2026 College Football Preview Part IV
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!
100- La Tech Bulldogs 8-5/5-3 (tied for 4th)
Coach: Sonny Cumbie (5th year, 6th overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 21-34/.382/105th
3-year record/rank: 16-22/.421/104th
6-year record/rank: 27-45/.375/116th
10-year record/rank: 61-64/.488/76th
Last League Title: 2011 WAC
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 2 years/2025/2025
Bowl Record/Rank: 9-5-1/.633/17th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1972/12-0 under HC Maxie Lambright
Last Winless Season: 1919/0-2 under HC Percy S. Prince
All-time Record/Rank: 654-508-37/.561/54th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.3/70th/6th SBC
Rushing: 195.4/24th/5th
Passing: 163.8/119th/12th
Total: 359.2/88th/10th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 20.8/35th/3rd
Rushing: 134.5/47th/2nd
Passing: 240.3/106th/9th
Total: 374.8/68th/4th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/4
Schedule:
Sep 5 Northwestern State
Sep 12 @ LSU
Sep 19 @ Baylor
Oct 3 Army
Oct 10 Louisiana
Oct 17 @ ULM
Oct 24 ODU
Oct 31 @ South Alabama
Nov 7 @ Troy
Nov 14 Southern Miss
Nov 19 Arkansas State
Nov 28 @ Georgia Southern
Notes: The Bulldogs only play 1 team that they played last year: Southern Miss; TO margin was +8, 18th in FBS; 654 wins place La Tech in a tie for 51st with Tulsa, just 3 behind Arizona State, and 2 ahead of Kentucky and NC State; QB will be Blake Baker (1,251 yds, 65.8% 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 260 yds rushing in 8 games), but he’s coming off a torn ACL from last November; QB Trey Kukuk (640 yds, 63%, 3 TDs, 4 INTs, 609 yds rushing, 6.2 ypc, 5 TDs) is back as a backup; OL allowed the fewest sacks in CUSA last season; defense has 22 INTs, tied for 2nd in FBS; Dedrick Latulas returns punts (11.7 avg); K Drew Henderson (6-11 FGs, long of 51, 27-29 PATs) returns, but P Lexingtom Matthews will be seeing his 1st action here (41.3 avg/36.5 net at Savannah State in ‘24); LT is on a 3-game winning streak, including a bowl win over new conference-mate CCU; Bulldogs were 5-1 at home, and have won 9 of their last 12 in Ruston; 2 losses were by 1 point each; LT has been to back-to-back bowls for the 1st time they went to 7 in a row from 2014-2020 under HC Skip Holtz (6-1 record in those bowls!); despite 3 straight 3-9 seasons from 2021-23, the Bulldogs have a recent history of success, achieving 9 winning seasons since 2011.
Outlook: Louisiana Tech will be spending their 1st year in the Sun Belt Conference. This will be their 9th conference affiliation, with their longest being a 23-year stretch as a member of the Gulf States Conference, from 1948-1970, but they also spent 25 years as an Independent, with 3 stints with that status. They spent the last 13 years as members of CUSA, and were in the WAC the 12 years prior. The Sun Belt will be a step up in competition from CUSA, but their OOC slate is just brutal: at LSU, at Baylor, and Army at home (after the obligatory opening game against an FCS squad). In the SBC, they will compete in the West Division, where there are an abundance of nearby rivals. In crossover games, they match up against ODU at home and Ga Southern on the road. That’s a tough duo! Their best chance at success is within their own division, with Louisiana at home and Troy on the road the toughest games. This looks like a team that will flirt with bowl eligibility again, but I see 5 wins on this schedule. However, an upset or 2 (or 3!) could get them challenging for a division title.
