team, Wyoming, and UTSA, with only the Roadrunners away from Fort Collins, which means 7 home games for the 3rd consecutive year. In the Pac 12 , they get Boise State, SDSU, and Oregon St at home, meaning if they can find a QB, and the defense can improve by a FG per game or so, they have the chance to get 3 to 5 wins, and maybe flirt with bowl eligibility.
116- Tulsa Golden Hurricane 4-8/1-7 (13th)
Coach: Tre Lamb (2nd year, 2nd overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 4-8/.333/109th
3-year record/rank: 11-25/.306/120th
6-year record/rank: 29-41/.414/103rd
10-year record/rank: 48-71/.403/105th
Last League Title: 2012 CUSA
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 4 years bowl-less/2021/2021
Bowl Record/Rank: 11-12/.478/73rd
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1920/10-0-1 under HC Francis Schmidt
Last Winless Season: 1917/0-8-1 under HC Hal Medford
All-time Record/Rank: 654-551-27/.542/71st
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 23.2/98th/12th AAC
Rushing: 175.5/48th/8th
Passing: 222.4/69th/9th
Total: 397.9/56th/9th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 28.9/93rd/9th
Rushing: 182.4/111th/9th
Passing: 214.3/58th/4th
Total: 396.7/89th/9th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 4/5
Schedule:
Sep 5 Oklahoma State
Sep 12 @ Sam Houston
Sep 19 East Texas A&M
Sep 26 @ Arkansas
Oct 1 North Texas
Oct 10 @ Navy
Oct 17 @ Rice
Oct 23 Army
Nov 7 @ Tulane
Nov 14 FAU
Nov 21 Charlotte
Nov 28 @ UTSA
Notes: Tulsa has won 7 of their last 11 bowl games; the Golden Hurricane are tied for the 8th longest bowl drought, with their last bowl in 2021; Tulsa had a -9 TO margin, tied for 120th; 654 all-time wins ranks tied for 51st with La Tech, just 3 behind Arizona State (and 4 behind Central Michigan), and 2 in front of Kentucky and NC State; QB is likely to be Baylor Hayes (2,158 yds, 59%, 12 TDs, 6 INTs, 188 yds rushing, 2.0 ypc in 9 starts); defense was greatly improved from 2024, dropping 14 ppg and 100 ypg; K is likely to be Miss State transfer Marlon Hauck (2-2 PATs, no FGAs in 4 years), but could be true freshman Owen Carey, with P being Bethune-Cookman transfer Max Tulen (44.6 avg); HC Lamb is the 4th in the last 4 years; Tulsa won 2 of their last 3 games; 2 of 4 wins were by 7 points or less, as were 2 of their losses.
Outlook: The Golden Hurricane haven’t been to a bowl since 2021, winning 5,4,3 and then 4 games in the 4 seasons since. However, the last 2 seasons have produced just 1 conference win each, so the first order of business is to be competitive within the American Conference. While they play 2 P4 teams- at Oklahoma State and Arkansas- neither of those 2 are anywhere close to world-beaters, as they went a combined 3-21 last season, and each have a new HC. Oh, and the Hurricane beat the Cowboys last season in Stillwater. The other 2 OOC games- at Sam Houston and an FCS squad- should be wins, so it’s possible TU is anywhere from 2-2 to 4-0 heading into October. In the American, while they play Navy, Tulane, and UTSA on the road, their home slate is mostly those expected to be near the bottom. A 4-4 record is entirely possible, which means 6-8 wins are in the cards.
115- Wyoming Cowboys 4-8/2-6 (tied for 9th)
Coach: Jay Sawvel (3rd year, 3rd overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 7-17/.292/118th
3-year record/rank: 16-21/.432/94th
6-year record/rank: 32-37/.464/87th
10-year record/rank: 62-59/.512/67th
Last League Title: 1993 WAC co-champs/1988 WAC champions/2016 MWC Mountain Division co-champs
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 2 years bowl-less/2023/2023
Bowl Record/Rank: 10-9/.526/47th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1956/10-0 under HC Phil Dickens
Last Winless Season: 1939/0-7-1 under HC Joel Hunt
All-time Record/Rank: 572-616-28/.482/107th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 14.6/129th/9th MWC
Rushing: 131.7/99th/6th
Passing: 183.0/111th/6th
Total: 314.7/123rd/7th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 20.5/30th/1st
Rushing: 168.8/93rd/6th
Passing: 175.5/14th/2nd
Total: 344.3.3/45th/2nd
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 3/2
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Colorado State
Sep 12 Northern Colorado
Sep 19 @ Central Michigan
Sep 26 Hawaii
Oct 3 North Dakota State
Oct 10 @ San Jose State
Oct 17 Northern Illinois
Oct 24 Air Force
Nov 7 @ UNLV
Nov 14 @ UTEP
Nov 21 New Mexico
Nov 28 UConn
Notes: The Cowboys had a TO margin of -3, tied for 88th; 572 wins is good enough for 91st place, just 1 behind Bowling Green and 1 ahead of Oregon State; QB will be FCS William & Mary transfer Tyler Hughes (2,330 yds, 66.2%, 20 TDs, 3 INTs, 670 yds rushing, 4.3 ypc, 11 TDs); K Erik Sandvik (6-11 FGs, long of 41, missing 4 of last 5) and P Bart Edmiston (46.1 avg/39.9 net, but with 2 blocked for TD vs UNLV) both return, as does Deion DeBlanc (16.7 avg PR, 1 TD); defense had 2 shutouts in the same season for the 1st time since 1966; Wyoming is on a 4-game losing streak; offense was held to 21 points or less 9 times (and in 12 of their last 16 games), and 10 or less 6 times (7 of their last 16), including each of their last 4, when they scored a combined 24 points (6 ppg!); defense held 4 teams to 13 points or less; the Cowboys have a 5-game road losing streak, and have lost 6 of their last 7 conference road contests.
