College Football Group of 5 Conferences preview 2017

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BOCA RATON, FL – DECEMBER 20: Memphis Tigers and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers players line up before a snap (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

G5 Conferences Predicted Order of Finish

There’s sure to be a ton of great games featuring Group of 5 conference teams, and since there doesn’t appear to be a dominant, surefire favorite to emerge as the New Year’s Six participant, every conference race should be highly contested.

Of course, USF has the inside track.

American Athletic Conference

Ranked No. 21, the Bulls were the only G5 program listed in the preseason Coaches Poll. UCF bounced back in a big way in Scott Frost’s first season, and defending division champion Temple will still be hard to beat as well.

Memphis earned the most votes among AAC West schools in the preseason coaches poll, but the safer bet is on Houston to win the division. The Tigers are experienced and talented, particularly on offense, but the Cougars host Memphis on a Thursday night in October.

Also, Houston has the most talented defensive standout in the league as well as highly recruited Kyle Allen, who started as a freshman at Texas A&M before transferring, and receiver Linell Bonner, who caught 98 passes for 1,118 yards last season.

Navy is always a handful and head coach Ken Niumatalolo is one of the best coaches in the country, and always puts his team in position to pull an upset. Tulsa’s Philip Montgomery is one of the game’s brightest offensive minds, and the Golden Hurricane should light up scoreboards again in 2017, as is Chad Morris at SMU, who could steer the Mustangs to a bowl game.

AAC East

USF Bulls
UCF Knights
Temple Owls
Cincinnati Bearcats
East Carolina Pirates
UConn Huskies

AAC West

Houston Cougars
Memphis Tigers
Navy Midshipmen
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
SMU Mustangs
Tulane Green Wave

Conference USA

WKU is the favorite to repeat in the East, but rival Middle Tennessee returns its own highly productive QB, Brent Stockstill, who threw for 3,233 yards and 31 TDs with seven picks as a sophomore. And, look out for Marshall, who won 33 games in three seasons before last year’s uncharacteristic 3-9 collapse, as well as Lane Kiffin’s FAU Owls, who have attracted a ton of transfer talent to Boca Raton and have one of the most experienced teams in the country.

In the West, Louisiana Tech could win the division for the third time in four seasons, but it will be a close race. UTSA qualified for its first ever bowl game in Frank Wilson’s first season and the Roadrunners are on the rise. Southern Miss struggled in the second half of the season, but upset Louisiana Tech in the season finale to qualify for a bowl as well.

C-USA East

WKU Hilltoppers
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Marshall Thundering Herd
FAU Owls
Old Dominion Monarchs
FIU Panthers
Charlotte 49ers

C-USA West

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
UTSA Roadrunners
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
North Texas Mean Green
Rice Owls
UTEP Miners
UAB Blazers

G5 FBS Independents

Led by quarterback Tanner Mangum, a veteran offensive line and defensive playmaker Fred Warner, BYU has the talent to win 10 games in 2017 but the Cougars face a very difficult schedule in the first half of the season that could derail hopes of a New Year’s Six bowl.

Army is riding high after last season’s 8-5 campaign, which featured the program’s first win over Navy in 14 seasons and the first bowl game for the program since 2010. With a veteran group returning, including quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, fullback Andy Davidson and linebacker Alex Aukerman, the Black Knights could qualify for back-to-back bowls for the first time since 1984-85.

UMass isn’t likely to break through to bowl eligibility, but the Minutemen are headed in the right direction under Mark Whipple and welcome back nine starters on defense.

G5 FBS Independents

BYU Cougars
Army West Point Black Knights
UMass Minutemen

Mid-American Conference

P.J. Fleck injected new life into the Western Michigan Broncos, and in his fourth season in Kalamazoo, led the team to a 13-0 regular season record, the MAC title and a Cotton Bowl berth, where the Broncos nearly knocked off Wisconsin.

However, Western lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, and Toledo enters as the favorite to win the MAC West. The East is wide open, and though Miami (OH) made huge strides in 2016, the Ohio Bobcats have the edge in talent, especially at the line of scrimmage.

MAC East

Ohio Bobcats
Miami (OH) Redhawks
Akron Zips
Bowling Green Falcons
Buffalo Bulls
Kent State Golden Flashes

MAC West

Toledo Rockets
Northern Illinois Huskies
Western Michigan Broncos
Central Michigan Chippewas
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Ball State Cardinals

Mountain West Conference

It could be the dawn of a new era in the Mountain West. Boise State missed out on the Mountain West Conference championship Game for the second straight season in 2017, and though the Broncos are talented on defense and have one of the top quarterbacks in the league in Brett Rypien, Colorado State has the edge in our predictions.

The Rams, who return 14 total starters including quarterback Nick Stephens, running back Dalyn Dawkins and one of the top receivers in the nation in Michael Gallup, host the Broncos Nov. 11 – giving them home field advantage in the most important game of the season. Plus, Boise’s schedule leading up to the trip to Ft. Collins is extremely difficult.

One of the teams the Broncos must face in October, San Diego State, is the overwhelming favorite to win the West Division. Though the Aztecs must replace the FBS all-time leading rusher Donnell Pumphrey, Rashaad Penny is back after running for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns as a backup.

San Diego State has a huge talent edge in the division, and Hawaii was the only division rival to qualify for a bowl game last season, doing so with a 6-7 regular season record. Of course, the Rainbow Warriors welcome back talented quarterback Dru Brown, 1,000-yard runner Diocemy Saint Juste and one of the league’s top pass rushers in Jahlani Tavai among 14 returning starters, so Hawaii could post a winning record this year.

Mountain

Colorado State Rams
Boise State Broncos
Wyoming Cowboys
New Mexico Lobos
Utah State Aggies
Air Force Falcons

West

San Diego State Aztecs
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Nevada Wolf Pack
UNLV Rebels
Fresno State Bulldogs
San Jose State Spartans

Appalachian State made a splash on the national stage a decade ago when they beat Michigan, and this year the Mountaineers have an opportunity to score another huge upset when they travel to Sanford Stadium to play Georgia. App. State welcomes back quarterback Taylor Lamb and running back Jalin Moore among 14 total starters, plus the Mountaineers avoid fellow Sun Belt contenders Troy and Arkansas State on their schedule, giving them a clear path to the conference title.

Troy and Arkansas State are also capable of going undefeated in league play, and at least a share of the Sun Belt crown could be on the line when the two meet in Jonesboro in the regular season finale.

As the Sun Belt expands to welcome its 12^th football playing member, Coastal Carolina, sadly, it will be the final year for Idaho and New Mexico State. The Vandals, whose quarterback Matt Linehan, is a legitimate NFL prospect, will return to the Big Sky Conference in FCS. The Aggies will return to life as an FBS Independent, as they were from 2008-13.

Sun Belt Conference

Appalachian State Mountaineers
Troy Trojans
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Idaho Vandals
Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns
South Alabama Jaguars
Georgia Southern Eagles
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
New Mexico State Aggies
ULM Warhawks
Georgia State Panthers
Texas State Bobcats