When just about everyone wins, there's not usually much movement. Such is the case in this week's Group of Five Power Rankings with nearly top-10 team coming off a win. Through the first half of the season, betting favorites have emerged for the coveted College Football Playoff automatic bid, and that race will be one to continue monitoring in the coming weeks.
The stakes couldn't be higher, so we are seeing the contenders really start to lock-in and make sure they take care of business. However, there are a few potential teams that can be considered agents of chaos. Teams who could totally derail another's hopes and/or usurp them completely.
Who are these particular squads?
- North Texas (5-1, 2-0): The Mean Green are tied for third in the ACC with the loss coming to Texas Tech. They face Memphis as a double-digit dog in Week 8, per Caesars Sportsbook, but they can score, which gives them a puncher's chance in any game.
- Western Kentucky (5-2, 3-0): Speaking of scoring, that's the Hilltoppers in a nutshell. They are an offensive juggernaut and a nightmare to compete against defensively. They've been better than advertised defensively and are a threat in Conference USA.
- UConn (4-2): The Huskies are an FBS Independent, so their road to the postseason can be a bit tough without a conference championship. But with the way they are playing ball, they could finish with a winning record.
- ULM (5-1, 3-0): With the Warhawks already owning a top-25 victory over James Madison, ULM looks like a serious contender in the Sun Belt. The back end of their schedule is extremely tough with games vs. South Alabama, Auburn, Texas State and Louisiana.
- Texas State (4-2, 2-0): The Bobcats were my preseason pick to get to the CFP, but they've fallen out of the rankings after back-to-back losses. However, they can still win the Sun Belt and rack up some impressive wins along the way.
Group of Five rankings remain important. Though these conferences get a significantly lower financial guarantee from the new 12-team CFP, they are on a more equitable field when it comes to the competition: The four highest ranked conference champions get byes, and the five highest ranked champs get auto-bids, but nothing is to say that the supposed "Power Four" are guaranteed those four byes or four of those five spots; if a Group of Five team were to outrank, hypothetically, the Big 12 champion, it would get a bye and home game. And with those spots comes financial windfalls based on success in the tournament.
What are the season outlooks for the best Group of Five teams? Use Caesars promo code to view the latest odds and get in the game.
| 1 |  |
| The Broncos defense played its best game of the season last weekend against Hawaii, holding the Warriors to only seven points. Hopefully, they don't lose that momentum over their bye week as they face the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV in two weeks. (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 |  |
| Defensively, the Black Knights are amongst the best in the country with regards to red zone defense (No. 1) and points per game (No. 2). Again, it's not about who you're playing, but how you're playing against them that matters most. (LW: 2) | |
| 3 |  |
| A dominating win over Air Force gives the Midshipmen the pole position for the Commander-in-Chief's trophy. Lot of season left, but what a tremendous start for the Mids. (LW: 3) | |
| 4 |  |
| It took overtime for the Flames to get the win over FIU last time out. While the Flames were burning bright last year, there's a bit more flickering going on this season. I'm willing to chalk up last week's close game to rust; their last game was in September due to the cancellation of the Appalachian State game because of Hurricane Helene. (LW: 4) | |
| 5 |  |
| Now comes a difficult two-week stretch of games for the Rebels against Oregon State and Boise State. We'll see what lessons were learned from their loss to Syracuse two weeks ago. (LW: 5) | |
| 6 |  |
| Still clawing their way back into the national playoff picture after their loss to Navy three weeks ago, the Tigers have posted back-to-back wins over Middle Tennessee and USF. They have a chance to make a statement if they're able to knock off a good North Texas team this weekend. (LW: 6) | |
| 7 |  |
| The Dukes didn't play with their food this time and took care of business against a solid Coastal Carolina team, winning 39-7. Quietly, this has been a good defensive football team. (LW: 7) | |
| 8 |  |
| Good to see the Ragin' Cajuns take out Appalachian State last weekend. Can the defense avoid going back-and-forth against Coastal Carolina? We shall see. (LW: 8) | |
| 9 |  |
| The Green Wave are back on the gridiron this week vs. Rice. Hoping they haven't lost any crest coming off of their bye week. (LW: 10) | |
| 10 |  |
| The only mover this week after a 31-14 loss to Western Kentucky on Wednesday. Still, the Bearkats are 5-2 and only one game back in the C-USA race. (LW: 9) | |
