Where do all 131 college football teams rank after 2022 spring ball? Here’s one thing to know about every team along with the early ranking.
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CFN 2022 Spring Rankings
101-130 | 76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
Spring Rankings, Season Predictions By Conference
ACC | AAC | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA | IND
MAC | M-West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt
College Football Rankings: 2022 Spring
Just before we dive into all the team-by-team previews, here’s our view of all 131 college football teams after spring ball and with several big transfers settled in. This can and will change up this summer and just before the season as different things happen, but for now, how good is everyone?
131 UMass Minutemen
Final Rankings: 2021: 129 2020: 127 2019: 130
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Tulane
Don Brown returns the program he led as an FCS powerhouse, but things are far different now. The lines aren’t there on either side, and finding a few offensive playmakers is a must, but the defense will instantly be better under the new coaching staff.
UMass Schedule
130 New Mexico State Aggies
Final Rankings: 2021: 126 2020: NR 2019: 127
Week 0: Nevada
Week 1: at Minnesota (Sept. 1)
Jerry Kill is one of the best football coaches around – medical problems limited him at other gigs – and now he has to work his magic. The talent is lacking, but the team will be far more physical … in time. It’s a Kill team – the ground game will work.
New Mexico State Schedule
129 UConn Huskies
Final Rankings: 2021: 128 2020: NR 2019: 126
Week 0: at Utah State
Week 1: Central Connecticut State
New head coach Jim Mora Jr. has a complete teardown/rebuild to do. It doesn’t help to lose the few great players from last year – like DT Travis Jones – but the team should be more competitive.
UConn Schedule
128 Akron Zips
Final Rankings: 2021: 127 2020: 123 2019: 129
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Saint Francis (Sept. 1)
Start with this – the offense will be better. New head coach Joe Moorhead knows how to get an attack rolling, but the lumps this team will take will enormous. It’s a really, really young team that’s in building mode.
Akron Schedule
127 FIU Golden Panthers
Final Rankings: 2021: 130 2020: 125 2019: 85
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Bryant (Sept. 1)
The Golden Panthers have a good new head coach in Mike MacIntyre, but it’s going to take a program overhaul to get over the last few seasons. It’s a true rebuild needing more transfers to help boost the options.
FIU Schedule
126 Bowling Green Falcons
Final Rankings: 2021: 108 2020: 126 2019: 124
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at UCLA
Eventually the offense will start to work. After years of trying to get the pieces in place, the attack might finally have the guys to go along with the experience on D. Now it’s time for the team to start producing.
Bowling Green Schedule
125 Texas State Bobcats
Final Rankings: 2021: 122 2020: 111 2019: 114
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Nevada
The team has been fun under head coach Jake Spavital, but the results haven’t been there. The offense at least has experience with a few nice quarterbacks options from the transfer portal, but the Bobcats will be in a whole lot of shootouts.
Texas State Schedule
124 ULM Warhawks
Final Rankings: 2021: 124 2020: 124 2019: 100
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Texas
Terry Bowden was able to boost up the team for a little while last year, and now with a veteran core of players back the Warhawks should be more competitive. The overall talent level, though, isn’t there.
ULM Schedule
123 Rice Owls
Final Rankings: 2021: 116 2020: 106 2019: 115
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at USC
Will this ever start to work? Rice hasn’t shown a whole lot of signs of turning around under Mike Bloomgren, but the experience is in place on offense and the defense should be decent enough to take a few steps forward.
Rice Schedule
122 UTEP Miners
Final Rankings: 2021: 106 2020: 121 2019: 128
Week 0: North Texas
Week 1: at Oklahoma
Was 2021 for real? The 7-6 season was great for the program, but the wins came against a whole lot of layups. The Miners will count on transfers to fill in the gaps, and there’s enough returning to remain competitive.
UTEP Schedule
121 New Mexico Lobos
Final Rankings: 2021: 125 2020: 95 2019: 120
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Maine
The Lobos are still a work in progress, but there are just enough veterans back to be better with a little more time. It’s more about production this season than experience. The close wins should come.
New Mexico Schedule
120 Buffalo Bulls
Final Rankings: 2021: 109 2020: 63 2019: 39
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Maryland
There’s a chance this might be ridiculously low if all the new guys from the transfer portal can be the difference. As long as the offense can find something it can consistently rely on, the Bulls might be one the MAC’s biggest surprises.
Buffalo Schedule
119 North Texas Mean Green
Final Rankings: 2021: 92 2020: 118 2019: 111
Week 0: at UTEP
Week 1: SMU
The Mean Green have a good starting 22, but the depth is lacking and the defensive front is a concern. It’s North Texas, though – the offense will come through against a mediocre schedule.
North Texas Schedule
118 James Madison
Final Rankings: 2021: NR 2020: NR 2019: NR
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Middle Tennessee
Can the success in the FCS translate into wins in the new FBS world? Yeah, and it starts with an offense that should be able to keep up with most Sun Belt teams. The defense has a few too many replacements, though, to make a giant splash.
James Madison Schedule
117 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Final Rankings: 2021: 95 2020: 119 2019: 107
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at James Madison
As long as the defense can find a few more big-time playmakers to make up for the lost parts, the Blue Raiders should be good. The offensive line has to become a strength as the season goes on.
