college football preseason rankings

Where does USC fit among the top 15 College Football Playoff contenders?

If it’s the middle of July, CFB fans are talking about the top teams in the country. See how Pro Football Focus tackled this topic.

The 2023 college football season still feels like it’s far away. However, there is always room to discuss some trendy College Football Playoff picks … and USC’s place within the short list of playoff contenders.

The Pac-12 Conference is looking extremely loaded in the final year before USC and UCLA dash for the Big Ten. Alabama, Georgia, and LSU are common picks in the SEC, and the Clemson Tigers are always a team thrown into the conversation with Dabo Swinney running the show.

Nonetheless, Mitch Kaiser of Pro Football Focus revealed 15 teams that could make the College Football Playoff this season, and there are some surprising choices, most notably the Texas Longhorns.

Which teams are — and aren’t — included alongside USC in the top 15? Let’s take a look:

247Sports’ Brandon Marcello shares his post-spring Top 30 college football teams

Check out where Texas lands in his post-spring rankings.

Texas is seeing plenty of respect from college football writers after an impressive spring game. Unlike past Orange and White game scrimmages, the offense looked consistently sharp with its top two quarterbacks in the passing game.

247Sports national college football writer Brandon Marcello took notice of the strong spring by ranking Texas No. 13 in his Top 30 rankings. After taking a deep dive and gathering information on teams across the country, Marcello has the Longhorns just behind No. 11 Clemson and No. 12 Notre Dame. That gives a general idea of how the Longhorns are tiered nationally heading into 2023.

Four Big 12 teams cracked Marcello’s Top 30. Texas led the way followed by No. 17 TCU, No. 20 Kansas State and No. 27 Texas Tech.

Here’s a complete look at the Top 30 rankings.

Texas LB Anthony Hill mentioned as Big 12 newcomer to watch

Anthony Hill is set to make a splash in 2023.

Texas freshman linebacker Anthony Hill is getting national attention this offseason. Fox Sports college football analyst RJ Young deemed Hill one of his five Big 12 newcomers to watch.

Young said the following about the former Denton Ryan player.

At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, a five-star in the 2023 class and No. 18 overall recruit, he could develop into the kind of destructive force Kenneth Murray Jr. was at Oklahoma in 2018 when he had 155 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Recently, the Fox analyst ranked Texas at No. 24 in his spring football Top 25. Ahead of Texas were No. 21 Oklahoma and No. 23 Kansas, both of which Texas defeated by more than 40 points away from Austin last year. Those predictions were somewhat bold. What’s not so bold is the assumption that Texas will need Anthony Hill to produce at the linebacker position.

Leading Hill’s position group is All-American linebacker Jaylon Ford. After Ford, there are a few question marks from the unit. David Gbenda is likely to be called upon to step up, but the Longhorns could need Hill to be a difference maker. If he plays up to potential, Texas could bring back a conference title trophy to Austin.

Texas LB Anthony Hill has the opportunity to be as good, as disruptive, at Texas as a freshman as Harold Perkins was at LSU. https://t.co/kgA3ET1Bo1

— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) March 23, 2023

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2021 CFN College Football Preseason Rankings, Schedules, Projected Records For All 130 Teams

The CFN College Football preseason rankings and schedules – along with our projected records – for all 130 teams going into the 2021 season.

The CFN College Football preseason rankings and schedules – along with our projected records – for all 130 teams going into the 2021 season.

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2021 College Football Preseason Rankings, Schedules, Projected Records

2021 College Football Rankings, Schedules, Predictions
A | B | C-E | F-G | H-K | L | M
N | O | P-R | S | T | U | V-W

Click on each team for it CFN 2021 preview & breakdown

Air Force Falcons

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 103
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 8-4
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Lafayette
Week 2 Sept. 11: at Navy
Week 3 Sept. 18: Utah State
Week 4 Sept. 25: Florida Atlantic
Week 5 Oct. 2: at New Mexico
Week 6 Oct. 9: Wyoming
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Boise State
Week 8 Oct. 23: San Diego State
Week 9 Oct. 30: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Nov. 6: Army
Week 11 Nov. 13: at Colorado State
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Nevada
Week 13 Nov. 27: UNLV

Akron Zips

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 125
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 2-10
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: at Auburn
Week 2 Sept. 11: Temple
Week 3 Sept. 18: Bryant
Week 4 Sept. 25: at Ohio State
Week 5 Oct. 2: Ohio
Week 6 Oct. 9: at Bowling Green
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Miami Univ.
Week 8 Oct. 23: Buffalo
Week 9 Oct. 30: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Nov. 6: Ball State (Nov. 2)
Week 11 Nov. 13: at Western Michigan (Nov. 9)
Week 12 Nov. 20: Kent State
Week 13 Nov. 27: at Toledo

Alabama Crimson Tide

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 1
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 11-1
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Miami (in Atlanta)
Week 2 Sept. 11: Mercer
Week 3 Sept. 18: at Florida
Week 4 Sept. 25: Southern Miss
Week 5 Oct. 2: Ole Miss
Week 6 Oct. 9: at Texas A&M
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Mississippi State
Week 8 Oct. 23: Tennessee
Week 9 Oct. 30: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Nov. 6: LSU
Week 11 Nov. 13: New Mexico State
Week 12 Nov. 20: Arkansas
Week 13 Nov. 27: at Auburn