Outlook: With Boise State, Fresno State, and San Diego State gone to the Pac 12, Wyoming has a chance to be one of the “Big Boys” in the Mountain West, but it all comes down to how many points they can score. Their defense did pretty well last season, but the offense has to do better than 15 ppg. The OOC schedule is not daunting, as they open the season at Colorado St (2-10 last year, won 28-0 at home), an FCS squad, and then a trip to Central Michigan. Their final OOC game is at home vs UConn in the final game of the season. That’s a slate built for 4-0, but 3-1 should be the worst they do (UConn has a new coach, and so may not be as good as they’ve been the last 2 years). In the MWC, the Cowboys avoid Nevada, so they play all the top contenders, but of those, only UNLV is on the road. In other words, Wyoming has a shot at a bowl, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they fall 1 win short. Would 5-7 be enough to keep Sawvel in Laramie?
114- Eastern Michigan Eagles 4-8/3-5 (tied for 9th)
Coach: Chris Creighton (13th year, 13th overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 61-83/.424/98th
3-year record/rank: 15-22/.405/108th
6-year record/rank: 33-36/.478/81st
10-year record/rank: 58-62/.483/81st
Last League Title: 1987 MAC/2022 MAC West co-champs
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 2 years bowl-less/2023/2022
Bowl Record/Rank: 2-5/.286/T127th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1945/5-0-1 under HC Elton Rynearson
Last Winless Season: 2009/0-12 under HC Ron English
All-time Record/Rank: 499-638-47/.441/123rd
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 24.1/90th/4th MAC
Rushing: 142.5/82nd/7th
Passing: 234.8/59th/2nd
Total: 377.3/76th/4th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 29.8/100th/8th
Rushing: 232.1/134th/12th
Passing: 184.2/20th/2nd
Total: 416.3/111th/10th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 6/6
Schedule:
Aug 29 Sacramento State
Sep 4 San Jose State
Sep 12 @ Michigan State
Sep 19 @ Wisconsin
Sep 26 Lindenwood
Oct 3 @ UMass
Oct 10 @ Akron
Oct 17 Toledo
Oct 24 @ Ohio
Nov 4 Central Michigan (Ford Field in Detroit)
Nov 17 @ Western Michigan
Nov 24 Kent State
Notes: HC Chris Creighton has been at EMU since 2014, tied for the 5th longest tenure of any coach in FBS; the Eagles have had 3 consecutive losing seasons for the 1st time in HC Creighton’s tenure; EMU is 1 win away from #500!; 499 wins is 111th all-time, just 2 behind Rice and 13 in front of Houston; the Eagles had a -5 TO margin, tied for 103rd; QB Noah Kim (2,817 yds, 61.4%, 18 TDs, 11 INTs, 186 yds rushing, 2.4 ypc) returns, the 1st returning starter here since 2017; K Rudy Kessinger (17-23 FGs, long of 50, 8-14 from 40+) returns, but P Daniel Hull is new; the Eagles have won 2 of their last 3 games; 3 of 4 wins were by 6 points or less, and 3 losses were by 7 points or less; EMU has only 5 home games, as their game vs CMU is in Detroit; 4 games are on non-Saturdays, including all 3 in November.
Outlook: Eastern Michigan has slid backwards from 9-4 in ‘22, to 6-7, 5-7, and 4-8, but they haven’t been far from winning seasons in 2 of those 3 years, as ‘23 simply needed a bowl win, and the ‘24 season started 5-2. This year, they have a good chance to start the season 5-2, as they open with home games against new MAC member Sacramento State and then San Jose State, followed by trips to play Michigan State and Wisconsin, and then an FCS squad, and trips to UMass and Akron. Maybe they can pull an upset and get to 6-1 and back to a bowl, as they are 4-7 versus Power ⅘ teams the last 9 years. With a season ending game against Kent State, that leaves a 4-game stretch that could define their season: Toledo, at Ohio, CMU, and at WMU. This team should have a much better offense than they have recently, and if their defense comes together, this could be a special season in Ypsilanti.
