College football teams playing the Fewest winning opponents in 2014

By Amy Daughters -

Last week we highlighted the college football teams that play the most winning opponents in 2014. Today we look at the flip side of the equation—teams that face the fewest winners from last season.

The list is lengthy, and highlights every FBS team that will play more than half of its 2014 slate against teams that didn’t finish above .500 in 2013. In each category, the programs are listed by the combined winning percentage of their sub-.500 foes.

Though teams can’t control how their opponents in one season finished the year prior, the bottom line is these programs will have an advantage over the rest of the field in 2014.

Two Winning Opponents

Georgia Southern: The Eagles move from the FCS to the FBS via the Sun Belt conference will be made easier with a schedule that includes only two winning opponents from last season. On tap for Georgia Southern are Georgia Tech (7-6) and Navy (9-4). That leaves FCS Savannah State and a whopping nine teams that hooked up for a 34-74 (31%) record last season. The Eagles will play 83 percent of their 2014 schedule against FCS teams or FBS teams that didn’t break .500 last year.

Three Winning Opponents

The next five teams will play 75 percent of their 2014 schedule against FCS opponents or sub-.500 FBS teams from a year ago.

UL Lafayette: Can the Ragin’ Cajuns repeat as Sun Belt co-champions in 2014? Well, their only winning opponents this year are Ole Miss (8-5), Boise State (8-5) and Arkansas State (8-5). Other than that ULL plays FCS Southern and eight teams that went 34-62 (35%) last year.

Arkansas State: The Red Wolves will face Miami, Fla. (9-4), Utah State (9-5) and UL Lafayette (9-4) in 2014. The balance of their schedule is against FCS Montana State and eight teams that went 30-66 (31%) in 2013.

Colorado State: The Rams’ only winning foes this season are Boise State (8-5), Boston College (7-6) and Utah State (9-5). What remains is a game against FCS UC Davis and eight opponents that combined for a 28-68 (29%) record last season.

North Texas: The Mean Green’s winning foes in 2014 are Texas (8-5), Rice (10-4) and UTSA (7-5). What’s left is FCS Nicholls State and eight opponents that combined for a 26-70 (27%) record last season.

Buffalo: The Bulls’ trio of winning opponents this season are Baylor (11-2), Bowling Green (10-4) and Ohio (7-6). The rest of the slate consists of FCS Duquesne, FCS Norfolk State and seven teams that went that went 21-63 (25%) in 2013.

Four Winning Opponents

Next up are the teams that will play 67 percent of their 2014 slate against either FCS teams or FBS squads that didn’t break the .500 mark last season.

Navy: The Midshipmen square off with Ohio State (12-2), Western Kentucky (8-4), Notre Dame (9-4) and Georgia Southern (7-4) in 2014. What remains is a game with FCS VMI and seven games against teams which combined for a 31-54 (36%) record last season.

Idaho: The Vandals, new to the Sun Belt in 2014, will grapple with Ohio (7-6), Georgia Southern (7-4), Arkansas State (8-5) and San Diego State (8-5). Without an FCS opponent on the schedule, that leaves eight teams with a combined record of 35-61 (36%).

New Mexico State: Also joining the Sun Belt this season, the Aggies are set to square off with LSU (10-3), Georgia Southern (7-4), UL Lafayette (9-4) and Arkansas State (8-5). What’s left is FCS Cal Poly and seven opponents that went 24-60 (29%) last season.

Appalachian State: Moving up to the FBS ranks as a new Sun Belt member in 2014, the Mountaineers will face Michigan (7-6), Georgia Southern (7-4), Arkansas State (8-5) and UL Lafayette (9-4). The balance of their first FBS slate is made up of FCS Campbell, FCS Liberty and six teams which combined for a 20-52 (28%) record last year.

Texas State: The Bobcats’ only winning opponents in 2014 are Navy (9-4), UL Lafayette (9-4), Georgia Southern (7-4) and Arkansas State (8-5). The rest of the slate consists of FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff and seven teams that went 22-62 (26%) last year.

Ball State: The Cardinals play Iowa (8-5), Toledo (7-5), Northern Illinois (12-2) and Bowling Green (10-4). What’s left are games against FCS Colgate, FCS Indiana State and six squads which combined for an 18-54 (25%) record last season.

Northern Illinois: Coming off four consecutive double-digit win seasons, the Huskies’ winning opponents in 2014 are UNLV (7-6), Ball State (10-3), Toledo (7-5) and Ohio (7-6). After this there is a game with FCS Presbyterian and seven teams that combined for a 21-63 (25%) record last season.

Troy: The Trojans are set to play Duke (10-4), Georgia (8-5), Georgia Southern (7-4) and UL Lafayette (9-4). Remaining are FCS Abilene Christian and seven opponents that went 21-63 (25%) last year.

