CFN 2010 Final Rankings
No. 76 to No. 100
- CFN
2009 Final Rankings
- CFN 2008 Final Rankings
2010 CFN Final Rankings
- The
Top 10 |
Rankings
11-25 | Rankings
26-50
- Rankings
51-75 |
Rankings 76-100 | The
Bottom 20
The Formula's Components:
1. Wins. - If you
win, everything else falls into place. Each win
counts as 1.
2. Quality Wins - The number of wins over teams that
finished with a winning record. Each win counts as
1.
3. Elite Wins - The number of wins over teams that
finished with two losses or fewer. Each win counts
as 1 with a road win over an Elite team getting an
extra 0.5. Also counting as 1 is a road win over a
team that finished with three losses or fewer (but
the extra 0.5 isn't added). A win over a team that
finishes with three losses in a bowl game counts as
one.
4. Bad Loss - The number of losses to teams that
finished with three wins or fewer or a loss to a FCS
(DI-AA) team. Each loss counts as minus-1. Take away
an additional 0.5 for a Bad Loss at home.
5. Bad Win - The number of wins to teams that
finished with three wins or fewer, or a win over a
D-IAA team. Each win counts as minus 0.25.
6. Elite Loss - The number of losses to teams that
finished with two losses or fewer. Each loss counts
as 0.25.
7. Point Differential - Points for minus points
against divided by 100.
8. Winning Percentage - To take losses into account,
winning percentage is in the mix. Total wins is the
tie-breaker followed by winning percentage.
100. Duke (3-9)
2010 CFN Score: 1.78
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 75
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2009 Final Ranking: 97
2009 Final Score.2.79
2008 Final Ranking: 79
2008 Final Score: 5.68
Key Stat: Duke was
113th in the nation in run defense and last in the
ACC in sacks, tackles for loss and total defense.
The Blue Devil offense was fun at winging it around,
but it didn't translate to wins thanks to a defense
that couldn't stop anyone. The midseason wins over
Navy and Virginia helped, but the loss to Wake
Forest hurt the overall ranking. Duke was 3-1 when
scoring more than 21 points, and 0-8 when under. The
biggest problem was the defensive line that failed
to do anything to get into the backfield.
99. North Texas (3-9)
2010 CFN Score: 1.81
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 102
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2009 Final Ranking: 110
2009 Final Score. -0.16
2008 Final Ranking: 116
2008 Final Score: -2.23
Key Stat: UNT was 114th in the nation in tackles for
loss.
Head coach Todd Dodge got canned, and all of a
sudden, the team started to play well with a stretch
of two wins in three weeks. Beating Western Kentucky
might not be that big a deal, but the three wins
this season, also beating Florida Atlantic and
Middle Tennessee, were on the road. The bad loss to
Louisiana-Lafayette at home was a problem for the
ranking.
98. Ole Miss (4-8) 2010
CFN Score: 2.03
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 25
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2009 Final Ranking: 25
2009 Final Score. 14.48
2008 Final Ranking: 15
2008 Final Score: 16.89
Key Stat: Ole Miss
was 103rd in the nation in pass defense.
After being one of the nation's hot teams for two
seasons, the Rebels fizzled from the start thanks to
a disappointing defense that couldn't come up with a
key stop. Losing to Jacksonville State at home is no
way to kick things off, and while there were wins
over Fresno State and Kentucky, the best performance
came in the 43-36 loss to LSU. Losing to Vanderbilt,
along with the Jacksonville State loss, was
disastrous.
97. Florida Atlantic (4-8) 2010 CFN Score: 2.09
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 112
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2009 Final Ranking: 83
2009 Final Score. 4.66
2008 Final Ranking: 68
2008 Final Score: 6.82
Key Stat: FAU was
115th in the nation running the ball, and 105th
against the run.
After beating UAB in miraculous fashion to start the
season, the Owls lost five straight before getting
hot for three straight wins. Beating WKU and ULL was
no big deal, but coming up with a 21-9 win over
arch-rival FIU was one of the shockers of the Sun
Belt season. The home loss to North Texas, though,
was inexcusable as the offense couldn't get anything
going. FAU scored more than 17 points just once
after the season opener.
