CFN Five Year Program Analysis Rankings, The Top 100
100 Colorado State
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 41.37
2019 Ranking: 78
2018 Ranking: 62
2017 Ranking: 68
Biggest Positive: 24 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 19 Bad Wins
Analysis: The Rams have been great at beating the bad teams, but they’re not doing enough to come up with victories over the good ones. The 24 FBS wins aren’t bad, and getting six players drafted is good, but the program should be a lot better than this.
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99 Central Michigan
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 41.37
2019 Ranking: 95
2018 Ranking: 85
2017 Ranking: 88
Biggest Positive: 25 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 5.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: The 1-11 2018 season dropped the ranking like a rock, and it’s going to take a little while to rebound. The 1.46 Attendance Score is always going to sting, and the Bad Loss Score is a problem, but Jim McElwain turned things back around last year.
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98 Miami University
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 41.97
2019 Ranking: 111
2018 Ranking: 120
2017 Ranking: 120
Biggest Positive: 8 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 1.63 Attendance Score
Analysis: Attendance will always be a problem for the RedHawks, and the 12 Bad Wins are good for the rankings, but the defending MAC champion is great in the classroom and have enough Quality Wins to overcome the 4.5 Bad Loss Score.
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97 Tulane
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 42.23
2019 Ranking: 107
2018 Ranking: 105
2017 Ranking: 113
Biggest Positive: 8 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 15 bad wins
Analysis: The Green Wave are slowing moving up under Willie Fritz. The APR Score should be a bit better than 9.6, and the attendance will always be an issue, but two straight seven-win seasons are changing the rankings.
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96 FIU
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 43.79
2019 Ranking: 96
2018 Ranking: 115
2017 Ranking: 121
Biggest Positive: 28 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 9.492 APR Score
Analysis: Butch Davis hasn’t been able to budge up the Golden Panthers all that much, but their 28 FBS wins over the last five years are good – they’re beating the bad teams in Conference USA. The APR and low attendance bring things down.
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95 Buffalo
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.12
2019 Ranking: 99
2018 Ranking: 107
2017 Ranking: 110
Biggest Positive: 10 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 4.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: It took a while, but Lance Leipold has turned Buffalo into a MAC powerhouse. The 27 FBS wins are good, and the ten wins over teams that finished with winning records are great, but the Bad Loss Score is keeping UB this low.
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94 Hawaii
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.15
2019 Ranking: 110
2018 Ranking: 119
2017 Ranking: 116
Biggest Positive: 26 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 4.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: It’s been a while since Hawaii made a whole lot of noise in the program rankings, but it’s been able to boost up fast with 26 FBS wins. More Mountain West victories would be nice – winning just 38% over the last five years – and the Bad Loss Score hurts.
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93 UAB
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.47
2019 Ranking: 90
2018 Ranking: 116
2017 Ranking: 122
Biggest Positive: 79% conference winning percentage
Biggest Negative: 9.42 APR score
Analysis: It hasn’t been a bad run for Bill Clark and the Blazers since returning to life in 2017. Most impressively, only three years count since the program was off in 2015 and 2016, and yet it’s been able to win close to 80% of its Conference USA games with a whopping 11 Quality Wins.
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92 Arizona
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.68
2019 Ranking: 62
2018 Ranking: 51
2017 Ranking: 40
Biggest Positive: 4.55 Attendance Score
Biggest Negative: 33% conference winning percentage
Analysis: When you don’t win a lot of conference games, and you come up with a mere 21 FBS wins over five years, it’s hard to do much in the rankings. The Wildcats get Power Five attendance numbers, but the rest of the formula is lacking.
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91 USF
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.83
2019 Ranking: 66
2018 Ranking: 72
2017 Ranking: 87
Biggest Positive: 60% conference winning percentage
Biggest Negative: 4.5 Bad Win Score
Analysis: The Bulls were rocking and rolling a few years ago with 29 overall victories from 2015 to 2017, but a rough run over the end of 2018 through last year sunk the ranking. The problem? There were 22 FBS wins, and 18 Bad Wins.
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Five-Year Program Analysis Categories, Rankings
FBS Wins | Attendance | Quality Wins
Elite Wins | Bad Losses | Bad Wins | Elite Losses
Conference Win % | APR | NFL Draft
2019 5-Year Program Analysis Rankings
Top 10 | 11-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-130
Ranking Categories Explained
90 Louisiana
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 45.28
2019 Ranking: 98
2018 Ranking: 90
2017 Ranking: 70
Biggest Positive: 8 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 4.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: Losing the nine-win 2014 season hurt a bit in the rankings, but the success under Billy Napier over the last two years boosted up the Ragin’ Cajuns in a hurry. The attendance is always going to be light compared to the big boys, but the wins are coming.
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89 Georgia Southern
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 46.48
2019 Ranking: 92
2018 Ranking: 104
2017 Ranking: 97
Biggest Positive: 29 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 9.402 APR Score
Analysis: Beating Appalachian State over the last two seasons and boosting up the Elite Win Score has made a huge difference. The 29 FBS wins are solid, and winning close to 58% of all Sun Belt games are okay, but it’s going to take a few more big years to move up into the 80s.
