When just about everyone wins, there’s not usually much movement. Such is the case in this week’s Group of Five Power Rankings with nearly top-10 team coming off a win. Through the first half of the season, betting favorites have emerged for the coveted College Football Playoff automatic bid, and that race will be one to continue monitoring in the coming weeks.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, so we are seeing the contenders really start to lock-in and make sure they take care of business. However, there are a few potential teams that can be considered agents of chaos. Teams who could totally derail another’s hopes and/or usurp them completely.
Who are these particular squads?
- North Texas (5-1, 2-0): The Mean Green are tied for third in the ACC with the loss coming to Texas Tech. They face Memphis as a double-digit dog in Week 8, per Caesars Sportsbook, but they can score, which gives them a puncher’s chance in any game.
- Western Kentucky (5-2, 3-0): Speaking of scoring, that’s the Hilltoppers in a nutshell. They are an offensive juggernaut and a nightmare to compete against defensively. They’ve been better than advertised defensively and are a threat in Conference USA.
- UConn (4-2): The Huskies are an FBS Independent, so their road to the postseason can be a bit tough without a conference championship. But with the way they are playing ball, they could finish with a winning record.
- ULM (5-1, 3-0): With the Warhawks already owning a top-25 victory over James Madison, ULM looks like a serious contender in the Sun Belt. The back end of their schedule is extremely tough with games vs. South Alabama, Auburn, Texas State and Louisiana.
- Texas State (4-2, 2-0): The Bobcats were my preseason pick to get to the CFP, but they’ve fallen out of the rankings after back-to-back losses. However, they can still win the Sun Belt and rack up some impressive wins along the way.
Group of Five rankings remain important. Though these conferences get a significantly lower financial guarantee from the new 12-team CFP, they are on a more equitable field when it comes to the competition: The four highest ranked conference champions get byes, and the five highest ranked champs get auto-bids, but nothing is to say that the supposed “Power Four” are guaranteed those four byes or four of those five spots; if a Group of Five team were to outrank, hypothetically, the Big 12 champion, it would get a bye and home game. And with those spots comes financial windfalls based on success in the tournament.
What are the season outlooks for the best Group of Five teams? Use Caesars promo code to view the latest odds and get in the game.
Group of Five Power Rankings
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