99- Georgia Southern Eagles 7-6/4-4 (4th in East)
Coach: Clay Helton (5th year, 12th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 73-49/.598/48th
3-year record/rank: 21-18/.538/59th
6-year record/rank: 38-39/.494/72nd
10-year record/rank: 62-65/.488/75th
Last League Title: 2014 SBC
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 4 years/2025/2025
Bowl Record/Rank: 4-4/.500/T59th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1989/15-0 under HC Erk Russell
Last Winless Season: Never (since 1924); worst seasons were their 1st 2 in 1924-25, when they were 1-3 each year under HC E.G. Cromartie
All-time Record/Rank: 433-264-10/.620/23rd
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.9/64th/5th SBC
Rushing: 154.2/73rd/9th
Passing: 247.4/45th/5th
Total: 401.5/53rd/5th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 32.3/118th/12th
Rushing: 218.1/131st/14th
Passing: 240.5/107th/10th
Total: 458.5/132nd/14th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 3/6
Schedule:
Sep 5 Charleston Southern
Sep 12 @ Clemson
Sep 19 @ Jacksonville State
Sep 26 Houston
Oct 3 @ Coastal Carolina
Oct 10 James Madison
Oct 15 @ ODU
Oct 31 Appalachian State
Nov 7 Marshall
Nov 14 @ Georgia State
Nov 21 @ Troy
Nov 28 La Tech
Notes: Georgia Southern had a +6 TO margin, tied for 49th; 433 wins ranks 117th; QB is likely to be LSU/Texas A&M/UNC transfer Max Johnson (437 yds, 62%, 2 TDs, 0 INT in 4 games at UNC)- yes, he’s still around, as this will be his 7th season; K Tripp Bryant (17-20 FGs, 15-15 inside 40 yds, long of 46) returns, as does P Alex Smith (42.8 avg/39.8 net); the Eagles have been 6-6 in the regular season in 3 of HC Helton’s 4 seasons here (8-4 in ‘24); 4 bowls in the last 4 seasons is their longest bowl streak; GS has won 4 of their last 5 games, including a bowl win over App St; 3 wins were by 7 points or less, but only 1 loss was by less than 10 points, and 4 were by at least 25 points; defense allowed 34+ points 8 times.
Outlook: After posting a winning conference record in 4 of their 1st 6 seasons in the Sun Belt, they’ve only done so once in the last 6- in 2024 when they were 6-2. Georgia Southern is used to competing for conference championships, as they won the Southern Conference 10 times between 1993 and 2012, and enjoyed 6 national championships between 1985 and 2000. Despite the recent downturn, this is still a very proud program, and I believe this year could be the continuation of a run of winning seasons. The question is if any will lead to championships, or at least championship game appearances, something they have never done. Their only Sun Belt Conference championship was in their very 1st year, when they were 9-3/8-0 in 2014. This year, it could be difficult to do better than 2-2 in OOC games, as after the obligatory FCS game, they travel to Clemson and Jax State (defeated the Gamecocks by only 7 last year at home) before hosting Houston. In the Sun Belt, they have their crossover games the last 2 weeks of the season- at Troy, and then SBC newcomer La Tech at home. They do get JMU, App St, and Marshall at home, but travel to CCU and ODU. I see 7 regular season wins, with a chance to challenge for the top spot, but I think they’ll have to be happy to finish in the top 3 or 4 in the East.
98- North Dakota State Bison 12-1/8-0 in FCS Missouri Valley Conference
Coach: Tim Polasek (3rd year, 1st overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 0-0/.000/126th
3-year record/rank: 37-7/.841/FCS
6-year record/rank: 70-14/.833/FCS
10-year record/rank: 127-17/.882/FCS
Last League Title: 2025 MVC champions/2024 FCS National Champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: N/A
Bowl Record/Rank: N/A
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 2019/16-0 under HC Matt Entz
Last Winless Season: 1962/0-10 under HC Bob Danielson
All-time Record/Rank: 809-385-34/.673/N/A
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 41.1/3rd FCS
Rushing: 212.6/7th
Passing: 238.8/32nd
Total: 451.4/12th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 13.0/1st
Rushing: 103.4/6th
Passing: 148.4/3rd
Total: 251.8/1st
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/5
Schedule:
Aug 29 Jacksonville State
Sep 5 Fordham
Sep 12 @ Air Force
Sep 19 @ Sacramento State
Oct 3 Wyoming
Oct 10 @ UNLV
Oct 17 Nevada
Oct 24 @ New Mexico
Oct 31 UTEP
Nov 14 @ Hawaii
Nov 21 Northern Illinois
Nov 28 @ San Jose State
Notes: The Bison are making their 1st appearance in the FBS and in the Mountain West Conference (obviously!), but due to a new rule, will be eligible for a bowl this 1st year; NDSU has a better 10-year winning percentage than any team currently in the FBS, as their .882 win pct is 12 points better than #1 Ohio State; in the 6 year comparison, they are #3 behind Georgia and OSU, and in the 3-year, they are #4; the Bison have won 18 national championships- 3 as a member of the College Division (precursor to Division II), 5 as a member of Division II, and 10 as a member of FCS (all in the last 15 years), and have been national runners-up 4 time; NDSU is 9-5 against FBS schools since joining the FCS in 2004; all-time winning percentage of .672 would place the Bison in 11th place, and their 809 wins would tie with Auburn for 14th; NDSU had a +18 TO margin, 2nd best in FCS; NDSU has an all-time record in the FCS playoffs of 51-6; all games this season are on Saturdays; QB will be last year’s backup, Nathan Hayes (381 yds, 57%, 4 TDs, 1 INT); K Drew Klein (1-1 FGs, long of 46) and P Aaron Bickerton (45.4 avg/39.5 net) both return; OL returns 3 starters; Jackson Williams (32.1 KOR avg and 13.9 PR avg) also returns; NDSU plays 9 MWC games, but the game at SJSU counts as a non-conference game, due to scheduling issues.
Outlook: If any team has ever seemed prepared to move up to the FBS, it has to be North Dakota State. Their history of success at the FCS level has been nothing short of dominant. The non-conference schedule is fair for a team in their 1st year at the FBS level- Jax St, FCS Fordham, at fellow newbie Sac St, and then at SJSU in their closing game of the season (counted as a non-conference game). This is much better than what Missouri State (at USC, at Marshall, SMU) had last year! In the MWC, they play all the main contenders- Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico, and Hawaii- on the road, with the “lower level” teams all at home. If they can pull an upset or 2, the Bison can challenge for a conference title. But I think NDSU will struggle just a bit with the step up in competition, but look for 7-9 wins all the same.
97- Arkansas State Red Wolves 7-6/5-3 (tied for 2nd in West)
Coach: Butch Jones (6th year, 17th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 110-91/.547/68th
3-year record/rank: 21-28/.538/59th
6-year record/rank: 30-44/.405/108th
10-year record/rank: 61-64/.488/76th
Last League Title: 2016 Sun Belt co-champs/2015 SBC Champs
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 3 years/2025/2025
Bowl Record/Rank: 6-8-1/.433/T94th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1975/11-0 under HC Bill Davidson
Last Winless Season: 1941/0-7 under HC Bill Adams
All-time Record/Rank: 511-536-37/.488/103rd
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 25.2/85th/9th SBC
Rushing: 123.2/109th/13th
Passing: 259.5/31st/2nd
Total: 382.7/72nd/7th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 27.4/84th/T5th
Rushing: 168.4/92nd/7th
Passing: 244.9/113th/12th
Total: 413.3/110th/10th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 7/3
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Memphis
Sep 12 West Georgia
Sep 19 @ TCU
Sep 26 Kennesaw State
Oct 3 @ Louisiana
Oct 8 South Alabama
Oct 17 @ Southern Miss
Oct 24 Georgia State
Nov 7 ULM
Nov 14 @ Coastal Carolina
Nov 19 La Tech
Nov 28 Troy
Notes: Arkansas State had a TO margin of -7, tied for 110th; 511 wins is tied with Boise State for 105th place, 2 behind New Mexico, and 4 ahead of Missouri State; ASU has 2 Thursday games; QB is a 4-man competition between holdover Ethan Crawford, Texas transfer Trey Owen (the favorite), and a pair of Vandy transfers, Drew Dickey and Jeremy St-Hilaire, but none have much experience; defense had 39 sacks, tied for most in the SBC; K Clune Van Andel (19-24 FGs, long of 53) returns, but P will be NIU transfer Daniel Vuckovic (42.3 avg/37.9 net); KOR Chauncy Cobb (26.9 avg, 2 TDs, 1st team All-SBC) also returns (pun intended!); OL returns 3 starters; HC Jones is one of only 3 (Lou Holtz, Tommy Tuberville) to lead 4 schools to multiple bowl games (CMU, Cincy, Tenn, ASU); the Red Wolves have a modest 2-game winning streak, including their bowl win over Mo State, but also have won 6 of their last 8; 3 wins were by exactly 1 point, with another by 6; 4 of 6 losses were by 8 points or less.
