College Football: Group of Five Week 7 power rankings

Troy took a well-deserved rest the past weekend after downing LSU in Baton Rouge in Week 5. The Trojans still have the opening-game loss at Boise State on their record, but Neal Brown‘s team rebounded well and has been perfect through the start of the season.

Among Group of Five conferences, the Sun Belt has traditionally been viewed as the weakest of the bunch. For a long time, the league served as little more than a placeholder for teams transitioning from the FCS and teams on their way to Conference USA or another league. But this could be the year when the Sun Belt actually contends for a New Year’s Six berth.

In addition to the upset of LSU, the Trojans have taken down FCS Alabama State, New Mexico State, and Akron. Now sitting at 4-1 in the season standings, Troy will have a chance to assert its position as the top dog in the Sun Belt over the next few weeks after the break.

The back half of Troy’s schedule does not look particularly daunting. Over the next six weeks after the bye, the Trojans face the weakest opponents in the Sun Belt. If they go 11-1 and win the Sun Belt outright, they could put the Sun Belt in serious position to challenge for inclusion in a New Year’s Six bowl game.