113- Southern Miss Golden Eagles 7-6/5-3 (tied for 2nd in West)
Coach: Blake Anderson (1st year, 11th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 74-55/.574/60th
3-year record/rank: 11-26/.297/126th
6-year record/rank: 24-48/.333/122nd
10-year record/rank: 52-70/.426/101st
Last League Title: 2011 CUSA
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2025/2022
Bowl Record/Rank: 12-16/.429/T96th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1958/9-0 under HC Thad “Pie” Vann
Last Winless Season: 2012/0-12 under HC Ellis Johnson
All-time Record/Rank: 621-477-26/.564/50th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 28.8/57th/4th SBC
Rushing: 136.0/92nd/10th
Passing: 266.1/25th/1st
Total: 402.1/52nd/4th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.4/T84th/T5th
Rushing: 174.5/96th/8th
Passing: 229.2/86th/7th
Total: 403.7/99th/7th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 1/0
Schedule:
Sep 5 Alcorn State
Sep 12 @ Auburn
Sep 19 UConn
Sep 26 @ Tulane
Oct 6 @ Troy
Oct 17 Arkansas State
Oct 24 Louisiana
Oct 31 @ ULM
Nov 5 James Madison
Nov 14 @ La Tech
Nov 21 South Alabama
Nov 28 @ ODU
Notes: Southern Miss had a turnover margin of +14, tied for 5th in FBS, and best in the SBC; the Golden Eagles are on their 4th HC in the last 3 years; 621 wins puts USM in 69th place, one behind Northern Illinois (and 2 behind Ohio) and 4 ahead of Texas Tech; K Creighton Wilbanks (9-14 FGs, long of 52) returns, as does P Reed Hartline (40.4 avg/ 36.9 net, 5-8 FGs, long of 43); QB will be between ‘25 backups Landry Lyddy (406 yds, 65%, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) and John White, and NIU/Illinois transfer Ethan Hampton (1600 yds, 58%, 12 TDs, 6 INTs at NIU in ‘24); the Golden Eagles are on a 3-game slide, including the bowl loss to WKU; 2 wins were by 6 points or less.
Outlook: New HC Blake Anderson coached the bowl game last year after Charles Huff bolted for Memphis, but he’s very familiar with the Sun Belt, having been at Arkansas State from 2014-2020. Anderson has a history of success, but this is a difficult situation with only 1 returning starter. The OOC schedule isn’t easy, as after the opener against FCS Alcorn State, they must travel to Auburn, host UConn, and then visit Tulane- those teams had a combined 25-14 record last year. So let’s assume a 1-3 start; can they go 5-3 in the Sun Belt? The crossover foes are JMU and at ODU. That looks like an 0-2 stretch. Within the division, they travel to Troy, La Tech, and ULM, so they could possibly get 2 wins, but only 1 is more likely. Now they’re 2-7, with home games versus Arkansas State, Louisiana, and South Alabama remaining. I hate to say it, but this looks more like a repeat of 2023 (3-9) or 2024 (1-11) rather than the 7-6 result of last year.
112- San Jose State Spartans 3-9/2-6 (tied for 9th)
Coach: Ken Niumatalolo (3rd year, 18th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 119-98/.548/67th
3-year record/rank: 17-21/.447/92nd
6-year record/rank: 36-34/.514/65th
10-year record/rank: 48-71/.403/105th
Last League Title: 2020 MWC champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2015
Bowl Record/Rank: 7-7/.500/T59th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1939/13-0 under HC Dudley DeGroot
Last Winless Season: 1923/0-6 under HC H.C.McDonald
All-time Record/Rank: 527-554-38/.488/104th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 21.4/111th/6th
Rushing: 119.7/111th/7th
Passing: 282.6/13th/2nd
Total: 402.3/51st/3rd
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 32.5/119th/9th
Rushing: 157.9/81st/4th
Passing: 245.3/114th/8th
Total: 403.2/98th/7th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 2/1
Schedule:
Aug 29 @ USC
Sep 4 @ Eastern Michigan
Sep 22 Cal Poly
Sep 19 Fresno State
Oct 3 @ Hawaii
Oct 10 Wyoming
Oct 17 @ UTEP
Oct 31 New Mexico
Nov 7 Northern Illinois
Nov 14 @ Air Force
Nov 21 UNLV
Nov 28 North Dakota State
Notes: HC Ken Niumatalolo is 9th among current coaches for career wins at 119, and tied for 126th all-time with Gus Dorias and Bobby Petrino, and is the all-time win leader at Navy with 109 wins there; TO margin was -13, tied for 131st; SJSU has the 5th longest bowl losing streak at 4, and are tied for the 6th longest bowl win drought, with their last win in 2015; 527 wins ranks 103rd, 7 behind Indiana, and 14 ahead of New Mexico; offense threw 17 INTs last season (2nd most in FBS); OL allowed only 13 sacks; defense had only 7 INTs, lowest in the MWC; K will be Idaho State transfer Trajan Sinatra (18-22 FGs, long of 56, All-Big Sky) and P will be Trent Carrizosa (45.6 avg/40.4 net); QB is likely to be Hawaii transfer Luke Weaver (628 yds, 60%, 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 115 rushing yds, 2.7 ypc), but Robert McDaniel (19 yds, 27.3%, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and true freshman Daniel Rolovich may also get a look; the Spartans are on a 4-game losing streak and were 0-6 on the road; 4 losses were by 7 points or less, as were 2 of their 3 wins; SJSU plays 9 MWC games, but the game vs NDSU counts as a non-conference game, due to scheduling issues, which gives the Spartans 13 games overall.
