Behind the 8-Ball, the 8 Worst Teams in College Football

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

All season long, fans are obsessed with who's leading the way at the top of the ranks, but isn't it time we looked the other way to see who is on the other side of the coin and is at the bottom looking up?

These may not be the worst teams overall, but they are the ones who did the worst job with the chance they had to be better.

There's always space to include your comments at the end of the slide show to let us know if you agree or would add other choices.

University of Memphis: The Tigers Have No Claws

With only wins against Austin Peay and Tulane, who is also making this list, the Memphis Tigers are a sensational flop considering the talent that new coach Larry Porter had to work with.

Memphis could have easily been a .500 team with this schedule, but Porter is proving that he's not up to the job of running his own program right now.

A 10-loss season is simply unacceptable especially after the season was thought to be so bright to begin the season with.

Tulane Green Wave: The Tide Has Gone out in New Orleans

The Green Wave of Tulane is situated near New Orleans and in prime recruiting country, but Tulane didn't get enough of them to make a difference and ended the season in ruin with a 2-11 season.

It got so bad that even head coach Bob Toledo bailed after a 2-5 start, and now, the team is without a head coach and any hope of climbing from the bottom any time soon.

Kansas: The Evil Twin to Kansas State

Talk about a tale of two schools, Kansas State is the model of a team recovering from mediocrity, and Kansas is the other side of the coin, a team spiraling downward.

A 10-2 team isn't what the administration was looking for when they hired Turner Gill to lead this program. Now the question is, how long will they give him to fix this problem?

He isn't repeating his Buffalo success here.

Idaho Vandals: They Can't Even Score a Cool Mascot Name

A two-win season and one of the dumbest names in college football doesn't make playing for the Idaho Vandals very easy.

They can't seem to do anything well but lose, despite a cupcake conference and an easy schedule.

Ole Miss Turned into an Old Mess under Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt gambled and lost on taking a one-year shot with Jeremiah Masoli last year, and it flopped sensationally.

Masoli was a one-year transfer who Nutt thought could make a difference, but he failed as badly as the team, and Nutt went into this year with no experienced quarterback.

They'll finish 2-10 and be the unquestionable worst team in the SEC West.

Nutt is gone after this season, and he's left quite a mess for someone else to come in and clean up.

Indiana Hoosiers: This Team Makes Fans Wish for Basketball Season

It didn't take Gunner Kiel long to see that, even though it was the hometown choice and the place his brother had gone, being a part of that team was joining a sinking ship's crew.

The Hoosiers play in a soft conference and still can't eek out more than one win and that was against a directional South Carolina strip mall college.

The fans' biggest cheer this year has been, "See you during basketball season!"

This team just truly reeks of sloppy play and bad coaching.

Akron Zips: With a Name Like Zip, What Else Would You Expect?

So a Zip is a Kangaroo? I thought it referred to how many quality wins this team came up with this year. They did manage to beat a military academy for a lone win, but against regular colleges with real football programs, Zip just about sums up their season.

They did, however, manage to score a big check this season by showing up at Ohio State for a 42-0 beating.

Oh well, at least they turned a profit.

And the Winner Is: Florida Atlantic University, the Sultans of Suck

Somebody has to be the worst there is, and this year, that would be the Florida Atlantic University Owls. They are truly the Sultans of Suck in the world of college football.

How bad are the Owls?

Their best game was the only game they didn't get beat by double digits, and that was against Louisiana-Lafayette.

They are the dead last team in total offensive scoring and almost the worst defensive unit out there.

How bad is the offense?

They had five games they couldn't manage more that just one score.

Congratulations to the Owls, and thankfully retiring head coach Howard Schnellenberger, who at 77, perhaps should have left while he still had a winning tradition associated with his name.

The Owls could be grounded now for some time to come.

(Larry Burton is a syndicated writer whose work appears online and in print. If you'd like to keep up with all his articles, follow him on Twitter and sign up as a fan on his Bio Page.)