The 5 Best Bad Teams in College Football
By Ty Duffy
By definition, these teams aren’t good. They don’t take care of business. They won’t win games. But, they annoy, fight, and do something well enough to be an incredible pain in the ass. Congratulate yourself for beating them narrowly. No one else will.
Indiana [4-6 (0-6)] The Hoosiers have the No. 19 S&P+ offense. They have a QB, RB, and a solid offensive line. Alas, it’s still Indiana. They can’t recruit the depth and athleticism to play defense (No. 104 S&P+). The Hoosiers have been a bear for the Big Ten’s top teams – one score losses to Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa and a two-point game in the 4th quarter against MSU. But, they are still looking for their first Big Ten win.
Georgia Tech [3-7 (1-6)] Tech’s triple option took about five steps back with attrition. The Yellow Jacket defense is average. Paul Johnson’s team pulled off the Florida State upset. But, they have lost one-score games to Notre Dame, North Carolina, Pitt, UVA, and Virginia Tech. Duke only pulled away on a kickoff return TD and a one-yard TD drive. The only team that has beaten Georgia Tech with definition was Clemson on the road. Even that margin was padded with a fumble return TD.
Vanderbilt [4-6 (2-4)] The SEC has three Top 10 S&P+ defenses: Alabama, Florida, and Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, Vanderbilt ranks 118th in S&P+ offense and 105th in turnover margin. They have allowed an opposing offense to score 20 points once in conference play (Ole Miss). They have scored just 10 offensive touchdowns in nine games against FBS teams.
Virginia [3-7 (2-4)] Mike London has bred consistency at Virginia. The Cavaliers fight. They do none of the little things. Their defense is allowing just a 48 percent TD rate in the red zone. Their offense is scoring just 50 percent. One-score losses against Pitt, UNC, Miami, and Louisville on the road. They led Notre Dame after a 4th quarter comeback, and could not put them away.
Colorado [4-7 (1-6)] The Buffaloes are stampeding up a steep incline in the Pac 12. They don’t have the players to push it with a decent team for four quarters. Progress has not yet shown up in the win-loss column, yet. However, Colorado led Arizona and UCLA in the fourth quarter. They held a two-touchdown lead over USC in the second half. They snapped their Pac 12 losing streak against Oregon State. So, there’s that.