Group of 5 power rankings, Week 12: Top five holds steady

SAN DIEGO, CA - OCTOBER 14: Brett Rypien #4 of the Boise State Broncos throws the ball against the San Diego State Aztecs in the first half at SDCCU Stadium on October 14, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - OCTOBER 14: Brett Rypien #4 of the Boise State Broncos throws the ball against the San Diego State Aztecs in the first half at SDCCU Stadium on October 14, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 19: Memphis Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson (4) looks to pass downfield during the football game between the Memphis Tigers and the Houston Cougars on October 19, 2017 at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 19: Memphis Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson (4) looks to pass downfield during the football game between the Memphis Tigers and the Houston Cougars on October 19, 2017 at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
2

Memphis Tigers

Last week: BYE
Last rank: 2

Memphis rested up during a Week 11 bye and is now eyeing a rematch with mighty UCF in the AAC Championship Game.

Second-year head coach Mike Norvell has a chance to lead the Tigers to their best season in school history with a mark of 8-1 so far and a commanding two-game lead in the American West. Memphis has cracked the top 20 of the AP Poll and is just six spots behind UCF at No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings, meaning Norvell’s team is likely headed to the New Year’s Six if it manages to win out.

The Tigers swept their nonconference slate, including a nice win over UCLA, before running into the UCF buzzsaw on Sep. 30 in a 40-13 loss. Memphis has recovered to win four straight games since, including a hard-fought 30-27 win over Navy and wild comeback to take down Houston on Oct. 19.

Quarterback Riley Ferguson has drawn the attention of NFL scouts with 2,881 yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in his terrific senior campaign. Wide receiver Anthony Miller and versatile running back Darrell Henderson have been terrific compliments, helping Memphis average 42.3 points per game to rank sixth in the nation.

Thanks to their head-to-head win over Houston, the Tigers will just need a split over their final two games to earn a berth in the AAC Championship Game. Memphis could get a challenge on Saturday afternoon when a good SMU team visits the Liberty Bowl.