Appalachian State Mountaineers

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 65
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 9-3
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: East Carolina (Sept. 2, in Charlotte)
Week 2 Sept. 11: at Miami
Week 3 Sept. 18: Elon
Week 4 Sept. 25: Marshall (Sept. 23)
Week 5 Oct. 2: Georgia State
Week 6 Oct. 9: OPEN DATE
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Louisiana
Week 8 Oct. 23: Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20)
Week 9 Oct. 30: ULM
Week 10 Nov. 6: at Arkansas State
Week 11 Nov. 13: South Alabama
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Troy
Week 13 Nov. 27: Georgia Southern

Arizona Wildcats

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 72
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 2-10
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: BYU (in Las Vegas)
Week 2 Sept. 11: San DiegoState
Week 3 Sept. 18: Northern Arizona
Week 4 Sept. 25: at Oregon
Week 5 Oct. 2: OPEN DATE
Week 6 Oct. 9: UCLA
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Colorado
Week 8 Oct. 23: Washington (Oct. 22)
Week 9 Oct. 30: at USC
Week 10 Nov. 6: Cal
Week 11 Nov. 13: Utah
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Washington State
Week 13 Nov. 27: at Arizona State

Arizona State Sun Devils

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 19
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 8-4
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Southern Utah (Sept. 2)
Week 2 Sept. 11: UNLV
Week 3 Sept. 18: at BYU
Week 4 Sept. 25: Colorado
Week 5 Oct. 2: at UCLA
Week 6 Oct. 9: Stanford (Oct. 8)
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Utah
Week 8 Oct. 23: OPEN DATE
Week 9 Oct. 30: Washington State
Week 10 Nov. 6: USC
Week 11 Nov. 13: at Washington
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Oregon State
Week 13 Nov. 27: Arizona

Arkansas Razorbacks

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 41
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 5-7
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Rice
Week 2 Sept. 11: Texas
Week 3 Sept. 18: Georgia Southern
Week 4 Sept. 25: Texas A&M
Week 5 Oct. 2: at Georgia
Week 6 Oct. 9: at Ole Miss
Week 7 Oct. 16: Auburn
Week 8 Oct. 23: Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Week 9 Oct. 30: OPEN DATE
Week 10 Nov. 6: Mississippi State
Week 11 Nov. 13: at LSU
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Alabama
Week 13 Nov. 27: Missouri (Nov. 26)

Arkansas State Red Wolves

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 97
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 6-6
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Central Arkansas
Week 2 Sept. 11: Memphis
Week 3 Sept. 18: at Washington
Week 4 Sept. 25: at Tulsa
Week 5 Oct. 2: at Georgia Southern
Week 6 Oct. 9: Coastal Carolina (Oct. 7)
Week 7 Oct. 16: OPEN DATE
Week 8 Oct. 23: Louisiana (Nov. 21)
Week 9 Oct. 30: at South Alabama
Week 10 Nov. 6: Appalachian State
Week 11 Nov. 13: at ULM
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Georgia State
Week 13 Nov. 27: Texas State

Army Black Knights

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 85
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 9-3
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: at Georgia State
Week 2 Sept. 11: WKU
Week 3 Sept. 18: UConn
Week 4 Sept. 25: Miami University
Week 5 Oct. 2: at Ball State
Week 6 Oct. 9: OPEN DATE
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Wisconsin
Week 8 Oct. 23: Wake Forest
Week 9 Oct. 30: Air Force (in Arlington)
Week 10 Nov. 6: Bucknell
Week 11 Nov. 13: UMass
Week 12 Nov. 20: at Liberty
Week 13 Nov. 27: OPEN DATE
Dec. 11 Navy (in East Rutherford)

Auburn Tigers

CFN 2021 Preseason Ranking: 15
CFN 2021 Preseason Projected Record: 7-5
Week 0 Aug. 28: OPEN DATE
Week 1 Sept. 4: Akron
Week 2 Sept. 11: Alabama State
Week 3 Sept. 18: at Penn State
Week 4 Sept. 25: Georgia State
Week 5 Oct. 2: at LSU
Week 6 Oct. 9: Georgia
Week 7 Oct. 16: at Arkansas
Week 8 Oct. 23: OPEN DATE
Week 9 Oct. 30: Ole Miss
Week 10 Nov. 6: at Texas A&M
Week 11 Nov. 13: Mississippi State
Week 12 Nov. 20: at South Carolina
Week 13 Nov. 27: Alabama

2021 College Football Rankings, Schedules, Predictions
A | B | C-E | F-G | H-K | L | M
N | O | P-R | S | T | U | V-W

NEXT: 2021 College Football Rankings, Schedules, Team Predictions: B

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2021 College Football Predictions For All 130 Teams: Spring

College football schedules and spring predictions for all 130 teams with the realistic best and worst case records and quick analysis.

College football schedules and spring predictions for all 130 teams with the realistic best and worst case records and quick analysis.

Contact @ColFootballNews

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ACC Atlantic

– ACC Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– ACC 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown

Boston College Eagles

There’s a lot to like in Year Two under Jeff Hafley, the pass-heavy team should be stronger, and there’s a nice three game tune-up to get ready for the start of the real season that should under with one big thud. The Eagles will win one they shouldn’t lose one they shouldn’t, and go bowling with at least six wins.