96. Middle Tennessee (6-7)
2010 CFN Score: 2.50
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 88
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2009 Final Ranking: 41
2009 Final Score. 11.60
2008 Final Ranking: 70
2008 Final Score: 6.67
Key Stat: The Blue
Raiders were last in the nation in turnover margin.
With quarterback Dwight Dasher out for the first
four games, the offense failed to jell. However,
when he came back, the turnovers started to flow and
mistakes proved costly. Losses to Minnesota,
Memphis, and North Texas were inexcusable, but three
straight late wins, including a 28-27 thriller over
FIU, meant a bowl shot. More turnovers equaled a
loss to Miami University.
95. Tulane (4-8) 2010
CFN Score: 2.61
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 119
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 1-11
2009 Final Ranking: 111
2009 Final Score. -0.22
2008 Final Ranking: 112
2008 Final Score: -1.22
Key Stat: Tulane was 113th in the nation in scoring.
Green Wave football was interesting with several
good battles, but the wins weren't coming. There
weren't any bad losses, but there weren't any
quality wins. Even so, shocking Rutgers and beating
a bowl bound UTEP was a nice step for a program
still trying to find its footing after the Katrina
disaster. Keeping someone from scoring would be a
nice start.
94. Rice (4-8)
2010 CFN Score: 2.90
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 111
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2009 Final Ranking: 118
2009 Final Score. -2.56
2008 Final Ranking: 31
2008 Final Score: 14.31
Key Stat: Rice was last in the nation in tackles for
loss.
Rice might have lost to Tulane, but the scoring
offense that averaged close to 29 points per game
helped the final ranking. It was a rough season with
the defense hitting an ugly patch, giving up 40
points or more in five of six games, and then the
attack blew up for 62 points on East Carolina and
hung tough against UAB for two straight wins to
close out.
93. Virginia (4-8) 2010
CFN Score: 3.23
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 69
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2009 Final Ranking: 107
2009 Final Score. 0.91
2008 Final Ranking: 58
2008 Final Score: 8.75
Key Stat: The
Cavaliers were 106th in the nation against the run.
Mike London got the passing game going in his first
season, and while there were some nice moments, like
the win over Miami, the other three wins came
against Eastern Michigan and two FCSers, Richmond
and VMI. The loss to Duke in a shootout kicked off a
run of four straight losses, and a 1-7 ACC finish
wasn't pretty, but the program is looking up.
92. ULM (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 3.28
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 104
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2009 Final Ranking: 78
2009 Final Score. 5.54
2008 Final Ranking: 102
2008 Final Score: 2.93
Key Stat: ULM led the
Sun Belt against the run and was second in total
defense.
Always just this close to doing big things
in the Sun Belt, ULM lost three of its final four
games, including a home loss to ULL, to miss out on
being bowl eligible. The bad loss to the Ragin'
Cajuns ruined the season and the ranking, but a
stunning win over Troy and a 4-4 conference record
were bright spots. Going forward, the WarHawks need
to start scoring after averaging just 20.8 points
per game.
91. Minnesota (3-9)
2010 CFN Score: 3.32
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 71
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2009 Final Ranking: 70
2009 Final Score. 7.09
2008 Final Ranking: 71
2008 Final Score: 6.59
Key Stat: Minnesota
was last in the nation in punting and sacks.
Awful throughout, the Gophers won the opener at
Middle Tennessee before losing to South Dakota as
part of nine straight defeats to end the Tim
Brewster era. The team rallied with him gone winning
the final two games of the season with shocking wins
over Illinois and Iowa. New head man Jerry Kill will
be certain to get the running game going again, but
he needs to beef up the defense first.
90. UCLA (4-8)
2010 CFN Score: 3.36
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 6-6
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 51
2009 Final Ranking: 59
2009 Final Score. 9.39
2008 Final Ranking: 101
2008 Final Score: 2.97
Key Stat: UCLA was
116th in the nation in passing and 108th in run
defense.
Just when it seemed like the Bruins had turned a
corner with three straight wins, including a blowout
at Texas, they went in the tank with six losses in
the final seven games with a 17-14 win over Oregon
State the lone oasis. The problem is scoring: UCLA
doesn't seem to want to do it. The O scored fewer
than 20 points in five of the final seven games.
