Group of Five season preview: Who is this year's Cinderella?

Group of Five season preview: Who is this year’s Cinderella?

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 01: UCF players hoist the trophy after winning the AAC Championship football game between the visiting Memphis Tigers and the UCF Knights on December 1, 2018, at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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DENTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: North Texas Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine (6) looks downfield for an open receiver during the game between the North Texas Mean Green and the Rice Owls on October 27, 2018, at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas. North Texas defeats Rice 41-17. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Conference USA

After losing their football program for two seasons (‘15&’16), the UAB Blazers were able to win the conference last year and finish 11-3. Now with only eight returning starters, we’ll see if Bill Clarke can keep things together with such an inexperienced team.

North Texas seems like the team ready to strike in the West if UAB takes a step back. They return quarterback Mason Fine who is an early favorite for offensive player of the year, but the defense needs to replace six starters. Their schedule has some tough out of conference games, and they have to go to Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss so will see what this team is made of.

Southern Miss returns the most starters in the division so it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see them be the team that rises to the top.

In the east, Marshall and FIU are at the top so their meeting at the end of the season could be a win and get in. FIU will be coming off a tough game against Miami the week before so Marshall will have that in their favor, plus this game will be in Huntington.

Florida Atlantic is still lurking, but with Devin Singletary gone and uncertainty at quarterback, Lane Kiffin and his crew may have missed their window.