The competition is heating up for the top spot in the anti-College Football Playoff rankings that rank the bottom 4 teams, which includes UCLA and Nebraska.
After four weeks, fans have a pretty good idea of what to expect from their favorite team this year. Sure things change from week-to-week, but for the most part, we have a pretty good pulse of what the top, middle and bottom of college football looks like after Week 4.
The upper class is represented by Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma. I think we’ll see some combination of those teams represented in the Playoff come January.
It’s the same thing every year, right? We know the elites are going to be good again because they’ve recruited rosters chock full of blue-chip talent and have the best coaches on the sideline.
But the grass isn’t always this green when you look around the rest of the country.
The lower class of college football is full of teams who have swung and missed on recruits, failed to develop their recruits, have glaring weaknesses when it comes to coaching and has an overall feeling of despair surrounding the program.
That brings us to the anti-College Football Playoff rankings. This represents the worst four teams among the Power 5 conferences. I’d open it up to all conferences, but just like the regular Playoff rankings, I’m just going to turn a blind eye to the Group of Five.
North Carolina and Florida State showed up this week so they won’t be represented, but the Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten has teams who make this list no one wants to make.
Just missed: Arkansas, Oregon State
4. Iowa State – I really like Matt Campbell and believe in his long-term outlook as a head coach who will do some big things in the future. They just might not happen at Iowa State. One of the tougher places to win on a consistent basis, Campbell is realizing just how true that is after a promising 2017 season. The Cyclones gave Oklahoma a test last week, but outside of that, things have been brutal. Iowa State did get their first win of the year, albeit against Akron, but entered the game ranked No. 124 in the nation in scoring offense.
3. UCLA – Chip Kelly’s return to college football has been just as much of a disaster as the end of his Eagles run and his entire run with the 49ers was. The Bruins are winless at 0-3, rank No. 120 in scoring offense and No. 114 in scoring defense. In short, UCLA doesn’t score and gives up a lot of scores, which is a recipe for disaster. Compounding matters is quarterback Wilton Speight was injured in the opener and backup, Devin Modster announced he’ll be transferring.
2. Nebraska – Scott Frost has already lost more games as Nebraska’s head coach (3) than he did in his two years as the Huskers starting quarterback (2). As if last week’s loss to Troy wasn’t humbling enough, Saturday’s 56-10 loss at Michigan represents just how far this team has to go in order to be competitive in the Big Ten. They only had 39 rushing yards on 30 attempts vs. Michigan. Nebraska is 0-3 for the first time since 1945. I suppose this is rock bottom, but then again, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State remain on the schedule.
1. Rutgers – No team has a more unimpressive loss than Rutgers letting Kansas hang 55 on them to give the Jayhawks back-to-back wins over FBS teams for the first time since 2009. Rutgers committed six turnovers, allowed a pair of pick-sixes and 400 rushing yards in the 55-14 loss that remains one of the biggest stunners of the young season.