The rudderless Spartans are the latest Power Five team in the Bottom 25 rankings
By David Cobb
• 8 min read
Just two years ago, Michigan State ended October with a 37-33 win over then-No. 6 Michigan that made the Spartans 8-0 and catapulted them to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 under second-year coach Mel Tucker. This year, the Spartans are heading into their final game of October at 2-5 and fresh off a 49-0 loss to the Wolverines. It was the most lopsided game in the annual series since 1947 and the biggest home loss for Michigan State in a century of football played at Spartan Stadium.
Tucker was fired for cause last month amid an ugly scandal, and the program he appeared to be building into a national contender just two years ago is just 7-12 over the past two seasons. Life comes at you fast in the Big Ten, and Michigan State can't get out of its own way.
Not only did the Spartans take a historic home loss on the field Saturday night. They also took a loss off the field when an image of Hitler made its way onto the video board during a pregame quiz show. The incident has prompted two apologies from the administration and only added to the malaise afflicting a rudderless football program.
So, without further ado, please welcome Michigan State to the Bottom 25.
Bottom 25 rankings
After years as the QB1 of the Bottom 25, Tom Fornelli has passed the baton to David Cobb this season. We're still using Fornelli's power rankings to determine the order -- with the No. 1 ranking belonging to the worst FBS team -- but the written jabs are from Cobb.
The Bottom 25
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25. Vanderbilt | 2-6 | Vanderbilt is just 1-7 against the point spread as it heads to No. 12 Ole Miss coming off a bye week. The Commodores are 25.5-point underdogs. Surely they can keep it within that margin since the Rebels will be interested in self-preservation ahead of crucial conference showdowns with Texas A&M and Georgia. (Last week: 24) | |
| 24. Michigan State | 2-5 | In addition to falling 49-0 at home to rival Michigan, the Spartans also had to issue a pair of apologies for showing an image of Hitler on their video board before the game. As if the embarrassment of recently fired coach Mel Tucker's behavior wasn't enough, Michigan State just keeps taking Ls on and off the field. (NR) | |
| 23. Indiana | 2-5 | We grilled Indiana here last week, so let's give the Hoosiers some credit this time. Despite being outscored 83-21 in losses to Michigan in Rutgers the past two weeks, IU scored first in both games. That's about all the positive spin you can find with this team, and it isn't much. (25) | |
| 22. Buffalo | 3-5 | Buffalo beat Kent State 24-6 in a Bottom 25 battle on Saturday to make it three wins in the past four games for the Bulls, who have recovered nicely from an 0-4 start. This squad rose all the way to No. 2 in the Bottom 25 during late September but may escape it with a win at Toledo next Tuesday. (11) | |
| 21. Stanford | 2-5 | The glory of a stunning comeback win at Colorado wore off quickly as the Cardinal fell 42-7 vs. UCLA on Saturday. The Bruins racked up 503 total yards while the Cardinal contributed to their own demise with 10 penalties totaling 113 yards. It was an ugly reminder of the ground Stanford must make up to be a future ACC title contender. (NR) | |
| 20. San Diego State | 3-5 | San Diego State lost 6-0 against a Nevada team that previously spent the entire season at No. 1 in the Bottom 25. The Aztecs finished with 11 first downs and 47 yards passing en route to their shameful defeat. It may have been the worst college football game played in 2023. (23) | |
| 19. UAB | 2-6 | UAB was outscored 24-0 in the second half of a loss to Memphis after leading 8-0 and 14-7 at points in the first half. Four turnovers ruined the Blazers, who rank 127th in scoring defense. Trent Dilfer's first season coaching college football is going down as one to forget. (20) | |
| 18. Louisiana-Monroe | 2-5 | Louisiana-Monroe was in the hunt once again during a 38-28 loss at Georgia Southern. The Warhawks trailed 31-7 before closing the gap to 31-28 and ultimately faltering. If coach Terry Bowden's club is going to match its total of four wins from the past two seasons, it better win the next two against lowly foes Arkansas State and Troy. (19) | |
| 17. Arizona State | 1-6 | If moral victories were a stat, Arizona State would lead the nation. First-year coach Kenny Dillingham inherited a dry cupboard from Herm Edwards, brought in a slew of mostly unremarkable transfers and has been rocked by injuries. Yet, the Sun Devils are competitive almost every week. On Saturday night, they outplayed No. 5 Washington through three quarters before falling 15-7. (21) | |
| 16. Middle Tennessee | 2-6 | Middle Tennessee might have escaped the Bottom 25 with a win over unbeaten Liberty last week. But the Blue Raiders couldn't hang on to a 35-28 lead and now must win their final four games to get bowl eligible for a third consecutive season. (16) | |
| 15. Army | 2-5 | Army has been outscored 81-0 the past two weeks in losses to Troy and LSU while committing a total of eight turnovers. Games against UMass (Saturday) and Holy Cross (Nov. 11) should be wins for the Black Knights, but they have a lot to correct if they are going to beat undefeatedAir Force (Nov. 4) or Navy (Dec. 9). (NR) | |
