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

By Jordan Alexis

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)
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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ORLANDO, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Adrian Killins Jr. #9 of the UCF Knights runs in a touchdown during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 17, 2018, at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Notable Games

UCF at Cincinnati: Oct. 4

This was a premiere game last season that was able to get the attention of the college gameday crew who came down to Orlando. Not sure if it will garner that kind of attention in 2019, but the matchup may end up just as important in the AAC East. UCF success for the past few seasons has been well documented, and they’ll be looking to make their third straight New Year’s Day bowl.

Head coach Luke Fickell turned things around in a big way as Cincinnati went from 4-8 in 2017 to 11-2. Now we’ll get to see if that was a one year wonder or if they’re built to sustain success.

In 2018, The Bearcats weren’t very competitive against the Knights in last year’s matchup, but this season they are at home. If Cincinnati is going to take that next step towards contention, they have to slay the beast.

Houston at UCF: Nov. 2

Do you like points?

If the answer is yes, then mark this game as a must-watch.

We’ve mentioned D’Eriq King multiple times, and what he and new head coach Dana Holgorsen could do in 2019 so teams will have to keep up. The Knights have a question mark of quarterback, but still, have multiple weapons and stout offensive line.

The real questions for these teams are on the other side of the ball. For the Knights, they have to replace a ton on the defensive line, while the Cougars have issues all over their defense.

Boise State at Utah State: Nov. 23

The Broncos are the favorites to come out of the Mountain West and could challenge UCF for a New Year’s Six spot.

They will have to get through the Utah State to do so. Gary Andersen is back with the Aggies, but only returns two starters on offense with one of those being quarterback Jordan Love.

The outcome of this game could determine the western division, so it’s certainly worth a watch.

UAB at North Texas: Nov. 30

In 2015 North Texas was 1-11 and UAB had disbanded their football program. Now both teams are coming off very successful winning seasons and will look to continue that in 2019.

The Blazers are coming off easily their best season in school history and one of the best feel-good stories in the country. Now they face a difficult situation having to replace 14 starters, so we’ll see what depth Bill Clark’s team has.

Mason Fine is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and people may not even know who he is. This game won’t be his introduction to the college football fans, but it could be his chance to reach the C-USA title game.

Appalachian State at Troy: Nov. 30

These two programs have been consistent contenders among the Group of Five for a while now, and both enter 2019 with questions on their coaching staff. Scott Satterfield and Neal Brown have both moved on to power five jobs and are leaving behind lofty expectations for their replacements.

For Eli Drinkwitz and the mountaineers, they are in a good position to hit the ground running as they return 16 starters. A conference title should still be the expectation in 2019, and they have a good chance of being undefeated when they get to this game.

Chip Lindsey is in an ideal spot too with a good amount of returning starters, so the Trojans sites should be set on a conference title as well.

It is hard to be the guy who replaces that guy, and both these coaches are in that exact position. We’ll see if they’re able to carry on their program’s productive play.