2018: 7-5 2019: 6-7 2020: 6-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 4 Colgate
Sept. 11 at UMass
Sept. 18 at Temple
Sept. 25 Missouri
Oct. 2 at Clemson
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 NC State
Oct. 23 at Louisville
Oct. 30 at Syracuse
Nov. 5 Virginia Tech
Nov. 13 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 20 Florida State
Nov. 27 Wake Forest
– Full Schedule Analysis

Clemson Tigers

It’s all up to the opener against Georgia. That’s the one realistic shot at a loss with a relatively easy-looking ACC slate with no North Carolina or Miami. With a polite nod to Alabama, this should be the best team in college football with nothing more than the annual way-too-close-call brain cramp – maybe at Louisville or Pitt – to worry about.

2018: 15-0 2019: 14-1 2020: 10-2
Realistic Best Case Record: 12-0
Realistic Worst Case Record: 9-3
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 12-0

Sept. 4 Georgia (in Charlotte)
Sept. 11 South Carolina State
Sept. 18 Georgia Tech
Sept. 25 at NC State
Oct. 2 Boston College
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 at Syracuse
Oct. 23 at Pitt
Oct. 30 Florida State
Nov. 6 at Louisville
Nov. 13 UConn
Nov. 20 Wake Forest
Nov. 27 at South Carolina
– Full Schedule Analysis

Florida State Seminoles

It’s Florida State – at some point it has to be good again. It’s not like the ACC is anything killer this year – the Noles will drop the road games to the strong Clemson and North Carolina teams – and there won’t be a win over Florida or Notre Dame. Start with those four losses and hope to push for six wins with few home blips and a win in one of the 50/50 road dates against Wake Forest or Boston College.

2018: 5-7 2019: 6-7 2020: 3-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 5 Notre Dame
Sept. 11 Jacksonville State
Sept. 18 at Wake Forest
Sept. 25 Louisville
Oct. 2 Syracuse
Oct. 9 at North Carolina
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 UMass
Oct. 30 at Clemson
Nov. 6 NC State
Nov. 13 Miami
Nov. 20 at Boston College
Nov. 27 at Florida
– Full Schedule Analysis

Louisville Cardinals

Considering Clemson is a home date, there isn’t a game on the slate the Cardinals can’t win. However, there are more than enough tough battles that could go either way to be concerned. There has to be a win over UCF, Virginia or Kentucky at home, or against Ole Miss in Atlanta to kick things off.

2018: 2-10 2019: 8-5 2020: 4-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 6 Ole Miss (in Atlanta)
Sept. 11 Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 17 UCF
Sept. 25 at Florida State
Oct. 2 at Wake Forest
Oct. 9 Virginia
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Boston College
Oct. 30 at NC State
Nov. 6 Clemson
Nov. 13 Syracuse
Nov. 18 at Duke
Nov. 27 Kentucky
– Full Schedule Analysis

NC State Wolfpack

There are enough winnable games to assume a bowl season, but can the Pack beat Mississippi State? Can they come off of their off week to beat Boston College on the road? It’ll take a big run late to go bowling, but they’ll get there.

2018: 9-4 2019: 4-8 2020: 8-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5

Sept. 2 USF
Sept. 11 at Mississippi State
Sept. 18 Furman
Sept. 25 Clemson
Oct. 2 Louisiana Tech
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at Boston College
Oct. 23 at Miami
Oct. 30 Louisville
Nov. 6 at Florida State
Nov. 13 at Wake Forest
Nov. 20 Syracuse
Nov. 26 North Carolina
– Full Schedule Analysis

Syracuse Orange

Can the Orange block anyone? The O line has to come together fast. The season should come down to two home games – Rutgers and Liberty. There will be a few ACC wins, but the difference between a solid season or another dud will come down to the early September games. Go at least 3-1 to start, or there’s going to be a problem even with a relatively okay slate.

2018: 10-3 2019: 5-7 2020: 1-10
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7

Sept. 4 at Ohio
Sept. 11 Rutgers
Sept. 18 Albany
Sept. 24 Liberty
Oct. 2 at Florida State
Oct. 9 Wake Forest
Oct. 15 Clemson
Oct. 23 at Virginia Tech
Oct. 30 Boston College
Nov. 6 OPEN DATE
Nov. 13 at Louisville
Nov. 20 at NC State
Nov. 27 Pitt
– Full Schedule Analysis

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

You know exactly how this works under Dave Clawson. The Demon Deacons will overachieve and win a few ACC games in fun shootouts, they won’t have enough in a few of the bigger road games, and they’ll somehow work their way to six-to-eight wins on the way to a bowl game. However, there’s one big concern – North Carolina. It’s technically a non-conference game instead of playing some cream-puff to boost up the record.

2018: 7-6 2019: 8-4 2020: 4-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 3 Old Dominion
Sept. 11 Norfolk State
Sept. 18 Florida State
Sept. 24 at Virginia
Oct. 2 Louisville
Oct. 9 at Syracuse
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Army
Oct. 30 Duke
Nov. 6 at North Carolina*
Nov. 13 NC State
Nov. 20 at Clemson
Nov. 27 at Boston College
*Not considered an ACC game
– Full Schedule Analysis

ACC Coastal

– ACC Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– ACC 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown

Duke Blue Devils

There’s a base of three wins built into the cake – Charlotte, North Carolina A&T and Kansas – but where else are the Blue Devils going to make any noise without a massive overall improvement? There will be one win somewhere – like against Georgia Tech – and there will probably be an upset or two along the way, but they’ll be double-digit dogs for most of the ACC season.