| 14. Charlotte | 2-5 | First-year coach Biff Poggi got his first victory against an FBS foe on Saturday as Charlotte outlasted ECU 10-7 while holding the Pirates to just 127 yards of offense. But a team that ranks 131st of 133 in points per game may have trouble finding wins No. 3 and No. 4 even in a weak AAC. (8) | |
| 13. UTEP | 2-6 | Are you a serious college football fan or just one of the so-called "casuals?" Prove your dedication by tuning in Wednesday to see UTEP and Sam Houston play in a battle of teams ranking 127th and 132nd nationally in points per game. (17) | |
| 12. UConn | 1-6 | UConn led 21-10 in the fourth quarter against South Florida but gave up 14 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes. It's been that kind of season for the Huskies, who appeared to be on the way up last season in coach Jim Mora's first year. It gets no easier the next three weeks with trips to Boston College, Tennessee and James Madison. (12) | |
| 11. Western Michigan | 2-6 | Western Michigan had a shot to upset Ohio, one of the MAC's best teams. But the Broncos couldn't get it done in a 20-17 loss. First-year coach Lance Taylor is a recent Notre Dame and Louisville offensive assistant and has a respectable unit on that side of the ball. But WMU has a long way to go defensively. (10) | |
| 10. Ball State | 2-6 | How about them Cardinals? Ball State got its first MAC victory with a 24-17 win over Central Michigan. It was also Ball State's first win over an FBS team. It wasn't the world's most inspiring performance, but beggars can't be choosers. (5) | |
| 9. Hawaii | 2-6 | Brayden Schager threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns in Hawaii's 42-21 loss at New Mexico. The problem was his three interceptions, which contributed to a 4-0 turnover margin that worked against the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii has ceded 40 or more points in its last three games and is down to 125th in scoring defense. (14) | |
| 8. Temple | 2-6 | An injury to quarterback E.J. Warner is making a bad Temple team even worse. He threw for five touchdowns in a loss to UTSA on Oct. 7. Since then, the Owls have been outscored 100-14 in losses to North Texas and SMU without him. Temple's only FBS victory is against Akron, a fellow bottom 10 squad. (13) | |
| 7. East Carolina | 1-6 | East Carolina finished with 127 total yards in a 10-7 loss to Charlotte. It's not getting any easier from here as Tulane visits this week before road trips to FAU and Navy. This is tracking to be the program's worst season since it finished 2-9 in 2004. If things go really poorly, the Pirates could match the 2003 team's 1-11 record. (9) | |
| 6. Akron | 1-7 | Akron is now 123rd in turnover margin after coughing up the football four times in a 41-14 loss to Bowling Green. Second-year coach Joe Moorhead is just 3-17 after predecessor Tom Arth was fired with a record of 3-24 during his third season. Will Moorhead make it to Year 3? Maybe Penn State would take him back as offensive coordinator. (7) | |
| 5. Sam Houston | 0-7 | Sam Houston has turned snatching defeat from the jaws of victory into an art during its first season at the FBS level. The latest masterpiece was a 33-27 double-overtime loss to FIU. The Bearkats went ahead 20-17 on a field goal with 1:24 remaining and led 27-20 after getting the football first in overtime. They managed to lose nonetheless. (4) | |
| 4. UMass | 1-7 | It's been a rough go for UMass, which had a bye week after losing 63-0 at Penn State. But the Minutemen have already matched their best win total since 2018 and have a few good chances to double their best win total of the past five years as games against Army, Merrimack, Liberty and UConn await. (3) | |
| 3. Nevada | 1-6 | Nevada scored six points on two field goals and committed 10 penalties on Saturday but managed to finally break out of the No. 1 spot in the Bottom 25 anyway. That's because its opponent, San Diego State, didn't score at all as the Wolf Pack finally tasted victory for the first time this season. If Nevada is going to build on that 6-0 win, it might want to score a few touchdowns. (1) | |
| 2. Southern Miss | 1-6 | If last Tuesday's 55-3 loss at South Alabama wasn't rock bottom, then brace yourselves. The Golden Eagles gave up 647 yards and totaled just 149 of their own. Getting star running back Frank Gore Jr. back was supposed to help this team build off a LendingTree Bowl victory. But this team can't block for him. Southern Miss is giving the 2012 and 2013 squads that were a combined 1-23 a run for their money in blundering incompetence. (6) | |
| 1. Kent State | 1-7 | Kent State overtook Nevada for No. 1 in the Bottom 25 after a 24-6 loss to Buffalo in which it produced just 164 total yards. The Golden Flashes rank dead last in scoring offense among the 130 teams who are full FBS members and 114th in scoring defense. This team's only victory came against Central Connecticut State. Every other outcome has been a loss of at least 14 points. (2) |
No longer ranked:South Florida, New Mexico, Virginia
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