College Football New Year’s Six Watch, Week 11: Will Group of 5 invade?

5. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-0, 3-0 C-USA)

The ‘Herd have been fantastic all season in Conference USA. Head coach Doc Holiday and his football team find themselves first and the driver’s seat for the CUSA Championship game. If Marshall wants an opportunity at the New Year’s Six, they need some help. Despite being winless, the ‘Herd don’t have the schedule to make it on their own.

Marshall would need both Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina to lose to make it to the New Year’s Six. Even if that does not happen, Marshall going undefeated would be their best season since going 13-1 in 2014 and the first undefeated season since the Bob Pruett era in 1999.

4. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (7-0, 5-0 Sun Belt)

If both Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina finish undefeated, the Chanticleers have an interesting case for the New Year’s Six. In addition to having a Power Five win (yes, it’s Kansas), the Chanticleers have a ranked win versus No. 21 Louisiana and have a game against Liberty at the end of the season. Their resume stacks up, but Cincinnati would still have to lose to get the Chants in.

If App State were ranked when they play, that would have helped. However, their schedule is comparable to Cincinnati’s. The Bearcats and Chanticleers each have a win over a ranked team. Neither Army nor Appalachian State is ranked anymore. Coastal does not have an FCS team on their schedule, and they have one more ranked win on their schedule possibly. Both teams possibly would have to beat a team twice to win their conference title.