Middle Tennessee Schedule
116 South Alabama Jaguars
Final Rankings: 2021: 120 2020: 108 2019: 119
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Nicholls
The Jaguars were close to coming up with a bowl season, but it’s a stronger Sun Belt, the defense will be worse, and the offense – even though it’ll be experienced – won’t be quite good enough to keep up the pace.
South Alabama Schedule
115 Charlotte 49ers
Final Rankings: 2021: 115 2020: 116 2019: 72
Week 0: at Florida Atlantic
Week 1: William & Mary (Sept. 1)
After coming close to going bowling last year, there’s a shot the 49ers make it happen this season with an improved offense that should be more consistent. The D could be among the best in Conference USA.
Charlotte Schedule
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114 Ohio Bobcats
Final Rankings: 2021: 112 2020: 109 2019: 51
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Florida Atlantic
Ohio should be a whole lot better than it’s been over the last few years, but the offense has to replace almost all of the key parts. The defensive back seven should be good enough to work around.
Ohio Schedule
113 Old Dominion Monarchs
Final Rankings: 2021: 94 2020: NR 2019: 125
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Virginia Tech (Sept. 2)
It was a fun season with a bowl appearance and plenty of fun moments. Now almost everyone is back on offense, and they’ll need to be fantastic to make up for a shaky D.
Old Dominion Schedule
112 Arkansas State Red Wolves
Final Rankings: 2021: 123 2020: 112 2019: 67
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Grambling State
Can Butch Jones take all the experience – and after all of the lumps from 2021 – to put together something great? The Red Wolves should finally start to play defense and the offense will be more consistent.
Arkansas State Schedule
111 Eastern Michigan Eagles
Final Rankings: 2021: 100 2020: 107 2019: 80
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 2)
As always, Eastern Michigan will play everyone tough, but the defensive front will be an early concern and the offensive backfield needs to be ready to rock when MACtion kicks in.
Eastern Michigan Schedule
110 Georgia Southern Eagles
Final Rankings: 2021: 121 2020: 78 2019: 55
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Morgan State
Former USC head coach Clay Helton will try to pivot the program into a different style as he tweaks the offense and gets back just about everyone on defense. This might be one of the Sun Belt’s biggest stories in a year of big Sun Belt stories.
Georgia Southern Schedule
109 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Final Rankings: 2021: 114 2020: 103 2019: 43
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Missouri
New head coach Sonny Cumbie will get the offense going once the pieces are settled in fall camp. The O will be fine, but the D … that’s going to be a bigger work in progress.
Louisiana Tech Schedule
108 Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Final Rankings: 2021: 119 2020: 117 2019: 68
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Liberty
Can the Golden Eagles take all of their experience and all of the nice parts and start winning after the move to the Sun Belt? The team that fell so flat over the last two years should be stronger and might push for a bowl. The veterans are there.
Southern Miss Schedule
107 USF Bulls
Final Rankings: 2021: 103 2020: 113 2019: 104
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: BYU
It’s been a long fight to get USF back to respectability, and it might take a little it longer under Jeff Scott. Depth is a big problem, but that’s a luxury for a team that still needs a good starting 22.
USF Schedule
106 UNLV Rebels
Final Rankings: 2021: 113 2020: 120 2019: 106
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Idaho State
The Rebels were competitive in enough games last year to think the pivot might be coming fast. Tennessee QB Harrison Bailey and a strong receiving corps should boost up the offense. The team will be much better as the season goes on.
UNLV Schedule
105 Ball State Cardinals
Final Rankings: 2021: 98 2020: 46 2019: 83
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Tennessee
Call this the X factor team in a conference that’s used to X factors emerging every year. For the Cardinals to win the MAC for the second time in three seasons, the veterans on both sides of the ball have to come through until the new skill parts rise up.
Ball State Schedule
104 Western Michigan Broncos
Final Rankings: 2021: 84 2020: 97 2019: 42
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Michigan State (Sept. 2)
The Broncos have to undergo a bigger overhaul than just about anyone in the MAC. Everything should be okay in time, but the defensive front and offensive stars need to emerge as soon as possible.
Western Michigan Schedule
103 Temple Owls
Final Rankings: 2021: 118 2020: 110 2019: 54
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Duke (Sept. 2)
It’s been a rough few years, and now new head coach Stan Drayton has to do a rebuild around Georgia transfer QB D’Wan Mathis. Experience across the board is a problem.
Temple Schedule
102 Troy Trojans
Final Rankings: 2021: 110 2020: 84 2019: 90
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: at Ole Miss
A former star of the Sun Belt will be a sleeper for new head coach Jon Sumrall. With almost all of the key starters back on both sides of the ball, and with a defense that should be far stronger, this will be a team to watch.
Troy Schedule
101 Toledo Rockets
Final Rankings: 2021: 101 2020: 98 2019: 73
Week 0: OPEN DATE
Week 1: Long Island
In a MAC that should be good up top, Toledo might be missing just enough to push through and win the title. There’s talent to work around, but it’ll take a month or so for the team to settle in.
Toledo Schedule
CFN 2022 Spring Rankings
101-130 | 76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
Spring Rankings, Season Predictions By Conference
ACC | AAC | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA | IND
MAC | M-West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt