Memphis playoff chase: Tracking top Group of Five teams
Northern Illinois offensive players line up for a play during an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. NIU beat Notre Dame 16-14. (Michael Caterina/AP Photo)
Week 2 of the college football season is in the books and some top Group of Five schools fared better than others.
Northern Illinois catapulted itself into the College Football Playoff conversation with a massive upset this week. NIU, at No. 25, is now the only Group of Five team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Memphis holds that position in the Coaches Poll after being voted No. 25.
As the Tigers chase a CFP spot, The Daily Memphian will keep 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. 25/NR* Northern Illinois (2-0)
NIU 16, Notre Dame 14
Last game: Northern Illinois shocked the world when it upset a Notre Dame team that was ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 at the time. No other other MAC team has beaten a higher-ranked opponent.
Up next: idle
Topics
Memphis Tigers Football College Football Playoff college football Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Frank 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.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.