Outlook: Last year’s 3-9 was the worst record for the Spartans since 2018, when they were 1-11, and their 2-6 conference record matched 2019’s. The poor season broke a string of 3 straight winning seasons, the first time that had happened since 5 in a row from 1978-82 under HC Jack Elway (Lynn Styles in ‘78). San Jose State this year is just one of those teams I’m not sure about. I have a lot of faith in their HC, but at the same time, they really struggled last last year and have only 3 returning starters from that squad. Will they continue to slog along like last season, or will they rebound back into bowl and Mountain west title contention? They have a decent chance to win 2 of their 4 OOC games, which means a 4-4 record in the conference gets them into a bowl. They play all of the top contenders (miss new member Northern Illinois), with Hawaii and Air Force on the road. There’s at least a fighting chance to get to 4-4 in the MWC, so a bowl is a distinct possibility. Let’s split the difference and say 4-6 wins, with 7 being a wildly successful year, even with a 13 game schedule.
111- Temple Owls 5-7/3-5 (tied for 9th)
Coach: K. C. Keeler (2nd year, 4th overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 17-19/.472/91st
3-year record/rank: 11-25/.306/120th
6-year record/rank: 18-49/.269/128th
10-year record/rank: 51-69/.425/102nd
Last League Title: 2016 AAC
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 6 years bowl-less/2019/2019
Bowl Record/Rank: 3-6/.333/T117th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1907/4-0-2 under HC Horace Butterworth
Last Winless Season: 2005/0-11 under HC Bobby Wallace
All-time Record/Rank: 502-633-52/.445/121st
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.8/65th/8th AAC
Rushing: 147.4/79th/11th
Passing: 197.4/96th/11th
Total: 344.8/99th/11th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 29.7/99th/10th
Rushing: 197.3/121st/11th
Passing: 199.5/38th/3rd
Total: 396.8/90th/10th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 7/3
Schedule:
Sep 5 Rhode Island
Sep 12 Penn State
Sep 19 @ Toledo
Oct 3 @ USF
Oct 10 UConn
Oct 17 Charlotte
Oct 31 @ East Carolina
Nov 7 @ Navy
Nov 14 UAB
Nov 19 Rice
Nov 27 @ Memphis
Notes: The Owls have not appeared in a bowl since 2019, the 6th longest bowl drought; Temple had 4 straight seasons of 3-9 before last year’s 5-7 campaign; the Owls had a +11 TO margin, tied for 8th in FBS; 502 wins is 109th all-time, just 3 behind Wake Forest, and 1 ahead of Rice; QB is between Penn State transfer Jaxon Smolik and Rutgers/Washington State transfer Ajani Sheppard, with both having very limited experience; 4 OL starters return; defense had just 16 sacks; K Carl Hardin (11-14 FGs, long of 52) and P Dante Atton (42.2 avg/41.7 net) both return; Temple is on a 4-game losing streak; 2 losses were by 1 point each- to Army and Navy; 2 of 5 wins were by a combined 7 points; the Owls were 3-3 in road games, breaking a 21-game road losing streak; offense scored 31+ points 5 times, but was also held to 14 or less 4 times; defense allowed 32+ points 7 times.
Outlook: Temple has a MUCH easier schedule this year than last, starting with the OOC portion- only 1 P4 opponent instead of the usual 2, and 3 of the 4 games at home, giving the Owls 7 home games for the 1st time since 2023. However, only 1 of the 4 OOC opponents seems like a sure win (the FCS foe), as Penn State, Toledo, and UConn are no slouches- a combined 24-15 last year. In the American Conference, they avoid Tulane and UTSA, but do have a tough road slate: USF, ECU, Navy, and Memphis. I think the Owls get back to their 1st bowl- and winning season- since 2019.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
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