Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 14: Championship week hierarchy

UAB could be up in the top five of the Group of Five Power Rankings this week. Instead, with their spot in the Conference USA title game already sealed up entering the Thanksgiving weekend slate of games, the Blazers blew their chance to host the conference championship showdown at Legion Field when they lost 27-3 on the road to Middle Tennessee.

It was a ghastly performance all around, both offensively and defensively, for the Blazers against the Blue Raiders. UAB quarterback A.J. Erdely threw for only 90 yards and an interception on 9-of-20 passing. The offensive line gave up seven sacks of Erdely as the quarterback finished with negative-48 rushing yards. That put the Blazers a yard in the red in rushing, as they finished with 89 total yards of offense in the blowout defeat.

Now they have to travel right back to Murfreesboro this weekend to face the Blue Raiders a second straight time. Middle Tennessee had to win to get in ahead of Florida International, and with that win they also earned the head-to-head tiebreaker that allowed them to host UAB a second straight week. No matter who wins this game, getting to a New Year’s Six bowl is likely a pipe dream.