worst point differential by a college football team in a single season

The Northwestern Wildcats have the lowest point differential by a team in a season, with a -423-point differential in 1981.

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Assumption:All-time
Data note: Point Differential: team season data complete from 1956

	TEAM	DIFF	SEASON	GP	W	L	T	TD	PTS	PPG	OPP PTS	OPP PPG	1DWN	3DWN%	4DWN%
1	Northwestern	-423	1981	11	0	11	0		82	7.5	505	45.9
2	Temple	-412	1993	11	1	10	0		115	10.5	527	47.9
3	Washington State	-405	2008	13	2	11	0	20	165	12.7	570	43.8	184
4	UTEP	-402	1973	11	0	11	0		142	12.9	544	49.5
5	UMass	-395	2019	12	1	11	0	31	237	19.8	632	52.7	190	34.4	37.9
6	Temple	-391	2005	11	0	11	0	13	107	9.7	498	45.3	165
7	Louisiana	-377	1997	11	1	10	0		176	16.0	553	50.3
8	Kansas	-370	2015	12	0	12	0	24	183	15.3	553	46.1	212	36.5	26.9
9	Temple	-365	2006	12	1	11	0	18	131	10.9	496	41.3	138
10	SMU	-363	2014	12	1	11	0	15	133	11.1	496	41.3	179	32.4	50.0
11	Kent State	-362	2024	12	0	12	0	22	167	13.9	529	44.1	156	18.5	38.1
12	New Mexico	-356	2011	12	1	11	0	18	144	12.0	500	41.7	187
13	Colorado	-349	2022	12	1	11	0	22	185	15.4	534	44.5	191	31.7	36.7
14	New Mexico	-348	1988	12	2	10	0		170	14.2	518	43.2
15	Northwestern	-348	1978	11	0	10	1		92	8.4	440	40.0
16	Idaho	-343	2013	12	1	11	0	8	218	18.2	561	46.8	74	31.9	28.6
17	New Mexico	-342	2010	12	1	11	0	24	190	15.8	532	44.3	188
18	UConn	-339	2018	12	1	11	0	36	266	22.2	605	50.4	250	42.1	54.2
19	Colorado	-338	2012	12	1	11	0	28	214	17.8	552	46.0	206
20	Colorado State	-338	1981	12	0	12	0		164	13.7	502	41.8
21	Minnesota	-337	1983	11	1	10	0		181	16.5	518	47.1
22	San José State	-336	2017	13	2	11	0	24	206	15.8	542	41.7	225	30.9	40.0
23	Hardin-Simmons	-334	1961	10	0	10	0		43	4.3	377	37.7
24	Utah State	-332	2006	12	1	11	0	18	130	10.8	462	38.5	170
25	North Texas	-331	2008	12	1	11	0	30	240	20.0	571	47.6	247

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More Northwestern Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

1,617

Chiles

RUSH

551

Komolafe

REC

615

Wilde

Team Rankings

PPG

34.7

35th

OPP PPG

16.6

25th

RUSH YDS/G

204.6

26th

PASS YDS/G

231.0

79th

2026 Big 10 Standings

	TEAM	CONF	OVERALL
2	Ohio State	4-0	6-1
3	Indiana	4-1	7-1
4	Northwestern	3-1	6-1
5	Minnesota	3-1	5-2
6	Wisconsin	3-1	5-2

Schedule

DATE	MATCHUP			TIME (ET)
Sat 10/31	NW	@	ORE	3:30 PM
Sat 11/7	IOWA	@	NW	1:00 PM
Sat 11/14	NW	@	OSU	1:00 PM
Sat 11/21	NW	@	MINN	1:00 PM
Sat 11/28	ILL	@	NW	1:00 PM

Last Game

Rutgers

2 - 5

Final

Northwestern

6 - 1

Sat 24 Oct 2026

CFB 2026 Leaders

Pass Yards Leaders

2,604

Atkinson

2,326

Mestemaker

2,302

Maiava

Rush Yards Leaders

963

Riley

957

Bishop

923

Cook

Rec Yards Leaders

1,040

Legree

984

Smith

952

Toney

Pass TD Leaders

24

Atkinson

22

Mensah

21

Stokes

Rush TD Leaders

16

Hawkins

16

Hellums

13

Baugh

Rec TD Leaders

14

Legree

12

Smith

11

Toney

QB Rating Leaders

204.6

Mensah

185.9

Stockton

184.5

Sayin

Sack Leaders

10.5

Simmons

9.0

Osunsanmi

8.5

Umanmielen

CFB 2026 Rankings

PPG Rankings

49.0

43.1

43.0

42.7

41.4

41.1

Opp PPG Rankings

11.3

12.0

12.5

13.4

13.9

Total Yards Rankings

551.9

529.1

527.0

525.7

517.7

510.0

Rush Yards Rankings

345.7

337.4

307.7

272.0

271.4

261.6

Pass Yards Rankings

384.9

341.0

340.7

323.1

318.0

Sack Leaders

34.0

29.0

28.0

27.0

26.0

CFB 2026 Standings

	Pac-12	W	L	PCT
1	Boise State	6	1	.857
2	Oregon State	5	2	.714
3	Texas State	4	3	.571
4	San Diego State	3	5	.375
5	Fresno State	4	3	.571
6	Colorado State	3	4	.429
7	Utah State	2	5	.286
8	Washington State	1	7	.125

