Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 7: Sorting the AAC Mess

Two unbeaten AAC West teams remain in the Group of Five race along with three more one-loss contenders from the conference. A new leader emerges for Week 7.

A two-way race has emerged on each side of the American Athletic Conference, and the power seems to reside heavily in the West this year. Both of the league’s undefeated teams sit at the top of that division, while the hegemonic force in the conference over the past two seasons is looking  up in the East. The Group of Five bid for the New Year’s Six is completely up in the air now that the Knights have ceded their grip on top-dog status for good this year.

UCF’s loss to Cincinnati on Friday night in Week 6 changed the complexion of the AAC race all around. The Bearcats look more and more like contenders with each passing week. And it isn’t the Knights but rather Temple that is looking to push Cincinnati for the division crown.

Meanwhile, SMU’s three-overtime heroics against Tulsa on Saturday evening saved their grip on a spot in the AP Top 25 for a second straight week. But they are neck-and-neck with Memphis, a team riding the hot hand (and legs) of a new star running back and hoping to finally break through as the AAC champ this year.

Then there is Tulane, a scrappy outfit that has the opportunity to put together the best season the Green Wave have seen since they won them all under Tommy Bowden in 1998. Currently sitting at 4-1, they could play a real spoiler role in the West this year.

But as the AAC beats up on itself more and more with each passing week, the new leader in the Group of Five clubhouse is a familiar face. Boise State continues to roll through their Mountain West schedule, and the Broncos are ranked higher in both major polls than any other Group of Five hopeful.

How does everything shake out in the Group of Five Power Rankings as we head into Week 7?