89. Utah State (4-8)
2010 CFN Score: 3.92
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 91
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2009 Final Ranking: 93
2009 Final Score. 3.74
2008 Final Ranking: 106
2008 Final Score: 1.97
Key Stat: The Aggies
were 109th in the nation in sacks and 117th in
tackles for loss.
Just when it seemed like the Bruins had turned a
corner with three straight wins, including a blowout
at Texas, they went in the tank with six losses in
the final seven games with a 17-14 win over Oregon
State the lone oasis. The problems is scoring: UCLA
doesn't seem to want to do it. The O scored fewer
than 20 points in five of the final seven games.
88. Indiana (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 4.35
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 70
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2009 Final Ranking: T99.
2009 Final Score. 2.61
2008 Final Ranking: 105
2008 Final Score: 2.48
Key Stat: IU was 14th
in the nation in passing and 112th in rushing.
If only Demarlo Belcher had been able to hang on to
the ball. The IU star receiver dropped a touchdown
pass in the final moments against Iowa and it ended
up costing the Hoosiers a bowl game, but the season
might be remembered more for the 83-20 loss to
Wisconsin. After starting out the season 3-0 and
4-2, IU lost five straight before closing out with
an overtime win over Purdue.
87. Marshall (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 4.47
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 95
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2009 Final Ranking: 57
2009 Final Score. 9.46
2008 Final Ranking: 77
2008 Final Score: 5.72
Key Stat: MU 103rd in
the nation in offense and 114th in rushing.
Doc Holliday’s first season was rocky at first,
starting out 1-6, but the defense picked up and the
offense did enough to get by to close out with a run
of four wins in the final five dates. The offense
has to be more consistent and there can’t be losses
like there were against Bowling Green, but the team
will be full of veterans next year.
86. Louisiana Tech (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 4.70
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 82
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2009 Final Ranking: 89
2009 Final Score. 4.24
2008 Final Ranking: 63
2008 Final Score: 7.99
Key Stat: Tech was
116th in the nation in total defense allowing 462
yards per game.
The Sonny Dykes offense didn’t exactly take off, but
it had a few nice moments against the WAC’s weakest
teams. The defense didn’t stop anyone but Utah
State, having problems with everyone’s passing game.
However, closing out with a 4-3 record in the final
seven games was a plus.
85. Idaho (6-7)
2010 CFN Score: 5.99
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 97
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 3-10
2009 Final Ranking: 56
2009 Final Score. 9.69
2008 Final Ranking: 118
2008 Final Score: -2.96
Key Stat: Idaho
finished 118th in the nation in rushing.
It wasn’t a bowl season, but the Vandals managed to
show that 2009 wasn’t a fluke with a good six-win
season. A second half run of losses to the best of
the WAC ended the fun, but they managed to beat
almost all the teams they were supposed to, with the
Colorado State loss a killer for the rankings, but
the problem was the stretch against Hawaii, Nevada,
and Boise State with losses by a combined score of
160 to 41.
84. UTEP (6-7)
2010 CFN Score: 5.27
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 80
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2009 Final Ranking: 103
2009 Final Score. 1.89
2008 Final Ranking: 89
2008 Final Score: 4.43
Key Stat: The Miners
were 109th in the nation in sacks and 116th in
tackles for loss.
Like all Mike Price UTEP teams, it fizzled in the
second half. One of Conference USA’s biggest stories
over the first half of the year with a 5-1 start,
the Miners lost six of their final seven games
including an ugly blowout loss to BYU in the New
Mexico Bowl. Four of the six wins were against bad
teams, but the SMU victory was a bright spot.
83. UAB (4-8)
2010 CFN Score: 5.45
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 113
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2009 Final Ranking: 80
2009 Final Score. 4.96
2008 Final Ranking: 100
2008 Final Score: 3.06
Key Stat: The Blazers
allowed the fewest sacks of anyone in Conference
USA.
The Blazers weren’t as bad as expected and they were
competitive with six games decided by five points or
fewer. Wins over Troy and Southern Miss made the
season, but losing three of the final four games
ruined any dreams of going bowling. The offense was
solid and the line was good, but the team has to
learn how to win more close games.
82. Kent State (5-7) 2010
CFN Score: 5.48
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 90
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2009 Final Ranking: 87
2009 Final Score. 4.29
2008 Final Ranking: 96
2008 Final Score: 3.36
Key Stat: KSU was
fourth in the nation in tackles for loss in 2009 and
third in 2010.
