College Football Playoff: 2015 Dark Horse Conference Champion Contenders

Dec 4, 2014; Greenville, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Shane Carden (5) tosses the ball during the game against the Central Florida Knights at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Central Florida Knights defeated the East Carolina Pirates 32-30. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Group of Five Conferences

American Athletic Conference – East Carolina Pirates
Mid-American Conference – Toledo Rockets
Conference-USA – UTEP Miners
Mountain West Conference – Air Force Falcons
Sun Belt Conference – Texas State Bobcats

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The non-Power-5 conferences, otherwise grouped together and known as the “Group of Five”, have a shot at getting one team from their mix into the playoffs. The highest ranked team from this group will get an invite to one of the bowl games in the playoff rotation.

Of these conferences, the AAC is the strongest, and stands the best chance at getting a team ranked high enough to even sniff playoff consideration.

East Carolina made a good run in the AAC last season, and they could be poised to take the next step. Some improved defense will go a long way to pushing them to a conference title. They could be the college football equivalent of a bracket buster.

Next: ACC