Playoff chase: Tracking top Group of Five football teams
The 44-36 loss to UTSA on Nov. 2 knocked the Memphis Tigers out of playoff contention. They’ll likely miss out on a berth in the AAC Championship game, too. (Courtesy Memphis Athletics)
The first College Football Playoff rankings were announced Tuesday night, offering an initial look at how the committee views the best Group of Five teams.
Boise State is the top-ranked Group of Five program in The Associated Press Top 25 (No. 12) and the Coaches Poll (No. 14), so it was no surprise the Broncos are ranked No. 12 as the top-ranked GF program in the CFP rankings.
Army, at No. 25, is the only other non-power conference school included in the CFP rankings. The Black Knights are also ranked No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Poll.
Memphis had a strong chance of being included in the first CFP rankings, but UTSA spoiled it with a 44-36 victory over the Tigers last Saturday.
Tuesday’s rankings suggest that the CFP spot for the top Group of Five team is Boise State’s to lose. Army is undefeated and still has No. 10 Notre Dame on its schedule. If the Black Knights can stay undefeated while beating Notre Dame, that could force the committee to place Army ahead of Boise State in the rankings. The only blemish on the Broncos’ record is a 37-34 loss to No. 1 Oregon.
The Daily Memphian is keeping track of notable Group of Five teams each week. Some teams will fall out of the tracker and others will be added depending on the outcome of games played.
No. 12 Boise State (7-1)
Boise State 56, San Diego State 24
Last week: Boise State is getting closer to its first CFP appearance with each win.
Up next: vs. Nevada on Saturday, Nov. 9 (7 p.m., FOX)
No. 25 Army (8-0)
Army 20, Air Force 3
Last week: Even with starting quarterback Bryson Daily out, Army found a way to win by 17.
Up next: at North Texas on Saturday, Nov. 9 (2:30, ESPN2)
UNLV (6-2)
Last week: Idle
Up next: at Hawai’i on Saturday, Nov. 9 (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
Tulane (7-2)
Tulane 34, Charlotte 3
Last week: Tulane is a legitimate threat to win the American Athletic Conference under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall.
Up next: vs. Temple on Saturday, Nov. 9 (3 p.m., ESPNU)
Notable losses
Memphis (7-2)
UTSA 44, Memphis 36
Last week: The Tigers are not only out of playoff contention, but they’ll likely miss out on a berth in the AAC Championship game.
Up next: vs. Rice on Friday (8 p.m., ESPN2)
Note: All times are listed as CST.
Topics
Memphis Tigers Football College Football Playoff college football Boise StateFrank Bonner II
Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.
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