Group of 5 power rankings, Week 8: UCF, USF avoid upsets

MEMPHIS, TN - OCTOBER 13: Joey Connors #91 of the Central Florida Knights celebrates at the end of the game against the Memphis Tigers on October 13, 2018 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Central Florida defeated Memphis 31-30. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

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AMHERST, NY – SEPTEMBER 29: Tyree Jackson #3 of the Buffalo Bulls talks to a coach on the sideline during a game against the Army Black Knights at University at Buffalo Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Amherst, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

Two teams staved off upset bids from conference foes. What else went down in the Group of Five in Week 7?

While the destination is very familiar, the road that was traveled was far from boring. The rankings see hardly any movement after the 10 teams from last week’s rankings went 9-0 (Cincinnati had a bye).

However, the two undefeated teams in action in Week 7 both nearly saw their dreams of a perfect season come to an end. Traveling from Florida to mid-America was no picnic for UCF and USF. The two visited Memphis and Tulsa, respectively, and were not greeted warmly by their hosts.

The Tigers and Golden Hurricane wanted to play spoiler in front of the home crowds. And both had leads in the 4th quarter. Were they able to knock off two of the top teams and uproot the rankings? Let’s find out.

Group of 5 power rankings entering Week 8

10. Buffalo Bulls (Mid-American Conference) 6-1

After earning honorable mention several times over the first six weeks, Buffalo finally put together enough impressive performances to make the cut. The Bulls kick out Boise State, who had a less-than-decisive 31-27 victory over Nevada in Week 7.

Buffalo took care of business, earning a 24-6 win over Akron to move to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in MAC play. The lone blemish is a blowout loss to Army, who’s option running game was a unique challenge for the Bull’s defense.

Junior quarterback Tyree Jackson has been the key to the Buffalo offense. At 6’7″ and 245 pounds, Jackson is an intriguing athlete for NFL scouts. He had 212 yards passing, 57 yards rushing, and two touchdowns in the Week 7 win. Khalil Mack’s younger brother Ledarius is a junior defensive end on the team, though he hasn’t been able to duplicate his brother’s production.

Up next: Saturday at Toledo.

9. Army Knights (Independent) 4-2

Army actually trailed briefly in the first quarter of their 42-3 win over San Jose State. The Spartans kicked a field goal with four minutes left in the opening period. The Knights took over from there. Kelvin Hopkins Jr. threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Asberry on the first play of the second quarter. Army steamrolled 0-6 San Jose St. from there. Hopkins ran the show, with 99 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go along with his passing score.

Up next: Saturday vs. Miami (OH).