College Football's Bottom 10: Week Four

The Bottom 10: The Top 10 List You Don't Want to Be on!

Some teams made their moves in the Bottom 10, but there are those that are just starting to find out they will become a staple in this year's rankings.

This week’s theme: NUMB3RS! The key stat that is holding each team back from being successful!

TEAMS THAT GOT OUT OF THE HOLE: COLORADO, WESTERN MICHIGAN
(Previous Week rankings are in parenthesis!)

No. 10 (7). WASHINGTON STATE (1-2)

“1”: The number of wins that Washington State now has! Wazzu made an impressive comeback in the waning seconds of regulation to tie it at 27 on a seven-yard TD pass and then buried a 39-yard FG to win in OT.

But in all fairness, Washington State needed OT to beat SMU at home, and that's disappointing from a team that is in the Pac-10. They stay in the Bottom 10 just for that reason.

No. 9 (9). TULANE (0-2)

“-37.5”: That’s the scoring margin that Tulane is facing currently after two games. Lucky for them, they got a bye week before they take on McNeese State, who is still undefeated after ripping Savannah State 56-0. If I was a Green Wave fan, I would be extremely concerned that we could lose to an FCS school.

(Yes, that is Shaun King in the photo. It's hard to not go with a good picture like that to represent the Tulane Football legacy.)

No. 8 (NR). SAN JOSE STATE (0-3)

“18.3”: That’s how many yards per game SJSU is averaging on the ground.

Now let’s give the Spartans credit. They’ve played USC, Utah, and Stanford, so those really are some pretty good teams. But still, they are 0-3, and this week they host Cal Poly! Here’s their chance to get out of the Bottom 10 quickly and quietly!

No. 7 (6). RICE (0-3)

“46.7”: The number of points that the Owl defense is giving up a game. Quite a large number if you ask me.

Next week could be another high-scoring affair as they host Vanderbilt at home. But Rice should get a little bit of credit as they kept up with Oklahoma State for most of their contest.

No. 6 (NR). NEW MEXICO (0-3)

“230.7”: That’s how many yards of offense New Mexico is averaging through their first three games. I can guarantee that I could find a high school team in Alaska that averages more than that. They’ve mustered just 29 points through their first three games.

I apologize that they have eluded me in the Bottom 10 the previous three weeks, but this week, they are right in the thick of the rankings.

(Yes, that is Brian Urlacher in that photo. It's difficult to find a good New Mexico football picture.)

No. 5 (4). EASTERN MICHIGAN (0-3)

“0”: That’s how many points EMU scored in the second half of their game this past week against Michigan. They were only down 24-17 at the break and were playing really well for a change.

Next week is the Eagles' chance to get back on track as they host Temple, a team that is begging for a victory.

No. 4 (5). VIRGINIA (0-3)

“11”: That’s how many turnovers Virginia has through its first three games. Another staggering statistic is quarterback Jameel Sewell’s rushing stats for the game this past week @ Southern Miss: 23 rushes, 23 yards. Well, at least he’s consistent.

A week off before a trip to Chapel Hill will most certainly help the Hoos...just kidding.

NO. 3 (3). THE BOTTOM OF THE SUN BELT (FAU, FIU, WESTERN KENTUCKY) (0-8)

“0”: I was going to try to find another number for you, but seriously, that’s probably the best I can do. None of these three teams have any wins. That’s pretty horrible.

WKU just lost to Central Arkansas at home, FIU lost by just eight to Rutgers, and FAU can’t play defense. Game, set, match.

No. 2 (2). MIAMI (OH) (0-3)

“9,471”: That’s how many seconds it took for Miami of Ohio to finally score their first points of the season. Okay, that’s a pretty big number. How’s 157 minutes and 51 seconds? Okay, better.

But big ups to the Redhawk offense—they scored 26 points against Western Michigan! Even better? They were all scored in the second half.

To be completely honest, I don't think even Ben Roethlisberger could score with this team.

No. 1 (1). BALL STATE (0-3)

“4”: That’s how many wins Ball State had at this point, Sept. 22, last season. How many do they have as of right now? Ummmmm, none. The icing on the cake was a loss at Army, who is now surprisingly 2-1!

MiQuale Lewis, who had aspirations of being a possible All-American at the start of the season, ran for just 21 yards against New Hampshire and 17 yards against Army. Are those defenses REALLY that good? I don’t think so.

Ball State continues to hold down the No. 1 spot of my Bottom 10 for the third week in a row! NATE DAVIS, WHERE ART THOU?!?!