The Long Road Ahead: CFN Preseason Rankings 101-138

Every season has teams looking to build up from the bottom, rebuild, or simply put together something fun for Saturdays in the fall.

The bottom 38 of the CFN 2026 Preseason College Football Rankings are more interesting than normal, though.

From a new FBS program in Sacramento State making a bold move, to Northern Illinois moving to the Mountain West, to a slew of Sun Belt teams with real conference title hopes, here are our teams ranked 101 to 138 going into the season.

CFN Preseason College Football Rankings 101-138

CFN’s 2026 Preseason Rankings
The Elite of the Elite: Top 10
Great Teams in the Mix: 11 to 25
The Best of the Rest: 26 to 50
The Middle Class: 51 to 100

138. Sacramento State Hornets

Predicted Record: 3-9 
2025 Final Record: 7-5 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: Not Ranked 
2025 CFN Final Rank: Not Ranked 
Week 1: at Eastern Michigan
Swing Game:Kent State, Oct. 30 

The new guy on the FCS block has a big home travel advantage. The team itself doesn’t have the lines, and the defense will be an issue, but it’s a fun new program for the MAC. 
Sacramento State 2026 Team Preview

137. UMass Minutemen

Predicted Record: 2-10 
2025 Final Record: 0-12 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 135 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 136 
Week 1: at Rutgers 
Swing Game:Ball State, Nov. 4 

Will this be the year UMass football takes a step forward? The defense isn’t there, and the lack of offensive playmakers is a problem, but with two FCS games, four wins would be a start. 
UMass 2026 Team Preview

136. Sam Houston Bearkats

Predicted Record: 3-9 
2025 Final Record: 2-10 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 125 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 132 
Week 1: at Troy 
Swing Game: at Missouri State, Oct. 27 

Sam Houston will still need a bit more work to get back to its 2024 success. It didn’t get appreciably stronger overall, but there’s just enough in place to pull off a few upsets. 
Sam Houston 2026 Team Preview

135. Akron Zips

Predicted Record: 3-9 
2025 Final Record: 5-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 133 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 123 
Week 1: at Wake Forest 
Swing Game: at Kent State, Oct. 24 

A program in need of some good luck, Akron has the running game and the offense, but it doesn’t have enough winnable games to crank up the record. 
Akron 2026 Team Preview

134. Georgia State Panthers

Predicted Record: 3-9 
2025 Final Record: 2-10 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 129 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 133 
Week 1: North Carolina A&T 
Swing Game: at Arkansas State, Oct. 24 

Way overdue to take a step forward, Georgia State has the offensive backfield to be more dangerous. The defensive side, though, isn’t good enough to hold up. 
Georgia State 2026 Team Preview

133. ULM Warhawks

Predicted Record: 2-10 
2025 Final Record: 3-9 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 120 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 122 
Week 1: at Mississippi State 
Swing Game:Florida Atlantic, Sept. 26 

Bryant Vincent is a strong coach, and he has a decent starting 22, but the Warhawks don’t have enough easy wins. They’ll be competitive, but that won’t be good enough in a rough year. 
ULM 2026 Team Preview

132. Charlotte 49ers

Predicted Record: 1-11 
2025 Final Record: 1-11 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 114 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 135 
Week 1: Citadel 
Swing Game: at UAB, Nov. 7 

Can the 49ers find something that works? It’ll take a heavy lift to get past a tough schedule – at least for them. After a disastrous season, being competitive each week will be a start. 
Charlotte 2026 Team Preview

131. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 104 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 95 
Week 1: Alcorn State 
Swing Game: at ULM, Oct. 31 

Rebuilding again, the Golden Eagles under Blake Anderson need a while to get the defense rolling. They need to win early with a rough November looming. 
Southern Miss 2026 Team Preview

130. New Mexico State Aggies

Predicted Record: 4-8 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 117 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 129 
Week 0: at Florida State
Swing Game: at Sam Houston, Oct. 21 

With more good players and better depth, New Mexico State will be stronger, but without the record to show it. An unforgiving schedule will make it another fight of a season. 
New Mexico State 2026 Team Preview

129. UTEP Miners

Predicted Record: 2-10 
2025 Final Record: 2-10 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 121 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 131 
Week 1: at Oklahoma 
Swing Game: Nevada, Oct. 10 

New to the Mountain West, UTEP won’t have an easy time, but there’s a great energy, a fun offense, and a huge break with just one road game in a six-week mid-season span. 
UTEP 2026 Team Preview

128. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Predicted Record: 3-9 
2025 Final Record: 3-9 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 123 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 128 
Week 1: Murray State 
Swing Game: Delaware, Oct. 13 

Sooner or later, Middle Tennessee will get back to its winning form as a program. It doesn’t have the lines to make this the year, but it has far more playmakers this season. 
Middle Tennessee 2026 Team Preview

