They say that if you love something, you should let it go. If it comes back, then it was meant to be. Well, it looks like the Bottom 25 and Florida State were made for one another.
If you're still unaware at this point, the Bottom 25 is CBS Sports' weekly ranking of the worst (meant in the best way possible) teams in college football. After a strange couple of weeks away, the Seminoles are home.
Their 29-13 loss to Clemson is just the latest in a season filled with setbacks. At this point, we shouldn't be asking whether or not Florida State can actually make a bowl game -- the answer is a resounding no. Inquiring minds really want to know how low Mike Norvell can take this thing.
At least Florida State has plenty of Power Four company as the year unfolds. After debuting last week, Mississippi State and Purdue are right back in the thick of the Bottom 25. In fact, the Boilermakers plummeted even further. How exciting!
Bottom 25 rankings
The illustrious Tom Fornelli created the formula that we still use to generate the Bottom 25, but he has since passed on his writing duties. To be clear, the rankings are based on a series of calculations, but the quips are entirely man-made.
The Bottom 25
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 25. Mississippi State | 1-4 | Mississippi State's three-spot rise isn't an indication that the Bulldogs are getting better; they just had a bye week. It's back to business -- and by "business," I mean losing football games -- Saturday against No. 5 Georgia. (Last week: 22) |
 | 24. Colorado State | 2-3 | Colorado State has been bouncing in and out of the Bottom 25 all season. A Week 6 overtime loss against Oregon State was enough to bring the Rams back. Upcoming games against San Jose State, and especially Air Force, are winnable, so this latest stay may be brief. (NR) |
 | 23. Louisiana Tech | 1-3 | Another team benefitting from a bye week. The Bulldogs needed it. They had their hearts ripped out in a three-point overtime loss to Tulsa, and then in a seven-point loss to FIU For those that feel so inclined, this Thursday's showdown against Middle Tennessee is appointment Bottom 25 viewing. (18) |
 | 22. Appalachian State | 2-3 | Appalachian State has much bigger concerns than football right now. My heart goes out to those in and around Boone that were affected by Hurricane Helene. It's an incredible area, and hopefully it gets the support it needs to bounce back. (NR) |
 | 21. Florida State | 1-5 | Make yourselves comfortable, 'Noles. You're going to be here for a while. What little hope there was for a turnaround following the Cal win was ground into dust through consecutive losses to SMU and Clemson by a combined score of 71-29. Mike Norvell is fielding the worst team that money can buy. (NR) |
 | 20. Miami (OH) | 1-4 | From preseason MAC favorites to the Bottom 25. My, how mighty Miami has fallen. Week 6's 10-point loss to Toledo perfectly illustrates how poorly equipped the RedHawks are to compete in their own conference. (19) |
 | 19. Utah State | 1-4 | No shame in losing to Boise State, Aggies. No one has really figured out how to stop Ashton Jeanty this year. Now, they have to contend with UNLV. The rigors of Mountain West play. (25) |
 | 18. Old Dominion | 1-4 | A dose of reality came for the Monarchs in Week 6 after they fell 45-37 to Coastal Carolina. That did come a week after a nice win against Bowling Green, and it's not like Old Dominion has looked terrible thus far. Lacking the ability to finish games reflects in its record. (20) |
 | 17. Tulsa | 2-4 | Not counting its win against Bottom 25 compatriot Louisiana Tech, Tulsa has an average scoring margin of -28.3 against FBS competition. It may come as no surprise, then, that coach Kevin Wilson is now 6-12 with the Golden Hurricanes. (NR) |
 | 16. UAB | 1-4 | It's hard to feel bad about UAB since it put itself in this position. Hiring Trent Dilfer was a critical failure. Prior to his arrival, the Blazers hadn't had a losing season since they revived the football program in 2017. When Bill Clark retired in 2021, UAB turned to Bryant Vincent to guide it through the 2022 season on an interim basis, and he posted a respectable 7-6 record. He got pushed out so the university could hire Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback without any college coaching experience. Vincent is now at ULM, which is 4-1 -- including a 32-6 trouncing of UAB. (NR) |
