Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 10: Several favorites stumble
By Zach Bigalke
Fresno State enters Week 11 as the highest-ranked Mountain West team in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s estimation. The committee put the Bulldogs at No. 23 in the most recent Top 25 they released on Tuesday night, and if UCF were to stumble it would open the door for Jeff Tedford‘s team to launch to the next level.
The selection committee seems to like the Bulldogs in part for their Power Five victory over UCLA. There is obviously that statement win over the Bruins that gives Fresno State a slight edge in strength of schedule, especially as UCLA gets on track over the back half of the season. That helps mitigate the impact of losing to a Minnesota team that continues to backslide this season.
Fresno State knocked off Hawaii 56-17 on the island in Week 10. The Bulldogs have been both disciplined and opportunistic, ranking in the top five in turnover margin thanks to their fourth-ranked offense in turnovers allowed and fifth-ranked defense in turnovers gained. The Bulldogs are tied with Temple for the most defensive touchdowns in the FBS, and they also rank in the top 30 in both penalties and penalty yardage incurred per game.