2025 Western Michigan Football Predictions: Broncos Ranked 120th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

By RJ Young
Published

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 Western Michigan lands in my Ultimate 136.

Western Michigan ranking: 120
Last year’s ranking: 113
Top player: RB Jalen Buckley: Was MAC Freshman of the Year in 2023, rushing for 1,003 yards; rushed for 683 yards and 9 touchdowns last season.

[Western Michigan's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: Head coach Lance Taylor might be job-hunting before 2025 ends unless he can put a winner on the field. The Broncos have finished with a losing record in each of the past two years and don't look like contending for the Mid-American Conference title.

If there's hope, it's in Buckley, who rushed for 683 yards with nine touchdowns, and in former Alabama and Georgia Tech wideout Christian Leary, who has enough talent to be one of the best slot receivers in the sport.

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

Western Michigan Win Total Odds: Over 4.5 (-158) Under 4.5 (+128)

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.