2018: 8-5 2019: 5-7 2020: 2-9
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 4-8

Sept. 4 at Charlotte
Sept. 11 North Carolina A&T
Sept. 18 Northwestern
Sept. 25 Kansas
Oct. 2 at North Carolina
Oct. 9 Georgia Tech
Oct. 16 at Virginia
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Wake Forest
Nov. 6 Pitt
Nov. 13 at Virginia Tech
Nov. 18 Louisville
Nov. 27 Miami
– Full Schedule Analysis

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Have things started to turn under Geoff Collins? The Yellow Jackets should have more pieces in place, but it’s going to take a few upsets to push for a winning season. Playing Clemson, Notre Dame and Georgia are three losses and going to Miami and Virginia doesn’t help. At least North Carolina and Virginia Tech are at home.

2018: 7-6 2019: 3-9 2020: 3-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 4-8

Sept. 4 Northern Illinois
Sept. 11 Kennesaw State
Sept. 18 at Clemson
Sept. 25 North Carolina
Oct. 2 Pitt
Oct. 9 at Duke
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Virginia
Oct. 30 Virginia Tech
Nov. 6 at Miami
Nov. 13 Boston College
Nov. 20 at Notre Dame
Nov. 27 Georgia
– Full Schedule Analysis

Miami Hurricanes

Start with a loss to Alabama to kick things off, and be afraid of Appalachian State and Michigan State to follow. However, if this is going to be a great season, the Canes need to beat the Mountaineers and Spartans in Hard Rock. There’s no Clemson on the slate, going to Florida State shouldn’t be too tough, and there’s a week off before dealing with North Carolina.

2018: 7-6 2019: 6-7 2020: 8-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 7-5
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 9-3

Sept. 4 Alabama (in Atlanta)
Sept. 11 Appalachian State
Sept. 18 Michigan State
Sept. 25 Central Connecticut
Sept. 30 Virginia
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at North Carolina
Oct. 23 NC State
Oct. 30 at Pitt
Nov. 6 Georgia Tech
Nov. 13 at Florida State
Nov. 20 Virginia Tech
Nov. 27 at Duke
– Full Schedule Analysis

North Carolina Tar Heels

It’s a weird-tough slate for the loaded Tar Heels. There isn’t anyone on the schedule they can’t beat – they don’t have to play Clemson – but Georgia State is the only non-ACCish non-conference game with the date at Notre Dame and home game against Wake Forest both not counting in the ACC standings.

2018: 2-9 2019: 7-6 2020: 8-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Realistic Worst Case Record: 7-5
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 9-3

Sept. 2 at Virginia Tech
Sept. 11 Georgia State
Sept. 18 Virginia
Sept. 25 at Georgia Tech
Oct. 2 Duke
Oct. 9 Florida State
Oct. 16 Miami
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Notre Dame
Nov. 6 Wake Forest*
Nov. 11 at Pitt
Nov. 20 Wofford
Nov. 26 at NC State
*Not considered an ACC game
– Full Schedule Analysis

Pitt Panthers

It’s going to be another dangerous Pitt team that will be just good enough to shock someone along the way, and just off enough to not be 100% certain of anything special. It should come down to road games at Tennessee and Virginia Tech and home dates with Clemson, Miami, and North Carolina. The Panthers have to win at least two of those.

2018: 7-7 2019: 8-5 2020: 6-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5

Sept. 4 UMass
Sept. 11 at Tennessee
Sept. 18 Western Michigan
Sept. 25 New Hampshire
Oct. 2 at Georgia Tech
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at Virginia Tech
Oct. 23 Clemson
Oct. 30 Miami
Nov. 6 at Duke
Nov. 11 North Carolina
Nov. 20 Virginia
Nov. 27 at Syracuse
– Full Schedule Analysis

Virginia Cavaliers

It’s a dangerous schedule for a good team that’s going to have a hard time pushing for anything special. Win at home against William & Mary, Illinois, Wake Forest, Duke and Georgia Tech, and it’ll easily be a winning season. However, going to BYU won’t be a breeze, but there are only two road games after October 9th.

2018: 8-5 2019: 9-5 2020: 5-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5

Sept. 4 William & Mary
Sept. 11 Illinois
Sept. 18 at North Carolina
Sept. 24 Wake Forest
Sept. 30 at Miami
Oct. 9 at Louisville
Oct. 16 Duke
Oct. 23 Georgia Tech
Oct. 30 at BYU
Nov. 6 OPEN DATE
Nov. 13 Notre Dame
Nov. 20 at Pitt
Nov. 27 Virginia Tech
– Full Schedule Analysis

Virginia Tech Hokies

It’s the Xiest of X factor teams with so many new parts and so much uncertainty. Starting the season with North Carolina doesn’t help and going to West Virginia is a problem, but it’s not that bad an ACC slate even with four of the last five games on the road.

2018: 6-7 2019: 8-5 2020: 5-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 2 North Carolina
Sept. 11 Middle Tennessee
Sept. 18 at West Virginia
Sept. 25 Richmond
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 Notre Dame
Oct. 16 Pitt
Oct. 23 Syracuse
Oct. 30 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 5 at Boston College
Nov. 13 Duke
Nov. 20 at Miami
Nov. 27 at Virginia
– Full Schedule Analysis

Next: American Athletic

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ESPN analyst: ‘I might have Georgia as my No. 1 team in college football’

ESPN college football analyst Cole Cubelic mentioned he might have the Georgia Bulldogs as the top team in the nation heading into 2021.