Outlook: The Red Wolves will go as far as their QB play allows, as that is their biggest uncertainty. They also need to continue to improve on defense. Their OOC schedule is slightly easier, as they only play 1 P4 school- at TCU- rather than the usual 2, but still have Memphis on the road. At home, they get W Ga and Kennesaw State. In the SBC, their crossover games are Georgia State and at CCU, so there’s a good chance to get a sweep, and they get Troy and South Alabama at home, so their hardest road game is at Louisiana. ASU has a good chance to get 8 regular season wins, and could be playing Troy in the closer for a spot in the SBC CG.
96- Kennesaw State Owls 10-4/7-1 (tied for 1st)
Coach: Jerry Mack (2nd year/2nd overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 10-4/.714/14th
3-year record/rank: 12-14/.462/88th
6-year record/rank: N/A
10-year record/rank: N/A
Last League Title: 2021 Big South
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year/2025/never
Bowl Record/Rank: 0-1/T133rd
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: Never (since 2015); best season was 12-2 in 2017 under HC Brian Bohannon (11-2 and 11-3 the next 2 years)
Last Winless Season: Never; worst season was 2-10 in 2024, their 1st year at the FBS level
All-time Record/Rank: 83-44/.654/14th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 26.7/65th/5th CUSA
Rushing: 159.4/66th/4th
Passing: 243.1/51st/5th
Total: 402.5/34th/1st
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 25.5/73rd/3rd
Rushing: 184.6/113th/9th
Passing: 220.1/67th/2nd
Total: 404.6/101st/2nd
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 3/6
Schedule:
Sep 3 West Georgia
Sep 12 Georgia State
Sep 19 @ Tennessee
Sep 26 @ Arkansas State
Oct 7 Jacksonville State
Oct 14 @ Missouri State
Oct 21 Liberty
Oct 28 @ Middle Tennessee
Nov 7 Delaware
Nov 14 @ Sam Houston
Nov 21 FIU
Nov 28 @ WKU
Notes: Kennesaw State had a TO margin of -4, which was 95th best; all-time .654 winning percentage is the best in CUSA; 83 wins is 134th all-time, and the fewest in CUSA; QB will be LSU/Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins (1,042 yds, 53.6%, 6 TDs, 10 INTs, 126 yds rushing); defense had 31 sacks, tied for best in CUSA; K Daniel Kinney (6-7 FGs, long of 50) returns, and P will be Arizona State transfer Matt McKenzie (34.6 avg/33.4 net on just 12 punts); KSU won the last 3 regular season contests before losing to WMU in the bowl, as they’ve won 10 of their last 12 overall; the Owls improved by 8 wins over the previous year; KSU has won 7 consecutive home games, and have a good chance of extending that to at least 9 before they face Jax State; 6 wins were by 8 points or less, but their 4 losses were to teams with a combined 44-13 record!
Outlook: The Owls will be looking to avoid the 2nd-year collapse under HC Jerry Mack. How can they do that? By getting off to a fast start and having at least adequate QB play. The OOC slate is somewhat easier than last year, replacing road games at Wake Forest and Indiana with road games at Tennessee and Arkansas State (whom they defeated by 7 last year at home). The other 2 are FCS West Georgia and Ga State at home. At worst they should be 2-2, and at best, 3-1. In CUSA they avoid NMSU, so they get all the top contenders, but only WKU is on the road. If the Owls can avoid the sophomore slump, then they have a chance to repeat as CUSA champions, or at least make it into the CG. I see at least 6 wins and a return to bowl eligibility, and maybe even their 1st bowl win. Hooty Hoo!
