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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: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers players celebrate after winning the Boca Raton Bowl against the Memphis Tigers at FAU Stadium on December 20, 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
BOCA RATON, FL – DECEMBER 20: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers players celebrate after winning the Boca Raton Bowl against the Memphis Tigers at FAU Stadium on December 20, 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

2. Western Kentucky

The AAC and Mountain West make all the headlines in the Group of Five world, but Western Michigan proved last year that it’s possible for a team from a less heralded conference to grab the mid-major holy grail — if they can run the table, of course.

The Hilltoppers have a real shot to do so. WKU has been quietly fantastic over the past two seasons, posting a record of 23-5 and topping AAC powers USF and Memphis in bowl games.  They’ve been unable to work their way into the New Year’s Day bowl conversation due to their schedules, which saw them suffer losses to LSU and Alabama before the race started to heat up.

In 2017, WKU finally has the schedule they could’ve used the past two seasons. The Toppers take on a pair of Power Five teams in Illinois and Vanderbilt, but they should be favored against both.

Western Kentucky lost a lot off their 11-win team last season — namely coach Jeff Brohm, who went to Purdue, and their leading rushers and receivers — but return stud quarterback Mike White and had a genuinely nasty front seven in 2016. If this team can find a few replacements waiting in the wings in key areas, they’re a real threat to go 13-0 and earn their third straight Conference USA title.

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