 | 15. Southern Miss | 1-4 | Southern Miss fell 23-13 to Louisiana in Week 6, which was its fourth double-digit loss to FBS competition this year. The Golden Eagles are averaging just 11 points in non-FCS games. Reminder: coach Will Hall was an offensive coordinator before coming to Hattiesburg. (12) |
 | 14. Troy | 1-5 | Need a get-right game? Troy's your program. Texas State saw a once promising season falter in a loss to Sam Houston, but the Bobcats were dominant in a 38-17 win against the Trojans. Troy's off this week before a Tuesday, Oct. 15, clash against South Alabama. (12) |
 | 13. Temple | 1-5 | Normally I'd make fun of Temple for losing to UConn, but the Huskies are a wagon this year. We'll let this one slide, Owls. (13) |
 | 12. New Mexico | 1-4 | It's been a good couple of weeks for New Mexico. The Lobos got their first win of the season against in-state rival New Mexico State and then got a bye week to rest, recuperate and prepare for a huge Bottom 25 clash against Air Force. Appointment viewing for the sickos. (11) |
 | 11. UMass | 1-5 | Don Brown's a defensive guy, but you wouldn't know it from watching UMass. The Minutemen's 34-20 Week 6 loss to Northern Illinois was the fourth time this year they've allowed at least 30 points. Now, they have to welcome the Brady Cook-led Missouri Tigers to town. (10) |
 | 10. Purdue | 1-4 | Turns out firing offensive coordinator Graham Harrell didn't magically fix the Boilermakers. Who would have thought? In fact, Purdue scored a season-low six points in its most recent loss against Wisconsin. That was while allowing 52 points. Maybe it's time for ex-defensive coordinator Ryan Walters to look into the nearest mirror. (16) |
 | 9. Air Force | 1-4 | Air Force was apparently excluded from the Operation Service Academy Resurgence planning sessions. While Navy and Army are enjoying 5-0 starts, the Falcons are contending with a truly abysmal skid. Coach Troy Calhoun hasn't lost more than four games since 2018, but that seems like a guarantee at this point. (9) |
 | 8. Middle Tennessee | 1-4 | The only thing that could stop MTSU from losing was a bye week. Outside of that, the Blue Raiders are on a four-game skid since a narrow season-opening win against Tennessee Tech. Thursday's showdown against Louisiana Tech is exciting enough, but an Oct. 15 tilt against Kennesaw State has tremendous bad football potential. (8) |
 | 7. New Mexico State | 1-4 | New Mexico State had a bye in Week 6 but gets a little less time off since it has to gear up for a Tuesday game against Jacksonville State. (7) |
 | 6. Akron | 1-5 | Turns out Akron's three games against Power Four competition didn't prepare it for anything. The Zips can lose to a fellow MAC program just as easily. At least their 27-20 stumble against Bowling Green was close. (4) |
 | 5. Wyoming | 1-4 | Wyoming actually has an FBS win on its résumé and still ranks this low, which should tell you how bad the Cowboys have been. If you really want the data, though, Wyoming ranks last in the Mountain West in total offense (242 ypg), 11th in scoring offense (16.4 ppg), 10th in total defense (407.6 ypg) and 10th in scoring defense (32.4 ppg). (6) |
 | 4. UTEP | 0-5 | I nailed last week's prediction that UTEP wouldn't be outside the Bottom Four for very long. All it took was a 41-21 loss to Sam Houston, a school less than two years removed from playing in the FCS, to drag the Miners back down. (5) |
 | 3. Ball State | 1-4 | The duality of Ball State. The Cardinals have alternated 56-plus point defeats and one-possession losses twice in a row now. It means absolutely nothing, except for an 0-4 stretch over the past month, but it's still fascinating. (2) |
 | 2. Kennesaw State | 0-5 | Kennesaw State scored a season-high 24 points in Week 6! Good job, Owls. They also allowed their opponent, Jacksonville State, to score a season-high 63 points. Not great, Owls. (3) |
 | 1. Kent State | 0-5 | I couldn't kick the feeling that something was missing amid a chaotic Week 6 slate. It wasn't until I started writing this article that I realized: Kent State had a bye week and, therefore, didn't lose a game. It felt weird to have a day without the Golden Flashes trying their best to play football. That just gave them more time to prepare for Saturday's BOTTOM 25 GAME OF THE YEAR against Ball State. This is bigger than Ohio State-Oregon, folks. (1) |
