2025 Ball State Football Predictions: Cardinals Ranked 134th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

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 Ball State lands in my Ultimate 136.

Ball State ranking: 134
Last year’s ranking: 127
Top player: RB Qua Ashley: All-CUSA kick returner last season and honorable mention at running back; had 1,193 all-purpose yards last season.

[Ball State's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: First-year head coach Mike Uremovich has one of the toughest gigs in FBS, but let's not talk about the Ball State job as if it's coaching Mumford High School. Uremovich has got real playmakers in quarterback Kiael Kelly, a brilliant athlete, Ashley, who could catch 30 balls out of the backfield and tackles Adam Dolan and Chris Hood, who stand at 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-10, respectively.

Ball State still might not be very good, but it won't be because the potential to win six games isn't on the roster.

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

Ball State Win Total Odds: Over 3.5 (-112) Under 3.5 (-108)

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.

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