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College Football: 5 Group of Five teams that could play in New Year’s Six bowl

By Ryan T. Smith

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Quinton Flowers #9 of the South Florida Bulls avoids a Navy Midshipmen defender during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on October 28, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 28: Quarterback Quinton Flowers #9 of the South Florida Bulls avoids a Navy Midshipmen defender during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on October 28, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images) /
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BOCA RATON, FL – DECEMBER 20: Chauncey Lanier #12 of the Memphis Tigers gestures during the first half of the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at FAU Stadium on December 20, 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
BOCA RATON, FL – DECEMBER 20: Chauncey Lanier #12 of the Memphis Tigers gestures during the first half of the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at FAU Stadium on December 20, 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

3. Memphis

Good luck picking a favorite in the AAC West this season. The division is easily the most loaded in the Group of Five conferences, boasting at least four teams with a genuine chance at grabbing a conference title and a New Year’s Six bid. Many will favor Houston, and for good reason — the Cougars will be tough again under new coach Major Applewhite, but the schedule includes trips to Arizona, Temple, Tulsa and USF.

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Bet instead on Memphis, who return all the key pieces from a powerful offense and an experienced front seven. The Tigers have the division’s best quarterback in senior Riley Ferguson, who threw for 32 touchdowns and almost 3,700 yards in 2016, and arguably the best receiver in Anthony Miller.

A few tricky road trips — including a potentially decisive showdown in Houston — prevent me from pegging the Tigers as the AAC and Group of Five favorite. But they’re very possibly the team outside the power conferences with the most potential, and they get a chance to prove it at home in the Liberty Bowl against UCLA on Sept. 16.

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