Group of Five Football Power Rankings, Week 13: Air Force, Northern Illinois see biggest gains
The latest Group of Five football power rankings are in and there are plenty of teams still fighting to reach the top of the rankings.
All eyes are on Cincinnati to see if they can become the first ever Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoffs
Will UTSA be able to finish the season undefeated? Can Houston and Louisiana end their seasons on an eleven-game winning streak?
There are plenty of storylines to follow in the final Group of Five football games
Let’s take a look at which teams make it in this week’s Power Rankings.
team. 2367. . (7-4). Previous: . Blazers. 20
UAB had the difficult task of trying to end UTSA’s storybook season. They came closer than just about anyone has all year, falling by three points on the road. Don’t let this loss distract you from the fact that the Blazers have had a great season themselves. This is the sixth-consecutive season in which they’ve had six or more wins.
Previous: . Flames. 19. team. 2382. . (7-4)
Liberty, with one of the most exciting offenses in the Group of Five, got absolutely clobbered by Louisiana at home. The Flames have lost two in a row and will finish with another tough one at home against Army.
18. team. 884. . (8-3). Previous: . Mustangs
SMU showed so much promise in the first half of the season, getting off to a 7-0 start this season. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off shortly after that terrific start. The Mustangs lost three out of four games (all on the road) to Houston, Memphis and Cincinnati. Too many outside distractions for SMU certainly doesn’t help— Sonny Dykes potentially departing for another job, an ESPN+ show being taped and more.
Nevada appeared to be making a serious run to be the premiere team in the Mountain West the season, but two consecutive losses have essentially taken them out of consideration. Despite the losses, QB Carson Strong has recorded 32 touchdown passes and nearly 4,000 yards passing. He’s made Wolfpack football must-see tv.
Pirates . 16. team. 932. . (7-4). Previous:
East Carolina has quietly been trending toward the top of the American Athletic Conference behind Cincinnati and Houston. To do that, they beat Memphis by one point and Navy by three in consecutive games. Can the Pirates do the unthinkable and ruin Cincinnati’s perfect season this week? All eyes should be tuned to ABC at 3:30 PM ET on Nov. 26.