127. Eastern Michigan Eagles

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 119 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 124 
Week 0: Sacramento State 
Swing Game: at Ohio, Oct. 24 

After slipping last year, the Eagles have a good passing game and an offensive line to get back to being a tough team to get past each week. 
Eastern Michigan 2026 Team Preview

126. Missouri State Bears

Predicted Record: 4-8 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 118 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 102 
Week 1: at Texas A&M 
Swing Game: New Mexico State, Nov. 14 

After a winning season in a new era for the program, it’ll go through another new start, with a step back coming. On the plus side, the offense will be good right away under Casey Woods. 
Missouri State 2026 Team Preview

125. Kent State Golden Flashes

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 5-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 136 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 119 
Week 1: at South Carolina 
Swing Game: at Bowling Green, Nov. 10 

Can the Golden Flashes really be good? Even after a decent year, they might not have enough talent yet, but head coach Mark Carney is a rising star who’s building things up. 
Kent State 2026 Team Preview

124. Ball State Cardinals

Predicted Record: 4-8 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 124 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 130 
Week 1: at Ohio State 
Swing Game: at Bowling Green, Oct. 17 

How do you get a season going with five road games in the first seven weeks? Ball State will try, with enough offensive firepower to make a late push for a bowl game. 
Ball State 2026 Team Preview

123. Northern Illinois Huskies

Predicted Record: 2-10 
2025 Final Record: 3-9 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 116 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 126 
Week 1: at Iowa
Swing Game:Hawaii, Oct. 24 

Life in the Mountain West won’t be easy right away with an interim head coach, a roster that’s starting over, and a whole lot of travel – the Huskies will play in four time zones. 
Northern Illinois 2026 Team Preview

122. Bowling Green Falcons

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 134 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 127 
Week 1: Tarleton State 
Swing Game: at Buffalo, Oct. 24 

Eddie George’s team will get off to a rough start, and then things will ease up in a big way. The lines are a concern, but everything else has improved. 
Bowling Green 2026 Team Preview

121. UAB Blazers

Predicted Record: 4-8 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 105 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 118 
Week 1: at Illinois 
Swing Game:East Carolina, Oct. 15 

Will the Blazers start to make a push under Alex Mortensen? The offense will be fun, but the road games aren’t easy and the defense will be a struggle. 
UAB 2026 Team Preview

120. App State Mountaineers

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 5-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 112 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 110 
Week 1: Maine 
Swing Game: at Coastal Carolina, Oct. 16 

For a program expected to be among the Sun Belt elite, it has taken too long to get back to prominence. There’s a strong passing game, but it’ll still be a battle to get a bowl bid. 
App State 2026 Team Preview

119. Central Michigan Chippewas

Predicted Record: 7-5 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 131 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 94 
Week 1: at New Mexico 
Swing Game: at Eastern Michigan, Nov. 4 

One of the MAC’s X factor teams, the Chippewas have a strong offensive backfield, great coaching, and enough of a defense to be in the conference title chase. 
Central Michigan 2026 Team Preview

118. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 130 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 111 
Week 1: Oklahoma State 
Swing Game: at Rice, Oct. 17 

Tulsa’s experience should start to come through with a great ground game and just enough decent areas to be competitive. It’ll be deep in the mix for a bowl game in a step-forward year. 
Tulsa 2026 Team Preview

117. South Alabama Jaguars

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 4-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 109 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 120 
Week 1: SE Louisiana
Swing Game: at Marshall, Oct. 20 

Major Applewhite’s offense needs to do even more to make up for a shaky defense. If the back seven is a bit better, the Jaguars can finally get back to a winning record. 
South Alabama 2026 Team Preview

116. Buffalo Bulls

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 5-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 100 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 125 
Week 1: Albany 
Swing Game: at Ball State, Nov. 11 

Thanks to one of the MAC’s best defenses, the Bulls will occasionally take over games. Find an identity early on with the running attack, let the D dominate, and hope the formula works. 
Buffalo 2026 Team Preview

115. Delaware Blue Hens

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 128 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 106 
Week 1: Merrimack 
Swing Game: at Western Kentucky, Oct. 27 

After a great first season in the FBS, the Blue Hens have another good offense, but they’ll have a tough time keeping up the pace, with a defense that will give up points in a hurry. 
Delaware 2026 Team Preview

114. Marshall Thundering Herd

Predicted Record: 5-7 
2025 Final Record: 5-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 132 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 112 
Week 1: at Penn State 
Swing Game: Coastal Carolina, Oct. 10 

Not bad after what was supposed to be a total rebuild, the Herd have the veterans to be better. But they also have a schedule to finish with about the same result. 
Marshall 2026 Team Preview

