My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
RJ's take: Joe Moorhead's program demands nuance. It's easy to say the Zips finished 4-8 and weren't very good in 2024, but that ignores the 7-47 record Akron held prior to Moorhead's in December 2021. It would also ignore seven players on last year's team who are playing power-conference football this year.
Quarterback Ben Finley makes the Zips a team with a chance to show growth, but growth here is getting to just six regular-season wins and then celebrating like you won the national title.
[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
Akron Win Total Odds: Over 4.5 (+136) Under 4.5 (-168)
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RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.