95- Colorado Buffaloes 3-9/1-8 (15th)
Coach: Deion Sanders (4th year, 4th overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 16-21/.432/96th
3-year record/rank: 16-21/.432/94th
6-year record/rank: 25-42/.373/117th
10-year record/rank: 50-67/.427/100th
Last League Title: 2001 Big 12/2016 Pac 12 South
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2004
Bowl Record/Rank: 12-19/.387/109th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: 1/1990
Last Undefeated Season: 1923/9-0 under HC Myron Witham
Last Winless Season: Never (since 1901); worst season was 1-11 in 2012 under HC Jon Embree and 1-11 in 2022 under HC’s Karl Dorrell (0-5) and Mike Sanford (1-6)
All-time Record/Rank: 735-557-36/.567/46th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 20.9/114th/15th Big 12
Rushing: 125.6/104th/15th
Passing: 202.8/93rd/13th
Total: 328.4/112th/15th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 30.5/111th/13th
Rushing: 222.5/133rd/16th
Passing: 203.2/41st/6th
Total: 425.7/121st/16th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 8/7
Schedule:
Sep 3 @ Georgia Tech
Sep 12 Weber State
Sep 20 @ Northwestern
Sep 26 Baylor
Oct 3 Texas Tech
Oct 17 Utah
Oct 24 @ Oklahoma State
Oct 31 Kansas State
Nov 7 @ Arizona State
Nov 13 Houston
Nov 21 @ Cincinnati
Nov 28 UCF
Notes: The Buffaloes haven’t won a bowl game since 2004 (3rd longest bowl win drought, and longest in P4), losing their last 5 appearances (tied for 2nd longest bowl losing streak, and tied for longest in P4); TO margin was -2, tied for 81st; 735 wins is tied with Utah for 32nd all-time, 4 behind Delaware/Mich State/North Carolina at #29, and 4 ahead of Oregon; QB will be Julian “JuJu” Lewis (589 yds, 55.3%, 4 TDs, 0 INTs in limited playing time last year); new OC is Brennan Marion, who brings his “Go-Go” offense to Boulder; SJSU transfer Danny Scudero (88 receptions, nation-leading 1,297 yds, 10 TDs) is a star at WR; Chris Marve is the 3rd DC in the last 4 years; K Elliott Arnold (DNP last season) is ready to take over as P Damon Greaves (43.7 avg/37.4 net) returns; CU has had a losing record in 7 of the last 9 years; 3 losses were by 7 points or less, as was 1 win; defense allowed 53 and 52 points in back-to-back games, and at least 29 points in 4 others; offense scored more than 21 points just 4 times, and 2 of those were 22 points and 24 points; the Buffs have had a losing conference record in 15 of the last 18 seasons, with 12 of those with either 1 or 2 wins; Colorado is on a 5-game losing streak.
Outlook: The Buffaloes have been on a roller coaster under HC Sanders, going from 4-8 to 9-4 to 3-9. Can they turn it back around and get to a winning record again? They open up with Ga Tech again, whom they lost to by 7 last season, this time on the road, and then have an FCS squad followed by another road game at Northwestern. The game against the Wildcats could be a good indication of how this season could go. In the Big 12, they play 3 of the top 4 expected contenders (all at home), but also 5 teams that could finish in the bottom half. Fortunately, they have only 4 Big 12 road games. I think the Buffs have a good chance to get to 6 wins and a return to bowl eligibility, with 6 or 7 wins the ceiling, but ultimately will fall short, with only 4 or 5 wins.
94- Michigan State Spartans 4-8/1-8 (tied for 16th)
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (1st year, 18th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 110-101/.521/76th
3-year record/rank: 13-23/.361/117th
6-year record/rank: 31-37/.456/88th
10-year record/rank: 58-61/.487/78th
Last League Title: 2015 Big Ten champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 4 years bowl-less/2021/2021
Bowl Record/Rank: 14-16/.467/77th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 1
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: 1/1952
Last Undefeated Season: 1952/9-0 under HC Biggie Munn (from 1950-53 they were 35-2 under HC Munn)
Last Winless Season: 1917/0-9 under HC Chester Brewer
All-time Record/Rank: 739-502-44/.592/31st
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 24.6/87th/12th Big Ten
Rushing: 122.8/110th/15th
Passing: 222.7/68th/10th
Total: 345.5/97th/13th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 29.9/104th/15th
Rushing: 147.3/65th/13th
Passing: 231.3/92nd/17th
Total: 378.7/72nd/14th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 6/6
Schedule:
Sep 5 Toledo
Sep 12 Eastern Michigan
Sep 19 @ Notre Dame
Sep 26 Nebraska
Oct 3 @ Wisconsin
Oct 10 Illinois
Oct 17 Northwestern
Oct 24 @ UCLA
Nov 7 @ Michigan
Nov 14 Washington
Nov 21 Oregon
Nov 28 @ Rutgers
Notes: Michigan State has the 4th longest bowl-less streak at 4 years; TO margin was -3, tied for 88th; 739 wins is tied for 29th with Delaware and North Carolina, 4 ahead of Colorado and Utah, and just 1 behind Miami, Ohio; Pat Fitzgerald is returning to coaching after 3 years away, and is the winningest coach in the history of Northwestern; QB will be Alessio Milivojevic (1,267 yds, 64.2%, 10 TDs, 3 INTs); defense had only 9 takeaways, 6th lowest in FBS; K will be Charlotte transfer Liam Boyd (9-12 FGs, long of 42), and P will be Iowa transfer Rhys Dakin (44.1 avg/40.2 net); only once (2021) in the last 6 years have the Spartans had a winning season, and only once in the last 7 seasons have they had a winning conference record; MSU lost 8 in a row before winning the finale against Maryland; the Spartans have a 9-game road losing streak (last win at Maryland- thank goodness for the Terps!), and have lost 19 of their last 22 road games, all of them to current teams in the Big Ten (lost at Washington in 2022); all of their losses were by at least 11 points- in fact, their last 11 losses (and 13 of their last 14) were by at least that many (7-point loss at Michigan in 2024); offense scored 20 points or less in 6 games last season, and in 13 of their last 21 games.
Outlook: The Spartans are probably in for a rough year, as HC Fitzgerald is their 4th HC in the last 4 years. The chances of starting 3-0 for a 2nd straight season are low, considering game #3 is at Notre Dame, but MSU does get 7 home games, as they have for the last 4 seasons. In the Big Ten, they miss OSU, Indiana, USC, and Penn State, and get Illinis, Washington, and Oregon at home, so in a normal year, their schedule would be considered favorable. But with just 18 wins over the last 4 years, this is anything from a normal year, and they are pretty far removed from 2008-17 run of success (even that run had 2 losing seasons). It’s possible the Spartans will be improved (or lucky) enough to get to 6 wins and bowl eligibility, but I just don’t see it. I see 3 or 4 wins at most- no Maryland this year!- and maybe not even that many.
93- Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 6-7/5-3 (tied for 2nd in West)
Coach: Michael Desormeaux (5th year, 5th overall)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 29-25/.537/73rd
3-year record/rank: 22-18/.550/58th
6-year record/rank: 51-27/.654/24th
10-year record/rank: 80-51/.611/32nd
Last League Title: 2021 Sun Belt Conference champions; 2024 SBC West champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 8 years/2025/2021
Bowl Record/Rank: 7-6/.538/T39th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1943/5-0-1 under HC Louis Whitman
Last Winless Season: 1973/0-10 under HC Russ Faulkinberry
All-time Record/Rank: 581-591-34/.496/100th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 26.0/70th/8th SBC
Rushing: 183.2/31st/6th
Passing: 161.9/121st/13th
Total: 345.2/98th/11th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 29.2/96th/7th
Rushing: 186.7/116th/11th
Passing: 224.1/79th/6th
Total: 410.8/107th/9th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 7/3
Schedule:
Sep 5 Lamar
Sep 12 @ USC
Sep 19 UAB
Sep 26 @ Charlotte
Oct 3 Arkansas State
Oct 10 @ La Tech
Oct 17 Troy
Oct 24 @ Southern Miss
Nov 7 South Alabama
Nov 12 @ ULM
Nov 21 Coastal Carolina
Nov 28 @ Georgia State
Notes: The Ragin’ Cajuns have the 9th longest bowl streak at 8 years, but the 5th longest bowl win drought with 4 straight losses; TO margin was -1, tied for 77th; 581 wins is 88th, 1 behind UMass, and 4 in front of Northwestern; UL has been 6-7 in 3 of the past 4 seasons (10-4 in ‘24); QB Dwayne “Lunch” Winfield (1,555 yds, 59%, 11 TDs, 7 INTs, 667 yds rushing, 4.4 ypc, 9 TDs) returns; K Tony Sterner (20-28 FGs, 3-6 from 50+, long of 55) returns, but new P will be Mason Golding; the Ragin’ Cajuns have won 4 of their last 5 (bowl loss to Delaware); 4 of 6 wins were by 4 points or less, and 1 was by 9 points; 3 losses were by 7 points or less; UL has had only 1 losing record in the SBC since 2015 (3-5 in ‘23), and have had at least 3 wins every year since 2003 (2-4 in each of their 1st 2 years in the SBC in 2001-02).