Georgia is in great position to make a deep run in the 2021 college football season. Returning tons of star power on both sides of the ball, the only real question mark lies in the secondary, where UGA loses a lot of experience.

Almost all preseason rankings have Georgia as a top-five team entering 2021, but I’m yet to see anywhere have the Dawgs at No. 1.

It looks like we’ll have to wait (and hope) for SEC Network college football analyst Cole Cubelic to release his preseason top-25, in which he just might have Georgia sitting at No. 1.

“Coach Monken can go through his entire offseason knowing who his guy is and exactly what that offense is going to look like,” Cubelic on the Paul Finebaum show.

[lawrence-related id=39345]

“Paul, I might have Georgia as my No. 1 team in college football heading into the season and I’m not sure there’s another team in that is going to be close to them in the east.”

"Paul I might have Georgia as my #1 team in college football heading into the season…not sure there's going to be a team even able to compete with them in the SEC East."

–@colecubelic likes the Dawgs

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) February 26, 2021

Georgia’s offense, though inconsistent throughout a majority of the 2020 season, is in great shape to be one of the nation’s best groups in 2021. And that’s in large part thanks to the return of quarterback JT Daniels, who did not receive an opportunity to line up under center for the Dawgs until the latter part of 2020.

But once he got his chance, everything changed. Georgia’s group of stud receivers started having great games, due to the ball actually being thrown to them rather than near them.

The Bulldogs’ running game also opened up and Zamir White looked like the superstar that he is.

Expect more of the same this season. Georgia returns a number of star receivers, an impressive stable of ball carriers and plenty of talent on the offensive line.

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2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis: College Football Rankings 1-130

All 130 college football programs are ranked in wins, attendance, draft and more in the 2020 CFN Five-Year Program Analysis

All 130 college football programs are ranked in wins, attendance, draft and more in the 2020 CFN Five-Year Program Analysis

Which college football programs are doing the best jobs overall, which once have all the advantages, and most of all, who’s winning?

At the end of the day, if your college football program wins a lot of games, everything else works out from the attendance, the draft picks, and the money that all follows from all of the success.

Created over two decades ago, the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis takes a look at several different factors to rank all 130 programs from all of the difference aspects.

When we first did this, Miami owned the 1990s. Florida and Nebraska had their say for a while, USC took over, and now you know who the big boys are.

How are the rankings determined? Click here for all of the category descriptions and all of the team-by-team rankings.

[jwplayer zttcjcuk]

Contact @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

2019 5-Year Program Analysis Rankings
Top 10 | 11-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 | 101-130
Ranking Categories Explained

130 UTEP

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 9.48
2019 Ranking: 126
2018 Ranking: 123
2017 Ranking: 117
Biggest Positive: 4 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 8 FBS wins
Analysis: Years of struggles have led to this. UTEP won just eight games over FBS teams over the last five years, and all eight of them were bad wins – wins over FCS teams or teams that finished with three wins or fewer.
– CFN UTEP 2020 Team Preview

129 Texas State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 15.04
2019 Ranking: 124
2018 Ranking: 118
2017 Ranking: 114
Biggest Positive: 2 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 2.5 Bad Win Score
Analysis: When you only win eight games over FBS teams and you have a Bad Win Score of 2.5, that’s not good. The Bobcats haven’t won enough, the attendance has struggled, and the APR isn’t good.
– CFN Texas State 2020 Team Preview

128 UMass

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 15.25
2019 Ranking: 129
2018 Ranking: 130
2017 Ranking: 130
Biggest Positive: 5 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 1.12 Attendance Score
Analysis: It’s been tough being an independent. The team doesn’t win enough, the 11.5 Bad Loss score stinks, and there’s not enough of a home attendance to make anything work. The dismal APR score adds insult to injury.
– CFN UMass 2020 Team Preview

127 Kansas

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 16.46
2019 Ranking: 128
2018 Ranking: 127
2017 Ranking: 123
Biggest Positive: 2.66 Attendance Score
Biggest Negative: 6 FBS wins
Analysis: Boston College and Texas Tech last season, Central Michigan, Rutgers and TCU in 2018, Texas in 2015. Those are the six wins over FBS wins in the last five seasons. That’s it. There’s nothing else positive – including the attendance – across the board.
– CFN Kansas 2020 Team Preview

126 Rice

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 17.62
2019 Ranking: 117
2018 Ranking: 95
2017 Ranking: 78
Biggest Positive: 9.816 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 0 Quality Wins
Analysis: It’s been a simple issue – the football team doesn’t win enough football games. The Owls have won just 11 over FBS programs in the last five years, and none of them came against teams that finished with a winning record. The players rock in the classroom, though.
– CFN Rice 2020 Team Preview

125 Kent State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 22.52
2019 Ranking: 130
2018 Ranking: 125
2017 Ranking: 106
Biggest Positive: 9.74 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 1.25 Attendance Score
Analysis: The program finally knows what it’s like to win a little bit after going bowling last season, but it still needs to do a whole lot more to move up. The Attendance Score is a huge problem, and winning just 28% of all MAC games doesn’t help.
– CFN Kent State 2020 Team Preview

124 Coastal Carolina

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 23.18
2019 Ranking: 125
2018 Ranking: 128
2017 Ranking: 127
Biggest Positive: 9.69 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 1.16 Attendance Score
Analysis: There aren’t enough wins overall – it only had three years of stats in the mix – but the APR is good and there was enough success packed in the three seasons to start moving up a bit.
– CFN Coastal Carolina 2020 Team Preview

