Fansided

Group of 5 power rankings: Appalachian State moving up fast

By Daniel Stave

BOONE, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Zac Thomas (12) sets up to pass to the end zone during the South Alabama v Appalachian State game on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC.(Photo by Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOONE, NC - SEPTEMBER 29: Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Zac Thomas (12) sets up to pass to the end zone during the South Alabama v Appalachian State game on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC.(Photo by Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

UCF has a stranglehold on the top spot in the Group of Five power rankings, but there’s a new team making a charge into the top 3.

There isn’t too much movement in the Group of Five power rankings this week. Every team has played four or five games, so we are getting a better idea of how good each team is. As I wrote a few weeks ago, early in the season teams may move drastically, because we are learning so much about teams each week. Now that we have a solid base of information, the rankings are starting to stabilize.

The number of teams seriously considered this week was down as well. The two honorable mentions are Troy and San Diego State. Troy won convincingly in Week 5 but also has a big loss to Boise State on their record back in Week 1. Their biggest win is the upset of Nebraska, which looks less impressive week after week. San Diego State was off for Week 5 and was simply passed by two teams that put together impressive performances.

Group of Five power rankings entering Week 6

DENTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: North Texas Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine (6) tries to evade a sack during the game between the North Texas Mean Green and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 29, 2018 at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DENTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: North Texas Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine (6) tries to evade a sack during the game between the North Texas Mean Green and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 29, 2018 at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. North Texas Mean Green (Conference USA) 4-1

There will be no undefeated season in Denton. North Texas falls to the brink of the rankings after a 29-27 loss to Louisiana Tech. The game went back and forth, as the Mean Green raced out to a 21-6 lead after the first quarter.

After trading field goals for touchdowns through the first quarter and a half, the Bulldogs decided to start scoring touchdowns. J’Mar Smith threw two touchdown passes in the last five minutes of the second quarter to give Tech a 26-21 halftime lead.

The scoring slowed down in the second half. After another Bulldog field goal made it 29-21, Mason Fine threw his third touchdown pass of the day for North Texas. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving it at 29-27.

Fine drove his team down to the LT 29-yard line with 41 seconds left with a chance to take the lead, but Cole Hedlund’s kick was blocked by Amik Robertson to seal the win for Louisiana Tech.

Up next: Saturday at UTEP

9. Army Black Knights (Independent) 3-2

Army leaps into the countdown after back-to-back eye-opening performances. In Week 4, the Black Knights went to Oklahoma and took the Sooners to overtime. Battling until Oklahoma scored a touchdown on their possession and intercepted Army to pull out the win.

Rather than lamenting their missed opportunity to shock the nation, Army bounced back and dominated Buffalo in Week 5. Buffalo entered the game 4-0 and were also in consideration for these rankings.

Like their armed forces rivals Navy, Army utilizes an option scheme. The team threw five passes and ran the ball 64 times in the game, possessing the ball for more than 37 minutes. Army’s other loss came in Week 1 at the hands of Duke. Along with Buffalo, they also handed Hawaii their only loss of the season in Week 3.

Up next: Oct. 13 vs. San Jose State.

Home/College Football