Group of Five New Year’s 6 Watch, Week 8: Coastal Carolina atop Sun Belt

This week on the watch is a pivotal Group of Five matchup between AAC rivals SMU and Cincinnati for first place. Who will make it to New Year’s?

Welcome to the watch. Week 7 was light across the Group of Five. This week, however, some key matchups will help determine who represents the Group of Five in the New Year’s Six bowl game this season.

Last Wednesday night, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defeated the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 30-27 on the road.

Friday night, BYU kept rolling with a  dominant 43-26 win against the Houston Cougars, shutting Houston out in the fourth quarter. SMU played survive and advance, defeating the Tulane Green Wave 37-34 in overtime. Cincinnati versus Tulsa was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

There have been so many teams fall already this season. First, Appalachian State fell from the unbeaten; then it was the Memphis Tigers and UCF Knights, now the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns’. Who else will fall this week?

Unfortunately for two teams, Liberty and BYU, they are not eligible for the New Year’s Six because of their independent status. BYU might not make it to New Year’s because COVID-19 took the Power Five teams from the schedule. Liberty might not have enough schedule despite handily defeating Syracuse on the road last week.

Here are your members of the watch for Week 8.