123 UConn

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 24.48
2019 Ranking: 121
2018 Ranking: 117
2017 Ranking: 105
Biggest Positive: 1 Elite Win
Biggest Negative: 9.762 APR Score
Analysis: UConn 20, Houston 17. The Huskies handed the Cougars their only loss of 2015, and that Elite Win is a huge help to the overall cause. Five players were drafted, and the APR Score is great, but there have to be more wins. Fast.
– CFN UConn 2020 Team Preview

122 UNLV

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 24.89
2019 Ranking: 122
2018 Ranking: 114
2017 Ranking: 118
Biggest Positive: 16 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 8 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: The 16 FBS wins are the most by anyone ranked lower than 115th, but the real boost comes from the eight wins over teams that finished with winning records. That’s a problem, though – the program has been good enough to be able to beat a few nice teams to expect more than this overall.
– CFN UNLV 2020 Team Preview

121 San Jose State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 25.56
2019 Ranking: 120
2018 Ranking: 109
2017 Ranking: 75
Biggest Positive: 6 Draft Score
Biggest Negative: 1.49 Attendance Score
Analysis: Things started to get better last season with a few more wins, but they weren’t enough to come up with any sort of a boost. The Spartans are getting better, but the attendance is always going to be a problem, and winning more Mountain West games is a must.
– CFN San Jose State 2020 Team Preview

120 Ball State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 25.76
2019 Ranking: 119
2018 Ranking: 111
2017 Ranking: 89
Biggest Positive: Put it this way. 13 FBS wins are the most by anyone in the bottom eight. That’s about as nice a thing as can be said for a Cardinal program that struggled, but might just turn a corner with a strong team being built up.
Biggest Negative: 0.95 Attendance Score
Analysis: Put it this way … the 13 FBS wins
– CFN Ball State 2020 Team Preview

119 Liberty

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 26.03
2019 Ranking: 123
2018 Ranking: 126
2017 Ranking: Not Ranked
Biggest Positive: 56% winning %
Biggest Negative: 9.488 APR Score
Analysis: The Flames have only been in the FBS world for two years, so there aren’t enough bulk win stats to push out of the ranking doldrums. However, the program is starting to win, it went to a bowl, and it should start to make some noise with a few more decent campaigns.
– CFN Liberty 2020 Team Preview

118 New Mexico State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 26.33
2019 Ranking: 118
2018 Ranking: 121
2017 Ranking: 128
Biggest Positive: 9 Bad Wins
Biggest Negative: 29% winning percentage
Analysis: It’s been rough for New Mexico State to bust through – even with a winning season and a bowl victory a few years ago – without any one category that’s any good. When you “only” have nine bad wins, and that’s a plus, there’s a problem.
– CFN New Mexico State 2020 Team Preview

117 Charlotte

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 26.37
2019 Ranking: 127
2018 Ranking: 129
2017 Ranking: 129
Biggest Positive: 15 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 1.29 Attendance Score
Analysis: This is still a new program that’s getting stronger and stronger, coming off a trip to a bowl game. The fan base – at least the attendance – is still going to need time to build, but the trend is moving up overall.
– CFN Charlotte 2020 Team Preview

116 Rutgers

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 27.83
2019 Ranking: 109
2018 Ranking: 100
2017 Ranking: 84
Biggest Positive: 9.736 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 10 FBS Wins
Analysis: The program just doesn’t win football games. The Scarlet Knights have won fewer than 10% of their conference games, and ten FBS wins are miniscule. The saving stats are the APR and the attendance – 40,000 people a game is okay no matter how it works.
– CFN Rutgers 2020 Team Preview

115 East Carolina

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 28.18
2019 Ranking: 105
2018 Ranking: 80
2017 Ranking: 72
Biggest Positive: 3.8 Attendance Score
Biggest Negative: 20% Conference Winning %
Analysis: If the Pirates can just start winning on a regular basis, the fan base will be there to start cranking things up. The 14 FBS wins, though, aren’t good, and the 20% clip in AAC play stinks. Just two Quality Wins is a disaster.
– CFN East Carolina 2020 Team Preview

114 ULM

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 20.63
2019 Ranking: 115
2018 Ranking: 113
2017 Ranking: 104
Biggest Positive: 9.664 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 1.32 Attendance Score
Analysis: The Warhawks are sort of winning, and they’ve been competitive, but the program should be better. The APR Score isn’t that great, and the 13 Bad Wins are too many. Winning just 40% of Sun Belt games isn’t good enough.
– CFN ULM 2020 Team Preview

113 Old Dominion

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 30.66
2019 Ranking: 102
2018 Ranking: 103
2017 Ranking: 107
Biggest Positive: 21 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 15 Bad Wins
Analysis: The 2019 Monarchs were disappointing, and there haven’t been enough wins overall, but the 21 FBS victories over the last five years aren’t bad for being this low. There’s not a lot to get excited about, though, from the other categories.
– CFN Old Dominion 2020 Team Preview

112 Akron

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 30.75
2019 Ranking: 106
2018 Ranking: 99
2017 Ranking: 115
Biggest Positive: 20 FBS Wins
Biggest Negative: 9.452 APR Score
Analysis: Going 0-12 in 2019 doesn’t help the cause. The 20 FBS wins in the previous four seasons are the saving grace to keep things from sinking any further. There’s just nothing to get interested in across the numbers board, with the 40% winning clip in MAC play one of the few positives.
– CFN Akron 2020 Team Preview

