Group of 5 power rankings, Week 6: Boise State reclaims top spot over UCF

Boise State used to be the king of the Group of 5 before UCF took over in the last few years. But the Broncos are back atop the Group of 5 power rankings.

We’ve got a new team atop our Group of 5 power rankings entering Week 6. Will this new king of the Group of 5 remain in their lofty spot this time next week or will we see another big upset shake up the order some more?

10. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Welcome back to the top ten, Hawai’i! The Rainbow Warriors have rebounded nicely after losing by over thirty to a very good Washington team. After a shaky start, Cole McDonald has become the exciting yet inconsistent quarterback many predicted at the beginning of the season. He is currently third in the FBS with 1629 passing yards but leads the FBS with nine interceptions. The defense continues to be mediocre, giving up almost 400 yards per game. The Rainbow Warriors have their biggest game of the season next week against a very good Boise State team, that appears later in these rankings.

9. Tulane Green Wave

The last time we saw Tulane, they were pulling off an epic comeback against a solid Houston team. This was probably the game of the year as it featured a 21 point come-from-behind victory, fake kneel, and game-winning Hail Mary. Tulane’s defense ranks in the top half of the country while allowing only 340 yards per game, and allows under twenty points per game. Its loss to Auburn, while by eighteen points, looks better with each passing week. The Green Wave can definitely move up in these rankings with tests against Army and Memphis in the next three weeks.  Wins against those programs would announce Tulane as a powerful player in the Group of 5.

8. Air Force Falcons

The Falcons rebounded from a tough loss to Boise State with a solid win over San Jose State. The Falcons control games on the ground and are second in the nation in rushing, averaging 332 yards per game. Of course, this is no surprise as they run the triple option which can give opposing defenses trouble. However, the true strength of this team lies on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 28th in the country in both yards per play and yards per game. Next week they take on another triple-option service academy in Navy.

7. Utah State Aggies

I truly feel bad for the Aggies. They dropped their opening game to Wake Forest in a heartbreaker, and after getting their season back on track with three straight wins they have to go to Death Valley and play the LSU Tigers. Jordan Love, who had draft Twitter buzzing preseason, has to be better if the Aggies want to be competitive against the tigers. His 6:5 TD: INT ratio is not going to cut it in one of the toughest places to play in the country.

6. Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats have dominated their last two games after getting blown out on the road by Ohio State. Aside from the Buckeyes, when this team was just completely outgunned (as are most teams OSU plays), the Bearcats defense has been stingy, allowing just two touchdowns per game. The offense came to life in a 52-14 blowout of Marshall last week. This Friday is a huge matchup for them as they take on the UCF Knights.

5. Appalachian State Mountaineers

All of a sudden, Appalachian State’s win over North Carolina looks much more impressive after the Tar Heels took Clemson down to the wire. The Mountaineers must prove their defense can be much tougher, however. Aside from their first game against cupcake East Tennessee State, Appalachian State has given up 30 points in every game. Two of their opponents were Charlotte and Coastal Carolina. The Mountaineers have a tough test next week against the Ragin’ Cajuns, who narrowly missed out on being included in this list.

4. SMU Mustangs

Don’t look now, but the SMU Mustangs are undefeated after five games. They’ve won their three in-state matchups, including a great victory over perennial Big 12 contender TCU. Texas transfer Shane Buechele looks just good enough to make SMU a very good Group of 5 team. The defense isn’t great, but it’s not bad at all as they rank 54th in yards given up per game. The Mustangs have a tough schedule the rest of the way, but they don’t have to play UCF which dramatically increases their chances of winning out.

3. Memphis Tigers

The best compliment I can give to the Tigers is that they’ve handily beaten teams they should have beaten, and won against Ole Miss. The Tigers are still one of the best teams in the American, although a Nov. 2 matchup with SMU looms large. They can’t get complacent, however, as they have Tulane and Temple beforehand.

2. UCF Knights

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! The Knights are now a national powerhouse after going undefeated for two seasons. But the loss to Pitt two weeks ago saw them lose in the regular season for the first time since November of 2017. They got back on track with UConn last Saturday, but that was no test. The real test comes Friday when they travel to Cincinnati to take on a real good Bearcats squad. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been absolutely stellar this season and will look to put up some big numbers to get his team back on track.

1. Boise State Broncos

The Broncos, led by freshman Hank Bachmeier, are your new No. 1. Boise State is the Group of 5’s greatest hope to snag a New Year’s six playoff spot, and are currently favored in every remaining game according to ESPN’s FPI. The Broncos boast a top 25 defense, to supplement an offense that may not win them any games, but shouldn’t lose them any either. However, life with a true freshman quarterback is always harrowing, and Boise State could definitely drop a game against a lesser team in the coming weeks. Life in the Group of 5 is tenuous.

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