Group of Five teams started dealing out one upset after another in Week 2. Which mid-majors will have Power Five teams on upset alert in Week 3?
The first long weekend of the 2017 college football season did not offer much in the way of upsets by Group of Five schools. 23 FBS matchups featured Group of Five teams against Power Five opponents in Week 0 and Week 1. Only one team, Colorado State, managed to knock off a Power Five opponent over the course of that 10-day span from late August through Labor Day weekend.
Week 2 changed all of that, as a half dozen Power Five programs sustained losses to their Group of Five opponents. It was a great day for mid-majors, as six out of 21 Group of Five teams took down their bigger-name opponents.
As we enter Week 3, there are 24 games on the schedule that feature Power Five teams playing Group of Five opponents. Nine of those games take the major-conference team on the road. We might see another six or seven favorites fall this weekend.
But who might actually take a tumble? These five teams will definitely have their Power Five opponents on upset alert. Click ahead to see the five biggest upset threats from the Group of Five on the Week 3 slate of games. (All betting lines courtesy of Sportsbook Review.)
UCLA has been one of the hottest teams in the country, taking down Texas A&M in a comeback thriller and then following that up with a stellar beatdown of Hawaii. Now the Bruins head on the road for the first time this season. Away from the friendly confines of the Rose Bowl, UCLA faces a tough road trip against an American Athletic Conference favorite.
Memphis started the season 1-0, taking down Louisiana-Monroe at home 37-29. It was a victory, but one that did little to put the Tigers on the national map. But Memphis was forced to sit out Week 2 when their AAC opener against UCF was canceled due to Hurricane Irma. It appears that the game simply will not be played, taking away one point of reference in the quest for better bowl positioning.
That gives Memphis even more incentive in their battle at the Liberty Bowl with UCLA on Saturday. Riley Ferguson will look to rebound from a poor start to the season, after going just 10-of-25 for 97 yards and an interception against the Warhawks. Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. will try to top 100 yards again against the Bruins after each comfortably broke the benchmark versus ULM.
UCLA will have its hands full on Saturday when they leave California for the first of just four times this season. Memphis is a three-point underdog on its home field, but they will make things difficult for Heisman contender Josh Rosen.
Middle Tennessee heads to Minneapolis this weekend as a 10.5-point underdog against Minnesota. But the Golden Gophers would be foolish to discount the threat presented by the Blue Raiders. Last weekend, Rick Stockstill’s team dropped Syracuse 30-23 at the Carrier Dome. It was a comprehensive victory, as the Blue Raiders defense contained Orange quarterback Eric Dungey for just 233 total yards on 42 passes and 19 carries.
The trip to Minnesota marks the third straight week that Middle Tennessee will face Power Five opponents.It was one of the most ambitious non-conference schedules among Group of Five teams, and it could pay big dividends later in the year if the Blue Raiders are still in the C-USA hunt.
Prior to the win over Syracuse, the Blue Raiders fell 28-6 at home to Vanderbilt. After taking on SEC and ACC opponents, they now turn their sights upon the Big Ten. If Middle Tennessee can go 2-1 against the Power Five before Conference USA play, they’d be right in the thick of the discussion for the automatic bid in a New Year’s Six game.
Minnesota will drop from the ranks of the unbeaten this weekend. Caught looking ahead to the Maryland game on September 23, the Golden Gophers will fall in the trap as Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a close upset victory.
Old Dominion is relatively new to the FBS ranks, but they have already begun to make noise this season after reaching their first-ever bowl game last year. The Monarchs face North Carolina at home after taking down FCS Albany and Massachusetts in their first two games of the year.
Blake LaRussa will never be confused for Taylor Heinicke for Old Dominion. The current Monarchs quarterback has thrown for just 290 yards total in his first two games of the season. The intensity ratchets up a bit for the Monarchs as they welcome North Carolina to town. UNC will be straining to get their first victory of the season.
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Over the first two weeks, the Tar Heels lost 35-30 to California and 47-35 against Louisville. Now North Carolina heads on the road for the first time this season. The trip to Norfolk might not have a happy ending for Larry Fedora’s crew, though. Fedora and the offensive staff will once again utilize both Brandon Harris and last week’s
Look for Jeremy Cox to lead the team in rushing as he tops 100 yards for the first time in a year. UNC, though, simply doesn’t have the weapons to keep the Monarchs contained for four quarters. LaRussa will top 200 yards passing for the first time this year as the 10-point underdogs win on their home field.
Central Michigan is no stranger to securing upsets. None have been bigger in recent years than the takedown of Oklahoma State last year, but that was hardly CMU’s only upset. The Chippewas already have one win over a Power Five opponent this season after taking down Kansas 45-27 in Week 2.
They will be looking for another big win against a Syracuse team reeling from last week’s loss against Middle Tennessee. Eric Dungey has looked anything but comfortable at quarterback so far this season, and the Chippewas lead the FBS with eight interceptions in their first two outings. It could be another long day for the Orange quarterback against a Group of Five opponent.
When they have the ball, Central Michigan quarterback Shane Morris has been great. Last week’s MAC offensive player of the week threw for 467 yards and five touchdowns in the win over the Jayhawks. Morris also rushed for 32 yards in the victory as the Chippewas moved to 2-0 on the season.
They will look to make it 3-0 against another Power Five opponent. Morris will throw for at least 350 yards on Saturday, as another Group of Five team makes life miserable in the Carrier Dome for Syracuse. The 9.5-point underdogs will head back to Mount Pleasant as a major threat to upset Dino Babers’ side on their home field.
Last weekend, San Diego State went to Tempe and took down Arizona State in a thorough 30-20 victory. At the same time, then-No. 14 Stanford was falling 42-24 on the road at No. 6 USC despite a 160-yard rushing effort from Bryce Love. It was a shift in fortunes for two teams both intent on winning their respective conference titles.
In their win over the Sun Devils, SDSU’s defense was able to contain Kalen Ballage and the rest of the Arizona State backfield. As a team, the Sun Devils managed to rush for just 44 yards on 31 carries. Week 1 opponent UC-Davis actually fared slightly better against San Diego State than the Sun Devils, gaining 57 yards on 27 carries.
The Aztecs and Cardinal thus meet on different trajectories. and the hosts could continue their rise with a second straight win over a Pac-12 opponent. Stanford still has yet to play at home, after opening in Sydney, Australia and playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Trojans.
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Heading into the showdown in San Diego, Stanford is a 9.5-point favorite. The Aztecs are definitely going to cover that spread, and they are in good position to win outright. Look for Rashaad Penny to rush for 150 yards against a ranked Cardinal team. The hosts will secure a major upset to bolster their credentials in the New Year’s Six race candidates from the Group of Five.