	Big 10	W	L	PCT
1	UCLA	7	0	1.000
2	Ohio State	6	1	.857
3	Indiana	7	1	.875
4	Northwestern	6	1	.857
5	Minnesota	5	2	.714
6	Wisconsin	5	2	.714
7	USC	6	2	.750
8	Purdue	3	4	.429
9	Illinois	4	3	.571
10	Oregon	4	3	.571
11	Iowa	5	2	.714
12	Nebraska	5	2	.714
13	Michigan	4	3	.571
14	Washington	4	3	.571
15	Rutgers	2	5	.286
16	Penn State	3	4	.429
17	Maryland	2	5	.286
18	Michigan State	2	6	.250

	Southeastern	W	L	PCT
1	Kentucky	7	1	.875
2	Georgia	6	1	.857
3	Alabama	6	2	.750
4	Florida	5	2	.714
5	Ole Miss	5	2	.714
6	LSU	6	2	.750
7	Tennessee	6	2	.750
8	Oklahoma	4	3	.571
9	Missouri	5	2	.714
10	Texas	5	2	.714
11	Mississippi State	4	3	.571
12	Auburn	4	3	.571
13	South Carolina	4	3	.571
14	Arkansas	3	4	.429
15	Texas A&M	4	4	.500
16	Vanderbilt	3	5	.375

	Conference USA	W	L	PCT
1	Liberty	6	1	.857
2	Jacksonville State	5	2	.714
3	New Mexico State	3	4	.429
4	Middle Tennessee	4	3	.571
5	Western Kentucky	3	4	.429
6	Delaware	3	4	.429
7	Florida International	3	4	.429
8	Missouri State	2	5	.286
9	Kennesaw State	1	6	.143
10	Sam Houston	1	6	.143

	Sun Belt	W	L	PCT
1	Louisiana Tech	5	2	.714
2	James Madison	7	1	.875
3	Appalachian State	5	2	.714
4	Georgia Southern	3	4	.429
5	South Alabama	4	3	.571
6	Louisiana	5	3	.625
7	Arkansas State	4	4	.500
8	Georgia State	4	3	.571
9	Troy	3	4	.429
10	Coastal Carolina	2	5	.286
11	Southern Miss	2	5	.286
12	Louisiana-Monroe	1	6	.143
13	Marshall	4	3	.571
14	Old Dominion	2	6	.250

	Atlantic Coast	W	L	PCT
1	Miami	7	0	1.000
2	SMU	6	1	.857
3	Wake Forest	6	1	.857
4	Virginia Tech	6	2	.750
5	Louisville	4	3	.571
6	Clemson	4	3	.571
7	North Carolina	4	3	.571
8	Duke	5	2	.714
9	Boston College	4	3	.571
10	Pittsburgh	5	3	.625
11	Stanford	4	4	.500
12	Virginia	4	4	.500
13	California	3	5	.375
14	Florida State	3	4	.429
15	NC State	3	4	.429
16	Georgia Tech	2	5	.286
17	Syracuse	3	4	.429

	Mountain West	W	L	PCT
1	New Mexico	6	1	.857
2	Wyoming	5	3	.625
3	UNLV	4	3	.571
4	North Dakota State	6	2	.750
5	Air Force	5	2	.714
6	Nevada	3	4	.429
7	San Jose State	4	4	.500
8	Hawai'i	2	6	.250
9	UTEP	1	6	.143
10	Northern Illinois	0	7	.000

	Independent	W	L	PCT
1	Notre Dame	6	1	.857
2	UConn	4	3	.571

	Mid-American	W	L	PCT
1	Ohio	6	2	.750
2	Toledo	6	2	.750
3	Western Michigan	5	3	.625
4	Buffalo	5	3	.625
5	Miami (OH)	5	3	.625
6	Eastern Michigan	4	5	.444
7	Kent State	3	5	.375
8	Ball State	3	5	.375
9	Bowling Green	2	6	.250
10	UMass	4	4	.500
11	Central Michigan	3	5	.375
12	Akron	1	7	.125
13	Sacramento State	1	7	.125

	American Athletic	W	L	PCT
1	UTSA	7	1	.875
2	North Texas	5	2	.714
3	Army	5	2	.714
4	Memphis	6	2	.750
5	Florida Atlantic	5	2	.714
6	UAB	4	3	.571
7	Charlotte	1	6	.143
8	Temple	2	5	.286
9	South Florida	5	2	.714
10	East Carolina	3	4	.429
11	Tulane	3	4	.429
12	Tulsa	4	4	.500
13	Navy	2	5	.286
14	Rice	1	7	.125

	Big 12	W	L	PCT
1	Utah	7	0	1.000
2	BYU	6	1	.857
3	Arizona	6	1	.857
4	Texas Tech	6	1	.857
5	Oklahoma State	5	2	.714
6	Houston	6	2	.750
7	Baylor	4	3	.571
8	Cincinnati	5	2	.714
9	Arizona State	4	3	.571
10	UCF	4	3	.571
11	West Virginia	5	3	.625
12	Kansas State	4	3	.571
13	Iowa State	3	4	.429
14	Kansas	3	4	.429
15	TCU	3	4	.429
16	Colorado	2	5	.286