Group of Five power rankings: Which undefeated team has best playoff argument?

Group of Five power rankings has Cincinnati, Liberty and BYU vying for the top spot, but can any of these undefeated teams make the playoff?

This weekend in the Group of Five was fairly quiet. BYU was off this weekend, and Coastal Carolina’s game against Troy was postponed due to COVID-related issues. Everyone else that played dominated inferior opponents.

Marshal handily defeated struggling Middle Tennessee State 42-14. Grant Wells had one of the best games at Marshall, throwing for 336 yards and five touchdowns. Liberty played their second FCS school dominating Western Carolina 58-14. Malik Willis led the Flames in passing and rushing with five total touchdowns.

Cincinnati dominated the East Carolina Pirates last Friday night 55-17. Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns as Cincy continue their dominance in the American Conference.

Barring any cancellations or postponements, here are some games that could affect the Group of Five Power Rankings this weekend. Coastal Carolina plays Appalachian State as the Mountaineers try to pull the upset and get back in the Sun Belt championship race. The Liberty Flames seek to go three for three against the ACC when they travel to Raleigh to play North Carolina State.

Cincinnati plays conference rival UCF as the Knights attempt to play spoiler to the Bearcats New Year’s Six hopes.

Group of Five power rankings entering Week 12

5. Marshall

Marshall has entered into their softest part of their schedule. First, the Thundering Herd decimated UMass 51-10. This past weekend, Marshall dominated Middle Tennessee 42-14. The Herd dominated this game from start to finish against the Blue Raiders. The defense dominated MTSU shutting them out two of four quarters, surrendering only 303 total yards. The win came as the university honored those who lost their lives 50 years ago in the horrific Marshall plane crash. The ‘Herd play Charlotte next Saturday.

4. Coastal Carolina

The Chanticleers’ game against Troy was postponed last Saturday due to COVID-related issues for Troy. That game will be made up on December 12. Head coach Jamey Chadwell has become one possible candidate for the now-vacated South Carolina head coaching position. The extra week of preparation could be a blessing in disguise for the Chanticleers as they take on Appalachian State this weekend. Both teams are undefeated in the Sun Belt East, so this game is for the division title.

3. BYU

The Cougars were off last weekend and play North Alabama this weekend. Like Marshall, the Cougars have played the best part of their schedule. BYU has two games left on their schedule. The Cougars occupy an interesting space as a football Independent. First, their New Year’s hope lies squarely on an at-large bid. Their two best wins, however, are against Boise State and Houston. Still, it cannot be understated how the Cougars have absolutely boat-raced everyone on their schedule. Currently, the Cougars are No. 8 in the country, but is their resume better than Liberty or Coastal Carolina’s? The Committee has to decide if wins are a better resume-builder than blowouts.

2. Liberty

Speaking of Liberty, the Flames defeated FCS Western Carolina this weekend, 58-14. The Flames have two big games left on their schedule against North Carolina State and Coastal Carolina. If the Flames win those two games, three ACC wins, and a win against a ranked potential conference champion would be on Liberty’s resume. Both the Cougars and Flames do not have the extra data point of a conference championship game, so the resume is critical in both teams’ cases. The committee will tell what they value. Liberty is ranked so much lower than BYU simply because of the brand.

1. Cincinnati

The Bearcats play rival UCF this weekend. Two seasons ago, it was UCF that cost Cincinnati an opportunity at the AAC title. Last season, Cincinnati defeated UCF to pave the way to the AAC title. This season, the Knights are attempting to play spoiler to the Bearcats New Year’s Six hopes. Though the Knights have little hope of playing for a conference title, they would love to dash the dreams of their AAC rival. This is the first of two tough games for the Bearcats as they look to win the AAC and earn their way to the New Year’s Six. The Bearcats end the season against the No. 25 Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who would be a great resume builder for Cincinnati’s faint National Semifinal hopes.

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