Ohio: The Bobcats’ winning slate consists of Marshall (10-4), Bowling Green (10-4), Buffalo (8-5) and Northern Illinois (12-2). The balance is FCS Eastern Illinois and seven opponents that combined for a 19-65 (23%) record in 2013.

Five Winning Opponents

The following teams will play 58 percent of their 2014 schedule against FCS foes or FBS teams that didn’t break the .500 mark last year.

Georgia State: The bad news is the Panthers haven’t won a game since they joined the FBS ranks in 2013, the good news is they play only five winning opponents this season. On tap for Georgia State is Washington (9-4), UL Lafayette (9-4), Arkansas State (8-5), Georgia Southern (7-4) and Clemson (11-2). That leaves FCS Abilene Christian and six teams that went 26-46 (36%) in 2013.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions’ winning foes in 2014 are UCF (12-1), Michigan (7-6), Ohio State (12-2), Maryland (7-6) and Michigan State (13-1). The other seven teams—all FBS squads—combined for a 28-57 (33%) record last season.

Fresno State: The Bulldogs square off with USC (10-4), Nebraska (9-4), San Diego State (8-5), UNLV (7-6) and Boise State (8-5). Their remaining opponents are FCS Southern Utah and six teams that combined for a 24-48 (33%) record in 2013.

Oregon State: The Beavers’ winning foes this season are USC (10-4), Stanford (11-3), Arizona State (10-4), Washington (9-4) and Oregon (11-2). What’s left is FCS Portland State and six teams which combined for a 23-50 (32%) record last season.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide will face Ole Miss (8-5), Texas A&M (9-4), LSU (10-3), Mississippi State (7-6) and Auburn (12-2). The balance of their slate is against FCS Western Carolina and six teams that combined for a 23-49 (32%) record in 2013.

Oklahoma: The Sooners’ winning opponents this season are Texas (8-5), Kansas State (8-5), Baylor (11-2), Texas Tech (8-5) and Oklahoma State (10-3). The remaining seven teams on their schedule combined for a 26-58 (31%) last year. Oklahoma doesn’t play an FCS foe this season.

Utah State: The Aggies face Arkansas State (8-5), BYU (8-5), Colorado State (8-6), UNLV (7-6) and Boise State (8-5). What’s left is FCS Idaho State and seven teams that went 26-58 (31%) last year.

ULM: The Warhawks are set to play LSU (10-3), Arkansas State (8-5), Texas A&M (9-4), UL Lafayette (9-4) and Georgia Southern (7-4). Since ULM doesn’t have an FCS foe scheduled, what remains is seven teams that combined for a 25-59 (30%) record last season.

UAB: The Blazers have Mississippi State (7-6), Western Kentucky (8-4), North Texas (9-4), Middle Tennessee (8-5) and Marshall (10-4). The remainder of their schedule includes FCS Alabama A&M and six teams that combined for a 21-51 (29%) in 2013.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders’ only winning opponents in 2014 are Oklahoma State (10-3), Kansas State (8-5), Texas (8-5), Oklahoma (11-2) and Baylor (11-2). The balance of their schedule is against FCS Central Arkansas and six teams that combined for a 19-53 (26%) record last season.

Old Dominion: Moving to Conference USA after spending its first FBS season as a transitional independent last year, the Monarchs’ winning opponents in 2014 are Rice (10-4), Middle Tennessee (8-5), Marshall (10-4), Western Kentucky (8-4) and Vanderbilt (9-4). What’s left is FCS Hampton and six foes that went 18-54 (25%) last season.

Toledo: The Rockets play Missouri (12-2), Cincinnati (9-4), Ball State (10-3), Northern Illinois (12-2) and Bowling Green (10-4). Other than that it’s FCS New Hampshire and six foes that went 17-55 (24%) in 2013.

San Diego State: The Aztecs’ winning foes in 2014 are North Carolina (7-6), Oregon State (7-6), UNLV (7-6), Fresno State (11-2) and Boise State (8-5). What’s left is FCS Northern Arizona and six teams that went 17-55 (24%) last year.

Marshall: The Thundering Herd will face Ohio (7-6), Old Dominion (8-4), Middle Tennessee (8-5), Rice (10-4) and Western Kentucky (8-4) this season. Remaining is FCS Rhode Island and six teams that hooked up for a 15-57 (21%) record last season.

Middle Tennessee: The winning portion of the Blue Raiders’ 2014 slate is Minnesota (8-5), Western Kentucky (8-4), Old Dominion (8-4), Marshall (10-4) and BYU (8-5). The balance will be played against FCS Savannah State and six opponents that combined for a 15-57 (21%) record in 2014.

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