Outlook: Louisiana has won 5 of the last 8 West Division titles, and they have a chance this year to make it 6 out of 9. They have a good chance to be 3-1 in the OOC portion (play at USC), and with crossover games with CU and at Ga State to end the season, that’s a good chance at 5-1 outside the division. Within the West Division, they get ASU, USA, and Troy at home, so this is a team that could get to 10 wins and once again play in the SBC CG.
92- North Carolina Tar Heels 4-8/2-6 (tied for 13th)
Coach: Bill Belichick (2nd year, 2nd overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 4-8/.333/109th
3-year record/rank: 18-20/.474/83rd
6-year record/rank: 41-36/.532/57th
10-year record/rank: 61-65/.484/79th
Last League Title: 1980 ACC champions/2022 ACC Coastal champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 1 year bowl-less/2024/2019
Bowl Record/Rank: 15-24/.385/T110th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1898/9-0 under HC William A. Reynolds
Last Winless Season: 1891/0-2 with no coach listed
All-time Record/Rank: 739-584-54/.556/60th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 19.3/118th/16th ACC
Rushing: 105.3/120th/14th
Passing: 183.5/109th/16th
Total: 288.8/129th/17th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 24.5/66th/8th
Rushing: 125.7/35th/9th
Passing: 211.3/52nd/7th
Total: 336.9/38th/7th
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/5
Schedule:
Aug 29 TCU (Dublin, Ireland)
Sep 12 East Tennessee State
Sep 19 @ Clemson
Oct 3 Notre Dame
Oct 10 @ Pittsburgh
Oct 17 @ Duke
Oct 24 Syracuse
Oct 31 Miami, Fl
Nov 7 @ UConn
Nov 14 Louisville
Nov 21 @ Virginia
Nov 28 NC State
Notes: The Tar Heels are tied for the 2nd longest bowl win drought, as they have lost 5 in a row (last win in 2019); TO margin was -3, tied for 88th; 739 wins is tied for 29th with Delaware and Michigan State, 4 ahead of Colorado and Utah, and just 1 behind Miami, Ohio; new OC is our old friend, Bobby Petrino, formerly of Louisville, Arkansas, WKU, the Atlanta Falcons, and Missouri State (not in that order), and has been OC at Texas A&M and Arkansas in his most recent stints (both HC’s fired while he was there); QB is expected to be Maryland/Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards, Jr. (2,811 yds, 65%, 15 TDs, 9 INTs at Maryland in ‘24, and 113 yds, 44%, 0 TDs, 0 INTs at Wisconsin before injury in ‘25); defense was up-and-down, allowing 32+ points in 5 games while holding 5 opponents to 17 or less; K is likely to be LSU transfer Aeron Burrell (only handled KOs last 2 years) and P will likely be Eastern Illinois transfer Jacob Horvath (44.3 avg/35.7 net in ‘24); UNC is on a 3-game losing streak; 3 losses were by 7 points or less, but only 1 win was by less than 17 points; the Tar Heels have only 2 seasons with more than 8 wins since they were 11-1 in 1997 in HC Mack Brown’s last season during his 1st stint in Chapel Hill, and only 8 of those 28 seasons had 8 wins (so 10 of 28 with 8 wins or more); UNC has lost 5 of their last 7 games both at home and on the road, and 4 of their last 5 of each in the ACC.