Kent State had one of the nation’s most aggressive
defensive fronts and a phenomenal run defense, but
it wasn’t enough to overcome a miserable offense.
Kent State came up with one nice win over Ohio to
close out the year, but it was too late after losing
three straight games to miss out on a bowl game and
cost head coach Doug Martin his job.
81. Houston (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 5.58
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 57
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2009 Final Ranking: 18
2009 Final Score. 15.41
2008 Final Ranking: 41
2008 Final Score: 12.13
Key Stat: The
Cougars were 114th in the nation against the run.
All the fun the Cougars were supposed to have went
bye-bye when star quarterback Case Keenum got hurt
early on. The passing game was still the best in
Conference USA, but it wasn’t potent enough and it
wasn’t able to come up with a November win that
would’ve given the Cougars a bowl bid. The scoring
was there, but the wins didn’t follow as expected.
80. Colorado (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 5.63
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 50
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2009 Final Ranking: T99.
2009 Final Score. 2.61
2008 Final Ranking: 76
2008 Final Score: 6.08
Key Stat: The Buffs
were 110th in the nation against the pass.
Colorado got off to a 3-1 start, and it appeared
ready to put a halt to a bad losing streak, but a
collapse against Kansas cost a bowl bid and Dan
Hawkins his job. Jon Embree will take over full
time, and the team seemed to relax with Hawkins gone
beating Iowa State and Kansas State in the two best
performances of the season. A 45-17 loss to
Nebraska, though, ended the year with a losing
record.
79. Purdue (4-8)
2010 CFN Score: 5.64
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 49
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2009 Final Ranking: 71
2009 Final Score. 7.02
2008 Final Ranking: 85
2008 Final Score: 5.03
Key Stat: Purdue was
114th in the nation in passing efficiency.
After a laughable array of injuries with all the
star skill players knocked out, Purdue couldn’t
overcome the problems and lost its final five games
of the year. While the team put up a great fight,
and there was a nice win over Northwestern, it was
asking way too much to come up with a decent season
considering the horrendous breaks.
78. Georgia Tech (6-7)
2010 CFN Score: 5.81
2010 CFN Preseason Rank:
40
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2009 Final Ranking: 13
2009 Final Score. 17.55
2008 Final Ranking: 22
2008 Final Score: 15.72
Key Stat: Tech was
101st in the nation in sacks and 108th in tackles
for loss.
Georgia Tech was supposed to rebuild, but not like
this. The offense led the nation in rushing, but it
wasn’t the same with QB Josh Nesbitt hurt, but there
were still plenty of chances to be better. The
Yellow Jackets suffered a horrendous loss at Kansas,
but still started out 5-2 before losing five of the
final six games including a 14-7 Independence Bowl
defeat to Air Force.
77. Western Michigan (6-6)
2010 CFN Score: 6.02
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 98
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2009 Final Ranking: 94
2009 Final Score. 3.57
2008 Final Ranking: 50
2008 Final Score: 10.42
Key Stat: The
Broncos finished first in the MAC and 16th in the
nation in passing.
The Broncos didn’t go bowling, but they closed out
the year hot with three straight wins including
victories over Kent State and Bowling Green by a
combined score of 79 to 10. The problem was a bad
loss at Central Michigan when WMU wasn’t focused,
but early losses to Idaho and Toledo didn’t help.
76. California (5-7)
2010 CFN Score: 6.06
2010 CFN Preseason Rank: 34
CFN 2010 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2009 Final Ranking: 43
2009 Final Score. 12.03
2008 Final Ranking: 27
2008 Final Score: 15.09
Key Stat: Cal was
111th in the nation in pass defense in 2009 and was
21st, and first in the Pac 10, in 2010.
A disappointing year, Cal had the Pac 10’s best
defense, but stunningly, the offense didn’t follow
suit. Great at home early on and miserable on the
road, the Bears had a strange season with the
highlight a close-call loss to Oregon in the Ducks’
toughest game before the BCS Championship. Losing
four of the final games ended the year on a
disastrous note, especially the collapse late
against Washington.
2010 CFN Final Rankings
- The
Top 10 |
Rankings
11-25 | Rankings
26-50
- Rankings
51-75 |
Rankings 76-100 | The
Bottom 20