111 Bowling Green

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 30.98
2019 Ranking: 103
2018 Ranking: 78
2017 Ranking: 60
Biggest Positive: 40% Conference Winning Percentage
Biggest Negative: 1.62 Attendance Score
Analysis: The Falcons did just enough winning a few years ago to see the slide in the rankings – 60th in 2017?! – go any further, but this is bad. The Attendance Score is always a problem, and the 12 Bad Wins don’t help.
– CFN Bowling Green 2020 Team Preview

110 Oregon State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 32.09
2019 Ranking: 113
2018 Ranking: 98
2017 Ranking: 73
Biggest Positive: 8 players drafted
Biggest Negative: 18% conference winning percentage
Analysis: The Beavers haven’t won a whole lot of games lately with just nine victories over FBS teams over the last five seasons. The Attendance Score of 3.52 isn’t okay, and getting eight players drafted helps, but they have to be a LOT better in Pac-12 play.
– CFN Oregon State 2020 Team Preview

109 UTSA

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 33.53
2019 Ranking: 104
2018 Ranking: 93
2017 Ranking: 94
Biggest Positive: 1 Bad Loss
Biggest Negative: 15 Bad Wins
Analysis: Give UTSA credit for one thing despite the crash in the rankings over the last few years – it doesn’t lose to the miserable teams. The key in Conference USA is to not drop the games to the dregs, and the loss to North Texas – the only win of the Mean Green season – in 2015 is it. In this case, a Bad Win score of 15 isn’t that awful – you’re doing your job.
– CFN UTSA 2020 Team Preview

108 Georgia State

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 34.45
2019 Ranking: 116
2018 Ranking: 124
2017 Ranking: 126
Biggest Positive: 7 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 7 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: The Panthers’ run to a bowl game and a 7-6 season – with wins over Tennessee and Arkansas State – helped boost up the the program’s ranking despite the rough Attendance Score of 1.5 and horrible Bad Loss Score. Losing to Texas State last season hurts.
– CFN Georgia State 2020 Team Preview

107 South Alabama

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 34.70
2019 Ranking: 93
2018 Ranking: 87
2017 Ranking: 99
Biggest Positive: 6 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 28% conference winning percentage
Analysis: The Jaguars aren’t getting it done in the Sun Belt. They only have 15 FBS wins overall and can’t get enough big performances in conference play, but a win at Troy in 2017 and a victory over San Diego State on the road gave them a 2.5 Elite Win score to put a stop to the ranking freefall.
– CFN South Alabama 2020 Team Preview

106 Illinois

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 34.95
2019 Ranking: 101
2018 Ranking: 102
2017 Ranking: 95
Biggest Positive: 9.808 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 23% conference winning percentage
Analysis: The Lovie Smith era isn’t exactly taking off. Yeah, Illinois went to a bowl game last season, but the 17 FBS wins and a mere three Quality Wins aren’t getting it done. Getting almost 40,000 fans per game helps, and the APR Score is great, but the program doesn’t win enough Big Ten games.
– CFN Illinois 2020 Team Preview

105 New Mexico

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 35.00
2019 Ranking: 97
2018 Ranking: 96
2017 Ranking: 93
Biggest Positive: 1 Bad Loss Score
Biggest Negative: 33% conference win percentage
Analysis: The Lobos went to bowl games in 2015 and 2016, and everything fell off the map with with just two wins that weren’t against FCS or teams that finished with three wins or fewer over the last three seasons. The program has just one Mountain West win since late September of 2017.
– CFN New Mexico 2020 Team Preview

104 Eastern Michigan

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 36.64
2019 Ranking: 114
2018 Ranking: 122
2017 Ranking: 124
Biggest Positive: 23 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 1.41 Attendance Score
Analysis: It’s hard to move up too much when the attendance hovers around 14,000 a game and the team wins about 38% of its MAC games. However, the 23 wins for a program that struggled for so, so long is fantastic.
– CFN Eastern Michigan 2020 Team Preview

103 Tulsa

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 38.40
2019 Ranking: 112
2018 Ranking: 106
2017 Ranking: 82
Biggest Positive: 23 FBS wins
Biggest Negative: 4.5 Bad Loss Score
Analysis: The Golden Hurricane are struggling to get to 20,000 fans a game in the stands, and the 4.5 Bad Loss Score is crushing, but the 2-10 season of 2014 isn’t on the books anymore so the ranking went up. Improving the 9.4 APR and the 48% conference winning clip would help.
– CFN Tulsa 2020 Team Preview

102 Nevada

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 39.51
2019 Ranking: 100
2018 Ranking: 112
2017 Ranking: 101
Biggest Positive: 9.714 APR Score
Biggest Negative: 1.82 Attendance Score
Analysis: It seems like the Wolf Pack should be a whole lot better than this. They have a not-horrible 26 wins over FBS teams and six Quality Wins, the Bad Loss Score of 5 and the mediocre attendance are a drag.
– CFN Nevada 2020 Team Preview

101 North Texas

Five-Year Program Analysis Score: 40.22
2019 Ranking: 94
2018 Ranking: 89
2017 Ranking: 102
Biggest Positive: 8 Quality Wins
Biggest Negative: 2 players drafted
Analysis: The Mean Green won 24 games over FBS teams over the last five years, and the eight wins over teams that finished with a winning record are great, but the 14 bad wins and 3.5 Bad Loss Score brought the ranking down.
– CFN North Texas 2020 Team Preview

2019 5-Year Program Analysis Rankings
Top 10 | 11-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100
Ranking Categories Explained

NEXT: CFN Five Year Program Analysis Rankings, The Top 100

Pages: 1234567

College Football Elite Loss Rankings By Conference: 2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis

Who had the most losses to top teams? In the CFN 5-Year Program Analysis, here’s the conference ranking of who had the most elite losses

Who had the most elite losses over the last five years? Here are the conference rankings of the teams and their losses to the best of the best – the defeats to the powerhouses on the slate.