Outlook: North Carolina has had 2 losing seasons in a row for the 1st time since 2017-18 under HC Larry Fedora (3-9 then 2-9), and haven’t had 3 consecutive losing seasons since 1987-1989, encompassing HC Dick Crum’s last year (5-6) and HC Mack Brown’s 1st 2 years in Chapel Hill (1-10 each season). The chances are good that they may match that streak this year, and I’ll be talking about the last time they had 4 straight losing seasons in this space next year. Why would I say that when the best coach in NFL history is on the sideline? Just look at their schedule! They open with TCU in Ireland, host Notre Dame in early October, and play at UConn (9-4 last year) in early November. Assuming they defeat their FCS opponent, that means they will be 2-2 at best for their OOC slate, the same as last year. And this year’s ACC schedule is tougher, even though they are one of only 5 teams to play 8 conference games (the other 12 play 9 ACC games). They go on the road for Clemson, Pitt, Duke, and UVA- all bowl teams who went a combined 35-19- and the home games are Syracuse (3-9), Miami (13-3), Louisville (9-4) and rival NC State (8-5). Do you see a chance to improve on their 4 wins from last season? I think they have an outside shot at 6 wins, but only if their offense can improve enough to match their defense, and that’s iffy, at best. Look for 3-5 wins, with the possibility for an upset, but that works both ways.
91- Washington State Cougars 7-6/1-1 (tied for 1st)
Coach: Kirby Moore (1st year, 1st overall FBS)
Coach FBS Record/Rank: 0-0/.000/126th
3-year record/rank: 20-18/.526/63rd
6-year record/rank: 35-33/.515/63rd
10-year record/rank: 69-51/.575/44th
Last League Title: 2002 Pac-10 champions
Bowl Streak/Last Bowl Season/Last Bowl Win: 2 years/2025/2025
Bowl Record/Rank: 9-11/.450/87th
CFP Playoff Appearances: 0
AP Championships/Last AP Championship: None
Last Undefeated Season: 1917/6-0-1 under HC William Dietz (also 7-0 and Rose Bowl champs in 1915 under Dietz)
Last Winless Season: 1898/0-0-1 under HC Frank Shively
All-time Record/Rank: 587-597-45/.496/99th
Offense/ranks:
Scoring: 22.5/T103rd/6th Pac 12
Rushing: 128.2/101st/6th
Passing: 210.5/87th/6th
Total: 338.7/105th/7th
Defense/ranks:
Scoring: 20.2/27th/3rd
Rushing: 125.2/33rd/1st
Passing: 174.4/13th/3rd
Total: 299.5/15th/3rd
Returning Starters (Off/Def): 5/3
Schedule:
Sep 5 @ Washington
Sep 12 @ Kansas State
Sep 19 Duquesne
Sep 26 Arizona
Oct 3 Fresno State
Oct 10 @ Utah State
Oct 17 @ Oregon State
Oct 24 Boise State
Oct 31 @ San Diego State
Nov 14 Colorado State
Nov 21 @ Texas State
Nov 29 Oregon State (FLEX)
Notes: Washington State had a TO margin of -9, tied for 118th; including interims, Wazzu is on their 5th HC in the last 3 years, and their 8th in the last 8 years; 587 wins ranks a tie for 79th with Troy, 1 behind FSU, and 2 ahead of Iowa State, Kansas State, and Tulane; QB is likely to be FCS UC-Davis transfer Caden Pinnick (3,206 yds, 70%, 32 TDs, 10 INTs, 437 yds rushing, 3.5 ypc, Big Sky Freshman of the Year); K Jack Stevens (16-19 FGs, long of 49) returns, and P will be New Mexico State transfer Max Dean (42.3 avg/38.9 net); WSU won 2 of their last 3, and were 5-1 at home; 4 losses were by 4 points or lessdefense held 7 opponents to 13 points or less, but the offense was held to 20 or less 7 times; the Cougars have 8 winning seasons in the last 11 years (4 different HC’s, not including interims), but 3 of their last 4 winning seasons were all 7-6.
Outlook: The Cougars have had tremendous turnover the last few years both in coaches and in players, so it’s hard to be optimistic, but as I noted above, they continue to put up winning seasons. Wazzu is one of only a handful of teams that play 3 P4 opponents in OOC games- at Washington, at Kansas State, and Arizona- and I applaud them for that, but that makes for a difficult schedule. Winning one of those 3 would be an accomplishment, and give them a 2-2 OOC record. In the newly reconstituted Pac 12, they get Fresno State and Boise State at home, with USU, OSU, and SDSU on the road. I don’t see them getting to 6 wins, especially if they start the season 1-3, but a 2-2 start could lead to a 4-4 Pac 12 finish, and a 3rd straight bowl season, but I think they fall just short with 5 wins, like in 2023.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
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