Group of Five: 2017 college football Week 2 power rankings
By Zach Bigalke
South Florida did enough to remain in the top spot of the Group of Five Power Rankings, winning twice over the first eight days of the season. Charlie Strong’s team is the only one of the top five with a road win at this point after opening at San Jose State. It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, as the Bulls spotted their hosts a 16-0 lead in the first quarter. But with 28 unanswered points before halftime, USF reasserted control to walk away with a 42-22 victory.
The home opener against Stony Brook proved even tougher. Last year the Seawolves went 5-6, getting blown out by Temple 38-0 while finishing 4-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play. This was theoretically supposed to be an opportunity to pad stats for Quinton Flowers and bolster his mid-major Heisman campaign.
Instead the Bulls found themselves in a fight all game. Stony Brook took a 10-7 lead into halftime, and tied the game back up in the fourth quarter at 17-17. Two late South Florida touchdowns were enough to get the 14-point win, and to keep them atop the Group of Five hierarchy this week.
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They will need to refocus their energy for an upcoming string of tougher tests. South Florida plays three games over 12 days between Weeks 2 and 4. The Bulls travel to Connecticut on Saturday, then return to Tampa to host Illinois the following Friday. After their only Power Five test of the season, USF hosts Temple in a matchup that determined the AAC East last year.