The probabilities of UCLA ever escaping the Backside 25 this season regarded bleak throughout an 0-4 begin that included a pair of losses to Mountain West groups earlier than the firing of coach DeShaun Foster. Actually, 0-12 appeared like a definite chance because the hapless Bruins ready to host Penn State in Week 6.
However since Tim Skipper took over because the interim coach, the Bruins have been on rocket gas. A win over the Nittany Lions and a 38-13 win at Michigan State in Week 7 boosted UCLA out of the Backside 25 with room to spare. For a workforce that was ranked all the best way down at No. 4 within the premier metric of school soccer futility on Sept. 30, that is fairly an accomplishment.
Beating Penn State after which obliterating the Spartans successfully turned the Bruins from a bottom-feeder right into a significant issue for its Large Ten opponents. Because the Bruins go away the Backside 25, two extra Large Ten groups are coming into this week. Purdue staved off its entry so long as it probably may, however the Boilermakers are right here now. Extra stunning is that Wisconsin has bottomed out so arduous.
The Badgers have dropped 4 straight video games with out a lot of a battle and have a number of extra vital challenges looming as third-year coach Luke Fickell slips ever nearer to the purpose of no return. Do not be stunned if Wisconsin quickly inhabits the identical bottom-five degree of disgrace that UCLA not too long ago occupied.
This yr’s Backside 25 components has been tweaked to make sure truthful illustration from throughout the game. Every of the Energy 4 leagues will get an automated bid to the Backside 25 every week, and a complete of 10 Energy 4 faculties have to be represented.
Faculty soccer rankings: Indiana joins the highest 3 after Oregon win as Texas, USC climb new CBS Sports activities 136
Chip Patterson
Backside 25 Rankings
^ Joined Backside 25 this week
Purdue lastly arrives
Give Purdue some credit score for taking longer to get right here than anticipated. However now that the Boilermakers have arrived within the Backside 25, we’re anticipating them to be repeat guests. With video games towards Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana nonetheless remaining, a 2-10 or 3-9 file is sort of potential. Nonetheless, first-year coach Barry Odom doubled this system’s win complete from final season by profitable his first two video games. So not less than there’s that!
25. Arkansas (24)
24. Virginia Tech^
23. West Virginia (23)
22. Stanford^
21. Purdue^
Fickle Fickell
Wisconsin simply concluded the better half of its schedule by averaging 8.5 factors throughout 4 straight losses. How dangerous may it get in Madison? We’re about to seek out out, as Ohio State and Oregon are the subsequent opponents. Indiana, Illinois, Washington and Minnesota are additionally left on this slate. The “worst” of that bunch is 4-2 Minnesota. Paul Chryst has acquired to be smirking someplace after getting canned by the Badgers in 2022 when he had a .720 profitable proportion. His alternative, Luke Fickell, is 15-17.
20. Jap Michigan (7)
19. North Carolina (20)
18. Wisconsin^
17. South Alabama (17)
16. Arkansas State (12)
Dilfer’s downfall
Superstar hires are nice for headlines and buzz, however UAB is a cautionary story of the way it can go flawed. The Blazers thought it was a good suggestion to rent former Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer straight from a highschool job in Nashville, and so they’re now paying the worth for that mistake. No less than Deion Sanders was really a sitting school coach at Jackson State when Colorado employed him. Sanders additionally introduced stud gamers like Travis Hunter and Shedeuer Sanders. All Dilfer delivered to UAB was embarrassment up till he was fired Sunday with a 9-21 mark halfway by way of his third season.
15. Penn State (22)
14. Air Pressure (19)
13. UAB^
12. Nevada (18)
11. Northern Illinois
Texas-sized issues
Issues have gotten so dangerous at UTEP that second-year coach Scotty Walden benched former five-star quarterback prospect Malachi Nelson this previous week and began final yr’s QB1, Skyler Locklear, as a substitute. It did not have the specified impact, because the Miners misplaced 19-8 to a rudderless Liberty workforce. However there is a silver lining for CFB sickos: the end result arrange a Backside 25 showdown for Wednesday, as UTEP will tackle winless Sam Houston to resolve as soon as and for all who the worst workforce is in Texas.
10. Akron (9)
9. UTEP^
8. Boston Faculty (16)
7. Charlotte (11)
6. Center Tennessee (8)
UMassively dangerous
UMass entered the 2025 marketing campaign with simply eight victories over the previous six seasons, however the 2025 Minutemen are setting a brand new program commonplace for futility. They’ve been outscored 194-32 in 5 video games (all losses) towards FBS groups. Their one sport towards an FCS foe? That was a 27-26 loss to Bryant, which is a foul FCS workforce whose solely different victory so far is towards Division II Bentley College. Being this dangerous is definitely form of spectacular.
5. Georgia State (6)
4. Oklahoma State (4)
3. Oregon State (5)
2. Sam Houston (2)
1. UMass (1)
