Most chaotic possibilities coming out of Championship Weekend

Opportunities for championship chaos at the Group of Five level

Before we go any further, let’s acknowledge that there is no pathway for the MAC to play its way back into the big picture over Championship Weekend. With 7-5 Kent State squaring off against 8-4 Northern Illinois in Detroit, the conference that gave us teams like Central Michigan in the late BCS era and Western Michigan as a New Year’s Six participants won’t factor into the chaos this year.

What would it take to shake things up at the Group of Five level?

C-USA: Western Kentucky defeats UTSA

UTSA hoped to sneak into a New Year’s Six bowl if it could run the table and get some help from a Cincinnati loss. Instead, the Roadrunners went on the road a week ago and bottomed out against North Texas to blemish a once-perfect record. Western Kentucky actually opened as a one-point favorite in a game UTSA is hosting at the Alamodome, so it wouldn’t be too shocking to see the Hilltoppers take the C-USA crown this year.

Mountain West: Utah State defeats San Diego State

After UTSA lost, San Diego State looks like the team best positioned to swoop in and take the automatic Group of Five bid to a New Year’s Six bowl if Cincinnati falters. Utah State has hardly been perfect this season, with losses not just to Boise State and BYU but also to Wyoming. But they are less than a touchdown underdog despite playing in California. Could Blake Anderson claim the Mountain West in his first year in Logan?

Sun Belt: Appalachian State defeats Louisiana

It is a trend throughout the Group of Five championship games that the team with fewer wins is largely favored — even on the road. That trend continues in the Sun Belt, where Appalachian State is favored by a field goal despite traveling to Lafayette for the contest. Billy Napier is still coaching the Ragin’ Cajuns for one more game, but with his mind, halfway in Gainesville, there is a real chance of a Mountaineers victory.

American: Houston defeats Cincinnati

This is the marquee matchup of the Group of Five championship games, and it could also create the most chaos if it doesn’t go to chalk. A decade ago, Houston had their chance to bust into the BCS destroyed by Southern Miss in the C-USA championship game. Now, they can make Cincinnati feel that same pain at Nippert Stadium. A win could very well propel the Cougars past their conference foe and into their second New Year’s Six bowl as a program.