With all of the conference realignment that transpired over the offseason, the Power Five became the Power Four, and the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC became super conferences. This, of course, was at the expense of the Pac-12, whose dissolution became one of realignment's great tragedies.
Currently, the Pac-12 is just the "Pac-2" with Oregon State and Washington State. But the conference rebounded by announcing the additions of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State from the Mountain West; Gonzaga will join in 2026 for other sports. Since they may not be done adding programs, it looks as though the Pac-12 will emerge from the realignment rubble with a healthy new conference.
For this season, however, I ask: what should we do with Washington State?
The Cougars are in the midst of a fantastic season, sitting with a 7-1 record and their only loss being to Boise State. Armed with an exciting quarterback, John Mateer, and a manageable November schedule, the Cougars could end up with an 11-1 record when all is said and done.
Because the College Football Playoff selection committee effectively views Washington State and Oregon State as independents rather than power-conference teams (at least for the next two years), the Cougars are in no-man's land. But they've been excellent against what is basically a Mountain West schedule. In the spirit of celebrating a team during a season that didn't start with much reason to celebrate, I've ranked the Cougars relative to how they've performed against other Group of Five programs.
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 | |
| Army still has key games against Notre Dame (Nov. 23) and Navy, the latter of whom it may face twice. The Black Knights have to continue to win and win in an emphatic manner if they want to make a CFP statement. (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 | |
| The Broncos passed a major test last week by knocking off UNLV. Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty didn't have his "best" day but still cleared 100 yards rushing and got the job done. Now, they need to be the biggest UNLV fans and hope that the Rebels continue to win impressively the rest of the way. (LW: 2) | |
| 3 | |
| Mateer is doing some amazing things this season. He has 28 touchdowns (18 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing) and is one of the most thrilling players in the country with the ball in his hands. (LW: Not ranked) | |
| 4 | |
| The Tigers have to start creating some distance between themselves and the teams they face; they've played some closer-than-expected games over the last two weeks. Their last lone opportunity vs. a quality opponent comes at the end of the regular season on the road vs. Tulane. Until then, they need to pile up some style points. (LW: 5) | |
| 5 | |
| Tulane got a quality victory last weekend vs. North Texas and still has both Memphis and Navy remaining on the schedule. Look for the Green Wave to continue to play at a frenetic pace, racking up a ton of points in the process. This is a good team and a fun one to watch. (LW: 6) | |
| 6 | |
| On Tuesday night, the Ragin' Cajuns got a great road win vs. preseason Sun Belt West favorite Texas State. It was the best defensive performance of the season by Louisiana, and this team probably feels as though it should be undefeated. I feel as though it should be ranked in the top 25, but I might be just a teeny bit biased. (LW: 7) | |
| 7 | |
| What a bad loss to Notre Dame last weekend for the Midshipmen. Just uncharacteristic of their style of play and execution with all of the turnovers. Having it front and center on national television made it even worse. (LW: 3) | |
| 8 | |
| The Hilltoppers are a solid team. Maybe they are not of the same caliber of some of the teams that are ranked ahead of them, but they are playing some of their best ball of the season on both sides. (LW: 10) | |
| 9 | |
| Things were going according to plan for the Rebels until that turnover right before halftime. I thought that turned the tide of the game and subsequently put them at a disadvantage the rest of the way. They're still a good team, but they may have missed their shot at the CFP with that loss to Boise State. (LW: 4) | |
| 10 | |
| The Bearkats sit at 7-2 on the season, and while their offense has been on the struggle bus for the last two weeks, their defense hasn't, giving up just 10 points combined. They still have both Jacksonville State and Liberty remaining on the schedule, putting them in play for the Conference USA Championship Game if they're able to run the table. (LW: NR) | |
Dropped out: Liberty, ULM