113. Rice Owls

Predicted Record: 2-10 
2025 Final Record: 5-8 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 101 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 107 
Week 1: Houston Christian 
Swing Game: UTSA, Oct. 3 

The Owls desperately need a few breaks from a rough schedule. They’ll be okay – the backfield can hang with anyone in the American – but the record won’t reflect it. 
Rice 2026 Team Preview

112. Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 9-5 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 127 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 88 
Week 1: at North Dakota State 
Swing Game: FIU, Oct. 13 

Fair warning – we way underestimated the Gamecocks last year, and we were way wrong. There’s fine-tuning to be done, but the running game will continue to be fantastic. 
Jacksonville State 2026 Team Preview

111. Kennesaw State Owls

Predicted Record: 8-4 
2025 Final Record: 10-4 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 126 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 84 
Week 1: West Georgia
Swing Game: at Missouri State, Oct. 14 

The defending Conference USA champs are every bit as good. There might not be a ton of explosion, but the Owls will control games on the way to another fantastic year. 
Kennesaw State 2026 Team Preview

110. Temple Owls

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 5-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 113 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 92 
Week 1: Rhode Island 
Swing Game: at USF, Oct. 3 

Get in early on the Temple stock. KC Keeler is a whale of a coach, and he put together a team just dangerous enough to be a thorn in every American team’s side. 
Temple 2026 Team Preview

109. FIU Panthers

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 115 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 101 
Week 1: at USF 
Swing Game: at Delaware, Nov. 14 

Willie Simmons has a team ready to be this year’s breakthrough bunch in CUSA. It has the passing game and talent in the defensive back seven to push for the conference title. 
FIU 2026 Team Preview

108. Old Dominion Monarchs

Predicted Record: 7-5 
2025 Final Record: 10-3 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 97 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 77 
Week 1: Norfolk State 
Swing Game: at App State, Oct. 10 

Star quarterback Colton Joseph is off to Wisconsin, but the Monarch offense will continue to be dangerous. Beat James Madison in the Sun Belt opener, and the sky’s the limit. 
Old Dominion 2026 Team Preview

107. WKU Hilltoppers

Predicted Record: 8-4 
2025 Final Record: 9-4 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 108 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 87 
Week 1: at Nevada 
Swing Game:Jacksonville State, Nov. 14 

Don’t get caught up in the start – going to Georgia and Indiana won’t be fun. It’s another great Hilltopper team with the talent to roll through everyone the rest of the way. 
WKU 2026 Team Preview

106. Nevada Wolf Pack

Predicted Record: 4-8 
2025 Final Record: 3-9 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 111 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 115 
Week 1: Western Kentucky 
Swing Game: at UTEP, Oct. 10 

Jeff Choate continues to fight the good fight, and he has one of his best defenses yet in his three seasons. The schedule, though – five road games in the final eight weeks – is a problem. 
Nevada 2026 Team Preview

105. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

Predicted Record: 7-5 
2025 Final Record: 6-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 98 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 108 
Week 1: Lamar 
Swing Game: at Louisiana Tech, Oct. 10 

Can the offense be more consistent to go along with a great looking defense? Getting Arkansas State and Troy at home puts the Ragin’ Cajuns deep in the Sun Belt West hunt. 
Louisiana 2026 Team Preview

104. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 6-7 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 103 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 109 
Week 1: at West Virginia 
Swing Game: Old Dominion, Nov. 7 

Ryan Beard is a winner, and he should rebuild just fast enough to get the Chanticleers in range of a winning season if the team gets better by November. 
Coastal Carolina 2026 Team Preview

103. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 8-5 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 107 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 99 
Week 1: Northwestern State 
Swing Game: at South Alabama, Oct. 31 

It took a bit of drama to break free from Conference USA, and now the Bulldogs are a Sun Belt team with the talent to help make the West better. The offense will be among the league’s best. 
Louisiana Tech 2026 Team Preview

102. Arkansas State Red Wolves

Predicted Record: 6-6 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 102 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 98 
Week 1: at Memphis 
Swing Game: at Southern Miss, Oct. 17 

Butch Jones has another rock-solid team with enough pop to be in the Sun Belt West title chase if they can pull out a slew of winnable road games over the second half of the season. 
Arkansas State 2026 Team Preview

101. Georgia Southern Eagles

Predicted Record: 7-5 
2025 Final Record: 7-6 
2025 CFN Preview Rank: 96 
2025 CFN Final Rank: 104 
Week 1: Charleston Southern 
Swing Game: at Coastal Carolina, Oct. 3 

As always, the Georgia Southern passing game will be good, and once again, the hope will be for the defense to do a little more. It’ll be a bowl run, but being in the Sun Belt East is tough. 
Georgia Southern 2026 Team Preview dddd

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