The Final 2025 College Football Bottom 10: A Farewell to Futility
The 2025 college football season has concluded, and with it, the final rankings for the most disappointing teams in the nation. Using a unique and deliberately complicated "Faux Pas Index," the Bottom 10 Selection Committee has crowned the University of Massachusetts as the undisputed champion of futility. This article breaks down the final standings, from the winless Minutemen to the teams narrowly escaping the list, providing a humorous yet analytical look at the season's worst performers on the gridiron.
As the confetti settles on conference championship weekend and the College Football Playoff bracket is set, another, less-celebrated tradition reaches its conclusion: the final Bottom 10 rankings. This annual exercise, documented by ESPN's Ryan McGee, serves as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the teams that struggled the most throughout the college football season. For 2025, the title of the nation's worst team, according to the committee's proprietary "Faux Pas Index," goes to the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, who completed a perfectly imperfect 0-12 campaign.
The Bottom 10 Selection Process
The final rankings were determined by a specially convened Bottom 10 Selection Committee, which included a mix of personalities reacting to a chaotic "Coaching Tilt-A-Whirl" offseason. Their methodology was the intentionally convoluted Faux Pas Index (FPI), a formula designed to be so complex it becomes "indisputable." As outlined in the source material, the FPI calculates a score based on wins, losses, active losing streaks, point differential, turnover margin, strength of schedule, and a 50-point bonus for firing a head coach. The result is a definitive, if absurd, ranking of college football's bottom feeders.
The 2025 Bottom 10 Rankings
Here is the complete, final list of the ten worst teams in college football for the 2025 season, based on the committee's FPI calculations.
1. UMess (Massachusetts Minutemen, 0-12)
With an FPI score of -37.5, UMass stands alone at the bottom. The Minutemen were outscored by 330 points over the season (133 for, 463 against) and carried a 12-game active losing streak. Their season was effectively over early, cementing their status as the undisputed champions of the Bottom 10.
2. Charlotte 49ers (1-11)
Charlotte secured the second spot with an FPI of -30.9. Despite a $1.9 million payday from a game at Georgia, the 49ers' 1-11 record, -264 point differential, and -8 turnover margin were too much to overcome, landing them firmly in the runner-up position.
3. Sam Houston Bearkats (2-10)
Sam Houston's -29.9 FPI earned them the third spot. The Bearkats' two wins were outweighed by a poor strength of schedule ranking and a defense that allowed 454 points, proving that even a couple of victories can't save you from a bottom-tier finish.
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-11)
The Cowboys, or "Ughlahoma State," landed at number four with a -28.8 FPI. The team's 11-game active losing streak and the 50-point "Randy Edsall Fired Coach Bonus" for dismissing their head coach solidified their place among the season's worst.
5. The Lane Train (Lane Kiffin)
In a departure from strict FPI math, the coveted fifth spot was reserved for Lane Kiffin. This honorary placement, as noted in the ESPN report, was a nod to the controversial coach's mid-season departure from Ole Miss for LSU, which generated significant backlash and became a defining storyline of the coaching carousel.
6. Georgia State Panthers (1-11)
Georgia State's -26.9 FPI placed them sixth. A -11 turnover margin and a losing streak that extended over 80 days since their last win were key factors in their ranking, though the math was slightly kinder to them than to teams above.
7. Colorado State Rams (2-10)
With an FPI of -26.3, Colorado State jumped onto the list late. Vocal lobbying from their fanbase was validated by the numbers, which included the fired coach bonus and a -148 point differential. Their subsequent hiring of Jim Mora was noted as a potential threat to their future Bottom 10 eligibility.
8. Oregon State Beavers (2-10)
Oregon State's confusing season, which included a win over Washington State followed by a loss to Sam Houston and a second loss to Wazzu, resulted in a -22.6 FPI and the eighth spot. Their performance trapped them in what the committee called a "bizarro Bottom 10 vortex."
9. UTEP Miners (2-10)
The UTEP Miners, or "UTEPid," claimed the ninth position with a -19.1 FPI. A -12 turnover margin and a weak strength of schedule were primary contributors, though they did have the consolation of a head-to-head victory over fellow Bottom 10 member Sam Houston.
10. Boston College Eagles (2-10)
Rounding out the final list are the Boston College Eagles with a -14.08 FPI. A ten-game losing streak and a -88 point differential were enough to edge out other contenders on the Waiting List, securing the Eagles the final, infamous spot in the 2025 rankings.
Waiting in the Wings
Several teams narrowly avoided making the final cut, forming the "Waiting List." This group included Arkansas, Nevada, San José State, Purdue, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Illinois, and ULM. These programs had just enough wins, a slightly tougher schedule, or a late-season rally to escape the Bottom 10, but their seasons were still marked by significant struggle.
Conclusion: A Tribute to the Struggle
The final 2025 Bottom 10 serves as a humorous, data-driven postscript to the college football season. It highlights the immense challenge of building a successful program and the fine line between a disappointing year and a historically bad one. For the teams listed, the offseason offers a chance to reset, rebuild, and aim for a future far away from the Faux Pas Index. For fans, it's a reminder that even in defeat, there's a story to be told—and sometimes, that story is worth ranking.