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88 Middle Tennessee
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 47.54
2019 Ranking: 77
2018 Ranking: 75
2017 Ranking: 79
Biggest Positive: 30 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 1.60 Attendance Score
Analysis: The Blue Raiders dropped after a clunker of a 4-8 seasons, but the seven Quality Wins are good, and the 30 FBS wins are the most by anyone ranked 88 or lower. 16,000 fans a game and the 2.5 Bad Loss Score – losing to Rice last year really, really hurt – brings the ranking down.
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87 Army
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 48.02
2019 Ranking: 84
2018 Ranking: 110
2017 Ranking: 125
Biggest Positive: 9.808 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 5.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: There are just enough losses to bad teams to keep the Black Knights from being a whole lot higher, and there won’t be a whole lot of players drafted, but the 11 Quality Wins, amazing APR, and decent attendance – over 30,000 a game – form a good base.
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86 Maryland
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 48.35
2019 Ranking: 79
2018 Ranking: 73
2017 Ranking: 81
Biggest Positive: 13 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 23% conference winning percentage
Analysis: It’s been a rough run in the Big Ten for the Terps over the last five years. They’re saved from sinking further with almost 40,000 fans power game and getting 13 players drafted, but not winning conference games sunk the ranking.
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85 Vanderbilt
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.13
2019 Ranking: 87
2018 Ranking: 77
2017 Ranking: 65
Biggest Positive: 9.9 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 19 FBS Wins
Analysis: It’s hard to do too much in these rankings when you only win 19 FBS games and 25% of the conference games over the last five seasons. The APR is phenomenal, and getting nine players drafted is great, but the wins aren’t there.
– CFN Vanderbilt 2020 Team Preview
84 SMU
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 49.44
2019 Ranking: 108
2018 Ranking: 108
2017 Ranking: 109
Biggest Positive: 8 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 2.15 Attendance Score
Analysis: The numbers are improving in a hurry thanks to a ten-win season and with the 1-11 2014 off the books now. The attendance is low, and the APR Score of 9.586 is a tad low for the school, but the program is rising under Sonny Dykes.
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83 Purdue
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 44.69
2019 Ranking: 86
2018 Ranking: 97
2017 Ranking: 111
Biggest Positive: 4.5 Attendance Score
Biggest Negative: 32% conference winning percentage
Analysis: The 3-9 2014 season doesn’t count in the rankings anymore, and next year the 2-10 2015 campaign won’t be a part of this. There aren’t enough FBS wins – just 21 – and the conference winning percentage is too low, but the program is moving up.
– CFN Purdue 2020 Team Preview
82 Georgia Tech
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 50.63
2019 Ranking: 47
2018 Ranking: 44
2017 Ranking: 39
Biggest Positive: 9.816 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 23 FBS wins
Analysis: The Yellow Jackets were okay in ACC play under Paul Johnson, but the reboot last year under Geoff Collins led to a drop. They’re great in the classroom, and the attendance is fine, but the 23 FBS wins are way light.
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81 Wyoming
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 50.94
2019 Ranking: 91
2018 Ranking: 92
2017 Ranking: 100
Biggest Positive: 9 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 4 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: Craig Bohl has carved out his niche with the Cowboys. The 20,000 fans in the stands aren’t great, but the Quality Wins are strong and getting eight players drafted helps. It’s going to take one giant season, though, to get out of the 80s.
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80 Arkansas State
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 51.37
2019 Ranking: 72
2018 Ranking: 68
2017 Ranking: 56
Biggest Positive: 78% conference winning percentage
Biggest Negative: 3.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: There are just enough bad losses on the books to drag down what should be a much, much stronger ranking. The 36 FBS wins are the most by anyone ranked lower than 69, but the two players drafted and the 22,000 attendance hurt.
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79 Iowa State
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 51.81
2019 Ranking: 83
2018 Ranking: 101
2017 Ranking: 103
Biggest Positive: 5.66 Attendance Score
Biggest Negative: 7 Quality Wins
Analysis: It’s not like Iowa State has always been solid. The Matt Campbell era has changed things around, and that includes losing the 2-10 2014 season out of the rankings. There aren’t enough big wins, but at least there are wins now.
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78 Northern Illinois
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 52.71
2019 Ranking: 60
2018 Ranking: 57
2017 Ranking: 45
Biggest Positive: 31 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 1.10 Attendance Score
Analysis: 2019 might have been rough, but the MAC powerhouse over the last several seasons didn’t fall down too far with decent winning numbers. Getting just 11,000 fans per game is a drag, and the 3.5 Bad Loss Score hurts.
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77 Duke
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 52.72
2019 Ranking: 67
2018 Ranking: 63
2017 Ranking: 58
Biggest Positive: 9.914 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 3 players drafted
Analysis: It seems like Duke had a whole lot more players sent off to the NFL – maybe it’s because of Daniel Jones – but the APR Score is amazing, as always, and the 13 Quality Wins are the strongest among anyone outside of the top 67.
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76 Fresno State
Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 52.91
2019 Ranking: 70
2018 Ranking: 66
2017 Ranking: 69
Biggest Positive: 11 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 45% conference winning percentage
Analysis: For all the fun Fresno State has had in recent seasons, three of the last five campaigns were losing ones. The Bulldogs have a whole slew of Quality Wins, but even with two trips to the Mountain West Championship, the league victories aren’t there.
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