This week’s Group of Five Power Poll is a day late because of #MACtion on Tuesday and Wednesday night. With two of the top teams on this list in action, I wanted to wait until all of the results were in before making a decision.
As always, remember that these rankings are fluid, and will change from week to week depending on what transpires on the gridiron.
With that disclaimer in mind, here’s this week’s poll, which is a little bit different from the official (but completely useless) College Football Playoff rankings.
* Please note that BYU is not included in these rankings since the Cougars cannot capture this bid!
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1. Houston (8-0) — The Cougars are still the most complete team on this list, ranking 5th nationally in scoring offense, 7th in scoring offense, 11th in total defense, and 11th in sacks. They’ve also proved they can do it against the big boys, holding Vanderbilt to its lowest output of the year (185 yards) — almost 140 less than Ole Miss did. With win a over the Commodores, Houston now has two victories over Power 5 opponents, with the other being a “W” over Louisville that continues to get better each week. As long as the Cougars win out, they’ll be playing in a New Year’s Day bowl… unless they make it to the College Football Playoff, in which case they’ll play on New Year’s Eve.
2. Memphis (8-0) — The Tigers have arguably the strongest resume of any mid-major team. After all, Memphis has wins over two Power 5 conference opponents (Kansas and Mississippi), as well as a victory over current MAC favorite Bowling Green. In addition to that, the Tigers are 4-0 this season against teams that rank 11th or higher nationally in total offense, suggesting that the team has enough firepower to trade scores with anyone in the country. It’ll be interesting to watch the Tigers play a 7-1 Navy squad this weekend.
3. Temple (7-1) — Despite the loss to Notre Dame, the Owls are still in contention for a New Year’s Day Bowl bid. Sure, Temple’s only marquee victory on its resume is Penn State, but the dominating way in which the Owls won that game — specifically, limiting the Nittany Lions to just 52 yards over the final three quarters — won’t be forgotten about anytime soon. As long as Temple wins the rest of the games on its schedule, which includes a November 21 showdown with Memphis and the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, it can still go to its first major bowl since the 1934 season.
4. Boise State (6-2) — Northern Illinois’ upset (or is it when you’ve won six in a row?) over Toledo really opened things up for the Broncos. Yes, BSU still needs some help to reach the Mountain West Conference, but given the depth in the league, Boise will likely play in the league title game as long as it wins out. If — and it’s a big if, considering how well San Diego State is playing — the Broncos should capture the league championship, they’d be in contention for a New Year’s Day bowl bid, thanks to an impressive resume that includes victories over Washington and Virginia. Given Boise’s reputation as a giant killer, don’t be surprised to see the Broncos get the nod over a 1-loss AAC champion in the final College Football Playoff rankings (and try not to pay attention to said standings until then… they’re as reliable as my 1-iron).
5. Toledo (7-1) — While losing to Northern Illinois certainly didn’t help the Rockets’ chances, it didn’t exactly ruin their season like most news outlets want us to believe. Sure, it needs Northern Illinois to lose once in order to play for that elusive MAC championship, but with games remaining against Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan, Toledo has plenty of opportunities to make a statement before the end of the season. Victories in those contests would bolster an already strong body of work that includes back-to-back wins over Arkansas and Iowa State to open 2015-’16 campaign. However, it probably won’t be enough to get to a New Year’s Day bowl game.
6. Bowling Green (7-2) — You could certainly make a strong argument for putting the Falcons at No. 5 instead of archrival Toledo. After all, BG is undefeated against both the MAC and the Big Ten this season. In addition, it has the nation’s top passing attack (434 yards per game) and is ninth in the country in net turnovers at plus-9. Unfortunately, the Falcons’ 3-point loss to Memphis will likely prevent them from capturing the Group of Five automatic bid. Yet, BG can make it really tough on the Selection Committee by taking care of Western Michigan, Toledo, and whoever it plays in the MAC Championship Game.
7. Western Kentucky (7-2) — I realize this an unpopular choice, as fans from Navy, Appalachian State, and San Diego State all wrote in to tell why their teams belonged on the list rather than the Hilltoppers. While they all made some valid points, they neglected to mention that none of those teams have beaten a Power 5 conference opponent. On the other hand, Western Kentucky beat Vanderbilt to open the year, and nearly upset a then-undefeated Indiana team a few weeks later. Regardless, the ‘Topper offense has been unstoppable since the season opener, racking up over 500 yards of total offense in every game except for LSU. Yet, they still amassed 428 yards in that contest — the most the Tigers have allowed all season. Although that’s not enough to win the Group of Five automatic bid, it certainly merits inclusion on this list.
Others receiving consideration: Navy, San Diego State, Appalachian State, Marshall, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois
