2025 Bowling Green Football Predictions: Falcons Ranked 117th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

By RJ Young
Updated Aug. 10, 2025 8:58 p.m. ET

This isn't your average college football ranking.

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:

  • Who do I think is good?
  • Why do I think they're good?
  • What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where Bowling Green lands in my Ultimate 136.

Bowling Green ranking: 117
Last year’s ranking: 94
Top player: QB Drew Pyne: Went 8-2 as a starter for Notre Dame in 2022, throwing for 22 touchdowns; beat Oklahoma in his lone start for Missouri last season.

[Bowling Green's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: If head coach Eddie George can flip the Falcons into a Mid-American Conference title contender, he’ll get to add another title to his trophy cabinet: program builder. After two seasons at Tennessee State where he finished just 15-18, his Tigers put together a 9-4 record, got a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title and received their first invitation to the FCS playoffs in 2024.

What's more, George has brought many of the stars from that Tennessee State team with him to Bowling Green. George, who might be the only prominent skill player to raise a defensive tackle, boasts son Eriq George (12.5 tackles for loss) and cornerback Jalen McClendon (four interceptions) are coming with him from Nashville. Linebacker Gideon Lampron, who had 26.5 tackles for loss at Dayton, figures to put produce too.

Most eyes will be on former Notre Dame, Arizona State and Mizzou signal-caller Payne, however, who will have the most to say about how good BGSU can be in George’s Year 1.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

Bowling Green Win Total Odds: Over 6.5 (+198) Under 6.5 (-250)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.