Group of Five Power Rankings 2019, Week 4: Temple makes leap

A six-way logjam at No. 13

This group of a half-dozen teams features two types of teams. Half of the group is still undefeated, but they have played only two games to date and none have come against Power Five competition. The other half has a loss on their record, but still looks to feature in their conference races this year. Any one of this sextet could jump up the Group of Five power rankings in the coming weeks as they dive into conference play.

• Appalachian State Mountaineers (2-0/SUN, idle in Week 3) — Appalachian State is the lone unbeaten team remaining in the Sun Belt, and they get a statement opportunity this week when they head east to Chapel Hill to take on Mack Brown’s resurgent North Carolina squad.
• UAB Blazers (2-0/C-USA, idle in Week 3) — UAB is the last team with an unblemished record in Conference USA, and the Blazers should be favored in every game over the next month and a half leading up to their November 2 date with Tennessee in Knoxville.
• Navy Midshipmen (2-0/AAC, won 42-10 vs. East Carolina) — Navy is 2-0 after wins over FCS Holy Cross and interdivisional foe East Carolina, but they will remain locked outside the top 10 for another week as they take their second bye week this early in the season.
• Central Michigan Chippewas (2-1/MAC, won 45-24 vs. Akron) — Central Michigan’s only loss to date was a 61-0 mismatch against a Wisconsin team that has yet to give up a point this year. The Chippewas get another Power Five statement opportunity this week when they head to Miami to face the Hurricanes.
• Tulane Green Wave (2-1/AAC, won 58-6 vs. FCS Missouri State) — Tulane hosts Houston on Thursday night in a game that could help determine the course of the AAC West race this year. Only a loss at highly-ranked Auburn mars an otherwise perfect record to date.
• Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-1/C-USA, won 35-7 at Bowling Green) — If any team is going to ruin UAB’s chance of an unbeaten run in 2019, it will most likely be Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs lost the opener to Texas, but they will get a chance to make their mark in the conference opener on Friday against FIU.

Any one of these six teams could swoop in and make waves as the season advances. For now, however, they are lurking just on the margins of the top 10.