Contact @PeteFiutak

They’re the big losses that hurt, but are forgivable. By conference, who had the most losses to the elite teams over the last five years?

An Elite Loss is a loss to a team that finished with two losses or fewer.

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ACC

1 Florida State 9

2 Louisville 8

T3 Georgia Tech 7

T3 Pitt 7

T5 Boston College 6

T5 Syracuse 6

T5 Wake Forest 6

T5 Virginia Tech 6

9 NC State 5

10 Miami 4

T11 Clemson 3

T11 Duke 3

T11 North Carolina 3

T11 Virginia 3

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American Athletic Conference

T1 Navy 9

T1 SMU 9

T3 Cincinnati 8

T3 Memphis 8

T3 Tulane 8

T6 East Carolina 7

T6 Tulsa 7

T6 USF 7

9 Temple 5

10 Houston 4

11 UCF 3

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Big 12

1 Iowa State 9

T2 Baylor 7

T2 TCU 7

T2 Texas Tech 7

T5 Kansas 6

T5 Kansas State 6

T5 Texas 6

T5 West Virginia 6

T9 Oklahoma 5

T9 Oklahoma State 5

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Big Ten

1 Maryland 12

2 Michigan 11

T3 Indiana 10

T3 Rutgers 10

5 Northwestern 9

6 Nebraska 8

T7 Illinois 7

T7 Wisconsin 7

T9 Michigan State 6

T9 Penn State 6

T11 Iowa 5

T11 Minnesota 5

T11 Purdue 5

14 Ohio State 4

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Conference USA

1 North Texas 4

T2 Charlotte 3

T2 Florida Atlantic 3

T2 Middle Tennessee 3

T5 FIU 2

T5 Marshall 2

T5 Old Dominion 2

T5 Southern Miss 2

T9 WKU 1

T9 Louisiana Tech 1

T9 Rice 1

T9 UAB 1

T9 UTEP 1

14 UTSA 0

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Independents

T1 UConn 6

T1 Notre Dame 6

3 Army 4

4 New Mexico State 3

T5 BYU 2

T5 UMass 2

7 Liberty 1

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MAC

T1 Kent State 4

T1 Miami Univ. 4

T4 Buffalo 3

T4 Ohio 3

T4 Central Michigan 3

T4 Eastern Michigan 3

T4 Northern Illinois 3

T9 Bowling Green 2

T9 Ball State 2

T9 Toledo 2

T9 Western Michigan 2

NEXT: MW, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt

Pages: 12

College Football Elite Loss Rankings 1-130: 2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis

Who got hit with the most losses to top teams? In the CFN 5-Year Program Analysis, here’s the 1-130 ranking of who had the most elite losses

Who had the most elite losses over the last five years? Here are the 1-130 rankings of the teams and their losses to the best of the best – the defeats to the powerhouses on the slate.

Contact @PeteFiutak

Sometimes, a team should get a bit of a pass for losing a game.

While some schools and coaches – (cough) Michigan and Jim Harbaugh (cough) – aren’t allowed to lose to the elite of the elite teams, there should be a little bit of forgiveness if you just so happen to have the misfortune of facing to one of a season’s superstars.

Who had the most losses to the best teams over the last five seasons?

Elite Losses: defeats to FBS teams that finished a season with two losses or fewer.

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– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

130 UTSA

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 0
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: 130

T121 Arizona State

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T121 Boise State

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T121 Liberty

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T121 Louisiana Tech

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T121 Rice

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T121 San Diego State

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T121 UAB

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T121 UTEP

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

– CFN 2020 ACC Preseason Rankings

T121 WKU

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 1
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T109 Appalachian State

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T109 Ball State

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T109 Bowling Green

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T109 BYU

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T77

T109 FIU

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T77

T109 Marshall

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T118

T109 Nevada

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T109 Old Dominion

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T77

T109 Southern Miss

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T77

– CFN 2020 All-American Athletic Team

T109 Toledo

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T60

T109 UMass

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

T109 Western Michigan

5-Year Elite Loss Total: 2
2019 Elite Loss Total Ranking: T101

NEXT: Top 87 Elite Loss Rankings

Pages: 12345

College Football Elite Win Rankings By Conference: 2020 CFN Five Year Program Analysis

Who came up with the big victories that make a season? Here are the rankings by conference of the teams with most elite wins each season.

How many elite wins did you get? Who came up with the really, really big victories that make a season? Here are the rankings by conference of the teams with FBS wins over the strongest and best teams each season.

Contact @PeteFiutak

Who got the big wins, and who was able to get the most of them in each conference? They’re the elite wins, and they take a team to a whole other level.

In the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis, an Elite Win is a victory over an FBS team that finished with two losses or fewer, or three losses or fewer on the road, neutral site game, conference championship or bowl game. An extra 0.5 is added on to the Elite Win score when a team comes up with a road victory or in a bowl game over a team that finished with two losses or fewer.