Group of Five college football power rankings, Week 9: Cincy stays on top after scare
team. 2384. . (6-2). Previous: . Flames . 10
Received 3 votes in the Coaches Poll
Week 8 Status: Won 35-26 vs North Texas
Spooky season took on a whole new meaning for Liberty last week when they were trailing North Texas 20-7 late in the second quarter. Star quarterback Malik Willis had an injury scare and went back to the locker room during the second quarter. Willis returned in the third quarter and led the Flames on a 28 to 6 run to end the game and secure victory.
Week 8 Status: Bye Week
UTEP did not play in Week 8 of the college football schedule. The Miners will be hitting the road to take on FAU in a big conference game. They are 6-1 despite quarterback Gavin Hardison throwing 8 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions on the season thus far.
Received 32 votes in AP Top 25
Received 42 votes in the Coaches Poll
Week 8 Status: Won 28-27 vs Arkansas State
Louisiana dropped the season opener against Texas by 20 points but has since won six consecutive games. The Ragin Cajuns efforts have not gone unnoticed, receiving votes in both polls. A huge blowout win against Appalachian State (who just upset Coastal Carolina) holds a lot of value for Louisiana.
Previous: . Cougars . 7. team. 881. . (6-1)
Received 12 votes in AP Top 25
Received 27 votes in the Coaches Poll
Week 8 Status: Won 21-24 vs East Carolina
The Houston Cougars are quietly having a fantastic season. Like Louisiana, since losing their opener against Texas Tech, Houston has won six consecutive games. Their defense has been fantastic, never allowing more than 24 points this season. Running back Alton McCaskill has been steady and reliable the entire season with nine rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. He has the sixth-most total rushing yards in the AAC this college football season. Voters are taking notice, with Houston receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches college football rankings. The Cougars will face their toughest opponent of 2021 when they take on No. 19 SMU this week.
Ranked No. 24 in AP Top 25
Ranked No. 24 in the Coaches Poll
Week 8 Status: Lost 27-30 vs Appalachian State
Coastal Carolina, the highest-ranked Sun Belt team, lands at No. 6 in our power rankings after being No. 2 for several weeks. The Chants blew a 14-point lead and allowed Appalachian state to gain 572 total yards in the game. The 30 points Coastal Carolina allowed against App State was the most so far this season. The Chants will be ok, but if they lose one more game, they will likely finish the season tied with App State and ultimately cede first place in the Sun Belt since they lost this head-to-head matchup.